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2010 News Archive

Data Exchange to Provide FAIMER with Information on International Medical Schools

(posted April 23, 2010)

FAIMER has begun to receive information from international medical schools that will allow it to enhance its web-based resources on international medical education. Included is information about each school’s student body, application requirements, medical curriculum, and teaching methods. This information will provide a more detailed picture of international medical schools and their graduates, allowing FAIMER to expand data resources, such as the International Medical Education Directory (IMED), and to further its research on international medical education programs.

International medical schools are providing this information as part of an agreement with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®). According to the agreement, schools that provide such information will be able to obtain from ECFMG aggregate data on the performance of their students/graduates on Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) of the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®). International medical schools have expressed interest in obtaining USMLE performance data on their students/graduates, and it is expected that this exchange of information will benefit the medical schools, ECFMG, and FAIMER. FAIMER research staff are partnering with ECFMG to collect the medical school information via a Medical School Profile survey.

Eligible schools will be able to obtain aggregate USMLE performance data beginning in May 2010. Schools wishing to receive these data must meet certain criteria, including the completion of a Performance Information Agreement and the Medical School Profile survey.

In addition to its plans to provide aggregate data, ECFMG began to provide eligible international medical schools with performance data on individual examinees in late 2009. For more information on the provision of individual performance data, refer to “ECFMG to Provide International Medical Schools with USMLE Performance Data on Their Students/Graduates” on the News page of the ECFMG website.

Officials of international medical schools can obtain a Performance Information Agreement by contacting the ECFMG Medical School Web Portal (EMSWP) Administrator at emswpadmin@ecfmg.org.

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FAIMER Fellows to Participate in Educational Leadership Program at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden

(posted April 23, 2010)
Yuvaraj Bhosale
(GSMC 2008)
Animesh Jain
(PSG 2008)
Michan Malca
(PHIL 2008)
Himanshu Pandya
(CMCL 2007)
Supten Sarbadhikari
(PSG 2007)

Five FAIMER Fellows have been selected to participate in “Leading for Change in Health Professions Education,” an international program to be held May 17-20, 2010, at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. Yuvaraj Bhosale (GSMC 2008) from Seth G.S. Medical College in India, Animesh Jain (PSG 2008) from Kasturba Medical College in India, Michan Malca (PHIL 2008) from the Universidad Científica del Sur in Peru, Himanshu Pandya (CMCL 2007) from Pramukhswami Medical College in India, and Supten Sarbadhikari (PSG 2007) from the PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in India are among the 10 health professions educators invited to take part in the program. Yuvaraj Bhosale and Michan Malca were both awarded scholarships to the program.

“Leading for Change in Health Professions Education” is a highly interactive program that focuses on educational leadership by individuals within the broader context of medical education curriculum changes. Case studies are used to provide real-world examples of successful leadership change. Participants have the opportunity to learn how to master tools for curriculum planning, analyze stakeholders’ interests and agendas, identify their own leadership style within their organization, and enhance their organization’s capacity for implementing educational reform. The program is taught by leading international health professions educators, including FAIMER Fellow Rita Sood (PHIL 2005).

The Karolinska Institutet is a world leader in health professions education and the only university in Sweden specializing in health professions education and research. The university is also home to the Nobel Assembly that awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine each year.

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FAIMER International Faculty Member at The Open University Awarded Funding to Train Doctors in Ethiopia

(posted April 23, 2010)

The Open University (OU) in the United Kingdom has been awarded funding to work with the Distance Learning Medical Centre (DLMC) program in Ethiopia. The program, led by FAIMER international faculty member Professor Janet Grant (Director of the Centre for Education in Medicine at OU) and Professor Mike Stewart (OU Faculty of Science), will train doctors specifically for practice in areas of the country that currently have limited medical provision.

Ethiopia has a severe shortage of doctors. Currently around 95% of medical students emigrate after qualifying, leaving fewer than 700 doctors in the public sector to serve the country’s population of 80 million. The DLMC will assist the Ethiopian government to achieve its target of producing 11,000 additional doctors. Funding has been generously provided by The Open University alumni and by Ethiopiaid, a charitable organization dedicated to improving conditions in Ethiopia by fighting poverty and poor health, and by improving education. The funding will enable the development of a distance learning component to support the existing integrated curriculum at St. Paul’s Millennium Medical School in Addis Ababa, which opened in 2008.

