For some of us, student life is only about lectures, tutor groups and study books. However, students who look more closely will notice that you can gain a lot more from your study years than just a diploma! Panacea gives you the opportunity to relax and make social contacts. Next to that, our association allows you to develop your interests and to orient outside your own working area…
M.F.A. Panacea
The Medical Faculty Association Panacea was founded in 1987 and looks after the interests of the medical students in Groningen. Anyone who studies medicine in Groningen can become a member of the M.F.A. Panacea. The association, which is named after the Greek goddess of remedy, is currently seated in the basement of the faculty building.
Study association
As can be concluded from the paragraph above, Panacea is a faculty or study association. On one hand she looks after the students’ interests by, among other things, evaluating the curriculum and conversing with the faculty and the teachers, but on the other hand she tries to give a little extra by organising all different kinds of activities.
Hence, Panacea is definitely not a student association. This means that you can become a member of faculty association Panacea and a student association at the same time.
Activities
Panacea organises many different activities. The annual introduction for all first year students which is organised by the Panacea Introduction Committee (PanIC), many gatherings and parties (such as the October Revolution party), a prom and many other activities. These activities aren’t only in the field of sports and games, but also in the cultural field (such as a musical). If you like to travel, we provide a foreign trip or a ski trip and if you want to do good, we organise a charity event. Finally, Panacea has activities in the field of education which give the opportunity to get to know more about medicine. You can participate in an First Aid course, come to the Medical Career Day and learn more about a certain medical subject at the Symposium.
How do you become a member of Panacea?
When you start studying medicine in Groningen, you automatically get send information about M.F.A. Panacea in which is stated how you can become a member and which advantages are associated with a membership.
To become a member of Panacea, you have to pay a contribution of €75,- once. This membership accounts for all six study years, which essentially means you only pay €12,50 a year. Because a Panacea membership allows you to get a discount on your books, you will already save an amount of money in your first year which largely exceeds your contribution.
Association’s structure
Like every association, M.F.A. Panacea is led by a board. This board consists of seven different members with each a specific function: the President, the Secretary and the Treasurer, two Internal Commissioners (who are responsible for internal matters and coordination of the committees), the External Commissioner (who stays in touch with the external relations such as sponsors) and the Educational Commissioner looks after evaluation of and different developments in the curriculum.
The board coordinates and supervises the committees and year representations, but is in turn observed by the supervisory council and cash audit commission. In addition, the board has to be accountable to the General Assembly (GA). This GA takes place at least three times a year and is accessible for all members of M.F.A. Panacea. During the GA, the board members give a summary of their activities, the members are notified of the association’s developments and the members get the opportunity to give their opinion on these subjects.