Mahmood Al-Hamody - Candidature for IFMSA President 2023/2024

Motivation Letter

The 20th of March 2003 was a day that changed my life forever. That morning, we woke up to the sounds of sirens and heavy air strikes My country, Iraq, was invaded This event propelled years of violence, hate and terrorism within the country. It drove a journey of internal displacement, asylum-seeking and migration in search of a safer life and hopeful future for many, including my family Being on the move has been, to me, a journey of self-exploration, growing to learn about my unique social differences through fear of persecution and discrimination. It has also been a journey of self-expression, examining the world around me and discussing with myself rather than discussing openly, fearing reprimand and silencing

Along this journey on the move, and as I embarked on medical studies, a new door was opened: IFMSA! As I took the decision to explore this platform, I found a community that not only accepted me but cherished my differences and provided me with an opportunity to explore and express myself safely and constructively It made me feel comfortable in my skin while also challenging and nurturing me to evolve and learn through the engagement with and guidance of fierce leaders who not only were mentors and proponents but also became friends along the way. As I grew throughout the years of experience and engagement, IFMSA always provided new ideas and learnings while giving me a unique position to meaningfully influence and lead impact and change, both internally with our members and externally, on behalf of medical students worldwide, with external stakeholders and decision-makers

As I write this motivation letter, I’m attending the inaugural meeting of the WHO Youth Council, a mechanism for meaningful youth engagement that IFMSA has advocated for and pushed forward since 2017. Spending the past few days interacting and discussing genuinely and openly with the WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros, and senior WHO leadership has reemphasised my belief in the powerful position IFMSA posses and the role it plays in breaking barriers and opening doors for medical students and youth worldwide just as it did for me!

Dearest NMOs and IFMSA Members,

My name is Mahmood Al-Hamody, a 7th-year medical student, a citizen of the world, and I am currently serving IFMSA as the Vice-President for External Affairs 2022/2023. I’m excited and honoured to share with you my passion, dedication and vision for IFMSA through this candidature for IFMSA’s President for the term 2023/2024, driven by the growth and empowerment this Federation has given me and by the responsibility of giving back, upholding the vision of IFMSA as a safe and empowering space to medical students in their diversity, driving positive change in communities and the world!

For the love of the Globe and the Asclepius ... for the love of IFMSA!

Mahmood Al-Hamody

Plan of Action

This Plan of Action has been developed based on the IFMSA Constitution and Bylaws and the current and previous IFMSA Strategies It reflects on the work done over the past years since the reform of the leadership structure of the Federation. It also reflects on 5 years of engagement and leadership experience in IFMSA, the observation of the working dynamics of different EBs and TOs, as well as many discussions, reflective talks and ideas over these years. Furthermore, this plan of action was developed with the vision of IFMSA as a safe, transformative, forward-thinking and impact-oriented platform! If elected, it will be subject to further input and consultations with the NMOs, EB-elect as well as the current President and TO.

THE PLAN OF ACTION IS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING PILLARS:

1.RIGHTS-BASED LEADERSHIP AND COORDINATION

3. STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PRIORITIES

2.HEALTHY, TRANSFORMATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE IFMSA CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

I believe that creating a safe, supportive and empowering working environment is a cornerstone to the healthy and efficient functioning of any team and, eventually, their productivity and impact I'm committed to fostering and maintaining such an environment by leading in a rights-based approach, that is:

(1) Accountable: Upholding accountability as a willingness and commitment to accept responsibility for my actions and work rather than as a disciplinary measure This is further underpinned by a commitment to be open to feedback, active listening and being thoughtful about my actions.

(2) Participatory: Cherishing the diversity of voices and experiences in our teams and ensuring their spaces for them to contribute to the development of IFMSA work, and

(3) Empowering: Supporting EB and TO members to grow and develop rather than discipline them for mistakes

Furthermore, as a member of the IFMSA leadership for the past 4 terms, I have observed the work of different EBs and TOs, both from a TO member perspective and from an EB member perspective. I believe this experience has allowed me to develop a solid understanding of the role of the President and the dynamics, decision-making as well as potential challenges within both the EB and TO.

