Turkish Medical Students’ Association (TurkMSIC) 1 EuRegMe 2017 Invitation Package Discover the colors of Turkey! Turkish Medical Students’ Association (TurkMSIC) 2 Table of Contents Message from Euroteam Message from the OC Meet the OC Meet TurkMSIC About Turkey About Antalya Practical Informations Registration Process Transportations Do you need visa? Venue - Accomodation Social Program Pre-EuRegMe How to speak Turkish Turkish Medical Students’ Association (TurkMSIC) 3 Dear friends, It is both my pleasure and my privilege to invite you to the 14th European Regional Meeting of the International Federation of Medical Students. As you read these lines, our colleagues in Turkey are working ceaselessly to provide us all with an unforgettable experience in April. As Regional Director I express my gratitude to them and wish them all manner of success in their preparations. The Regional Meeting has a special place in IFMSA. Indeed, as an organization dedicated to positive impact on a community level, we would be lost without it. As the halfway point between the national and the international, our Regional Meeting serves as the perfect bridge between global thinking and local action. Whereas the General Assembly – the head of our federation – sets our direction, it is at the regional level that our ship sails toward a healthier and more sustainable future. In a mere 4 months, medical students from 47 member organizations will gather in Antalya to learn, share experiences and engage in passionate debate. Together we shall explore the vital issues of Europe and better define our role as change agents within it. We will look outward to the world at large, and return home with new perspectives and ideas for implementation. We will honour the students among us who have truly excelled, and learn from the wisdom of others who work daily to make the world around us just a little bit better. I’m happy to say that this regional meeting is taking place in Turkey. As one of the first members of the Council of Europe, Turkey serves as a fine reminder that one can be European whilst still retaining a strong individual identity. I argue that the same is true of every European state: despite the imaginary lines that get drawn and redrawn between us with every turning of the political cycle, the fact is that none of us are the same. We all come from wildly different backgrounds and respect different traditions – arguably the cornerstone of any good National Food and Drinks Party – yet at the same time we are alike. What unites us here in Europe also ties us together as future doctors anywhere in the world: the service of humanity. This service hinges on the understanding that we are all humans first before we become holders of passports and political convictions. I invite you all to explore this understanding within you, and I see no better way of doing that than by joining us in Antalya, Turkey on the 18th of April. With warm regards on behalf of the Euroteam Priit Tohver Regional Director for Europe Turkish Medical Students’ Association (TurkMSIC) 4 Dear IFMSA family, Merhaba, As TurkMSIC, we are content to be elected as the host of the 14th European Regional Meeting. While our organizing committee are continuing to work vigorously to host the future healthcare leaders in our country, I feel very excited to be writing these lines. The 14th EuRegMe is going to take place between 21-24 April 2017 in the city of Antalya and all IFMSA volunteers are welcome to attend this lovely event. We are confident that EuRegMe will be an unforgettable experience combined with Turkish culture and hospitality. At this point, I would like to thank Priit, Regional Coordinator of Europe, for his fast and effective communication. I would also like to thank our NMO, all members of the TurkMSIC and every member of our executive board for their encouragement and full support. Last but not least, I wish to thank each and every member of the organizing committee for their team spirit, commitment and particularly for their friendship. We are looking forward to have you as our guest. We welcome you to Turkey, where nature and history meet. On behalf of the organizing committee, Edanur Köse Chairperson - The Organizing Committee Turkish Medical Students’ Association (TurkMSIC) 5 Bahadır MEET THE OC Azizagaoglu Accomodation Coordinator Edanur Köse President Izel Ayartepe EuroTeam Contact Person Ipek Ege Gürel Registration Coordinator Batuhan Kisi Treasurer Samet Ercan Transportation Coordinator Emre Yanar Fundraising Coordinator Nejat Kaan Ögretir Social Program Coordinator Turkish Medical Students’ Association (TurkMSIC) 6 MEET TURKMSIC Turkish Medical Students Association (TurkMSIC) is an independent, non governmental, non profit organization founded and run by medical students in Turkey. Since its foundation in 1952, it has been a member of International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA). As of today, TurkMSIC has 76 local committees and