Greetings from Prague, Czech Republic!

EJD Autumn Meeting 2024 – Prague Summary

The European Junior Doctors (EJD) Association Autumn Meeting on October 25-26th, in Prague, Czech Republic, brought together more than 70 representatives and guests from across Europe. This meeting emphasised new strategic initiatives, the financial sustainability of the organisation and future projects on evolving needs of the medical workforce.
 

Medical Workforce Committee Highlights

• Joint EMOs policy

  • The EJD participated in a workgroup with other European Medical Organizations (EMOs) to address the healthcare workforce crisis and created a unified EMOs policy that aims to tackle workforce shortages, improve working conditions, and ensure sustainability.

• Survey on Healthcare Workers' Mental Health and Wellbeing

  • The WHO Regional Office for Europe, funded by the European Commission, has launched Europe's largest survey to date on doctors' and nurses' mental health and wellbeing across 27 EU countries, Iceland, and Norway. Thanks to EJD's advocacy, junior doctors will have a dedicated analysis subgroup, bringing invaluable insights at both national and European levels. 

• Addressing Inequalities and Enhancing Diversity

  • The EJD is committed to tackling gender and diversity inequalities and addressing challenges related to cross-border mobility for doctors, as highlighted in the National Interim Report Survey. Discussions emphasised the need for inclusive policies, such as support for doctors with disabilities or chronic illnesses who may not follow traditional training paths. A new project and working group that will address these topics has been launched.

• BeWell partnership

  • Furthermore, a new partnership with the BeWell project was established to promote green and digital skills in healthcare. BeWell led an insightful workshop where junior doctors shared their views on skills gaps, training and other challenges regarding  digital transformation and environmental issues in healthcare. Key takeaways included the need for a practical approach to digital skills training, the involvement of doctors in IT planning, and the importance of interactive training. For green skills, participants highlighted the need for sustainability education in medical schools, providing green transport incentives, and promoting plant-based diets as sustainable choices. 

• Doctor 2.0

  • Plans for "Doctor 2.0," an initiative to reshape the role of doctors, were also outlined, drawing from studies on wellbeing, work-life balance, and task distribution. This comprehensive project, expected to yield practical solutions and policy recommendations, seeks to make the profession more attractive to the next generation.
     

EU/EEA Committee Highlights

At the European Union/ European Economic Area committee session, the final survey on Junior Doctors Working Hours was presented, which will be disseminated soon. All delegations were asked to provide important information to adapt the survey to their national context.
 

Postgraduate Training and Collaboration with UEMS

The EJD highlighted the ongoing collaboration with the UEMS. With six new representatives joining the UEMS sections, this partnership aims to strengthen PGT around Europe and support young doctors in their career progression.
 

Collaboration with other organisations and European Commission

The collaborations with EMOs, including AEMH, CPME, EMSA, CEOM, FEMS, UEMO, UEMS, WMA-JDN, reportedly focuses on healthcare workforce issues. Collaboration with WHO-Europe is growing stronger with becoming Non-State Actors, organising Academy, supporting WHO surveys, reports and being invited to voice opinions in their consultation events. Moreover, we have been accepted as members of the eHealth stakeholder group of the European Commission that will serve as an important platform to address issues regarding health data, cybersecurity. We also continue our relationships with other important stakeholders of the European healthcare ecosystem.

This successful gathering in Prague reflects the EJD's commitment to fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and forward-thinking medical community across Europe. We are beyond grateful to our friends in the Czech Medical Chamber, who allowed this incredible event to happen and took care of each and every participant. 

We encourage all delegates to stay engaged, share insights, and participate in ongoing initiatives as we shape a more sustainable, supportive, and innovative future for junior doctors.

It was amazing to see you all and we are looking forward to continuing our discussions in Lisbon, on May 30-31, 2025!