The Executive Board:

The Executive Board, as a leading and decision-making body, has a position of responsibility towards the Federation, the Team of Officials and the members. Mindful of that, and to ensure efficient functioning EB, I aim to:

Utilise the elect period thoughtfully and effectively to (1) define the vision and develop the plans for the new term, (2) define the dynamics of administrative and executive tasks of the EB, and (3) strengthen the understanding and preparedness of EB on the essential aspects of the work of the EB and the Federation. Ensure smooth transition of the EB members into their positions by setting a clear handover plan with the current President and EB, regular follow-up and coordination with the current President on the progress as well as learning from the experiences of previous EBs.

Support EB members to grow and thrive in their work through periodic reflection meetings with each before the start of the term to set expectations and to identify plans and means of support, as well as throughout the term to reflect, adapt and improve their working experience

As means of technical support and coordination, I plan to maintain the use of the following tools and develop them further:

General timeline for the term to indicate commitments and responsibilities, providing the EB with a clear overview of the term.

EB Workspot as a standardised and centralised platform for coordinating EB work and documentation of the most important information

Promote healthy TO-EB dynamics and relations through clear communication with the TO and creating a safe means for the TO to provide feedback and share opinions and concerns

Anchor the SupCo’s relation to the EB as a resourceful and advisory body while also fostering space for mutual feedback and collaboration.

The Team of Officials:

The Team of Officials are the drivers of the work of the Federation. Hence, it’s very important they have a supportive and enabling working environment and positive team dynamics. To fulfill that, I aim to:

Coordinate with the current President to support the development of the handover framework and to agree on the planning and monitoring of the handover process, and upon consultation with the EB-elect, current TO and EB. Furthermore, throughout the term, I aim to work closely with the VPCB to explore the usage of the IFMSA Online Training Platform as a tool to sustain the handover of Officials and enhance their preparedness for the work.

Collect the feedback and input of the current TO on this term's work and the potential improvements in the leadership and dynamics

Work in coordination with the VPCB-Elect and in consultation with the current VPCB to develop a plan for capacity strengthening of TO members while also reflecting on the outcomes of the upcoming CB strategy to structuralize a competency module for the TO.

Support the TO to thrive in their work through periodic reflection meetings, regular coordination meetings with the TO groups’ contact persons, and redesigning the Officials' evaluation process to deliver more concrete assessments and feedback. I also aim to coordinate with the SupCo in the process

Cherish the diversity of opinions and ideas within the team by providing different means for discussions. Furthermore, I aim to utilise the periods between TOMs to keep the TO updated and engaged through monthly TO hours and preTOM preparatory sessions.

Underpin the use of TO workspaces and other collaborative tools to strengthen coordination and collaboration between TO members

2. Healthy, Transformative and Sustainable IFMSA Culture and Environment

IFMSA is continuously evolving and so our procedures, priorities, work methodologies and discussions also evolve and become intricate. To nurture this evolution and ensure it’s constructive and sustainable for the Federation, our working culture and environment need to evolve as well to preserve the health, diversity of our members and learning experience and optimal functioning of our members. To ensure so, I aim to work on the following:

IFMSA Meetings:

Continue the work on evaluating and developing IFMSA meetings following up on the strategic goals for this term After defining the objectives and desired outcomes of IFMSA meetings and identifying the target audience of each, I aim to work on evaluating the methodologies and modalities of these meetings to serve the identified objectives and audiences best This also entails systematically investigating and consulting on our meetings' in-person/online modalities to propose durable long-term solutions. Develop the agendas of the GAs and the TOM, reflecting on the outcomes of the aforementioned evaluations to ensure impactful utilisation of our resources and outcome-oriented meetings. This process will be a collaborative effort with the EB and TO to discuss and agree on solutions to address the diverse needs of the different working structures in the Federation in our meetings. Furthermore, as discussions in IFMSA tend to be very rich, intricate and diverse while time is a limited resource, I aim to work together with the VPCB to utilise innovative and engaging facilitation methodologies to support the engagement and maximise the contributions.

