Detailed History of BeMSA Ghent

The following page presents a reconstruction, compiled in 2026, of the history of BeMSA Ghent, tracing its roots back to the late SWISS era and its evolution into BeMSA Ghent. This overview has been created using archived files, old documents, reports, websites, and other preserved materials. As with any historical reconstruction, some events, projects, dates, or details may be incomplete or missing. If you notice inaccuracies, possess additional information, photos, or archival material, or would like to contribute to completing the story of BeMSA Ghent, feel free to send them through this contactform. Every contribution helps preserve our shared history. For more detailed information, you can also consult our annual reports. You can download these via the icon in the section of the respective year.

In a time when BeMSA wasn't yet a thing in Ghent nor Belgium, the SWISS (...) was very active organising several projects inline with the current BeMSA Ghent projects.

Important milestones and early projects:

• Lecture by Tariq Ramadan: Islam and Human Rights. On invitation of Eva Brems from Ghent University, specialising in Human Rights and Non-Western Law, Tariq Ramadan, one of the most prominent and controversial voices on Islam, came to Ghent to give a lecture on Islam and Human Rights. During the lecture, he explored the relationship between Islamic thought and human rights principles.
• Infosession exchanges. Although not SCORE or SCOPE through IFMSA, the SWISS already organised its own exchanges abroad for medicine students.
• Palestine-evening. Testimonial, film, workshop dancing and couscous and mint tea at fair prices.
• Music for Life.
• Congress: Asylum and health. The session brings together several speakers with expertise in healthcare, migration, and asylum. Rita Vanobberghen, general practitioner at Geneeskunde voor het Volk, shares her extensive experience working with asylum seekers and her involvement in supporting hunger strikes. Hadiel Holail from the Progress Lawyers Network discusses the legal aspects of asylum. Stefanie De Maesschalck from Ghent University, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care, presents her doctoral research on communication with migrants in primary care. Nina Henkens, staff member of the Movement for Children Without Papers, offers insight into the situation of undocumented children. The workshop is led by Joris De Beer, who previously worked as a refugee camp coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières.

On the national level, a major change took place. Students from SWISS (Ghent), Leuven, and Antwerp joined forces to establish BeMSA, the Belgian Medical Students’ Association, which became a candidate member of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), BeMSA’s parent organisation. IFMSA, founded in Copenhagen shortly after the Second World War, was created to foster international cooperation, peace, and collaboration among medical students worldwide. Through this connection, Belgian medical students would later gain access to a global network of exchanges, projects, trainings, and opportunities in global health.

Another year for SWISS with several projects with high attendance, such as:

• Heart for Life I, a project that would grow into one of BeMSA Ghent’s most popular initiatives, started in 2010. It went on to be organised annually until its final edition in 2025. The project was eventually discontinued due to government regulations, as it was classified as a screening programme, bringing its further development and continuation to an end.
• Village party. Sadly, not much is yet known about this project.
• Turquaze film in the cinema. Sadly, not much is yet known about this project.
• Visiting a mosque. Sadly, not much is yet known about this project.
• Global Health Short Course.
• Summerschool Health & Migration?

A major milestone for SWISS: the organisation decided to change its name to BeMSA Ghent, officially becoming a local committee of BeMSA National.

• SCOPE is founded in BeMSA Ghent, students had the opportunity to go to an infosession to candidate for a professional exchange abroad.
• The first edition of Teddy Bear Hospital is launched, a project aimed at helping children overcome their fear of the “white coats.” The initiative proved to be a great success, growing into a long-standing project that has been organised for more than 15 years.
• The World AIDS Day poster campaign is organised to raise awareness about HIV & AIDS and encourage discussion around prevention, solidarity, and global health.
• A collaboration between Artsen Zonder Grenzen and Reproductive Health brings a testimony by a midwife, offering students insight into reproductive healthcare and humanitarian medical work in challenging contexts.
• Heart for Life is organised once again, continuing its mission of raising awareness around cardiovascular health and prevention within the wider community.
• UAEM – Universities Allied for Essential Medicines hosts an evening discussion with a UAEM member from Germany, exploring global access to medicines and the role of students in healthcare advocacy.
• The Organ Donation Working Group organises an activity focused on organ donation, aiming to inform students and stimulate reflection on donation and transplantation.
• The first edition of Healthy Nutrition Lessons in Nieuw Gent takes place, promoting healthy eating habits and lifestyle awareness among young people.
• The first edition of First Aid for Parents is launched, equipping parents with practical first-aid knowledge and skills for everyday emergencies.
• Dr. Luther Castillo from Honduras gives a lecture on free healthcare, sharing his experiences and perspectives on healthcare accessibility and social medicine.
• The Summer School on Health & Migration brings together participants to explore the intersection of healthcare, migration, and social determinants of health.

