Facilitating and Promoting International Exchange in Medical Education

International exchange in medical education is about more than just exchanging people—it is about exchanging ideas and knowledge. It is about connecting educators and students around the world and engaging in a global dialogue. It is about empowering students with an international perspective and meeting the health care needs of an increasingly globalized world.

But developing and managing an effective exchange program isn’t easy. Medical schools need to establish strong relationships with many other schools in order to provide their students with access to a wide range of opportunities. Schools need up-to-date information on curricula and the resources to support their students throughout the process. They need to know their students will be safe and have a quality educational experience. They need effective ways to promote their own electives and tell their own stories, in their own words, to students around the world.

Students interested in an elective experience abroad face unique challenges as well. They need access to accurate, comprehensive information on available electives, such as languages of instruction, program dates, prerequisites, curriculum, fees, and whether they can earn credit for the experience. They need to evaluate and compare electives to find those opportunities that best align with their career objectives and international interests. They need support traveling abroad—where to live, what kind of visa they need, what to expect when they arrive, and whom to contact if issues arise.

This is where ECFMG’s Global Education in Medicine Exchange (GEMx) comes in.

GEMx is an exciting new service that will facilitate and promote international exchange in medical education, providing medical schools and students with access to the two most essential components of effective exchange programs: information and community.

Throughout ECFMG’s more than 50 years of serving the international medical education community, we have developed extensive relationships with medical schools, physicians, regulatory agencies, health care organizations, and other entities that share our commitment to promoting quality health care through excellence in medical education. To guide the development of GEMx, we have formed the GEMx Advisory Committee, a group that includes representatives from seven medical schools in Australia, India, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, and Qatar, as well as ECFMG’s non-profit foundation, the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER^®). This committee of esteemed international partners is working with us to explore challenges, innovate solutions, and ensure that GEMx meets the real-world needs of the medical schools and students engaging in global exchanges. For more information on the GEMx Advisory Committee, see our press release.

Stay in touch with GEMx

A pilot of GEMx is expected to begin in late 2013. For updates, monitor the ECFMG website and e-mail GEMx contact Anna Iacone at aiacone@ecfmg.org to be added to our mailing list.

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