European Integration & Culture

The Pillar

More than 20 years have passed since the european community was formally established, and in recent times the different souls that animate the union have started to understand to a deeper degree that we must be united like anytime before, whilst being able to preserve the traditions and peculiarities of every member country.

This Pillar aims to help medical students to have an active role in understanding this new interconnected world. Alongside the many activities that already are in place in most universities, the pillar offers two short exchange programs. The first is the twinning project, a week long exchange period with a European partnering University, whilst the second is an international visiting program held in Ethiopia.

Twinning project

In modern medicine networking is almost as important as studying. Since its formation in 2015, EMSA-Torino has been committed to develop connetions within the Emsa network. Through the Twinning Project, students from different universities across Europe have a chance to share not only their country’s vision of medical education, but also social and personal experiences which can create and strenghten bonds between tomorrow’s doctors.

During the two weeks in which the project is held, each participant gets assigned a “twin” coming from the Partnering University. Each student both hosts and gets hosted by their twin, and participates with them in the activities organised by the hosting FMO. EMSA-Torino provides participants with all the logistical support needed to host foreign students during the week in which Turin is hosting, and organises several activities at the University and in the free time.

The following are the editions that were held in the past:

Spring 2015 – with Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucarest, Romania
Spring 2016 – with Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
Autumn 2016 – with University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
Spring 2017 – with Medical University of Lublin, Poland
Autumn 2017 – with Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
Spring 2018 – with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Autumn 2018 – with University of Porto, Portugal

Ethiopia experience

Being used to think that Europe is the centre of the world we may forget that not everybody is as privileged as we are. This was the idea we had in mind when contacting Shosholoza ONLUS, our partner association in the project Ethiopia Experience.

Whilst being surrounded by the beautiful nature of Ethiopia, our students learn how to deal with patients in a health care system that has different structures, different priorities and different illnesses.

Ethiopia Experience is a 3-week long visiting program in which students come into closer contact with the Ethiopian healthcare system, through clerkships and seminars, while making wonderful touristic activities along the way.

Students are introduced to the Ayder University of Mekellé, where they are taught by local doctors the same way we do here during our clerkships in the University Hospital. The teachings are then integrated with seminars that focus on the management and diagnosis of the most common infectious diseases in that environment. Touristic activities show them the beautiful landscapes and places of that area of Africa, while the visit to the Kobo or Wukro Orphanages makes them face what it is like to provide education in developing countries. The organization of the experience in Ethiopia is carried out by Shosholoza ONLUS, a passionate NGO who’s managers have a deep bond with the city of Mekellè. They provide logistical support, lodging during the stay and the bureaucratic assistance students need to make their travel safe.

Interested in participating?

As you may imagine, running these exchanges with limited resources is difficult. That’s why there are only a few editions of both the projects every year, depending on our partners possibilities and availabilities.

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