On the weekend of 4-6 October 2024, our association’s retreat was held in Lausanne. Below are the words of the newly elected president for 2024-26, Dr Violette Corre.
The SVPA-ASMAP-ASAP Board members got together this week-end in Lausanne for the annual retreat and General Assembly. This week-end is always a particular moment for the board, giving us the opportunity to review the achievements of the year, align our vision for the coming term and learn together.
The past year was particularly fruitful. The board improved its internal communication and collaboration with various partners: our local organizations ALPPF and VAPZ, the SGPP/SSPP and the EFPT, with which we continue to share and develop our passion for psychiatry for the benefit of our patients. The year ended on a high note in September with the Pre-congress in Bern and publication of our new website. Many thanks to our amazing Vice-President and IT Manager Davide Zani for his work on both those projects !
These intense 2,5 days in Lausanne gave rise to engaged and rich conversations about the role and goals of our associations. The Switzerland psychiatric landscape is very varied, making our goal of harmonizing the training conditions quite the challenge. But the regional differences in clinical practice and organizations of psychiatric care can also be a source of inspiration.
This week-end in Lausanne was the opportunity to bring Eastern and Western Switzerland closer together and indeed, the Romandie is well represented in the new board !
In the coming term, the SVPA-ASMAP-ASAP Board will continue its efforts to shape the future of psychiatric care in Switzerland. We believe that by supporting psychiatric residents in their training and career development, Switzerland and people in need of psychiatric care will be provided with well-rounded, well-trained and supportive psychiatrists for many years !
In order to do this, we aim to increase the number of our presentations in clinics and at the regional training centers, offering support, information and a network of peers directly to the trainees. We will also develop an Early Career Psychiatrists program to support young psychiatrists in the challenging first years after getting the FMH title. Finally, we also aim to continue supporting our colleagues from Ticino to improve their training conditions.
As newly appointed president of the SVPA-ASMAP-ASAP, I want to thank the board members for their engagement and enthusiasm in bringing this vision to reality !
I particularly extend my thanks to our past president Filippo Toni, whose talent for seeing the potential in people and helping them bring it out was decisive in growing the association and cementing the board.
Our visit at the Musée de l’Art Brut in Lausanne during the retreat will stay with me for many years. It is both a humbling and inspiring place, the art among the black walls helping us rethink our view of mental disorders and the role creativity can take as a survival mechanism and a healing practice.
Although most of its art stems from isolation, it is a branch extended to us, through the years, through the walls of institutions, to show us the depth that any person can have. It is this belief that motivates us to practice psychiatry and strive for excellent psychiatric care in this country. I hope we can take inspiration from this creativity to navigate the complex swiss system and build a high quality but flexible training program for all.
Violette Corre
SVPA-ASMAP-ASAP President
