The Annual International (bio)Medical Students Meeting, also known as AIMS Meeting, is an annually held student congress on biomedical sciences, considered to be the largest European biomedical conference organized entirely by medical students. It is essentially advocated by the Faculty of Medicine of the Lisbon Students’ Local Committee and highlights the importance of medical education for all students of health sciences through a diverse approach. In 2021, despite numerous travel restrictions across the world, more than 1300 participants from 19 countries were able to attend its Online Edition (and in-person workshops), proving to be one of the hallmarks of medical education for (bio)medical students across the globe, particularly in a year where the vast majority of students were forced to partake in exclusive online classes.
History
Founded in 2009, AIMS Meeting was first recognized by ENJOY Med and was attended essentially by medical students. By the 3rd edition, the congress expanded internationally and became directed to a broader public, now being meant for all students attending biomedical sciences courses. Since its conception, AIMS Meeting has steadily increased its visibility and dimension, being known for its exquisite quality of Lectures, frequently composed of Nobel Prize Winners in Chemistry, Peace or Physiology or Medicine.
9th Edition | March 16th - 18th 2018
3 Days
750 Participants
119 International Participants from 18 Countries and 4 continents
67 Workshops
10th Edition | March 14th - 17th 2019
4 Days
941 Participants
119 International Participants from 35 Countries and 4 continents
87 workshops
3 Nobel Prizes as Keynote Lectures - Harald Zur Hausen, Peter Agre and Aaron Ciechanover.
11th Edition | March 26th - 29th 2020 | Cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic
4 Days
1250 Participants
200 International Participants from 26 Countries and 4 Continents
100 Workshops
AIMS Meeting 2021 | March 18th - 21st 2021
General Coordination by Guilherme Vilhais and Inês Mendo
4 Days, with three thematic modules: Global Health Threats: A Ticking Clock; Life's Commander: Understanding the Brain; and Ongoing Evolution: Enhance and Restore.
1346 Virtual Participants
54 International Participants from 19 Countries and 4 Continents
84 Workshops with over 2000 available vacancies
Renowned Lecturers included Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jonathan Patz, Nobel in Physiology or Medicine Prize Laureate Jules Hoffmann and Rosalind Picard.
AIMS Meeting 2022 | March 10th - 13th 2022
General Coordination by Joana de Pona Ferreira
4 Days, with three thematic modules: Reaching Balance: Nature vs Nurture; Custom-Made: Tailored Healthcare; and The Day After: A New Beginning.
1100 Participants, both on-site and virtual
54 International Participants from 19 Countries and 4 Continents
127 Workshops with over 2000 available vacancies
Renowned panellists included Keynote Lecturers Henry Marsh, and Nobel in Physiology or Medicine Prize Laureates John O'Keefe and Brian Kobilka.
AIMS Meeting 2023 | 13th - 16th of April 2023
General Coordination by Beatriz Figueiredo and Diogo Vianez Oliveira
4 Days, with three thematic modules: World Within Us: Shaped by Environment; Beating All Odds: Impossible Diseases; and Without Borders: Outside The Box.
Location
AIMS Meeting takes place at the Aula Magna of the University of Lisbon (UL), in Portugal. The congress' workshops are also held on other places, such at the Hospital de Santa Maria, one of Portugal's biggest academic hospitals, or at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, an associated research centre internationally recognised for its focus on topics like human genome and immunotherapy.
Congress structure
The congress is usually concerned with conceptual and thematic innovation. Each of its 4 days of lectures is usually dedicated to a module, so that every lecture is dedicated to a specific concept and lecturers may have the opportunity to exchange their ideas between them and the audience during the roundtables. The congress is for (bio)medical students who are interested in research. Students may be either presenting or non-presenting participants. If a participant wants to present their research, they are required to submit their abstract beforehand. The congress also offers practical learning opportunities through its workshops and a social program, designed to get to know Lisbon.