Mikołaj Patalong - VPA 2023/24 Candidature

MIKOŁAJ PATALONG

CANDIDATE FOR IFMSA VICE-PRESIDENT FOR ACTIVITIES

SERVING ALSO AS SECRETARY GENERAL

2023/24

Mikołaj Patalong (aka Miko)

IPA: mʲikɔwaj patalɔnk / mee-CO-why pa-TA-lonk

Candidatefor IFMSAVice-PresidentforActivities,servingalsoas SecretaryGeneral fortheterm2023/24

6

IFMSA Meetings

Born

14 Plenary Teams (IFMSA/NMO)

7 Small Working Groups

Born: June 22, 1998 in Bytom, Poland

NMO: IFMSA-Poland

Academic Year: 6/6

Languages: Polish (native), English (C2), Swedish (B2), German (B1), Russian (basic)

Multidisciplinary

Dear IFMSA Family,

If one random guy from my Local Committee had not shared an Activity recruitment form on the group I was a member of over 3,5 years ago, there would be one EB candidate less this season. Since that day, I have been living a different life, becoming a figure unrecognizable from my former self. Some people measure their popularity by the number of likes on Instagram, others would want to see themselves becoming household names. For me, as a guy from Poland, it is indicative of fame that more and more people can pronounce my name correctly :) For those who yet cannot - no worriesthere is an IPA transcription on page 3 Alternatively, I'm also increasingly in love with people just calling me Miko, so the choice is pretty much open. Though I may have different names in use around this place, for this General Assembly I have only one intention and dream It is with the greatest of pleasures that I propose to the NMOs my candidature for the IFMSA Vice-President for Activities, serving also as the Secretary-General for the term 2023/2024.

Does it take a superhuman to manage the most challenging position in the IFMSA EB?

I hope to be able to report it back to you in a year and a half. In the meantime, while being fully aware of the heavy responsibilities and substantial workload, I do see the position of VPA as ideally tailored to my character, style of work and ability to multitask while still getting my sleep at night and (yes!) passing all my exams. A few months ago, I was encouraged to run for a TO position, most recently I have been dubbed for another one, to my great surprise and confusion Despite that, I have remained on the consistent learning path since MM22, when, in Plenary IV, it felt like a hat was gently put on my head with a three-letter inscription on it My way forward seemed determined. After a term as a Program Coordinator, I set my eyes on becoming PGA to help put some new life into IFMSA Programs after they had been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, I am putting my cards on the table to join the top table, while remaining grounded in the ladder steps that brought me to this point.

For a local SCOPH Activity Coordinator, getting elected as LPO feels like being one step away from world domination. Progressively, as one goes on to experience higher steps of the IFMSA ladder, the initial certainty turns into doubt, and then the doubt is, step by step, being phased out by the incoming experience Until that happens, we are at risk of suffering from impostor syndrome, and in that I also had my fill, as many of us do I must confess that I have always been more of a realist than a dreamer, and I reckon that it is my realism that helped me get to this point and develop selfconfidence along the way. Yet, even realists must strive to see the light at the end of every tunnel. Leadership in a student organization feels like riding through a tunnel indeed, with academic commitments, limited resources, rapidly changing leadership and the ongoing fight to make youth engagement more meaningful and impactful. However, I believe that this ride, however bumpy, leads every one of us to a point of greater knowledge and empowerment, and that challenges - however persistent - can be managed if skilled mechanics are in place. If elected as a member of the EB 23/24, I will fully commit myself to both job descriptions of the VPA, while also being an active and reflective member of the Team of Seven.

I have taken great care in making this candidature priority-focused, approachable and visually clear I cannot say it was not a challenge to get so much into this space, especially since VPA is essentially two positions merged, yet I believe that this document presents the essence of how I envision the VPA and their tasks for the coming term. I made sure to follow the Candidature Guidelines, and in the future, I would envision them as codified into our Bylaws so that there remains no doubt about how to construct EB/TO Candidatures. If there are any remaining questions, I am continuously at your disposal throughout February and during the March Meeting itself.

With love,

TRANSPARENCY

i.e. your VPA can answer the phone, because he's not dead (of overwork)...

