Time is running out if you’d like to register for the IAMSE 2025 Conference, June 14-17, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. On Tuesday, May 20th at 11:59 PM EDT online registration for the event will be CLOSED. If you have not yet registered but are planning to attend in person, please be sure to register before the deadline. Registration may be found at www.iamseconference.org.
If you miss this deadline, we will be offering registration on-site in Calgary. Looking forward to seeing you there!
As a final reminder, in 2024, IAMSE refreshed its introductory course in educational principles, previously known as Essential Skills in Medical Education (ESME) to Foundations of Health Professions Education (to be known as the Foundations course). The deadline to register for this year’s IAMSE Foundations Course is May 15, 2025!
With the increasing professionalization of medical education, the need for faculty in the healthcare professions to have training in educational principles is widely recognized. While many institutions worldwide offer certificate or Master’s degree courses in medical education, there is a lack of accredited basic level courses. The new Foundations course has been designed to meet the need for an entry level survey of principles in health professions education. Foundations will be of particular interest to faculty who are involved with health professions education for the first time, or who have been given some new responsibilities or assignment relating to teaching. Others will find this course useful as a refresher course or update.
The course is led by two seasoned educators and long-time IAMSE members:
Aviad Haramati, PhD, is a Professor of Physiology and Medicine, and Director of the Center for Innovation and Leadership in Education (CENTILE), at Georgetown University Medical Center. He served as IAMSE’s first president and received the Distinguished Scholar Award, as well as the Edward P. Finnerty Lifetime Achievement Award from IAMSE.
Amber J. Heck, PhD, is Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. she served as Program Chair for the 2023 IAMSE Conference and received the 2020 IAMSE Early Career Award of Excellence in Teaching and Innovation.
| IAMSE is pleased to offer the course, which will start a day before the Annual Conference, and it is designed to be specifically relevant to medical science educators. Successful completion of the Foundations course is a pre-requisite for the IAMSE Fellowship Program. |
| Additional Foundations Course details and registration information can be found by clicking here. The deadline to enroll in the Foundations Course is May 15, 2025! Don’t forget to register before the Early Bird deadline on Friday, April 1 to receive a discount on registration costs! |
This month, the IAMSE Publications Committee review is taken from the article titled The Predictive Power of short Answer Questions in Undergraduate Medical Education Progress Difficulty, published in Medical Science Educator (December 4, 2024). The study was conducted by Kenya Bracken and colleagues.
This research investigated whether formative short answer questions (SAQs), used as Concept Application Exercises (CAEs) at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, could serve as both effective learning tools and early indicators of academic risk. SAQs are intended to promote critical thinking and the application of knowledge in response to clinical scenarios. Although these assessments are not utilized for grading or making formal progress decisions, they were analyzed for their capacity to predict which learners may encounter challenges later in the curriculum.
The study analyzed data from over 10,000 CAEs across four student cohorts. The authors found that lower average scores on CAEs were significantly associated with future academic difficulties. Specifically, each one-point drop in average CAE score increased the odds of referral to the school’s Student Progress Committee by 37%. Interestingly, a single low-scoring CAE also flagged increased risk, further supporting the utility of SAQs as early warning signals.
The authors used logistic regression modeling and triangulated their findings by also examining performance on internal progress tests (PPI) and national licensing exams (MCCQE), both of which showed consistent patterns.
The study advances the conversation around how programmatic assessment can be leveraged not only to evaluate knowledge, but also to intervene early – especially in seeking to implement proactive, data-formed support systems for struggling students in medical curricula. SAQs, often viewed as lower-stakes formative tools, may offer valuable insights into students’ learning trajectories.
It is essential to read the full article for medical educators interested in enhancing early identification and intervention strategies. Future research could explore how these insights might shape timely academic support and improve long-term learner outcomes.
Komal Marwaha, M.D., PhD
Assistant Professor of Physiology
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
| The 29th Annual IAMSE Conference will feature a host of new sessions throughout the entire conference. One of our first-time focus sessions is Across the Academy: Building Co-Curricular Professional Development with Student Input to Strengthen Programs. This session will be given Monday, June 16, 2025 from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM MDT and will be led by Amanda Gray and Heather Rissler. |
| Across the Academy: Building Co-Curricular Professional Development with Student Input to Strengthen Programs Presenters: Amanda Gray – University of Kansas – School of Medicine Heather Rissler – University of Kansas – School of Medicine Date and Time: Monday, June 16, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM MDT The dominant story circulating in higher education is partnerships are too difficult to forge, or if they exist, they must take just one form: faculty and staff leading students. However, when students are brought into the fold of curriculum creation, they become empowered to share their ideas and suggestions and are excited to be a part of the process. In turn, faculty and staff are re-energized by the thoughtfulness and innovation of students. With this spirit, the University of Kansas School of Medicine devised a plan recruiting a group of students, faculty, and staff across our multi-campus institution to come together to create a strengths-based professional development curriculum and coaching program. |
| For more information and to register for the 29th Annual IAMSE Conference, please visit www.IAMSEconference.org. |
Two IAMSE Communities of Growth (CoG) will be meeting in May! The AI CoG and the CORE CoG will both meet on Zoom. Below are the details for each meeting.
