Dear EYFDM members, We would like to invite you to participate in the Conference Exchange and 6th Symposium of Medical Doctors in Doboj. This year, once again, we are proud to announce that family doctors in Doboj will open the doors of their practices to welcome you and allow you a glimpse into their daily work. The exchange is organised by the Public Primary Healthcare Centre Doboj, which is the host of the 6th Symposium of Medical Doctors from 17th to 20th September 2026.
We are pleased to announce the 15th EURIPA Rural Health Forum, which will be held jointly with the 10th semFYC Rural Medicine Conference in the historic city of Cartagena, Spain, from October 1–3, 2026.
This joint event represents a unique opportunity to bring together professionals committed to the future of rural health, fostering collaboration, innovation, and equity in primary care across Europe .
We look forward to welcoming you to Cartagena for what promises to be an inspiring and enriching experience.
EURIPA Rural Exchange 2026
Dear colleagues,
On behalf of EURIPA (European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association), we are pleased to invite applications for the EURIPA Rural Pre-Forum Exchange Pilot 2026, to be held in Spain immediately prior to the EURIPA Forum in Cartagena.
This pilot programme aims to provide 3–4 selected participants (senior medical students, family medicine residents, or early-career family doctors) with a 2–3 day observership in rural primary care settings, offering exposure to rural clinical practice, community-oriented care, and international professional exchange.
Participants will subsequently attend the EURIPA Forum and contribute to a dedicated session reflecting on their experiences. The programme also forms part of an ongoing evaluation and research initiative on rural medical education and workforce development. A €400 grant will be provided to support participation.
Eligibility:
● Senior medical students, family medicine residents, or early-career family doctors
● Demonstrated interest in rural or underserved healthcare
Application requirements:
● Motivational letter (including personal interest in rural health)
We kindly encourage you to disseminate this opportunity among interested candidates and networks. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Kind regards,
European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association (EURIPA)
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.
Dear EYFDM colleagues, We would like to invite you to participate in the GP Conference Exchange Program in The Netherlands from June 15th until June 20th 2026! GP Conference Exchange program:
June 15th Arrival in the Netherlands, transfer to your Dutch GP trainee buddy.
June 16th Primary care exchange: observation in a Dutch practice together with a Dutch GP trainee.
June 17th A visit at a Dutch primary care service for youth and family care and social program details will follow in due course.
June 18th and 19th Dutch GP conference days in Den Bosch.
Applicants are preferably:
proficient in the English language;
willing to take an active role in the exchange program;
willing to actively share your experiences in the country where you work.
Join by filling out this form and send a short motivation letter and curriculum vitae (with picture, please!) to exchange@lovah.nland to your National Exchange Coordinator. Deadline for application is the 24th of March 2026.
The European Young Family Doctors’ Movement wants to encourage New and Future General Practitioners/Family Physicians (GP/FM) to develop their research skills to improve health care in primary care. For this reason, the EYFDM presents an annual Junior Research Award with the aim of rewarding advanced projects of GP/FM trainees or junior GP/FM physicians with up to 6 years working experience after graduation.
Applicants are asked to describe in detail a research project. Three finalists will be invited to present their research projects during the workshop that will be held at the WONCA Europe Conference in Paris.
The research project must be an advanced research project and must have an impact on the field of primary care. We accept both the finalised research project and these still in progress.
For the winner:
600€ prize
Becoming a member of the jury for Junior Researcher Award 2027
1-year access to medical educational platform AMBOSS
For the two runner-up finalists
Reimbursement of the registration fee for WONCA Europe Conference in Paris (to a maximum value of 450 € per person).
1-year access to medical educational platform AMBOSS
Find out everything you need to know including deadlines, documents and how to apply below:
On the last 2 days of January, the 10th EYFDM Forum took place in Tallinn. This meeting is organised by and for young family doctors as a standalone event that keeps the spirit of the movement going between the meetings that take place during the pre-conference that precedes the annual WONCA Europe Conference.
As the largest EYFDM forum to date and the first forum to take place in a North European/Baltic country, 359 participants from 29 countries took part in the exciting scientific programme that included keynote lecturers and panellists. 24 workshops and 42 oral presentations were given out during the conference.
During the forum the winner of the 2026 Being Young Staying Young Award (BYSY) was announced and the awardee, Dr. Veronika Rasic, addressed the audience with some key insights of wisdom. As a former EURIPA-EYFDM liasion and co-founder of Rural Seeds, a global networks that empowers students and early-career health professionals in pursing rural careers and research, Dr Veronika Rasic embodies the spirit of the award.