The DLMC program includes basic science and clinical training, as well as community experience. It will produce doctors with the competence to practice without supervision in a rural setting. Students studying the program have been selected not only for their academic ability but also for their motivation to remain in Ethiopia once they qualify.

Open education and distance learning have enormous potential to allow Ethiopia to expand its medical training rapidly despite a shortage of trainers. It also offers a cost-effective and efficient way of delivering a high-quality medical curriculum that meets World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) Global Standards for medical schools. This model of learning can also be used to support skills development and further the training of medical staff already working in the field in remote and rural areas.

The DLMC program is designed to develop distance learning systems and materials that can also be applied to other schools in similar situations. Dr. Grant hopes that FAIMER Fellows from other parts of Africa will be involved in the project.

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2010 Medical Education Meeting Held at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

(posted April 23, 2010)

More than 570 faculty from medical schools in México attended the 2010 Medical Education Meeting (Jornadas de Educación Médica 2010) held February 10-12 at the Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, in México City. The subject of the meeting was “Competency Based Education: Paradigm Change” (“Educación por Competencias: Cambio de Paradigma”) and several FAIMER Fellows and faculty members participated as presenters. International speakers John R. Boulet, Ph.D., FAIMER Associate Vice President for Research and Data Resources; Debra K. Litzelman, M.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine; Elizabeth Morrison, M.D., M.S.Ed., of the University of California, Irvine; and Geoff Norman, Ph.D., of McMaster University, shared their knowledge and experience. In particular, Dr. Boulet spoke on “Standard Setting for Performance-Based Assessments.” FAIMER Fellows Andrea Dávila-Cervantes (PHIL 2009), Irene Durante (PHIL 2008), Ivan Solarte (PHIL 2007), and Astrid Valenzuela (PHIL 2007) presented thirteen 2008 FAIMER Fellows’ posters and organized a forum promoting FAIMER.

Pre-conference workshops began on February 10 and included topics such as standard setting for performance based assessments, teaching for transfer of learning, residents as teachers, analysis of competencies and curriculum, and an introduction to virtual classrooms using the Moodle platform. Presentations on February 11-12 spanned a variety of subjects, including: “Use of Simulators in Assessment of Medical Competencies,” “Implementation of Competency Based Medical Curriculum,” “Development of Medical Clinical Reasoning Competency,” and “Teaching to Teach Medical Students: Why, When and How?” In total, there were 71 oral presentations and 63 posters presented during the conference.

Please see the conference program for more information. For poster summaries, please see pages 60-71 (Items FAR.1 through FAR.12) of “Resúmenes de trabajos libres en cartel” (PDF).

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International Health Professions Education Conferences to be held in México

(posted April 23, 2010)

The Asociación Mexicana de Facultades y Escuelas de Medicina, A.C. (AMFEM) invites health professions educators from around the world to participate in the 2nd International Congress on Medical Education and the 1st International Congress on Medical Education Simulation, to be held concurrently, May 31-June 4, 2010, in Cancún, México. The combined conferences will focus on the impact of globalization on medical education and address topics such as teaching methods, evaluation, research, continuing education, academic mobility, and health professions employment issues, including the migration of health care workers. For more information, please visit the conference website.

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Register Now for Distance Learning Modules in Medical Education

(posted April 13, 2010; updated May 10, 2010)

There is still time to register for Organizing a Self-Review, a distance learning module in medical education offered through FAIMER and The Open University Centre for Medical Education (OUCEM) in the United Kingdom. The module began on Monday, April 19. Registration is also open for Gathering, Analyzing and Presenting Evidence for Self-Review, which is scheduled to begin on July 5. The cost of each module is $85.00 US and space is limited.

These modules are the second and third in a series of eight modules on the theme of “Self-review and Accreditation,” developed by FAIMER in collaboration with OUCEM and the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). The first module, Standards for Medical Education, began on February 1, 2010. Feedback on the first module has been very positive, and participants are recommending the modules to colleagues and associates. One participant enthused that distance learning has been a great experience and that she is learning new things daily.

Each module takes approximately one hour per week for 10 weeks. Modules can be downloaded or used on-line. Participants are provided with materials and supporting documentation, as well as access to an on-line discussion forum. A learning advisor is assigned to each participant to stimulate and discuss progress. Participants are expected to complete two one-hour assignments (within the 10-hour allocation) for which they will receive marked feedback.

