The end of the GA

This is it. The SCOPH sessions are over, my bags are packed and there is one more plenary left. I feel like I have been in Macedonia for so long, and that it’s normal to hang out with my friends from around the world.

If I had to explain IFMSA I would say that it’s like a country of it’s own.

We have our own language. Using multiple acronyms in a sentence is our reality. If you aren’t an IFMSAian, you have no idea what we are saying. From SCOPH to AM to AF to OC to TO, you practically need an IFMSA dictionary.

We have our own culture. We usually prepare our sessions weeks in advance with the help of OLM (Online Meetings). Once we arrive at the GA, we wake up at 7:30 am, every morning, to prepare our 8:30 sessions. We get to eat breakfast if we are lucky enough to have time for it. Then we work all day, and go to plenary sessions until 2:00 am, and enjoy the social program until the sunrise. No sleep, a lot of hard work, great friends and great times, that’s IFMSA.

How do I feel right now?
Attending a preGA and a GA is very tiring and rough on your health. It can get long sometimes, especially during plenary. You sometimes feel like you are working too hard for a single session and that you would rather have no responsibilities and jump in Lake Ohrid. However, I am not ready to say goodbye to my family here. By family, I mean the medical students from around the world I have grown to love. It’s always difficult to say goodbye because you never know if you will ever see them again. After the RM, I never thought I would ever meet the friends I made in the Americas again. But then, I saw them at the SRT and right here in Macedonia. I have learned to stay optimistic and not get sad about leaving my friends behind. However, my eyes did get watery today reflecting upon the SCOPH Sessions Team and the end of the GA.

I hope you enjoyed my adventures at AM2015 (August Meeting 2015),

Aline D. Khatchikian