Family medicine into the future: blending health and cultures

WONCA EUROPE 2010 CONFERENCE REPORT

The 16th WONCA Europe conference began with excitement, and it certainly did not disappoint. As 2800 GPs gathered in a packed auditorium on the outskirts of Malaga, what better way to start than with a fiery flamenco performance? The anticipation was palpable, as we were treated to a passionate performance of guitarra, cante y baile (flamenco guitar, singing and dance). After this dizzying start, the next major challenge was deciding which of the 306 oral presentations and 57 workshops to attend, not to mention six keynote lectures and 740 posters from Belgian to Brazilian authors.

As young GPs we were privileged to be welcomed into the Vasco da Gama Movement (VdGM) community, WONCA Europe's network for trainees and newly qualified GPs. This opened up opportunities to share ideas, collaborate on international projects, renew our passion for family medicine and above all, make friends and have fun!

One example of the cross-national collaboration that the VdGM has enabled is the successful implementation of a pan-European questionnaire. …