The National Congress of Medical Students (CNEM) is dedicated to all medical students in the country and organized by the National Association of Medical Students (ANEM), which represents about 12,000 medical students in Portugal. For more than 30 years, it has played a role in defending the interests of students and is today one of the most dynamic and interventionist National Student Representation Associations.
Having as general coordinator a FMUL student, Catarina Nunes, this 6th edition of CNEM, which will take place on November 16 and 17, can be an opportunity to train medical students, and thus contribute to a more informed generation of empowered and proactive future doctors.
The congress will take place at our Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon and its Director, Professor Fausto J. Pinto, is a member of the Honour Committee
We talked with the general coordinator, Catarina Nunes, who has the added responsibility of being a student of the School of Medicine, and the result is here. In a month when our topic is precisely to understand “Without Borders” people and events, we examined the main outlines of a Congress whose theme this year is… “going further”.
How does Catarina accept the coordination of this Congress that has such national relevance?
Catarina: I always had a huge desire to get involved in projects. I started in year 3 of the Faculty by being part of the Organizing Committee of the 7th AIMS Meeting. It was an extraordinary experience and made me want to do more projects! The following year, I was part of the AEFML's Board as Coordinator of the Department of Training and Science, an extremely rewarding challenge. These experiences allow us to grow at various levels and so the desire has been developing. The following year, I accepted the challenge of being Director of Training of the National Association of Medical Students (ANEM), which involves, among other projects, being the General Coordinator of CNEM. It has been very interesting to build something of this size as part of a national team. I have learned a lot!
What are your main concerns on this year's agenda?
Catarina: The Training Area, which I am currently working on, has as its main objective to complement the training of medical students. For us, it is very important to carry out activities that promote skills, such as time and stress management, project management or conflict management. We have also established internships at national level that allow students to contact areas they have always wanted to explore further, such as certain specialties they are not that familiar with, or specific research areas during the degree. We carry out many initiatives in this area and students adhere strongly! I feel we end up making a difference!
From the numbers you have told me in a brief presentation of CNEM, you can see the scope of this initiative, but tell me a little better about the profile of these people who come together in these two days?
Catarina: CNEM brings together in the same space medical students from all Medical Schools in the country, who are looking for something more for their education. They are curious students who are eager to know what is beyond medicine. CNEM's motto this year is precisely this: “going further”. The truth is that more and more these days, medicine is much more than the clinic itself. It is essential to open horizons and seek to know complementary areas. Moreover, the fact that we can bring together so many different perspectives from all over the country is extremely enriching in itself!
In what matters should we insist and communicate more so that when we leave this Congress we have more informed future doctors?
Catarina: One of CNEM's key points is the debate on current health issues. We have sought to include a set of Round Tables on topics such as anti-vaccination, euthanasia, public-private partnerships or alternative diets in CNEM, as we recognize the need for informed and serious sharing of ideas on these issues. Our workshops also take the same view: they address topics that are usually less covered and more complementary to our degree. We have included workshops on Clinical Pilates, Exercise Prescription or Sign Language, for example. In addition, the Plenary Sessions themselves seek to be inspiring and motivate students to go further. Overall, the entire CNEM programme contributes to having more informed future doctors. We want students to feel more empowered and, above all, more inspired to be more and better: to go further!
Joana Sousa
Editorial Team