Availability 2023/24

Given the heavy workload of the VPA position, I want to make it clear to all parties what my availability for 2023/24 looks like:

If I am elected, I will have the option of adjusting my university schedule with my faculty that will provide me with the flexibility to delay some of my clinical rotations to a later date, moving my graduation date a bit forward. I will be able to give more details during March Meeting through this, I will be able to achieve a daily availability of up to 6 hours/day + even more during the weekends.

No matter when my internship starts (and it might be even as late as October 2024), I will be able to take time off to travel to Copenhagen to visit the Office and participate in any meetings with employees of the office of the Secretariat.

In any case, I will have full availability to attend the following events in person (provided no force majeure): TOM4 (May 2023) as VPA-Elect, TOM5/AM23/TOM0, TOM1 (October 2023), TOM2 (December 2023), TOM3/MM24, TOM4 (May 2024), TOM5/AM24 + all the necessary meetings in Copenhagen.

I am very much used to the high amount of workload in IFMSA - in the term 21/22, I held three positions (PC, NPO and Local SupCo President) and it never interfered with my academic or other commitments. Decreased university schedule will be an additional help to keep my daily routine healthy and fully commit to the VPA tasks.

Leadership

For the past two years, I have been working under excellent leadership, which will constitute the main source of inspiration for me, if I am elected as VPA. Having led two NMO teams of Activity Coordinators, and multiple IFMSA SWGs and assisted in the coordination of the Programs Team 22/23, I do have a clear idea of what kind of a leader I want to be as VPA.

I will follow my predecessor in fully taking responsibility for the leadership role, even if many of the administration tasks are and will be delegated to the PT Core Team. I have a strong belief that success in IFMSA work lies in developing sound working relationships and building up teams with an emphasis put on trust and open communication. I cannot imagine myself being seen as a remote and unapproachable figure for my PCs and assistants.

One of my primary objectives will be to avoid burnout within the Programs Team. IFMSA has never caused any mental health issues to me personally, but I do have the background of burnout as a medical student, something that I had to manage long-term IFMSA has been the perfect safety net in my case, one that helped me feel well in both of these worlds - every IT member deserves a similar one when the source of problems happens to lie within our structures I am waiting eagerly to follow up on the results of the work on the Mental Health Framework.

VPA TASKS

Prioritization of VPA duties

The office of IFMSA VPA is seen as the most challenging of all EB/TO positions and I fully accept this challenge, having planned exact steps to ensure my availability (see page 5). To ensure continued success in the Activities world, the administration of IFMSA Programs will be coordinated by me and executed in close cooperation with the Programs General Assistant (PGA), who will be relieved of the development and content creation tasks - moved respectively to PDAs (or equivalents) and the Programs Community Assistant (PCA) VPA General Assistant will help me manage the certification & archiving processes

NMO Secretaries Coordination

The IFMSA General Secretariat structure is largely different from how the NMO Secretariats operate At present, National Secretaries do not have a defined entry point to the IFMSA world, and while their international obligations are limited, they constitute a largely disenfranchised group of IFMSA Members. During my term, I am going to work with the VPA GA to explore creating an exploratory framework for NMO Secretary Coordination.

Apart from our own involvement, I would envision our role as facilitators of peer-to-peer learning experiences, in which more accomplished Secretaries could share their tips and tricks during online capacity-building events

Personally, I will attempt to increase their knowledge of the

IFMSA GS operations

The VPA GA will be someone with strong secretarial background, so they would be best equipped to lead these efforts Participation in the framework's activity will be on a voluntary basis, but I intend to create worthwhile experiences for all Secretaries both in terms of active participation and passive learning opportunities (similar to the Activity Coordinator Competency Module). A set of resources could be shared through the IFMSA platforms.

Plenary Team Coordination

I believe that IFMSA Plenaries must not impact the physical and mental health of Delegates the way they have done so in recent times. As someone who nearly fainted after trying to survive the day plenary night & dawn in Istanbul (well after the photo at the back of this candidature was taken), I am here on a personal as well as collective mission.

First of all, I will build on the system introduced by the incumbent VPA for the Plenary Team selection Experience, personal suitability and regional/gender representation will be the top deciding factors Holding efficient plenaries will be the main focus point in the PT's preparations

Secondly, the Plenary Agenda needs to be strategized by facilitating comprehensive CCP/BCP review and discussions held before the GA.

