Candidature for

Publications Support Division Director2014 - 2015

Firas YassineLeMSIC - Lebanon

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AcknowledgementBefore ever considering being part of an organization as big as the IFMSA – before I even knew it existed – I joined LeMSIC, with the hopes I would find what breaks the routine of lectures, studies and exams. Three years later, here I am presenting my candidature to you, dear colleagues & friends. This would not have been possible if it weren’t for the ongoing support I am lucky to have from within my National Member Organization (NMO). I would like to take a few lines & mention those who’ve helped and guided me along the way!

Wajiha Jurdi-Kheir (LeMSIC President 2011-2012), Fadi Halabi (LeMSIC President 2012-2013), Maher Bazzi (LeMSIC Co-president 2013-2014) and Joe Cherabie (IFMSA SCORA-D 2013-2014), you have all been a true inspiration. Maëlle Saliba (LeMSIC Co-president 2013-2014), and Ali Haidar (LeMSIC VPE 2013-2014), I am very proud to have worked under your supervision in the past two years. Thank you for every piece of advice you’ve given me! Jessica, Iyad, Carl-Joe, Karl, Mona, Yara, Zeinab, Ziad, Ralph, Marie, Elizabeth, Widad, Antoun & Marie-Theresia, members of the current LeMSIC EB, thank you for the many opportunities and memories we’ve shared during this 50th year of LeMSIC!

Members of the IFMSA General Assembly & dear friends,

It gives me great joy and honor to be able to present to you my candidature for the position of IFMSA Publications Support Division Director (PSDD) for the term of 2014-2015. Despite being relatively a new comer to the federation, I am rather confident of my ability to assume this position and carry out all functions that will be required.

Allow me, first, to briefly introduce myself.

I am currently a fifth year medical student (out of seven) at the University of Balamand in northern Lebanon. I also am the LeMSIC Publications Support Division Director for the second consecutive term. Through both university courses and extracurricular workshops, I have developed my graphic design, document layout and production, typography and photography skills. I am proud to say that, during the past four years, I was the editor in chief of several LeMSIC and other publications. I also am a former scout, and intend to make use of my team building skills in order to coordinate the international publications team.

Having been more and more involved in IFMSA activities, from the SCOPE Exchange back in 2012 till the SCOME Permanent Small Working Group (PSWG) on Internal Operations earlier this year, I hope that I can earn your trust and be elected PSDD, in order to get a chance at implementing my attached plan of action, which I kindly ask you to go through. Feel free to give me feedback and comment on any of the points therein; I am very easy to be reached and you can find all my contact information on this document’s back cover.

I thank you for your time, and I look forward to meeting you all in Taipei for the August Meeting!

Respectfully yours,

Firas Yassine

Candidature for Publications Support Division Director - 2014/2015

Plan of Action& Curriculum Vitae

3Candidature for Publications Support Division Director - 2014/2015

IFMSA is currently undertaking a massive structural reform process, which might potentially lead to some changes in the job description of each position within the Team of Officials (TO). Some of these changes have already been suggested in the February 2014 Report of the Santiago Taskforce and are yet to be approved or refuted by the General Assembly.

For all practical purposes, the following plan of action is based on bylaw 9.4 of the IFMSA Constitution and Bylaws, which defines the tasks and jurisdiction of the Publications Support Division Director (PSDD). It will also be divided into the following four areas of interest: Publications, Document Production, Corporate Identity, and, most importantly, Team Work.

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Publications Team:For a federation as big as the IFMSA to produce, distribute and promote its various publications, there needs to be an efficient and qualified team working the different tasks of the Publications Support Division. Ideally, all members of the Publications Team need to have basic understanding in design and layout principles; a call for applicants will be sent out within a week of the start of the term and about 10 members will be selected based on their qualifications. Within the first few weeks of its formation, a suitable means for communication and exchange will be devised among the members. When need be, and after consultation with the Vice-President for External Affairs (VPE) and Treasurer for available funds, the Publications Team may seek professional help.

