International meeting of dental students with a strong voice from MED MUNI
Over 170 students from 35 different European countries gathered in Bucharest, Romania, for the 73rd General Assembly of the European Dental Students Association (EDSA). The Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University was represented by three students. "EDSA represents the voice of students from all over Europe and allows us to influence the direction of our field and its teaching from the position of the students," says Eliška Jandová, a student at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University and 2nd Vice President of the Association of Dental Students of the Czech Republic.
The 73rd General Meeting of the European Dental Students' Association (EDSA) took place last week, 13-19 April 2024, and was attended by a Czech delegation consisting of three MUNI MED dental students and one student from the Pilsen Medical Faculty of Charles University. This assembly took place in Bucharest and brought together over 170 students from 35 different countries across Europe.
The first days were spent getting to know the other delegates and getting to know Bucharest. "We were warmly welcomed by the Romanian organising team at the beautiful Continental Forum Hotel and during the first evening there was a welcome party at a bar in the city centre. For the next three days, the General Assembly took place, this time in the exceptional Palace of the Parliament, which is probably the second largest administrative building in the world. During the assembly we discussed the past mandate of the Executive Board, addressed where EDSA is heading in the next period, elected a new President of the Association and also the destination of the next spring meeting. Among the achievements of this meeting, I would like to highlight the move of EDSA's headquarters and account to Dublin, Ireland and the approval of a plan to compile a database of clinics in different European countries that dental students will be able to contact for their summer internships," says Eliška Jandová, a 4th year student of Dentistry at MED MUNI.
On the fourth day, workshops and panel discussions were held. Each participant could choose two of the eight practical workshops and try out various dental procedures. During the day, various dental companies that sponsored the courses also presented themselves in this way. In addition to the official programme, social events were held each evening, ranging from a welcome party to the traditional Edsavision party. At the end of the whole meeting, a beautiful Gala Evening was then held, a festive end to the whole week.
"Personally, I perceive participation in EDSA events as very important and beneficial, not only for my personal development, but also for the development of dentistry as such, thanks to the fact that EDSA represents the voice of students from all over Europe and allows us to influence the direction of our field and its teaching from the position of students. The opportunity to inspire each other and build a network of connections within the field at a transnational level is also extremely important to me," concludes Eliška Jandová.
During the summer, EDSA is organising three exchange weeks and the next General Meeting will take place in August in Strasbourg, France.
