In the fifties various Student International Clinical Conferences (SICC) were organized by IFMSA in different countries. In 1963, the first IFMSA summer schools were organized in Scandinavia, United Kingdom (in tropical medicine) and Denmark (preclinical students). In the same year IFMSA promoted a Blood Donation Week and a Book Appeal for students from developing countries (organized by FRG). later on many summer schools were organized, the most inportant of which were the series of international summer schools on stop AIDS which started in 1995. The seventies witnessed the worldwide broadening of IFMSA, the promotion of many conferences on all aspects of regional and international items, but also the raising of a number of organizational problems like communication, financial constraints, and politicization of IFMSA policies. Conferences on items such as selection methods for admission to medical schools, practical clinical training in medical education and the problem of drugs (experimentation, production and use) took place.

In 1970, the Drug Appeal becomes an official IFMSA project. Along with this runs the Equipment Appeal that started 1967. Leftovers from the industrial countries are sent to developing countries that lack these products. In 1972, Medical Student's Exchange in Developing Countries (MESTUDEC) becomes a primary health project, and is recognised in Ghanzi, Botswana. Also health Education was promoted in Nabobi, Ghana. In 1973, the GA in Singapore marked the start of the upsurge of interest by IFMSA in third world problems and the Primary Health Care (PHC) orientation of medical studies. In1975, the GA in Philadelphia (USA) was another important step (with the impressive International Educational Symposium on Physician Migration), as well as the 1976 GA in Hong Kong with its satellite seminar on Environment and Population in Japan. In 1978, a new category of members is accepted so called Corresponding Members. These are later to be called Associate Members and are part of a prepatory phase before full membership is achieved.

From 1979 to 1985, IFMSA gave special emphasis to Declarations and Resolutions that could apply to medical students internationally. Thus declarations were adopted in Kiljava (Finland) and Cairo (Egypt) on PHC and ME, in Wartensee and L'Aquila on Prevention of Nuclear War, and in L'Aquila (Italy) and Solbacka (Sweden) on ME and many other more. In 1986, an international seminar on "Health Needs and Students' Action in Developing Countries" was held. A new system of primary health care projects was set up - Village Concept Projects. In 1988, the first Village Concept Project was set up in Ghana. The GA in Lagos, Nigeria was chaotic. No new board was elected; instead concentration was put on the building of a new structure and better laws of the constitution. Many people doubted the sustainability of IFMSA at that time.