However, it is not for me personally to impose how exactly this process should be improved - I will use the Baseline Assessment at the start of my term to survey the NMO concerns, worries and ideas for improvement. This way, I will receive input and attempt to implement it - in coordination with the EB 23/24 - by the time the MM24 season commences.

Certificate issuance in IFMSA

Over the first months of the current term, significant improvements were introduced which resulted in hundreds of backlog certificates being issued and delivered More is on the way! As VPA-elect, I will closely follow the development of the certification mechanism in order to seamlessly transition this crucial process into the new term While the VPA GA will provide core assistance in this area, I envision strong cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, including PGA for Activity Certification (which will be issued on a monthly basis), VPCB for CB certification, VPM for Membership certification, and others. In particular, streamlined Activity Certification is crucial because of the benefits that NMOs may attain due to the official IFMSA recognition of their effort, e.g. in terms of fundraising.

PROGRAMS

From grassroots upwards

I joined the Programs family in 2021/22 as PC for Environment and Health, and after the completion of my term I stayed on as Programs General Assistant 2022/23 - the position I am holding at the moment Having a two-year perspective of continuous work in the Programs Team will enable me to effectively continue carrying on the reforms being envisioned and executed by the incumbent VPA and his team (that includes me) Equally, my current work gives me insight into how I would like to lead the Programs Team next term as VPA.

Put your money where your heart is

As a former local and national Activity Coordinator, I know the struggles of grassroots student initiatives - the most profound of them being (the lack of) appropriate funding. The Programs structure must be used to build up the capacity of NMO Activity Representatives and Activity Coordinators to approach fundraising and financial management of Activities in a strategic manner. In order to fully unlock this potential, I will take the following steps:

discuss the communication structure with NMO Representatives with VPA 22/23 and PDAs 22/23; develop action points to address any remaining weak points consult this matter with VPF 22/23 and VPF-elect 23/24 to ensure proper execution and avoid any overlap between the two teams develop, with the Programs Team 23/24, a strategy to address this issue

Everyone onboard!

The success and work satisfaction of Program Coordinators is as dependent on VPA and their Core Team as it is on the environment in the Standing Committee ITs. My own experience from 2021/22 tells me that it may be at times a difficult position to navigate for an IT newcomer. While AWP creation and oversight of the baseline tasks of the PCs will be my responsibility, I wish to continue providing more agency to the SCDs and PCs themselves to shape their respective Programs' future so that their SCs and the IFMSA as a whole can benefit from these individuals' perspective, expertise and experience In order to streamline this process, during and around TOM0 I will work with Standing Committee Directors-elect to update the framework regulating the coordination of PCs and their needs.

VPA & Programs Team Composition

As VPA, I plan to keep up the system of two General Assistants - VPA GA and Programs GA (PGA). After AM23, I am going to evaluate the structure of 2 PDAs and 2 EVAs with my predecessor, and it is impossible to indicate my future decision now because I do not have hindsight knowledge. I plan to introduce one new position to the Programs Team - Programs Community Assistant - in order to ensure that campaigns can be developed internally and that all PT members have PRC assistance whenever they need it.

The position of Programs General Assistant will play a particularly key role in my Programs Team While it is the VPA who needs to lead the PT forward, I will need a strong team player to manage the day-to-day administration of Programs. Since it is my main area of work at the moment, I know what skills and personality this job requires to ensure professional success for that person, as well as safety of the trust of work-related advise and help for every Program Coordinator of the coming term that is going to be coordinated by the PGA. In order to attain the best professional working environment, I will keep track of the team's Achievements through an open-access Annual Working Plan with regular updates, quarterly 1:1 meetings with each member of the team.

PROGRAMS

The Programs Guy is onto it again...