The keynote sessions covered diverse themes, including genetics, the multidisciplinary team within family medicine, digitalisation as well as teaching and research opportunities within our speciality. These were delivered by world-leading speakers, Prof. Ruth Kalda, Prof. Thomas Frese, Prof. Alex Harding and Prof. Lili Milani. A panel session with Dr. Daria Gheorghe, Prof. Anna Stavdal, and Dr. Gerhard Grents stimulated further discussions.
The forum was preceded by an exchange programme. Over 3 days, 40 participants got the chance to observe first hand how Estonian healthcare works by accompanying local family doctors during their working hours.
The social programme was filled with events for each of the 3 nights, giving participants the chance to get to know the city and local culture. These included a live band, traditional Estonian dancing as well as a medieval themed meal. Other social highlights were the ‘lantern city hike’ through the atmospheric Old Town of Tallinn. On Sunday, some people even braved a dip in the icy sea, followed by a sauna visit!
These opportunities to forge countless memories, form new connections or see old friends form a key part of the events as afterall, Family Medicine is very aware of the benefit of cooperation and the importance of relationships.
Before the Forum, the EYFDM Council meeting took place. The Council approved statements regarding the recognition of family medicine as a speciality within Europe, supporting the position of WONCA Europe and the Working Party on Policy Advocacy. We also approved a position statement on the Climate Emergency, and made some changes to our bylaws, ensuring we keep our governance up-to-date as we develop as an organisation.
Update (23 April 2026): on a joint sustainability effort more than 200 lanyards were returned to be reused in next events of the Eesti Perearstide Selts (The Estonian Society of Family Doctors).
During the 10th Forum in Tallinn the winner of the 2026 Being Young Staying Young Award (BYSY) was announced and Dr. Veronika Rasic addressed the audience with some key insights of wisdom.
This award recognises a senior doctor who over a prolonged period of time had made a valuable and key contribution to EYFDM and evokes in others the youthful mindset which characterises and underpins the heart, soul and ethos of EYFDM.
Veronika Rasic has been an invaluable bridge between EURIPA and EYFDM, serving as the previous EURIPA–EYFDM Liaison, a role in which she helped strengthen connections between young doctors and established rural practitioners across Europe. As co-founder of Rural Seeds in 2017, a global network for students and early-career health professionals interested in rural health, Veronika created a platform that continues to empower young professionals to pursue rural careers and research.
See other inspiring individuals that contributed to the development of EYFDM (former winners).
On January 30 the EYFDM Council meet, worked on and approved the Statement on Family Medicine as a Speciality:
“EYFDM strongly supports the full recognition of Family Medicine/ General Practice as a medical speciality, within the European Union and the whole European Region. EYFDM endorses the WONCA Europe Statement on the Recognition of the Speciality of Family Medicine/ General Practice in the European Region. We call for its inclusion in Directive 2005/36/EC, Annex 1.1.3 on the recognition of professional qualifications, alongside other medical specialities. A common European framework, which reflects the diversity of Family Medicine across health systems, will ensure that the knowledge we obtain in the first years of our careers is qualitatively equivalent to our colleagues from surrounding countries. We aim to bring together trainees, trainers and policymakers to address the future needs of family doctors when designing a common curriculum. Strengthening the position of Family Medicine in Europe is one of the EYFDM aims, and the recognition of Family Medicine as a speciality means taking a step further towards this goal. This position is fully aligned as well with the UEMO and EJD’s “Murcia Declaration on the Future of General Practice and Family Medicine in European Healthcare”, which highlights the crucial role of Family Medicine in ensuring accessible, and sustainable healthcare systems across Europe.”
EYFDM acknowledges that: ● The climate emergency is a global ecological and health emergency. ● The climate emergency is having and will continue to have health impacts that will worsen health inequalities. ● We have a commitment as a primary care organisation to raise awareness of the Climate Crisis and advocate for Planetary Health.
Goals/ targets: ● One-health approach ● Promote low-carbon activities and health systems ● Incentivise campaigns and training for our members to raise awareness on climate crisis and related health emergencies. ● Partner with similar organisations and share common grounds. ● Develop specific policies supported by scientific evidence.
Amendments to the EYFDM Bylaws were also approved regarding participation in SIGs, nomination of proxy, ties in voting and update in the logo description and use of EYFDM name.
The Council also approved a budget amendment to increase funding for bursaries in 2026, after the generous donation of from the Luxembourg HOC of 4500 euros.
The accessibility guidelines were also approved to improve the experience for all members at EYFDM events.