Visit The Open University-FAIMER-WFME Distance Learning Modules in Medical Education page to register or to learn more. If you have any questions, please e-mail inquiry@faimer.org.

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FAIMER Fellows Collaborate to Conduct Faculty Development Workshops

(posted March 30, 2010)

During February and March, FAIMER Fellows conducted a number of health professions education workshops covering topics that ranged from microteaching to organizing a medical education unit. Fellows, some collaborating cross-institutionally, networked and supported one another to conduct workshops for medical education faculty in the clinical, basic, and community health sciences departments at several schools.

The Medical Education & Technology (MET) Unit of the N. K. P. Salve Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre in Nagpur, India, recently conducted an interactive, two-day workshop on problem-based learning for 20 faculty members. Fellows Rashmi Vyas (PHIL 2003) from Christian Medical College, Vellore, and Anshu (CMCL 2007, PHIL 2009) from Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sewagram, each led sessions, and Shubhada Anant Gade (CMCL 2010) participated in the workshop. Suresh Chari (GSMC 2009), Director of Research and the MET Unit, reported that participants gave positive feedback and expressed excitement about implementing what they had learned.

Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) in Kathmandu, Nepal, recently conducted a three-day core faculty development workshop. Session topics included preparing oral presentations and course materials, student feedback and assessment, standards setting, microteaching, and problem-based learning. This was PAHS’s first faculty development workshop conducted entirely by in-house faculty, with Fellows Shital Bhandary (PSG 2008) serving as course director, and Shambhu Upadhyay (GSMC 2009) and Babu Raja Maharjan (CMCL 2010) serving as resource persons. Twenty faculty members from clinical specialties and basic and community health sciences participated. PAHS plans to conduct the workshop biannually and make attendance mandatory for all new faculty members.

The Medical Education Unit (MEU) at Sri Ramachandra University and Medical Centre is a designated Regional Center for approximately 30 medical colleges in the Medical Council of India’s (MCI) nationwide faculty development program. The MEU recently conducted a four-day workshop for 23 medical education unit coordinators from across the region. The highly interactive course used adult learning principles and practical workshop sessions with case scenarios. Phagalvarthi Vasudevan Vijayaraghavan (CMCL 2010), Dean of Education at Sri Ramachandra University, led a session on change management. Other session topics included learning styles and group dynamics, organizing a medical education unit, taxonomy, goals and educational objectives, teaching-learning methods and media, microteaching, small and large group teaching, student assessment, objective structured clinical and practical examinations (OSCE and OSPE), and professionalism. Rashmi Vyas also attended this workshop, serving as a resource person and observer.

The Medical Education Teaching & Technology (METT) Unit at Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai, India, conducted a three-day, faculty development workshop for 26 faculty members from both clinical and para-clinical departments at the college. Sessions focused on educational objectives, microteaching, OSCE and OSPE, audiovisual aids, and multiple choice question (MCQ) formulation, among other topics. Participants reportedly praised the interactivity and diversity of methods used to structure the sessions, and said they developed useful skills for the teaching-learning process. Ten of the 21-member METT Unit committee are FAIMER Fellows: Sunita D. Deshpande (GSMC 2005), Sarita D. Fernandes (GSMC 2005), Bachi T. Hathiram (GSMC 2007), Anuradha M. Kanhere (GSMC 2005), Sunita Koutarapu (GSMC 2005), Vrinda K. Kulkarni (GSMC 2007), Jayashri Pandya (GSMC 2009), and Henal Shah (GSMC 2006, PHIL 2008) from Topiwala National Medical College; Ashwini Karve (GSMC 2006) from Seth G.S. Medical College; and Vinaya Shah (GSMC 2007) from B.Y.L. Nair Charitable Hospital.

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Southern Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI) 2010

(posted March 30, 2010)

The first residential session of the 2010 Southern Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI) took place March 3-9, 2010, in Cape Town, South Africa, under the direction of Vanessa Burch and Gboyega Ogunbanjo. The 2010 SAFRI Fellows are:

Susan Achora, B.Sc., M.Sc., R.N., Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda

Tahra Al-Mahdi, M.B.B.S., M.Sc., Ahfad University for Women, Omdurman, Sudan

Melanie Alperstein, B.Soc.Sc., Nursing PG Dip., University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Alan Barnard, M.B.Ch.B., M.Phil., University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Hoffie Conradie, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Hester Julie, M.P.H., R.N., University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa

Solomon Lubinga, M.Sc., B.Pharm., Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda

