The ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº has hosted its first global Meet your president session, bringing together fellows, members and international advisers from across the world to share ideas, ask questions and shape the future direction of the college.
The ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº supports fellows and members working in 135 countries across the world. On 24 November, ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº president Professor Mumtaz Patel hosted a special Meet your president networking event online, exclusively open to fellows and members working outside the UK.
From the Medical Training Initiative (MTI), one of the largest programmes enabling overseas doctors to gain experience in the UK, to the ÄÛ²ÝӰԺ’s global leadership structure, which helps our regional directors and international advisers to advocate for local needs. We offer education programmes co-created with partners, including faculty development, curriculum design and assessment frameworks, and support for international members, from medical students to senior physicians, through tailored events and targeted communications.
Our Global Women Leaders Programme is designed to narrow the gender leadership gap in medicine. Launched in Pakistan and now active across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia, the programme combines individual and organisational leadership development to drive system-level change.
‘Gender equity in leadership is not just about fairness – it’s about improving health outcomes and strengthening systems,’ explained Professor Patel.
Listening to our global members
Professor Patel opened the session with an overview of the ÄÛ²ÝӰԺ’s rich history and its evolving mission to educate, improve and influence for better healthcare. ‘It’s important to respect our history,’ she explained, ‘while modernising how we work.’ Member engagement is central to the future of the ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº. Through surveys, focus groups and listening exercises, the ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº is gathering insights to inform a new organisation-wide strategy.
She highlighted recent milestones, including the launch of the ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº next generation campaign, the success of the and progress on influencing government policy through initiatives such as the Green physician toolkit and our latest report on the health challenges of modern air pollution, A breath of fresh air.
- Strategic priorities: modernising the ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº, listening to members, supporting physicians throughout their careers, tackling health inequalities and strengthening our voice.
- Education and training: expansion of flagship leadership programmes including the chief registrar programme, the medical training initiative (MTI), the new global health diploma and increased online learning.
- Global engagement: stronger networks through associate global directors, international advisors and partnerships eg ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº Iraq network, the and the .
- Women in leadership: continued international delivery of the Global Women Leaders Programme and supporting gender equity in medical leadership.
During the session, we heard directly from fellows and members, with contributions from Kuwait, Iraq, The Gambia, Australia and West Africa. Attendees called for:
- early engagement with resident doctors and medical students to ensure long-term involvement with the ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº
- the expansion of international exchange opportunities, including short-term clinical visits
- improved communication of membership benefits, especially for global members
- more sub-specialty-focused CPD, especially in areas with limited local provision
- online leadership training
- better advance notice of conferences and events to support those living in countries with visa requirements
- greater international representation of global experts in ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº events and webinars
- clearer support for low-resource training environments.Ìý
One member explained the importance of targeted webinar content, while another stressed the value of global collaboration and shared learning experiences. The importance of high quality medical training was a major theme, with members from Iraq and The Gambia asking questions about exchange programmes and capacity-building in low-resource settings. From West Africa, members highlighted the fragility of new internal medicine training programmes and the need for remote teaching, mentoring and curriculum support.
‘We can explore collaborative models, including exchange fellowships and remote teaching, to build sustainable local capacity,’ said Professor Patel.Ìý
Closing the session, she explained:Ìý
‘We are here to support you. We want to build meaningful connections, amplify your voice and work together to modernise the ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº while respecting our heritage. As we develop our new strategy, our focus is clear: we will support physicians worldwide, champion excellence in healthcare and ensure that the ÄÛ²ÝÓ°Ôº reflects the diversity and passion of our global membership.’Ìý