The EURACT Conference 2026 in Iași (23–25 April 2026) offered an important platform for exchange in European family medicine. As part of the ongoing collaboration between EYFDM and EURACT, EYFDM Medical Education was invited to contribute to a podium discussion on “Specialty and Curriculum of Family Medicine in Europe – Perks and Perils.” This was a meaningful opportunity to represent the perspective of young doctors in shaping the future of our discipline.
Particular thanks go to Nele Michels and Alex Harding for their sustained efforts in strengthening the voice of early-career family doctors at the European level. We also acknowledge Anna Jung for leading the European Delphi study on GP professional activities, presented among the top contributions in Iași. Although not selected as the final winner, the work reflects a strong and relevant contribution to the field.
Finally, sincere thanks to Vasile for the warm welcome and excellent local support in Romania. The collaboration continues!
Regards, Fabian (EYFDM council member Germany. MEd ED. SIG lead)
The first EYFDM–EUROPREV preconference, held on 25 March 2026 in Madrid ahead of the EUROPREV Forum, marked an important milestone in collaboration between both networks. Designed for residents and young family doctors, the event created a vibrant space to explore key challenges in preventive care from a fresh and critical perspective.
Through interactive workshops such as “Overdiagnosis in Prevention”, led by Victoria Bautista Pérez and Veerle Piessens, and “The role of the family doctor in prevention”, facilitated by Adina-Ioana Bicăjanu, Irene Sáez Sanz, and Iva Petričušić, participants engaged in thoughtful discussions on the complexities of prevention in everyday clinical practice.
What truly defined the preconference was its open, dynamic, and highly participatory atmosphere. Residents and young family doctors were encouraged to share their concerns and experiences, addressing topics such as overuse, uncertainty in decision-making, and legal implications. At the same time, the presence of experienced clinicians and academics enriched the conversations, creating a meaningful intergenerational dialogue where ideas, perspectives, and real-world challenges could be openly exchanged.
This collaborative environment not only fostered reflection and mutual learning but also highlighted the importance of creating spaces where professionals at different stages of their careers can learn from each other. The impact of the preconference extended into the main Forum, where a dedicated roundtable allowed speakers to share their reflections and insights with a wider audience, generating strong engagement and very positive feedback.
This first joint initiative stands as a promising step towards strengthening collaboration between EYFDM and EUROPREV, and we would like to warmly thank EUROPREV for supporting this initiative and for giving a voice to residents and young family doctors in the field of prevention.
Apply now, and until March 8th for bursaries to attend the EYFDM Preconference and WONCA Europe Conference in Paris.
Wonca Europe, Collège de la Médecine Générale (CMG) and the European Young Family Doctors’ Movement have joined forces to financially support young family physicians from across the WONCA Europe region and bring them closer to the global international community of general practitioners.
At least 10 applicants will receive from 500 to 1000 € to refund the costs of attending these events.
We started 2026 showcasing some opportunities within EYFDM including the roles of ND and executive, exchanges, awards, bursaries, bridge project and more.
The Bridge Project is an opportunity for young family doctors from across the world to work together on a project of their choice. The aim of the Bridge Project is to connect young family doctors and encourage communication and collaboration. The project gives you the opportunity to work on a research or quality improvement project in an area you are interested in and present the results at the WONCA conference. Previous projects have investigated diverse areas, including family medicine exchanges, prescribing, appointments and comparing healthcare systems. Family medicine doctors from many different countries have participated and worked together on projects. To get involved, you send an application explaining the area you are interested to complete your project in. This might be ‘elderly care’ or ‘safe prescribing’, it can bea nything you are interested in!
The Bridge Project team will then match you to other family medicine doctors from around the world who are interested in a similar project. We will then send you details of your Bridge Project Group, and you can start working together. We suggest that you have online meetings about the project, but there is nothing stopping you meeting in person as a group to work on the project. Ideas of what you could do might be comparing health care systems or prescribing processes, a quality improvement project in your clinics or even a literature review. You might even be able to publish the work in a journal!
The main thing is that getting involved with the Bridge Project will help you connect with new colleagues from all over the world, share learning and experiences.