I also intend to check whether or not there are written Internal Operation Guidelines (IOGs) for the Publications Support Division. In the event that no such IOGs exist, I would ask the team to brainstorm and produce new ones, with the help of experienced Executive Board (EB) or TO members.

IFMSA & Standing Committee Publications:IFMSA and Standing Committee (SC) publications are the official and most efficient way to reflect the federation’s work, events and activities. In recent years, efforts have lead to the creation and implementation of easily recognizable formats, which have helped increase these publications’ visibility and readers’ loyalty. Should I be elected PSDD, I will, to the best of my abilities, work on strengthening the positives already achieved, all while continuing to improve the weaknesses.

The following points shall be the general guidelines according to which the Publications Team will deal with IFMSA and SC publications:

1. Increase the outreach to all NMOs, with the help of the Vice-President for Internal Affairs (VPI), to further encourage them to contribute more to IFMSA and SC publications, with special emphasis on regions that have not been as active as others in that regard.

4Firas R. Yassine | LeMSIC - Lebanon

2. Continue to promote the uniformity and consistency of IFMSA and SC publications for them to be more easily recognizable and be able to attract more and more readers, especially among members of the federation and non-member medical students.

3. With the help of the President and Liaison Officers (LOs), promote IFMSA and SC publications externally, especially within our partner organizations and trusted, relevant medical blogs.

4. Offer continuing and unwavering support to SCs, Support Divisions (SDs) and Regional Coordinators (RCs) when it comes to the creation of publications they deem necessary. This will be done either by delegating one member of the Publications Team to each SC/SD/Region, or by having each SC/SD/Region work on its publications on its own and have them later on edited and/or finalized by the Publications Support Division. Such a decision will be taken according to the needs and capacities of each SC/SD/Region.

5. Try, with the help of the RCs and VPI, to evaluate IFMSA and SC publications by collecting feedback from the EB, TO and all NMOs. Such evaluation would be carried out once every three or every four months; its results would then be made accessible to the NMO presidents and PSDDs in order to maximize transparency.

To further elaborate point 5 above, I would like to add that the Publications Support Division would always be ready to receive constructive criticism in regard to its work and corresponding outcome. Such feedback would allow us to ensure that our work is in line with the federation’s vision and strategic plan for the upcoming term.

Aside from the general guidelines above, I would like to discuss specific points relevant to the production of the IFMSA E-Newsletter and Medical Students International (MSI).

IFMSA E-Newsletter:1. Work further on the overall appearance of the newsletter to have it more in line with IFMSA’s Corporate Identity guidelines.

2. Evaluate the format in which the newsletter is sent out and ensure the widest possible reach and distribution.

Medical Students International (MSI):

1. Work with the Publications Team to create efficient, space-sparing layouts for the upcoming two editions of MSI.

2. As stated in point 1 of the general guidelines above, work to ensure more equal regional representation of articles submitted to the editorial team.

3. Continue any existing effort to include specific advertisement spots within MSI in order to fundraise for its production. Such a task will be undertaken with the help of the VPE and Treasurer. If no such efforts have been made, I would consult with the EB and TO concerning the feasibility and need.

5Candidature for Publications Support Division Director - 2014/2015

4. Consult with the Publications Team on what is the best ways to improve distribution formats, in ways that ensure institutional memory and increasing visibility and outreach, while making the most efficient use of resources and funds available.

Document Production:As per my understanding of the current bylaw governing the work of the PSDD, I would be expected to work on several internal IFMSA documents if elected to the position. In that regards, I plan to do the following:

1. Coordinate with the Secretary General (Sec-Gen) and all members of the EB and TO when it comes to the production of the IFMSA Annual Report and all TO Meetings (TOMs) Reports. Follow up with individual members is key to have these documents produced within the set timeframes and I would not spare any effort in doing so.

2. Work with the VPE and all members of the Publications Team on reviewing and updating the IFMSA Promotional Booklet as need be. Distribution of said booklet will be carried out in collaboration with the President, VPE and LOs.