Delivering the reforms

Earlier this term, the Programs Team embarked on a series of reforms which will be carried out throughout the remainder of this term, and possibly a bit into 2023/24 Our focus is put on the general reform of the Programs structure, increasing the efficacy of promotion and working to make enrollment and reporting an intuitive and unobstructed process to every Activity Coordinator. In order to refresh the structure, Programs IOGs and all the Program Descriptions (sometimes incorrectly called Program Proposals) will have to undergo an overhaul in order to replace impractical evaluation indicators with solutions based on the hindsight of the years that our Programs have existed for. Activity Enrollment and Reporting Forms must be reviewed and adjusted in terms of clarity for the ACs - with this year's toolkits being a prime example of what direction we shall follow. For Programs promotion, I envision an even stronger presence of Activities at Regional Meetings, developing (with VPPRC PCA) a specific brand for IFMSA Programs that will make us recognizable in the IFMSA world, as well as regular and transparent reporting through the Activities & Programs Newsletter.

Equality in Activity Enrollment

Our National Member Organizations still face serious obstacles to enrolling and reporting Activities. The reforms initiated by the incumbent Programs Team are on their way to make significant improvements in this area, and in my term as VPA, I intend to build upon these groundworks in order to ensure that NMOs can enjoy the full scope of benefits of enrollment and that IFMSA can present externally a more wholesome picture of our collective impact. I believe that every NMO and their National Activity Representatives are destined to be able to enroll with confidence. This is why the Programs Development Assistants will be tasked with evaluating and addressing enrollment and reporting inequality in all Regions of IFMSA While there are different areas to develop in Programs, in order to succeed everywhere, we need first to secure this aspect, as IFMSA cannot afford to have a view of the scope of student-led efforts limited to some regions at the cost of others A range of measures will be undertaken to deliver on this promise. Following the success of our internal Program Coordinator Competency Module, the Programs Development Assistants (or equivalents) will be tasked with developing a basic but comprehensive course for Activity Coordinators - the Activity Coordinator Competency Module that can be delivered through IFMSA Moodle or an equivalent platform. This way, we will be able to reach Activity Coordinators irrespective of their ability to travel to in-person events and the internal capacity of their NMOs' Activity/Project Support division.

Impact 202

The Programs Annual Impact Report (PAR), produced each August Meeting by the Programs Team, is a powerful tool in the hands of the External Affairs division of IFMSA As a policy addict and member of our delegations (COP27 and WHO RC72), I have learnt a lot about the challenges of using our internally developed documents in external settings, which makes me reasonably wellequipped to attempt at introducing improvements from the Programs' side. In order to make the PAR structure and content more up to this challenge, I will hold consultations with outgoing and incoming VPEs, LOs and RDs in order to gather their input. Going further, IFMSA Programs deliver a great deal of Activity data useful for the LOs' purposes. The currently nascent Internal and External databases will bring this process to a new, easier and more comprehensive level.

Ensuring continuity and stab

Our Federation is expected to undergo substantial changes in the coming year, including the possibility of welcoming new employee(s) and circumstances concerning IFMSA's financial situation Uncertainty of what the next term might bring about must be met with courage and hard work to ensure safety of the legal status of IFMSA I understand that getting a full understanding of the work of IFMSA Secretary, including taking responsibility for the whole set of operations when the Head of Secretariat is absent, requires getting a historical perspective with the help of my predecessor and hopefully those who served as IFMSA VPAs in the past as well. First, I will make the most of the handover opportunity in this regard, including - hopefully - paying a visit to Copenhagen with my predecessor. During the elect period and after taking office, I will be available to travel there upon request or need - and I mean it in terms of making it an absolute priority in my schedule. I will ensure that trimonthly in-person meetings in Copenhagen become a norm. As per IFMSA Strategy, I will focus on developing the expansion plan for the IFMSA Secretariat, building on the information gathered in Year 1 regarding the mutual expectations of NMOs and IFMSA Staff, with the final report to be presented at August Meeting 2024. Second, the future of sustainable IFMSA finances necessitates a strong working relationship and cooperation with the VPF 23/24. Our budget will primarily be their responsibility, but I want to use the handover period to learn as much as I can about this sphere. It is with them that I will follow up on any new members of IFMSA Staff that might arrive, if such decisions are made this or next term in line with our Strategy 2022-2025. Thirdly, I will always ensure full transparency of the secretarial work with the Executive Board and use the opportunities of e.g. Team of Official Meetings to clear any confusion regarding this issue. Lastly, I will engage in an efficient, but comprehensive handover process with the VPA-elect 2024/25 to make sure that the VPArelated goals and objectives of the IFMSA Strategy will be fulfilled during the last year of its validity.