Provide support and guidance to NMOs to help them in their planning for the organization of an IFMSA event. This entails the utilization of existing or developing new supporting tools as well as advice and feedback whenever needed.

Build on the work of the current VPF and SCOPE D on affordable and sustainable TOMs by implementing their conclusions and recommendations and in close coordination with the OCs.

Organizational Culture and Working Environment:

I strongly believe in our Federation as an empowering and inclusive space for medical students. I believe that this is one of the key characteristics that kept IFMSA thriving. Yet, ensuring this space is maintained requires progressive commitment from all IFMSA members, especially the leadership, in ensuring that our actions respect the rights of others and that our Federation fosters a safe, inclusive and transformative experience for all of our members.

2. Healthy, Transformative and Sustainable IFMSA Culture and Environment

It also requires us to be thoughtful about our systems, examining the barriers and opportunities, being reflective on our status quo and norms, and taking action when needed To uphold this belief, I aim to:

Support and strengthen the implementation of the new IFMSA Code of Conduct (CoC) as part of or in coordination with the CoC Committee.

Continue the work on the Intersectional IFMSA initiative in addressing the strategic goals of the Federation:

Establish a sustainable mandated structure to lead and oversee IFMSA’s work on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Developing an overarching approach to achieving diversity and representation in the different working groups.

Strengthen competencies on achieving and upholding Gender Equity in the Federation.

Organize Diversity and Inclusion training for IFMSA Leadership

Support the current VPA in the development of the Mental Health Framework and prepare with the EB-elect for the pilot implementation of it.

As terms and teams turnover in IFMSA, new plans, priorities and ideas evolve. Each new term comes with new opportunities and challenges While this enriches IFMSA’s continuous development, it also makes our work sporadic and lacking direction. Means and ideas can change, but there must be means that keep IFMSA’s work oriented towards an identified direction in the short and long terms While our strategies partially contribute to fulfilling this requirement, the lack of smooth transition in the work on them between the terms as well as the wide variations in our planning methodologies, present major challenges Furthermore, the Federation also has other planning tools that are underutilised. As such, I aim to:

Support the Team of Officials in developing and executing their Annual Working Plans (AWPs), by:

Ensuring the awareness of TO of the existing strategic tools in the Federation and support in their efficient usage. IFMSA has many already established tools that should provide a clear direction to work, such as our Strategies, Policy Document, the Global and Regional Priorities and the WHO Collaboration Plan.

Utilizing the Competency Module to strengthen the TO’s knowledge and skills to develop a comprehensive and solid Annual Working Plan. In addition, I aim to coordinate closely with the TO groups’ contact persons within the EB to provide feedback and input to the TO members while developing their plans

Monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the AWP, in close coordination with the SupCo.

Support the TO in engaging NMOs and members in developing and implementing their plans by developing a framework for data collection and needs assessment. Coordinate the monitor the implementation of the IFMSA Strategy 2022-2025 and consolidate strategic thinking and planning skills in the Federation. I aim to: Evaluate the outcomes of the first year of the implementation of the strategy together with the EB-Elect and identify the next set of actions to take to build on these outcomes and transition to the implementation of the strategic goals of the second year.

Coordinate with the current President to have a dedicated EB handover on the implementation of the strategy, presenting key knowledge and information regarding the ongoing plans and challenges. This ensures that the EB-elect can transition into the 2nd year of the strategy implementation as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

While we are still in the implementation phase of the 2022-2025 Strategy, I believe it’s essential that we start planning and preparing for the next strategy cycle to define clear process milestones and avoid the outcomes of the current misalignment as a result of the gap term of 2020/21. In doing so, I aim to:

(1)Work with the VPCB and the VPA to develop capacity-building initiatives on Theories of Change and Strategic Planning to strengthen the competencies of our members on both concepts and to develop a common organizational understanding and approach to them

(2) Develop a vision for the evaluation of the current strategies and for the development of the new strategies after 2025, upon consultations with the TO and NMOs

Coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Global Priorities for the new term, in coordination with the VPE I aim to proactively engage in the discussions within the Team of Officials in the development of the next set of Global Priorities. Furthermore, I aim to continue the work on the strategic goals related to prioritisation, identifying discrepancies between existing prioritization systems across the federation and initiating the reform of the prioritization systems. Strengthen IFMSA’s operation in coordination with the EB as a group and with the relevant EB members.