Farai Madzimbamuto, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana

Clemence Marimo, D.D.S., M.Ch.D., University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Sindisiwe Mthembu, M.D., University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

Ismat Mutwali, M.B.B.S., M.D., Alzaeim Alazhari University, Khartoum, Sudan

Catherine Mwesigwa, B.D.S., Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Scovia Nalugo, B.Sc., M.Sc., D.P.P.M., Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Carmen Oltmann, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

Angelika Reinbrech-Schutte, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Michael Rowe, B.Sc., M.Sc., University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa

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Postgraduate Medical Education Project Launched

(posted March 5, 2010)

FAIMER’s newest data resource, the Postgraduate Medical Education (PME) Project, is now available on the FAIMER website. Developed in partnership with the European Medical Association (EMA), the PME Project is a web-based directory describing postgraduate medical education programs worldwide. It provides information, at the country level, on formal medical education and clinical training beyond the basic medical school curriculum, including the duration of studies, trainee selection processes, specialty curricula and licensing authorities, areas of specialization, and regulations regarding specialty education and licensure/certification. The PME Project is intended to be a resource for those who want to learn about postgraduate medical education internationally. It will be especially valuable to those who wish to evaluate, compare, and contrast postgraduate training programs among countries. To learn more about FAIMER’s data resources, please visit our Data Resources page.

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Fellows Contribute to 47th Brazilian Congress on Medical Education (COBEM)

(posted March 5, 2010)

Seventy-five Brazil-FAIMER Regional Institute (Brazil-FRI) and FAIMER Institute Fellows plus 13 faculty members took part in the 47th Brazilian Congress on Medical Education (COBEM), held October 17-20, 2009, in Curitiba, Brazil. The conference, whose theme was “The Brazilian Health System (SUS) as a School,” drew more than 2,700 participants.

Involved in nearly every aspect of the conference, FAIMER Fellows assisted in the initial planning phases, sat on the scientific and financial committees, and reviewed 1,640 abstracts. Eliana Amaral (PHIL 2003), Co-Director of Brazil-FRI, reported that Fellows and faculty gave 35 oral presentations, presented 88 posters, conducted 24 scientific sessions, including courses, workshops, and forums, and staffed a FAIMER information booth during the four-day conference.

Patricia Tempski, a 2008 Brazil-FRI Fellow, served as the president of COBEM, which is organized by the Brazilian Association of Medical Education (ABEM). In fact, five of the eight regional boards organized under ABEM have a Fellow currently serving as president or vice-president.

COBEM 2010 will be held October 31-November 3, 2010, in Goiânia, and the Brazil-FRI community is already heavily involved in the planning and organization. With the addition of the 2010 class, Brazil-FRI Fellows are 101 strong, assuring that they will continue to play an important role in COBEM and in the future of health professions education in Brazil.

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Academic Medicine Celebrates Flexner Report Centenary

(posted March 5, 2010)

The year 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of the Flexner Report (Medical Education in the United States and Canada: A Report to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching), Abraham Flexner’s seminal critical assessment of standards and practices in medical education. Flexner’s report led to widespread reform and laid much of the groundwork for health professions education today. To both celebrate the centenary of the Flexner Report and examine its influence on contemporary theory and practice, Academic Medicine has devoted its February 2010 issue to the report’s legacy—the successes it has engendered, its relevance today, and the challenges yet to be overcome. In a broader sense, the issue seeks to look back at health professions education’s past in an effort to see its future. As Dr. Richard B. Gunderman explains in his Foreword to the issue, an “overarching theme in this collection is the creative tension between continuity and change. To be faithful to the spirit of Flexner’s work, we must not only re-examine the questions he presented but also pose new ones that he could not have foreseen. These articles invite us to ponder both types of questions.”

Included in the special issue are two articles authored by FAIMER staff and Fellows (to view the abstract for each article, click on its title):

“Relevance of the Flexner Report to Contemporary Medical Education in South Asia”
Zubair Amin, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
William P. Burdick, FAIMER Associate Vice President for Education and Co-Director of the FAIMER Institute
Avinash Supe (PHIL 2002), Director of the GSMC-FAIMER Regional Institute
Tejinder Singh (PHIL 2003), Director of the CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute

“Flexner’s Global Influence: Medical Education Accreditation in Countries that Train Physicians Who Pursue Residency in the United States”
Marta van Zanten, FAIMER Research Associate
John R. Boulet, FAIMER Associate Vice President for Research and Data Resources
Frank Simon, FAIMER Senior Scholar

