The European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM) was founded in 1996 from the Association Européenne de Médicine Interne (AEMI)*. AEMI itself had been founded in 1969 by members of the UEMS monospecialty section on internal medicine to provide a scientific organisation for European internal medicine. EFIM was formed by bringing together the national societies of internal medicine from each of the European countries, both inside and outside the European Union. EFIM currently comprises 35 member Societies representing over 40,000 internists. *History of (Young) AEMI(E) and the EFIM. UEF Carcassi, JWF Elte, C Davidson Eur J Int Med 2007; 18: 26-30. (PDF) The purpose of EFIM is to re-emphasise the importance of Internal Medicine in a world of increasing specialisation. There are close links with the European Union through the Monospecialty Committee of UEMS (Union of European Medical Specialists) and with ISIM (International Society of Internal Medicine).