IAMSE Communities of Growth are ongoing groups of like-minded individuals who want to informally get together to connect over an area or topic of their interest. A Community of Growth is not directly connected to any Committee and is self-organized. The currently active CoGs are listed below. If you would like more information, please contact support@iamse.org
Currently Active CoGs
Black Medical Educators
The Black Medical Educators (BME) Community of Growth (CoG) offers Black medical professionals an inclusive, supportive, and empowering space to engage in fellowship, networking, mentorship, and collaborative opportunities. This CoG provides valuable resources to enrich professional development, educational research and scholarship, and camaraderie among Black medical professors. Monthly meetings involve meaningful and robust discussions as members with diverse perspectives either broach current events involving diversity, equity, and inclusion in medical education or present their ongoing research projects. Past topics have included instructional design, racial health disparities, and the implementation of inclusive and equitable standards in medical curricula, which have also been presented to the IAMSE membership via focus sessions, workshops, #IAMSEcafés, and publications. Through these exchanges, community members can share best practices and create new knowledge to advance medical education. Ultimately, the BME CoG focuses on fostering diversity and representation in academic medicine, facilitating individual and collaborative pursuit of academic excellence, and inspiring, celebrating, and promoting the achievements and contributions of Black educators in medical education.
Meeting time:
The Black Medical Educators (BME) CoG meets quarterly in May, August, November, and February at 12:30 PM ET on the first Friday of the month. To join the listserv please click here
If you are a Black medical educator who is interested in learning more about this COG and/or how to become a member, please contact Jacqueline Powell
Community of Growth on Artificial Intelligence in Education
This AI Community of Growth is open to advancing our discussions about AI in Health Professions Education. Topics such as:
- Steve Garwood and colleagues at Rowan-Virtua SOM are using GAI to help improve entering medical students’ ability to research information and begin to develop metacognition in their curriculum.
- Diego Nino and colleagues at the University of Texas-Tyler SOM and Florida International University are using AI to improve Progressive Disclosure Case discussions and assess student performance.
- Lise McCoy and colleagues at NYITCOM are working on an initiative to involve the entire medical school in developing an AI Integration plan, beginning with the development of an AI Task Force, an AI Resource Center, a faculty and medical student assessment of AI Training Needs, and creating an integrated AI curriculum.
In future Zoom meetings and through our listserv, we will highlight other AI projects to enrich our discussion and collaboration. Members will have several opportunities to share their AI projects, interests, and ideas as the AI COG develops.
Meeting time:
The AI Community of Growth meets on the First Wednesday of every month at noon ET. To join the listserv please click here.
For questions regarding the AI Community of Growth, please contact Douglas McKell
Community of Growth on Community Outreach, Research, and Engagement (CORE)
CORE is meant to serve as a community of growth for individuals involved in service-learning and outreach programs. Members of CORE will benefit from learning about the efforts of others involved in similar work while serving as a source of best practices within the field of service-learning and outreach.
Specifically, CORE will promote a rigorous scholarly approach to service-learning and community outreach and engagement. Additional goals of this COG are to develop and share best practices in service-learning and outreach and provide support for individuals looking to create or improve their own outreach or service-learning program.
The hope is that CORE will serve as a starting point for those looking to get more involved in service- learning, and outreach, or for those looking to make the switch to a more rigorous scholarly approach. As such, CORE will work towards developing workshops and presentations (such as those at IAMSE 2022 and ASPBP 2023) as well as best practices documents.
Through this work, we hope to develop a reputation as a welcoming and beneficial group for both novices and veterans within the field of service learning and outreach. CORE will help to lead the way in the field of service-learning and outreach, particularly among medical school professionals. By improving the rigor of the field there is a hope that service-learning and outreach will be recognized as a valuable form of scholarly work. This will be achieved both through the creation of a community of growth and by encouraging scholarly presentations examining service-learning and outreach in the form of articles, posters, presentations, and workshops.
Meeting time:
The meeting times alternative each month – One session is the second Monday of the month at 3 pm ET and then the next session is on the second Thursday of the month at 10 am ET, every other month
To join the listserv please click here.
For questions regarding CORE please contact Peter J. Vollbrecht and Natascha Heise.
LGBTQ+ Community in Health Professions Education Community of Growth
The IAMSE LGBTQ+ Community in Health Professions Education CoG is for IAMSE members interested in celebrating and learning about the LGBTIQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer+) community in health professions education. This CoG aims to create and foster a community for health professions educators interested in LGBTQIA+ topics as well as promote education on and advocate for inclusive standards in medical curricula. This CoG is designed to be an open, innovative gathering place for diverse ideas and viewpoints to strive for academic excellence. It will be primarily focused on engagement and education for allied faculty, staff and students with the hopes and joy of honoring intersectionality. As health professions educators, we strive for best practices that address the adjusting needs of our current and future students, which requires active pursuit for changing cultures. Shared knowledge provides an opportunity for students who have historically been underrepresented in the health professions curriculum to feel welcome and acknowledged.
Meeting time:
- October 31, 2024 – 12:00 PM ET
- January 9, 2025 – 12:00 PM ET
- April 10, 2025 – 12:00 PM ET
- July 10, 2025 – 12:00 PM ET
To join the listserv, please click here.
For questions regarding the LGBTQ+ Medical Educators COG, please contact Cory Gerwe.
Nutrition and Health Promotion Community of Growth
The Community of Growth on Nutrition and Health Promotion aims to advance nutrition and lifestyle medicine within health professions education. This CoG aims to foster a collaborative environment where members can share knowledge, develop curricular resources, and engage in professional development. Topics will include focus on nutrition and explore the importance of health behaviors, which are foundational to improving health outcomes. The CoG welcomes members with a diverse range of expertise and interests, spanning topics from basic sciences (e.g., biochemistry), clinical sciences and skills (e.g., motivational interviewing), to interprofessional education (e.g., dietetics, pharmacy). Additionally, the CoG will emphasize mitigating weight stigma to improve the health and wellbeing of students, faculty, and patients. Community members can share best practices, engage in interdisciplinary educational research, and create new knowledge to advance medical education. The coG will also provide opportunities for students and trainees to connect with mentors and develop skills in nutrition education and practice.
Meeting time:
The Nutrition and Health Promotion CoG meets quarterly. This will be updated when exact dates are known.
For questions regarding the Nutrition and Health Promotion CoG, please contact Jana Simmons and Kearney Gunsalus.