The Junior Doctors Network (JDN) meeting under the World Medical Association (WMA) was recently held in conjunction with the WMA General Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland, from 1 to 2 October 2018 at the Icelandic Medical Association (IMA) office. It was my privilege to attend the meeting on behalf of the SMA Doctors in Training (DIT) Committee, for I was able to renew the bonds formed during the 2015 JDN meeting held in Oslo, Norway, and also make new acquaintances with representatives from other parts of the world.
The JDN was formed in Vancouver in October 2010 to create a platform for junior doctors worldwide and to ensure that their voices are heard both within the WMA and globally. Its mission is to empower young physicians to work together towards a healthier world through advocacy, education and international collaboration. This is very much in line with the purpose of SMA's DIT Committee, which is to provide a platform for local junior doctors across all training institutes to collaborate towards a better training environment, both intra-institutional and on a national level.
This JDN meeting, delegates from 16 countries across the globe came together to discuss the new trends in postgraduate medical education. The IMA shared that until 2015, they have had a limited postgraduate training structure and that most trainees have to complete their higher specialist training abroad, and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) explained their system of competency-based curriculum. A representative from the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research also presented on a potential collaboration with JDN to offer international exchanges for residents to further their training.
Another topic covered was on the well-being of junior doctors and combating burnout. The CMA shared survey results on burnout among their residents and the approach to recognising the signs and degrees of burnout. They also highlighted the importance and methods of training resilience in the junior doctors. The meeting concluded with an "ideas cafe" session to improve the JDN, and an election for the next working committee.
It was a very refreshing experience as I was greatly inspired by the passion of the fellow JDN delegates and I also received many interesting ideas on how to better serve my Singaporean junior doctors. Last but not least, I wish the newly elected working committee all the best in their future endeavours.