The AI CoG meeting on Zoom will take place at Noon (12 PM) EDT on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. IAMSE AI CoG meetings take place regularly at 12 PM ET on the first Wednesday of each month. For information on how to join the AI CoG meeting, email Doug McKell at douglas.mckell@gmail.com.
To join the May AI CoG Zoom meeting, click here.
Meeting ID: 897 1837 0101
Passcode: 511007
The Community Outreach, Research, and Engagement (CORE) CoG meeting will take place at 11:00 AM EDT on Monday, May 12, 2025. CORE CoG meetings then take place regularly on the second Thursday of the month at 3:00 PM ET, and the second Monday of the month at 11:00 AM ET every other month. The CORE CoG is led by Peter Vollbrecht and Natascha Heise.
To join the May CORE CoG meeting, click here.
Meeting ID: 878 6039 0726
Passcode: 159759
For more information on these CoGs and the other active IAMSE CoGs, click here.
Our Association is a robust and diverse set of educators, students, researchers, medical professionals, volunteers and academics that come from all walks of life and from around the globe. Each month we choose a member to highlight their academic and professional career and see how they are making the best of their membership in IAMSE. This month’s Featured Member is Uzoma “Samuel” Ikonne.
Uzoma “Samuel” Ikonne
Associate Professor
Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University
How long have you been a member of IAMSE?
6 years.
Looking at your time with the Association, what have you most enjoyed doing? What are you looking forward to?
I’ve truly enjoyed connecting and collaborating with faculty from institutions around the world. One of the organization’s greatest strengths is the opportunity it provides to learn from individuals at various institutions and at different stages in their careers.
What interesting things are you working on outside of the Association right now?
I am currently working to advance my research in student use of third-party resources, while also collaborating with students on projects focused on pharmacology education and medical student involvement in research.
As the Chair of this year’s IAMSE Program Committee, what do you most enjoy about being in this role? What can people expect at this year’s conference?
What I enjoyed most about serving as Program Committee Chair was seeing how faculty from diverse institutions came together as a team, united in their commitment to creating a meaningful and engaging conference experience. It has truly been a privilege to be part of that process and to serve in this role. Attendees can look forward to an excellent lineup of focus sessions, plenary talks, and research presentations – each offering valuable insights and takeaways they can bring back to their institutions.
Anything else that you would like to add?
I am looking forward to the conference in Calgary and how IAMSE will continue to grow as an organization.
The 29th Annual IAMSE Conference will feature a host of new sessions throughout the entire conference. One of our first-time focus sessions is Heights are Defined by Roots: Emphasizing the Imperative for Strengthening Bioethical Foundations in the Growing Era of Health Professions Education. This session will be given Sunday, June 15, 2025 from 9:45 AM – 11:45 AM MDT and will be led by Mary Mathew and Krishna Mohan Surapaneni.
Heights are Defined by Roots: Emphasizing the Imperative for Strengthening Bioethical Foundations in the Growing Era of Health Professions Education
Presenters:
Mary Mathew – Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
Krishna Mohan Surapaneni – Panimalar Medical College Hospital & Research Institute
Date and Time: Sunday, June 15, 2025, 9:45 AM – 11:45 AM MDT
In the rapidly evolving field of health professions education, maintaining a strong foundation in bioethics is more important than ever. This session, titled “Heights are Defined by Roots: Emphasizing the Imperative for Strengthening Bioethical Foundations in the Growing Era of Health Professions Education,” is designed to address this need. We will explore the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics’ 3T Program—Train, Teach, and Transfer—which has been successfully implemented to integrate bioethics into health professions education around the world.
For more information and to register for the 29th Annual IAMSE Conference, please visit www.IAMSEconference.org.
The 29th Annual IAMSE Conference will feature a host of new sessions throughout the entire conference. One of our first-time focus sessions is Microdosing the Humanities: Integrating the Humanities in the Preclinical Curriculum. This session will be given Monday, June 16, 2025 from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM MDT and will be led by Alice Akunyili, Marin Gillis, and Judy Hanrahan.
