Five Questions on the ASPIRE Global Leaders Program

1. What is the ASPIRE Global Leaders Program?
The ASPIRE Global Leader Program, an initiative led by the WONCA Young Doctors’ Movement (YDM), has been developed to augment the skills of medical students, residents, and junior GPs/FPs, and simultaneously increasing their involvement in their national and regional organisations, as well as WONCA World.

The name “ASPIRE” is a mnemonic with the letters representing its foundation : Academics, Students, Pre-conferences, International Collaboration, Research/Residents, Exchanges.

2. What is the aim?
This program aims to improve each participant’s individual capabilities and then have them use these newly forged skills to help others.
The goal is that each participant becomes personally involved in the program for the improvement of junior WONCA members and beyond.

3. Who is on board?
The team has been recently updated with a new chair, Candan Kendir (pictured), taking over from Kyle Hoedebecke. Some of the regional representatives have also fulfilled their terms and new regional leaders are appointed.

Currently, the ASPIRE team is composed of a world chair and also seven WONCA regional representatives as detailed below:
ASPIRE World Chair: Candan Kendir
ASPIRE Al-Razi (East Mediterranean )Liaison Person: Marwa Mohasseb
ASPIRE AfriWon (Africa) Liaison Person: Joy Mugambi
ASPIRE Polaris (North America) Liaison Person: Maria Colon (until a new representative can be found)
ASPIRE Rajakumar (Asia Pacific) Liaison Person: Maha Obedoza
ASPIRE Spice Route (South Asia) Liaison Person: Sanam Shah (until a new representative can be found)

ASPIRE Vasco da Gama Movement (Europe) Liaison Person: Maria Joao Nobre
ASPIRE Waynakay (South America) Liaison Person: Mario Alejandro Saldaña Salazar

4. What’s next?
With a new ASPIRE leadership team, new objectives have been defined for the coming years by our team.

The biggest project will be on development of a Global Leadership Course applied at regional level with the support of the WONCA YDMs and senior members. ASPIRE Leadership workshops will be organised in each region as YDM activities and these will be followed by a global workshop at the next WONCA World Conference in Abu-Dhabi.

5. How can I stay in touch with ASPIRE?
Facebook group: Aspire Global Leaders
Twitter hashtag: #aspire2lead
Email: [email protected]