I aim to assist VPA-elect in the registration process in Denmark and The Netherlands and the VPE-elect in the registration process within the UN system

As VPE, I have experienced and anticipated the major consequence of the delay in adopting our financial reports could cause to IFMSA. Our organization is not able to apply to a wide range of grants and funding opportunities Our statuses in the UN and the WHO also require documents of our finances and this could jeopardize our advocacy and engagement. As such, it will be my utmost priority to coordinate with the VPF-Elect to follow up on the work done this term and identify the required steps needed further to finalize our financial reporting.

Our strategy adopts a focus on strengthening the IFMSA Secretariat. As the topic of the Secretariat has been recurrent throughout the past years, I aim to support the VPA and coordinate with the EB to identify needed steps on the moving of the Secretariat as well as in strengthening its structure and function

CONTACT DETAILS

mfasalih97@gmailcom

@mahmood-alhamody

EDUCATION

AlexandriaUniversity,Egypt

Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery

Dec 2016 - Feb 2024

SKILLS SUMMARY

Microsoft Office

Google G Suite

Adobe Creative Cloud

Canva

LANGUAGES

Arabic: Mother tongue

English: Fluent (IELTS 7.5)

Turkish: Advanced (CEFR C1)

French: Basic (CEFR A2)

Spanish: Basic (CEFR A1)

VOLUNTEERISM

- Participant in (C2C) program by Save the Children in Amman, Jordan, 2011

UNICEF volunteer in the "I’m Against campaign in 2018 "ﺮﻤﻨﺘﻟاﺪﺿﺎﻧأ - Bullying

-Active volunteer in the Egyptian Red Crescent

MAHMOOD AL-HAMODY

IFMSA - RELATED EXPERIENCE

POSITIONS HELD

Vice-PresidentforExternalAffairs2022/2023

Liaison Officer for Human Rights and Peace Issues 2020/21 and2021/22

SCORPDirector2019/20

LocalVice-PresidentforInternalAffairs2019/20

SCORPGeneralAssistant2018/19

LocalOfficeronHumanRightsandPeace2018/19

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

Coordinatorof+15SWGsaswellas7PolicyCommissions. Strategicplanning:Workedonthedevelopmentof:(1)IFMSAEgypt SCORP Strategy 18-21, (2) IFMSA-Egypt Strategy 21-24, (3) IFMSA SCORP Strategy Annexes 19-21 and the (4) IFMSA StrategicPlan2022-2025.

Attended +20 external meetings (moderated sessions in 4, andpanelistin4),including:

AMEE2020and2021.

65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women

2021

ECOSOCYouthForum2021

GlobalYouthSummit2021

WorldHealthAssembly2021

InternationalMigrationReviewForum2022

High-level meeting on health and migration in the WHO EuropeanRegion2022

UNHCRAnnualNGOGlobalConsultations2019and2022 WorldHealthSummit2022

MEETINGS & TRAININGS

9GeneralAssembliesand3Pre-GAWorkshop

2EMRRegionalMeetingsandPre-EMRworkshops

21TeamofOfficialsMeetings(15online)

7NationalGeneralAssemblies

9 workshops as facilitator; and ~200 Hours of facilitation in IFMSASettings

ABSTRACTS AND PUBLICATIONS

UnrelentingViolence:ViolenceAgainstHealthCareinConflict SafeguardingHealthinConflictCoalition,2021;Reviewer International Training on Disaster Medicine - A peer education approach to disaster medicine. AMEE Conference 2022 and WHO Emergency Medical Teams Global Meeting 2022;Secondauthor

Human Rights for Medical Practitioners - a peer education approach to human rights and ethical principles in medical curriculum AMEEConference2021;Firstauthor

Human Rights Education in Medical Education - A Global Study.AMEEConference2021;Firstauthor