3. Collaborate with the VPE on the creation and distribution of Sponsorship Proposals.

4. Assist SC/SD Directors and other members of the TO in creating, finalizing and distributing all documents and booklets they deem necessary.

All these documents need to conform to the IFMSA Corporate Identity guidelines, obviously, and this would be the bulk of my contribution.

Having gone through much of the February report of the Santiago Taskforce, it was clear to me that the federation faces some problems when it comes to handovers in certain position. This is precisely why I intend to collaborate with all members of the TO either to update handover manuals that already exist for certain positions, or to create new ones for the rest. I consider the completion of this particular task my main priority for the term to come.

Corporate Identity:Reviewing IFMSA’s Corporate Identity (CI) guidelines and monitoring their correct implementation may very well be the cornerstone task of the PSDD; luckily I have, over the past two years, extensively developed my knowledge and skills in this particular area of interest. As LeMSIC PSDD, I have worked with two VPEs over two years to compile all of LeMSIC’s CI elements and create the first Corporate Identity Manual.

When it comes to IFMSA’s Corporate Identity, my work would, ideally, be divided into two phases. The first would be prior to and during the upcoming August Meeting, and is detailed hereafter:

6Firas R. Yassine | LeMSIC - Lebanon

Knowing that IFMSA’s CI manual is adopted once every year by the General Assembly at the August Meeting, even if no changes were made to its contents, I would like, if possible, to review the current edition with the federation’s current PSDD, Diogo Martins. Hopefully, we would discuss the need and feasibility of certain changes to be made before the manual is presented to the General Assembly and voted upon.

The second phase would start with the beginning of the upcoming term and would include the following:

1. Familiarize members of the Publications Team as well as NMOs and TO members with the IFMSA Corporate Identity guidelines so that they know how to use them.

2. Train members of the Publications Team to assist in ensuring that all IFMSA, Standing Committee, Support Division and Regional documents, manuals, booklets and publications are produced according to CI requirements.

3. In the event that changes are made to the current CI guidelines, I would make sure that all IFMSA templates are updated accordingly and are easily accessible to all TO members.

In addition to the above, I would like to collaborate with the Training Support Division Director in order to create a new workshop on Corporate Identity. The aim of such a workshop would be to assist all NMOs’ PSDDs and other interested IFMSA members to better understand the need for and impact of strong CI regulations within their NMOs, and to help them further develop such regulations.

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Dear friends,

At the moment, I am well aware of all what is required of the federation’s PSDD, and I am more than confident that I can handle and carry out all functions, with the help, of course, of the Publications Team. As I have previously mentioned, being a relative new comer to the world of IFMSA does not make of me any less of a good candidate. I am a good team player and fast learner, and will do all that I can to be worthy of the trust I ask you to put in me.

Please feel free to go through my CV below and ask about any issue you would like me to clarify.

I thank you again for your time, and I hope you find in me what you deem is a motivated and fitting candidate for the Publications Support Division.

All the best,

Firas.

7Candidature for Publications Support Division Director - 2014/2015

CURRICULUM VITAEEducation

M.D. University of Balamand Tripoli, LebanonCurrently in progress – Expected date of graduation: June 2016

B.Sc. University of Balamand Tripoli, LebanonClass of 2011 – Major in Biology, Minor in Digital Photography & DesignDean’s Honor List: Fall 2008/09, Spring 2009, Fall 2009/10

Clinical Clerkship in Hematology/Oncology (Aug. 2012)Fakultni Nemocicne y Olomouc, Czech Republic – Part of the SCOPE Exchange

International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA)• Member, Permanent Small Working Group (PSWG) on Internal OperationsStanding Committee On Medical Education (SCOME) Apr. 2014 – Present

• Member, Vice-President for External Affairs’ (VPE) Media Productions team Video Productions Specialist Nov. 2013 – Present

• Member, ThinkGlobal InitiativeInternational Team – Communications Nov. 2013 – Present

