Friends4Fiji Incorporated

Friends4Fiji Incorporated is a collaborative initiative founded in 2009 that brings together medical students from Australia and Fiji to improve medical education and healthcare outcomes in both countries. It operates as a partnership primarily between Monash University in Melbourne and the Umanand Prasad School of Medicine in Fiji, with an extended partnership including the Fiji School of Medicine and the University of Newcastle. The organisation focuses on fostering mutual learning, resource sharing, and raising awareness about global health challenges, particularly those affecting the Pacific region.

Mission and Vision

The mission of Friends4Fiji is to elevate medical education and healthcare outcomes by facilitating the exchange of learning resources, donating medical equipment, and promoting awareness of global health issues. The organisation envisions a healthier and more equitable world through international collaboration and shared educational experiences.

Main Objectives

• Enhance medical education by networking medical students and encouraging shared learning opportunities.
• Support clinical practice through donations of textbooks, medical equipment, and anatomical models.
• Promote global health awareness by engaging students in research and clinical experiences abroad.
• Empower students to pursue compassionate and confident careers in medicine.
• Facilitate research projects that improve clinical practice, especially in Fiji.

Benefiting Groups

• Medical students at the Umanand Prasad School of Medicine and the Fiji School of Medicine.
• Medical students at Monash University and the University of Newcastle involved in the partnership.
• Communities in Fiji, particularly those in remote and underserved areas who benefit from medical camps and improved healthcare services.

Services and Activities

• Material aid donations: Supplying medical textbooks, equipment, and learning resources to Fijian medical students.
• Study tours: Sponsoring Fijian medical students to study and gain clinical experience in Melbourne, including hospital placements and global health conferences.
• Volunteer medical camps: Participating in outreach clinics in remote Fijian villages alongside local and overseas medical volunteers.
• Shared learning programs: The LEARN initiative pairs students from Monash and Fiji to study evidence-based medicine and conduct collaborative research projects.
• Fundraising and awareness events: Organising functions to raise funds and educate about health issues in the Pacific region.