over 30,000 members. Based on IFMSA’s structure, TurkMSIC has six standing committees: SCOME, SCORE, SCOPE, SCOPH, SCORP and SCORA. These committees organize activities and implement projects to realize a common goal:giving our members the opportunity to be more than a medical student who only attends classes and spend time in library/hospital. To do this,numerous activities and projects are carried out by local committees from all over the country every year. TurkMSIC has established partnerships with a range of institutions from the Turkish Ministry of Health, the Turkish Red Crescent, to Turkish Medical Association and a number of other governmental and non- governmental organizations.Through these partnerships, TurkMSIC enables medical students to better express their ideas. We, as TurkMSIC, are honored to have the privilege to serve our members and make their medical journey more engaging and meaningful with our activities organized throughout the year in collaboration with our partners. Turkish Medical Students’ Association (TurkMSIC) 7 ABOUT TURKEY Turkish Cuisine Turkish cuisine is generally heritage of Ottoman cuisine which can be described as a fusion of Central Asian, Caucasian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Balkan cuisines. It varies across the country. The cooking of Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir and rest of the Aegean region, where olives trees grow abundantly, and olive oil is the major type of oil used in cooking. The cuisines of Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions are rich in vegetables, herbs and fish. Black Sea Regions people uses extensively fish, especially anchovy. Southeast part; Urfa, Gaziantep and Adana is famous for its kebabs, mezes and dough-based desserts such as baklava, kadayıf and künefe. Central Anatolia has many specialties such as keşkek(kashkak), mantı, gözleme and su böreği. Yogurt is an important element in Turkish cuisine; it can accompany almost all meat dishes, mezes and mantı. A turkish meal usually starts with a thin soup (çorba). Börek is the general name for salty pastries made with yufka(a thicker version of phyllo dough). Lahmacun is a thin flatbread covered with a layer of spiced minced meat, tomato, pepper, onion or garlic. Pide, is one of the most common traditional Stone-baked Turkish specialties. Lahmacun Meze is a selection of food served as appetizer. Dolma has a special place in Turkish cuisine. It can be eaten either as meze or main dish. İçli Köfte made up by meat surround with bulgur. Mantı is a specific food for Anatolia (Kayseri) and is meat covered by leaven. Turkish Kebabs are very delicious grilled meat and they have many different types in our country. Such as Adana Kebabs, Urfa Kebabs, Tokat Kebabs etc. Haricot Bean (Kuru Fasülye) is boiled bean and mixed by roasted meat. Mantı Turkish Medical Students’ Association (TurkMSIC) 8 Bagel (Simit) is special food for breakfast in Turkey. Açma is a soft bread found in most parts of Turkey. It is similar to simit in shape, is covered in a glaze, and is usually eaten as a part of breakfast or as a snack. Erişte homemade pasta is called erişte in Turkey. It can be combined with vegetables but it can also be used in soups and rice. Simit Keşkek is a meat and wheat (or barley) stew Kuskus is the Turkish version of couscous, which can be served with any meat dish or stew Pilav is plain rice pilaf is often the primary side dish to any meal. It is made by sauteing rice with butter until lightly toasted and simmering with water or stock. Pastırma is another famous beef delicacy. Both pastırma and sucuk can be put in kuru fasulye (dry beans) to enrich the aroma. Both can be served as a meze as well. Sucuk or pastırma with scrambled eggs, served in a small pan called sahan, is eaten at breakfast in Turkey. Sucuk is a form of raw sausage (made with beef meat and a range of spices, and garlic) commonly eaten with breakfast. Instead of classical sausages (sosis), sucuk is the most used ingredient for snacks and fast-food style toasts and sandwiches in Turkey. Pastırma Aşure can be described as a sweet soup containing boiled beans, wheat and dried fruits. Sometimes cinnamon and rose water is added when being served. According to legend, it was first cooked on Noah's Ark and contained seven different ingredients in one dish. All the Anatolian peoples have cooked and are still cooking aşure especially during the month of Muharrem Güllaç is a dessert typically served at Turşu Ramadan, which consists of very thin, large Turkish Medical Students’ Association (TurkMSIC) 9 dough layers put in milk and rose water, served with pomegranate seeds and walnuts. A story is told that in the kitchens of the Palace, those extra thin dough layers were prepared with "prayers", as it was believed that if one did not pray while opening phyllo dough, it would never be possible to obtain such thin layers Turşu is pickle made with brine, usually with the addition of garlic.