Accessibility of essential documents for the NMOs

There is little that can warm my heart more than a well-designed Excel sheet. Having taken great care to reorganize the Programs Team's working spaces and having taken inspiration from the excellent NMO Presidents' master sheet of this term, one of the priorities of this term will be the provision of clear, concise and easy-to-retrieve sheets containing past and present documents of great importance in one place. Historical data, including past GA/RM minutes, TO/EBM minutes, reports (including PAR), Standing Committee Regulations, various Internal Operating Guidelines and past IFMSA C&B versions are often difficult to find for nonIT people, yet for many reasons - including getting historical perspective on CCPs/BCPs prior to proposing possible changes or reopening long-dormant discussions on such attemptsthese might be useful to the NMOs The master sheet currently containing dated files needs a general overhaul, and it is going to be one of the tasks of me and my VPA GA for the first half of the term. In order to I will also explore the possibility of archiving old documents that are still missing to preserve them from being irretrievably lost. Similarly, I will use the opportunities of attending meetings with NMO Presidents as a guest to survey their needs in terms of document availability, certification and other pending issues. These actions will constitute the groundwork for the achievement of a strategy indicator concerning the ability of NMO Presidents to access digital archives.

EB/TO WORK

IT/PC/OC/CoCC Call coordination

I commit to addressing concerns raised by NMOs, related to the feedback delivery after consecutive calls are closed. While it is a significant piece of work for Officials-elect, every applicant deserves to receive a timely response so that they can improve and apply again this or next year, and to preserve their mental health in what is a very draining process. I will work with the EBE to develop a tracking mechanism to ensure a 100% feedback provision rate On top of that, I will work to revise the feedback system to safeguard its constructiveness, polite tone and focus The introduction os a similar measure for Activity acceptance and rejection in the Programs Team this year is already bringing great results in the form of re-applications or improvements delivered following a nonrejection. A similar approach will be ensured in the allocation of all Programs-related opportunities, whenever applicable.

Reports of IFMSA Officials

Accountability achieved through rigorous and regular reporting is the means to ensure that IFMSA NMOs can have continued trust in the elected Officials of IFMSA. Starting in the term 2024/25, all IFMSA Reports are set to follow the standards set by currently ongoing deliberations (IFMSA Strategy P1/G3/O2, Year 1-2), with the ultimate goal of increasing individual accountability. I believe that reports should serve the needs of both those reporting and those that are being reported to, namely all IFMSA members During my term, I intend to lead the process of finalizing the creation of the mentioned system by using data being gathered now from NMOs, Officials and their ITs

Candidature guidelines since 2024

A discussion on the length and content of the EB/TO candidatures was restarted in recent weeks, with voices calling the prospective MM23 EB candidates to limit the length to 10 pages/5000 words. With this candidature comprising 10 pages of content and 4147 words in total, I stand ready to work with the NMOs to develop the way forward on this issue. I intend to remain neutral in this process, giving the NMOs the chance to develop ideas beyond the current guidelines and the other idea of having a IT/PC-like template without graphic elements. What I will voice my opinion on, however, is ules in my view should be codified in the IFMSA Bylaws to leave doubt about the mode they should use when submitting their

Conclusion

In writing this candidature, I focused on the proposed improvements for the VPA position that I intend to consult upon and implement during my term. Sensible modifications to this vision will be made throughout the handover process in order to create a realistic and priority-based Annual Working Plan, one that remains fully in line with the working objectives of the entire EB/TO 23/24.

