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.
The European community of Young Family Doctors will meet next in Paris for the pre-conference and next year for the 11th Forum in Malaga.
Collaboratively written between members of EYFDM executive and Tallinn HOC
See the recap video here.
