BIMSSCON 2016 - Connecting aspiring health professionals
It is a common myth that medical students are so indulged in their academics that they can barely manage time for co-curricular activities or social interactions. IFMSA-Bangladesh disproved this myth by launching Bangladesh International Medical Students' Scientific Congress (BIMSSCON) for a second time since last year from September 30 to October 1. The conference was held at IDEB Bhaban in Dhaka.
BIMSSCON 2016 was attended by more than 500 medical and dental students and young physicians from home and abroad. Foreign delegates came from Nepal, India and Sudan. This year's theme was "Emergencies in Medicine; Bridging the Gap". The keynote session, most of the workshops and scientific sessions addressed various topics and issues of emergency health care skills and systems. In the scientific session participants presented their scientific study or research through oral and poster presentation. This session was adjudicated by a panel of experts of medical education and research. The major attraction of the conference was the hands-on interactive workshops. A total of 30 parallel workshops were conducted in two days so that a delegate could attend 4 workshops according to their choices and interests. Renowned physicians and experts in different health related fields facilitated the workshops.
Video competitions and quiz were the engaging segments with the standing committee session being even more exciting. There were six standing committees of the organisation that worked on various health related issues like medical education, public health, reproductive health, human rights, professional and research exchange. Participants came to learn more about their roles as future physicians in these fields and what other medical students were doing around the world. There was career symposium and medical book stall from Elsevier Publications besides these events.
The congress was inaugurated by National Professor Brigadier (Retd.) Dr. Abdul Malik, Founder of National Heart Foundation Bangladesh. Special guests were Prof. Dr. ABM Abdullah, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, BSMMU; Dr. APM Sohrabuzzaman, Director, Cath Lab, Labaid Hospital; Prof. Dr. Sharmeen Yasmeen, CEO, PHFBD; Prof. Dr. Fatema Ashraf, Dept of Gynae & Obs, ShSMCH; Prof. Dr. Omar Faruque, President, BSCCM.
The guests appreciated the initiative of conference and organisation and charmed the audience with their inspirational words. The closing and award giving ceremony was chaired by Md. Mahfuzur Rahman, Chairman, Land Reforms Board and Prof. Dr. Humayun Kabir Talukdar, Organising Secretary, CME. The closing was followed by a cultural night where medical students staged their talents.
BIMSSCON 2016 accommodated the medical students across the globe to gather under one roof where they made friends, learned and shared experiences, had fun and eventually took a step towards being a global citizen and socially responsible skilled future physicians.