Microdosing the Humanities: Integrating the Humanities in the Preclinical Curriculum
Presenters:
Alice Akunyili – Roseman University of Health Sciences
Marin Gillis – Roseman University College of Medicine
Judy Hanrahan – Roseman University College of Medicine
Date and Time: Monday, June 16, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM MDT
A ubiquitous problem in adding the humanities into medical school curriculum is the lack of a systemic approach to integration which makes it difficult to judge the success of the intervention. “Humanities” here is construed broadly to include humanism, ethics, and arts and humanities disciplines. Humanities content can be assessed only with clear overall learning objectives, a coherent articulation of the objective knowledge and skills learners are expected to demonstrate, and a collaborative multidisciplinary approach to developing curricular units. With limited hours and an already bloated curriculum, small, focused, and impactful inclusion of humanities topics is key.
For more information and to register for the 29th Annual IAMSE Conference, please visit www.IAMSEconference.org.
Our Association is a robust and diverse set of educators, students, researchers, medical professionals, volunteers and academics that come from all walks of life and from around the globe. Each month we choose a member to highlight their academic and professional career and see how they are making the best of their membership in IAMSE. This month’s Featured Member is Sateesh Arja.
Sateesh Arja, M.B.B.S., PhD, MHPE, MSPH, PFHEA, FAMEE, FIAMSE, FAcadMEd
Professor of Clinical Skills and Medical Education
Dean of the School of Medicine
Avalon University School of Medicine
Curacao
How long have you been a member of IAMSE?
I have been a member of IAMSE since 2018. Over the years, I have actively participated in IAMSE events, contributing to medical education through research, collaboration, and professional development.
Looking at your time with the Association, what have you most enjoyed doing? What are you looking forward to?
I have been actively involved with the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) since 2018. Since then, I have served as an abstract reviewer for all IAMSE annual conferences and presented oral and poster presentations at these conferences. I am scheduled to co-present a workshop on “Mixed Methods in Health Science Educational Research” at the IAMSE Annual Conference in 2025. I also completed the IAMSE Fellowship Program, further solidifying my dedication to medical science education and active participation in IAMSE initiatives. I was one of the Ambassadors from the inaugural group of IAMSE Ambassadors representing the Caribbean region. I have also been on the IAMSE Board of Directors since 2022. However, I enjoyed working on different committees of IAMSE, including the Educational Scholarship Committee, Public Affairs Committee, and Ambassador Committee the most.
What interesting things are you working on outside of the Association right now?
I am one of the site-visiting team members for the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP). I did five site visits to different Caribbean medical schools on behalf of CAAM-HP. I am also one of the ambassadors for the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) accreditation recognition program. I did one site visit on behalf of WFME. I have been elected President of the Accreditation Agency of Curacao (AAC) since 2020. In addition, I am a member of the AMEE Fellowship Committee and a member of the International Social Accountability and Accreditation Steering Committee Research Group.
As a member of the IAMSE Ambassador Committee, what do you most enjoy about being a part of that?
I enjoy being a part of the IAMSE Ambassador Committee because it allows me to contribute to the global expansion of IAMSE’s mission in medical education. I value the opportunity to collaborate with educators from diverse backgrounds, foster international connections, and promote innovative teaching practices. Being an ambassador also enables me to support professional development initiatives and mentor aspiring educators, which I find highly rewarding.
As an Associate Editor for Medical Science Educator as well, what do you most enjoy about being a part of MSE and the journal process?
As an Associate Editor for Medical Science Educator, I genuinely enjoy being a part of a platform that fosters innovation and excellence in medical education. The journal serves as a valuable medium for sharing evidence-based teaching strategies, emerging trends, and best practices that shape the future of medical education worldwide. One of the most rewarding aspects of this role is collaborating with authors, reviewers, and fellow editors to ensure high-quality contributions that have a meaningful impact on educators and learners. I appreciate the rigorous yet constructive peer-review process, which maintains the integrity of published research and helps authors refine their work.
Additionally, staying engaged with the latest advancements in medical education research allows me to continuously learn and apply new insights to my academic and professional endeavors. Overall, being a Medical Science Educator is a fulfilling experience that will enable me to contribute to the growth and evolution of medical education.
Anything else that you would like to add?
I have been a faculty and administrative member at Avalon University School of Medicine since 2007 and have served the university in various capacities. I am currently working as a Professor of Clinical Skills and Medical Education. I also serve as the Chair of the Medical Education Unit. As the Dean of the School of Medicine, I lead curriculum development, develop and implement academic policies, faculty development, and liaison with government officials. I play a significant role in strategic planning, quality control, and quality assurance activities at Avalon University.
As a final reminder, the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) is pleased to announce that applications for the IAMSE Mentoring (IM-REACH) Program are now invited. The deadline to submit your application is April 1, 2025!