Another year description.

• An information evening on international clinical internships is organised, providing students with guidance on opportunities abroad and application procedures.
• An SG World AIDS Day talk is held featuring Mark Heywood. He is the director of Section 27, a South African human rights organisation named after the section of the South African Constitution that guarantees the right to access healthcare. He is also a co-founder of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), which works alongside Médecins Sans Frontières to ensure access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment for all.
• The second edition of the local project on healthy nutrition takes place, continuing efforts to raise awareness about healthy eating habits.
• The second edition of First Aid for primary school children and parents is organised, aiming to provide basic emergency skills in an accessible way.
• The second edition of Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH II) is organised, further expanding the project aimed at reducing children’s fear of healthcare settings.
• An international cooking evening is organised, bringing students together to exchange cultures through food and social interaction.
• The SCOPE programme is officially launched, marking the start of BeMSA Ghent’s international clinical exchange opportunities.
• The Summer School on Health & Migration is organised, focusing on the intersection of healthcare, migration, and social determinants of health.

Another year description.

• Workshop Sexual Grey Zones - 29 October. An interactive workshop exploring consent, personal boundaries and “sexual grey zones”, encouraging students to reflect on sexuality, communication and respect.
• Deaf Culture Lecture - An evening dedicated to understanding the world of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. The lecture, given in Flemish Sign Language with interpretation, introduced participants to deaf culture and communication in healthcare settings.
• Understanding Motor Disabilities - A project aimed at helping future physicians better understand and communicate with people living with motor disabilities.
• First Aid Basics for Children and Parents - 21 February, Victor Carpentier Primary School. BeMSA Gent taught children from the 5th and 6th grade and their parents how to respond to common household accidents, with room for questions and practical discussion.
• Teddy Bear Hospital - 25 February–1 March, UZ Gent. Children from kindergarten and primary school visited a mock hospital where their teddy bears were examined and treated by medical students. The project aimed to reduce fear of healthcare environments while helping future doctors gain experience communicating with children.
• Heart for Life - 29 September, Grootkanonplein Ghent. A cardiovascular health awareness campaign in honour of World Heart Day, where volunteers assessed cardiovascular risk through questionnaires and blood pressure measurements.
• Healthy Nutrition Project - A continuation of the healthy lifestyle project, where children learned about healthy nutrition, exercise and hygiene through interactive activities and games.
• SCOPE Gent Launch - The local SCOPE project was officially developed in Ghent, involving preparations with the faculty, UZ Gent and internationalisation services to organise incoming clinical exchanges.
• Summer School Health & Migration III - July. The third edition of the international summer school brought together medical students from around the world to explore migration, human rights, communication and global health through lectures, field visits and intercultural exchange.
• BeMSA Gent Planning Weekend - 4–6 October, Domein De Kruier (Balen). A weekend focused on teambuilding, brainstorming and strategic planning, during which BeMSA Gent redesigned its organisational structure and future vision.
• Info Evening Abroad - 24 October, UZ Gent Auditorium D. An information evening for students interested in international experiences, presenting opportunities such as exchanges, internships and international congresses.

Another year description.

