In May 2025, the WPA participated in the WFME World Conference 2025, held in Bangkok, Thailand from 25–28 May 2025. The conference was organised by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) in collaboration with the Institute for Medical Education Accreditation (IMEAc) under the theme “Health for All – Through Quality Medical Education.” It served as a platform for international stakeholders to exchange knowledge, explore innovations in medical training, and strengthen collaboration to improve healthcare education globally.
Jolanta Bilińska, WPA Founding Director participated in the conference and delivered a speech at the Opening Ceremony, highlighting the importance of patient engagement in shaping the future of healthcare education. Jolanta emphasised that patients must be recognised not only as recipients of healthcare but also as partners in medical education. She highlighted that healthcare education and training often focus heavily on diseases rather than the people who live with them. By involving patients in the education of future healthcare professionals, it helps bridge the gap between clinical knowledge and lived experience.
She noted that when medical students hear directly from patients, they gain a deeper understanding of what compassionate and dignified care truly means. Patient stories, she said, offer lessons that no textbook can fully convey. Jolanta stressed that engaging patients in medical education is essential for building healthcare systems that truly listen, understand, and heal. Integrating patient perspectives into training helps cultivate empathy, strengthens communication between healthcare professionals and patients, and ultimately contributes to better health outcomes.
WPA welcomed the opportunity to bring the patient voice into global discussions on medical education and expressed appreciation to the conference organisers for recognising the value of patient engagement.
The conference organisers expressed appreciation for Jolanta’s contribution and the valuable perspective she brought to the discussions. She had also contributed to the conference as a member of the Scientific Committee for two years prior to the event, supporting the development of the programme and ensuring the inclusion of patient perspectives within the conference agenda.
Through its participation in the WFME World Conference 2025, WPA reaffirmed its commitment to promoting meaningful patient involvement in healthcare education and decision-making, contributing to a more inclusive, compassionate, and patient-centred healthcare system worldwide.
