"The Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH) brings together medical students from all over the world to learn, build skills, cooperate, explore and share ideas when it comes to addressing all issues related to public health, including global health issues, health policies, health promotion and education activities."

History

Medical students of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations formed the Standing Committee on Students’ Health (SCOSH) in 1952, driven by a strong will to take an active part in preventing and making policies concerning health problems. During the following years, the wide variety of activities led to the change of the name to the Standing Committee on Health (SCOH) in 1963. Afterwards in 1983 the name of the committee changed once more to the name we use to this day, the Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH).

Since these six decades, SCOPH members are implementing, maintaining and improving a wide variety of community based projects on a local, national, regional and international level. Through these activities we are reaching our joined vision of a healthy society and further development of our own potential to become complete and skillful health professionals.

Medical students, the future health professionals

As SCOPH members we have a chance to develop skills and knowledge though personal evolvement such as organization skills, teamwork, leadership, communication, time and self-management – skills not often thought in medical schools but essential for any future health professional. Medical students involved in SCOPH projects gain a much better understanding of public health matters in their community as well as of the situation in other countries of the world, getting a global overview of the situation and methods that need to be used to solve cross-cutting issues.

This creates a sense within medical students about their role within public health as future health professionals and due to our experience and knowledge we will be able to empower our environment directly and through our advocacy to live a healthy life. We will be able to spread the message of wellbeing lifestyles and will create awareness for potential risk factors.

The goals we want to achieve today and tomorrow

The vision of SCOPH is to work for a healthy society which is empowered by its knowledge, skills and opportunities to live a life of complete physical, mental and social well-being. In order to achieve this vision, medical students from 102 National Member Organizations work together as a team on a local level as well as on a national and international level.

Internationally we exchange ideas and knowledge to improve and evaluate our work and personal skills. In addition, our Standing Committee acts as a platform representing medical students around the globe through Advocacy and Policy Making - thus being a worldwide voice for medical students.

Locally there is a large number of projects carried out, each orientated on the needs of the Population in the specific Region. Chronic Diseases, incl. Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes mellitus and Cancer, Tobacco smoking, Alcohol and Substance abuse, Malaria, TB, Tropical Diseases, Mental Health, Child’s and Adolescents Health, Ageing, Road Safety, Natural Disasters, Nutrition, Poverty, Violence and Social Inequalities, Rural and Remote Health, Regional Health Problems are some of the main topics that SCOPH focuses on.