End (submit you work by)-> 1st September 2025, prior to the WONCA World Conference 2025, in Lisbon with the possibility of presenting your final works in English.
Meetings in fixed group sessions will take place from April to September.
Its advised to have at least 4-5 meetings during that period to aid discussion & come up with a project.
As we ramp up to 9th forum in the Grand Region, we would like to remind of a website spotlighted by a keynote lecturer in the last Forum in Vienna, Dr. Florian Stigler. We particularly recommend this post in particular, focusing in the importance of Family Medicine:
We are reaching out to invite you to participate in a Survey on Working Hours for Junior Doctors, organised by the European Junior Doctors Association (EJD). EJD is a pan-European organisation representing junior doctors and advocating for better working conditions and training across Europe.
This survey aims to gather valuable insights into the working hours of junior doctors across Europe. The data collected will help us better understand the challenges faced and advocate for sustainable working conditions.
The collaborative webinar between EYFDM and WWPWFM, “Violence against female doctors”, held on 8 Dec 2024 has been uploaded. The webinar was organised by WONCA’s Women’s Health Special Interest Group and the European Network of Young Doctors’ Movement. It was moderated by Helena Alonso (EYFDM Policy Officer) as the past chair of the Women’s Health Special Interest Group.
Violence against women doctors is a serious and widespread problem that affects women all over the world. This webinar explores the issue from a global perspective, with speakers from Nigeria, Colombia, and the UK. The webinar discusses the prevalence of violence against women doctors, the impact of this violence on their work and well-being, and actionable solutions to create safer and more supportive medical workplaces.
During the webinar we got to hear from several experts, including Dr. Tehzeeb Zulfiqar from Pakistan and currently at Australian National University Pakistan, Dr. Rimola Silva from Nigeria, Dr. Alejandra Leon from Colombia, and Dr. Mary Robertson from the UK. The speakers discussed the prevalence of violence against women doctors in their respective countries, the impact of this violence on their work and well-being, and strategies for prevention and response. The webinar also highlighted the importance of data collection and research to better understand the scope of the problem and develop effective interventions.
Watch the recording of the webinar and learn more about how to address this important issue.
Dr. Tehzeeb Zulfiqar – Australian National University Pakistan //Australia, South Asia
I am a GP from Pakistan with extensive back ground of primary health care teaching and research. I am based in Australia for now, where I am working as a Fellow in Department of applied epidemiology at the Australian National University. My clinical practice is in Pakistan. I pioneered Department of Family Medicine at the Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan and launched Regional Diploma of Family Medicine in 2020. I moved to Australian in 2021, however, I am involved in teaching and research with Family Medicine faculties at the Health Services Academy and Khyber Medical University. In Australia, I teach first and second year medical students at the ANU Medical School. Most recently, I along with Dr Hina Jawaid and Dr Humaira Khattak authored a case study on violence against female doctors in Pakistan, for a book on “Sexual harassment and abuse doctors by doctors” which is right now at the Cambridge press. It is authored by Dr Louise Stone from the ANU.
Dr. Mary Robertson – EYFDM, UK, Europe; MBBS M.Sc B.Sc Hons UWI
GP Registrar – Training in England, UK. Member of the Women’s Health SIG EYFDM (Special Interest Group of European Young Family Doctors Movement). UK Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Severn Faculty International Representative (Junior). WONCA EURIPA (European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association) member.
Dr. Abimbola Silva – Family Physician, W, Nigeria, Africa
Family Physician with Special Interest in Intimate partner violence, also a member of the WONCA SIG Family Violence.
Dr. Alejandra León – Waynakay, Colombia, South America
Specialist in Family Medicine at the Miraflores Hospital. Lecturer in Medicine and Family Medicine UPTC. Representative of Waynakay Latin America to the CIMF. Coordinator of the Scientific Committee of the SOCMEF.
Moderator:
Dr. Helena Alonso – UK, Europe
Family doctor (GP) in Cornwall, South West of Great Britain. Past chair of EYFDM Women’s health SIG and current EYFDM Policy officer. Member of WWPWFM Europe.