I welcome all questions and suggestions that you might have throughout February and during the March Meeting itself Please contact me at patalongmikolaj@gmail.com

IFMSAVPA2023/24

patalongmikolaj@gmail.com

Bytom,

/mikolajpatalong

/in/mikolajpatalong

@mikolajpatalong

LANGUAGES

ENGLISH SWEDISH GERMAN RUSSIAN

IFMSA PROGRAMS EXPERIENCE

IFMSA Programs General Assistant

(Oct 2022 - now)

IFMSA Program Coordinator for Environment and Health

(Oct 2021 - Sep 2022)

SDG Alignment SWG Stream Coordinator

(Dec 2021 - Apr 2022)

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

IFMSA-Poland Supervising Council

(Oct 2022 - now)

National Public Health Officer

(Oct 2021 - Sep 2022)

National Project Coordinator on Climate Change and Health

(Jan 2021 - Sep 2021)

Local Public Health Officer

(Oct 2020 - Sep 2021)

Sustainability in IFMSA SWG Coordinator

(May 2022 - Aug 2022)

SCOPH Strategy 2022-2025 SWG Member

(Feb 2022 - Aug 2022)

PLENARY EXPERIENCE

Plenary Chairperson - AM22 European Regional Plenary

Plenary Secretary - EuRegMe22 Plenary

Plenary Secretary - AM21 European Regional Plenary

Plenary Secretary Assistant - EuRegMe21 Plenary

Plenary Chairperson

IFMSA-Poland NGA49

7 extraordinary online NGAs: Jul'21, Sep'21, Nov'21, Jan'22, Mar'22, Nov'22, Dec'22

Plenary Vice-chairperson

2 extraordinary IFMSA-Poland NGAs: Oct'21, Mar'22

ACTIVITIES EXPERIENCE

International:

Programs Week (co-coordination, 2023)

World Environment Day Campaign (SCOPH, 2022)

Health under Control (biannual NCD health screening Activity coordinated by me and a Project Coordinator during my term as NPO 21/22)

The Health Impact of Climate Change (Peer Education Activity aimed at filling the gap in the school curriculum)

Health under Control - first led locally as LPO 20/21 as a Peer Educator (60+ hrs):

Mental Health for secondary school students

Cancer Prophylaxis Activity

(2020, participant)

ERNAL AFFAIRS

e to the 72nd WHO Regional Committee for 22)

e to the UNFCCC COP27 (Nov 2022) view Committee

sion - Non-Communicable Diseases (MM23)

sion - Alcohol Consumption (AM22)

sion - Neglected Tropical Diseases (AM22)

sion - Non-Communicable Diseases (MM22)

ssion - Control of Emerging Infectious

e Policy SWG Coordinator (MM23)

cy SWG Coordinator (AM22)

th and Sustainability SWG Coordinator

agement SWG Member (AM21)

essions Team (as part of the SCOPH IT)

OPH Sessions Team (as part of the SCOPH

essions Team (as part of the SCOPH IT)

essions Team (general member)

th Forum on Health and Climate Change MSA) - session facilitator

NGA49 Sessions - "Secretaries & IFMSA"

SCOPH Workshop (III 2022), NGA48 SCOPH 022), NGA47 SCOPH Workshop (XII 2021)

ETINGS

ions Team eam (Chairperson)

SCOPH Sessions Team

SCOPH Sessions Team

EU Plenary Team

SCOPH Sessions

SCOPH

ACILITATION NON-IFMSA EXPERIENCE

Commission for Ecological and Climate Education, including Environmental Living Conditions - Member (Dec 2021 - May 2021; Ministry of Climate and Environment of the Republic of Poland)

Electoral Committee of the Medical University of Silesia Member (term expires 2024 or at graduation)

Abbreviations

AM - (General Assembly) August Meeting

BCP - Bylaws Change Proposal

CB - Capacity Building

CCP - Constitution Change Proposal

GA - General Assembly or General Assistant, e g VPA GA

GS - (IFMSA) General Secretariat

IOGs - Internal Operating Guidelines

IPA - International Phonetic Alphabet

IT - International Team (in IFMSA)

LO - Liaison Officer

MM - (General Assembly) March Meeting

NPO/LPO - National/Local Public Health Officer

PAR - Programs Annual Impact Report

PCA - Programs Community Assistant

PDA - Programs Development Assistant

PGA - Programs General Assistant

PH - Public Health

PT - Programs Team or Plenary Team

RD - IFMSA Regional Director

SupCo - Supervising Council

SWG - Small Working Group

TO(M) - Team of Officials (Meeting)

UNFCCC COP - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties

VPCB - IFMSA Vice-President for Capacity Building

VPM - IFMSA Vice-President for Members

WHO RC - World Health Organization Regional Committee (for Europe in this context)