Mentoring students, postdocs, and faculty and guiding their work is crucial for their success in diverse career paths that encompass leadership, clinical and educational roles. The IAMSE IM-REACH Mentoring program is a productive way to prepare for a role as mentors and support mentees in their career paths and academic pursuits. Mentorship is a skill for both the mentor and mentee, a true dynamic relationship that is a journey in pursuit of career engagement and success.
The IM-REACH mentoring program provides an opportunity to enhance skills, gain experience, and engage in reflection and growth as a mentor and ultimately influence your relationship with your mentee. The goal of this program is to develop well-rounded, diverse health professional education mentors through targeted professional development in key aspects of mentorship, which includes both knowledge and skills. The program will provide evidence of that mentorship leads to specialized achievement that enhances and supports career advancement for both mentors and mentees.
The program will open with a live 3-hour session at the IAMSE 2025 Conference during the pre-conference scheduled time. If you cannot attend the IAMSE 2025 Conference, you can join this session virtually during the scheduled time. This will be followed by virtual sessions every other month, conducted in a workshop style, based on content from the IAMSE Mentoring Manual. In the alternating months, there are one-hour virtual office hours with the program facilitators to address individual needs as a mentor and mentorship on the required project for the program. In total, there are six virtual meetings and six office hours in addition to the first meeting.
Below are two quotes from the first IM-REACH cohort on important takeaways from the program:
“Having clearly defined roles and expectations is important for effective mentoring relationships. It is more than just ‘friends with (career) benefits.’ you can be a coach and a mentor at the same time, but it is challenging and sometimes presents conflicts of interest.”
“The Mentoring in Health Professions Education manual is an incredible resource.”
Applicants for this cohort will be accepted until April 1, 2025. All accepted applicants will be informed by April 15, 2025. Payment must be submitted to IAMSE by May 1, 2025. You may submit your application by clicking here. For questions about the IM-REACH Program or how to apply, please contact support@iamse.org. We thank you for your interest and look forward to supporting you in achieving your professional goals in educational scholarship.
This month, the IAMSE Publications Committee review is taken from the article titled Enhancing Examination Success: the Cumulative Benefits of Self-Assessment Questions and Virtual Patient Cases, published in Medical Science Educator (4 August 2022) by Martha P. Seagrave, Lynn Foster-Johnson, John B. Waits, Katherine Margo, and Shou Ling Leong.
Researchers in medical education agree that assessment not only measures learning progress, but it also enhances it. Test-enhanced learning (TEL) is a cognitive phenomenon where the act of retrieving information from memory through testing enhances long-term retention. The TEL approach emphasizes frequent and low-stakes testing in various formats to reinforce learning and improve memory.
The article by Seagrave and colleagues, “Enhancing Examination Success: the Cumulative Benefits of Self-Assessment Questions and Virtual Patient Cases” highlights the relationship between TEL and summative exam performance. This retrospective quantitative study is notable because it analyzed data from twenty medical schools and over 1,600 students in clinical settings. The students in a family medicine clerkship were provided with embedded formative questions in virtual patient cases. Immediate feedback was given to students about their selected answers. At the end of each virtual case, optional clinical case-based multiple-choice questions were available as self-assessment questions (SAQ). The authors reported that student who earned higher scores in formative assessments performed better in the final summative exam. Moreover, completing at least one SAQ was associated with a higher final exam score.
Overall, this multi-institutional study provides valuable insights into how TEL can significantly improve learning outcomes in medical students and predict performance in summative assessment. This research suggests that medical educators should consider including low-stakes formative tests throughout the medical curriculum to ensure student success.
Monzurul Roni, PhD
Teaching Associate Professor
Department of Health Sciences Education and Pathology
University of Illinois College of Medicine
IAMSE is pleased to announce that applications for the 2025 Medical Educator Fellowship (MEF) Program are now being accepted! IAMSE is once again offering members and non-members the option of beginning the MEF Program during the 2025 IAMSE Annual Conference.
The primary goal of the MEF is to support the development of well-rounded healthcare education scholars through a program of targeted professional development and application of learned concepts to mentored research projects. The program is designed for healthcare educators from all backgrounds who wish to enhance their knowledge and productivity as educational scholars.
Please note applicants are required to have completed the Foundations of Health Professions Education Course (Foundations) OR the Essential Skills in Medical Education (ESME) Program as a prerequisite. For more detailed information about the program, please visit the information on our website at http://www.iamse.org/fellowship-program/.
Applicants for the next cohort will be accepted until April 15, 2025. To submit your application, please click here. For questions about the Fellowship or how to apply, please contact support@iamse.org. We thank you for your interest and look forward to supporting you in achieving your professional goals in educational scholarship.