• BeMSA Ghent Planning Weekend - 26–28 September - Weekend in Ermetton-sur-Biert with teambuilding and working out the plans for the new academic year.
• Movie night “Human Rights Today” - 21 October - Screening of The Butler, chosen through a student poll, to highlight human rights as a current topic.
• Info Evening Abroad - 23 October - Annual info evening on internships abroad, exchanges, grants and extracurricular opportunities.
• SOS Training Day - 31 October - Training by Sensoa for students who give sex education in secondary schools.
• SOS – Sex Education at School - 3–6 November & 18 December - Interactive 4-hour sessions in schools on sexuality, relationships, contraception and STI prevention.
• Healthy Nutrition (part 1 & 2) - 19 November & 2 December - Project in primary schools with explanations about healthy nutrition, cooking workshops and an exercise course.
• Heart For Life - 29 November - Awareness campaign in which students assessed the cardiovascular risk of passers-by at three locations.
• Human Rights Day - 10 December - Short video and posters in lecture halls to make students aware of the 30 human rights and their current relevance.
• Teddy Bear Hospital - 9–13 March - Children have their cuddly toys “examined” in the Skillslab to reduce their fear of doctors.
• Club night: Safe Sex - date TBD - Theme night with games, cocktails and free condoms, in collaboration with Wingman.
• Speeddate Your Doctor - early April - Speed dating between students and doctors from various specialties to discuss study choices and career questions.
• Sports with People with a Disability - 29 March - Sports day for students and people with a disability, focused on inclusion and communication training.
• Studium Generale: Roma in Ghent - 22 April - Panel discussion “Roma in Ghent: Can we stay here a little longer?” with speakers from the Roma community and the integration service.
• SCOPE – Summer Exchange - July–August - International 4-week clinical internships; Ghent receives 10 students and sends out 10 students.
• SCORE – Research Exchange - summer period - First Belgian edition: Ghent receives 2 students and sends out 3 for 4-week research internships.
• Summer School “Health & Migration” - July - International 10-day summer school on health and migration, with lectures and visits.

• 25–27 September – Board weekend at Sporthome Eeklo with brainstorming, planning and teambuilding.
• 30 October – BeMSA Ghent info evening for all students about how we work, our projects and working groups.
• 30 March – Club night “Sexual Healing” with sex-related games and prizes to break taboos.
• 9 November – Club night “Party around the world” with dress-up, multicultural drinking games and proceeds going to charity.
• 22 April – Studium Generale “Roma in Ghent: Can we stay here a little longer?” with a panel of experts and testimonies.
• 25 November – Lecture “The doctor as patient and doctor; humour in difficult moments” by Dr. Hugo Stuer at UZ Gent.
• 23–24 October – SOS training weekend with lectures, training and teambuilding for new peer educators.
• 21 April – SOS school visit in Lokeren with interactive sessions on sexuality and relationships.
• 28 April – SOS school visit in Gijzegem with peer education on sexuality and STI prevention.
• 27 October – SOS school visit in Gijzegem with interactive sessions for secondary school pupils.
• 9, 10 and 18 November – SOS sessions at Voskenslaan with an anonymous question jar and educational activities.
• 16–24 November – SOS sessions in Mariakerke focusing on reliable information and debunking myths.
• 24 November – The Stigma Talk on HIV and stigma with lectures and testimonies from experts.
• 1 December – The Stigma Challenge on tram 1 and at Gent-Sint-Pieters to open up the conversation about HIV with live performances.
• Date TBD – Workshop on sexual violence with Dr. Ines Keygnaert on warning signs, approach and role-plays.
• Date TBD – Daphné Project on bystander training for sexual violence with 6 hours of training and interviews.
• 24 April – Healthy Nutrition session at Victor Carpentier school for the 5th and 6th grade with cooking and sports activities.
• 21 October – Healthy Nutrition session for the 2nd grade with games, a cooking workshop and an exercise course.
• 21 November – Heart For Life at Gent Zuid and Korenmarkt with 460 passers-by screened and an info session beforehand.
• 10 December – Human Rights Day with a poster project based on letters from internees.
• 9–13 March – Teddy Bear Hospital in the Skillslab at UZ Gent with 232 children and 78 students to reduce anxiety and practise communication.
• 31 March – Date Your Doctor with 51 doctors and >100 students for speed dates about specialties.
• 3 November – Date Your Doctor with 30 doctors and 70 students for smaller-scale, more intimate conversations.
• Date TBD – Sports day with people with a disability to promote communication experience and inclusion.

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