Institutional recognition as a key to success

As the national representative organization of all Medical Students' in the country, CEEM is recognized and acknowledged by all main stakeholders in health and education in Spain. This acceptance has the dual benefit of allowing Spanish Medical Students' voice to be heard and be translated into official policy-making and legislation and, on the other hand, being well- considered and always on the spotlight implies a permanent scrutiny of our activities and procedures that ensures a constant effort to research and implement new and better ways of guaranteeing transparency, public reporting and overall legitimacy.

For many years the Spanish Conference of Medical Deans (CNDFM), the Spanish Medical Association (OMC), the Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM), the Spanish Federation of Medical-Scientific Association (FACME) and the National Council of Specialty Colleges (CNECS) have legally recognized CEEM as the only official voice of Medical Students.

Together with these organizations, CEEM founded two years ago the Spanish Forum for the Medical Profession (FPME) an association legally constituted as an equal federation of its six member organizations whose main purpose is to provide a united speaker on behalf of the Medical Profession before the society and institutions. All six organizations retain their independence, but whereas a common issued is raised, action is taken as a unified medical block. The equal voting power that each institution holds at FPME means that the voice of Medical Students has the same weight as that of the Medical Association, the Deans or the Specialty Colleges.

In only two years, CEEM and the FPME have proved their ability to work on behalf of Medical Practitioners -both present and future- and for patients. In the last year and a half, two initiatives by FPME have achieved full implementation as Spanish legislation: the recognition of the Medical Degree as of Master's level and the reform of the specialization system. Both started as CEEM policy brought to FPME and the processes have been lead by Medical Students supported by the rest of the Profession.