Lebanese Medical Students’ International Committee (LeMSIC)• Publications Support Division Director 2013/2014 (2nd Term) Oct. 2013 – Present

o Design & maintenance of the LeMSIC Summer School websiteo Editor in Chief of:

• 2014 Annual SCORE Research Day Booklet• 2014 Annual SCOPE Gala Dinner Booklet• 2013-2014 SCOPE/SCORE Incoming Students’ Booklet • SCORP Health & Hygiene for Refugees Manual • LeMSIC Corporate Identity Manual

o Promotional Material for:• 2014 SCOPH-BAU Bake Sale• 2014 Annual SCORE Research Day (posters, OC name tags, pens, & notepads)• 2014 Annual SCOPE Gala Dinner (posters and tickets)• 2014 Annual IFMSA March Meeting LeMSIC Delegation• 2014 Annual SCORP Blind Date event (posters and tickets)• 2014 Annual SCORP Trivia Night event (posters and tickets)• 2013-2014 SCORE-AUB Research Workshop• 2013 SCORP CAN Campaign (posters and flyers)• 2013 Annual SCOME Christmas Dinner (posters, tickets and pamphlets)• 2013 Annual SCORA WAD Campaign (posters, tickets, flyers, and placemats)

o Sponsorship proposals for:• 2014 SCORE Research Day• 2014 SCOPE Gala Dinner• 2014 SCORP CAN Campaign• 2013 SCOME Christmas Dinner• 2013 SCORA WAD Campaign

o Workshop on Corporate Identity and Basic Design• Member awaiting full voting rights Oct. 2013 – Present

o Standing Committee On human Rights & Peace (SCORP)• Publications Support Division Director 2012/2013 (1st Term) Oct. 2012 – Sep. 2013

o LeMSIC Animated Logoo Bylaw proposal relevant to the Publications Support Division

8Firas R. Yassine | LeMSIC - Lebanon

o Layouts for subsequent editions of LeMSIC’s official magazineo Promotional Material for:

• 2013 SCORE Research Day• 2013 SCOPE Gala Dinner• 2012 SCOME Christmas Dinner• 2012 SCORA WAD Campaign

o Sponsorship proposals for:• 2013 SCORE Research Day• 2013 SCOPE Gala Dinner• 2012 SCOME Christmas Dinner• 2012 SCORA WAD Campaign

• Member, Team of External Affairs Oct. 2012 – Sep. 2013• Member, SCOPE Summer Hosting Committee Jul. 2013 – Aug. 2013• Member, Organizing Committees of: Oct. 2012 – Present

o 2014, 2013 SCORE Research Dayo 2014, 2013 SCOPE Gala Dinnero 2013, 2012 SCOME Christmas Dinnero 2013, 2012 SCORA WAD Campaigno 2012 LeMSIC National General Assembly

• Member awaiting full voting rights Oct. 2011 – Presento Standing Committee On Professional Exchange (SCOPE)

• Member with full voting rights Oct. 2011 – Presento Standing Committee On Medical Education (SCOME)o Standing Committee On Public Health (SCOPH)o Standing Committee On Reproductive health including HIV/AIDS (SCORA)o Standing Committee On Research Exchange (SCORE)

Meetings Attended• 63rd Annual IFMSA General Assembly – March Meeting (Hammamet, Tunisia)Sessions: Standing Committee On Medical Education (SCOME)Training: Marketing and Public Relations

• 2013 Annual LeMSIC National General AssemblySessions: Standing Committee On Reproductive health including HIV/AIDS (SCORA)Training: Time Management

• 2012 Annual LeMSIC National General AssemblySessions: Standing Committee On Reproductive health including HIV/AIDS (SCORA)Training: Project Management

Languages• Arabic Native language• English Excellent reading, writing, understanding and speaking• French Excellent reading, writing, understanding and speaking

Computer Skills• Adobe® Creative Suite 6 (Photoshop®, Lightroom®, Illustrator®, InDesign®, Audition®)• CorelDRAW • Microsoft® Windows®; Microsoft® Office®• MAC® OS X; Aperture®; Final Cut Pro®• Google® Drive®