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FAIMER Fellows Lead Faculty Development Workshop at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College

(posted March 5, 2010)

The Regional Center for Faculty Development at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Megge Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed University) in Wardha, India, conducted its 2nd Basic Course in Medical Education Technologies, a faculty development workshop held December 21-23, 2009. FAIMER Fellows Nitin Gaikwad (GSMC 2009), Alka Rawekar (CMCL 2009), Jayant Vagha (CMCL 2009), and Sunita Jayant Vagha (CMCL 2010) all led sessions, along with other members of the Datta Megge Institute faculty. Twenty-five health professions education faculty members from the state of Maharashtra participated in the workshop, which was convened by Sunita Jayant Vagha. Workshop sessions included teaching and learning processes, the systems approach, educational objectives, interpersonal skills, microteaching, group dynamics, giving feedback, adult learning, multiple choice questions, and objective structured clinical and practical examinations (OSCE and OSPE).

The 2nd Basic Course in Medical Education Technologies continued the Regional Center’s ongoing training efforts as part of the Medical Council of India’s (MCI) nationwide faculty development program. The Regional Center was established on July 1, 2009, and the 1st Basic Course was conducted July 1-3. In addition to the Basic Courses, the Center is also conducting a meeting of coordinators of the medical education units of its 30 affiliated colleges on March 7. The goal of the meeting will be to provide guidance and support to the colleges and to arrange to conduct basic workshops at each of the schools.

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2010 CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute Awarded CME Credit Hours by Punjab Medical Council

(posted March 5, 2010)

The Punjab Medical Council has announced that Fellows participating in Sessions 1 and 2 of the 2010 CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute will be eligible for 20 and 14 continuing medical education (CME) hours, respectively. This is the first time that CME credit hours will be awarded to participants in the CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute by the Punjab Medical Council, which requires that 50 CME hours be completed every five years for renewal of license to practice medicine. The decision is noteworthy because it is indicative of the fact that medical education is being considered on par with other clinical disciplines, according to CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute Director Tejinder Singh.

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2010 Brazil-FAIMER Regional Institute

(posted February 19, 2010; updated March 5, 2010)

The first residential session of the 2010 Brazil-FAIMER Regional Institute took place January 18-28, 2010, in Porto das Dunas, Ceará, Brazil, under the direction of Eliana Amaral and Henry Campos. The 2010 Brazil-FAIMER Fellows are:

Denise Herdy Alfonso, M.D., M.Med., Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Maria Teresa Seabra Soares de Britto Alves, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luis, Brazil

João Henrique Lara Amaral, D.D.S., M.Sc., Ph.D., Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Maria Cristina Andrade, M.D., Ph.D., Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Denise Ballester, M.D., Ph.D., Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Palmira de Fátima Bonolo, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil

Luisa Patricia Fogarolli Carvalho, M.D., M.Sc., Universidade José do Rosário Vellano, Alfenas, Brazil

Maria Selma Neves Costa, M.S., Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil

Rosângela Minardi Mitre Cotta, M.S., Ph.D., Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Gisele Regina de Azevedo, M.S., Ph.D., R.N., M.S.N., Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Sorocaba, Brazil

João Carlos de Miranda, M.Sc., Faculdade de Medicina de Petrópolis, Petrópolis, Brazil

Roberto Zonato Esteves, M.D., Ph.D., Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Brazil

Oscarina da Silva Ezequiel, M.D., Ph.D., Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil

Maria Lucia da S. G. Jorge, M.Sc., Ph.D., Faculdade Evangélica do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil

Adroaldo Baseggio Mallmann, M.D., M.Sc., Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil

Victor Hugo Melo, M.D., M.Sc., Sc.D., Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Sônia Regina Middleton, M.Sc., Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Wagner José Martins Paiva, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil

Ana Débora Santana, M.D., M.Sc., Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil

Ana Teresa Rodrigues de Abreu Santos, M.D., M.P.H., Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

Neuci Cunha Santos, M.S., Ph.D., R.N., Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil

Maria Helena Seabra Soares de Britto, B.S., B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luis, Brazil

Ricardo Sukiennik, M.D., Ph.D., Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Gerlinde Agate Platais Brasil Teixeira, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, Brazil

Neiva Francenely C. Vieira, B.S., M.Ed., Ph.D., R.N., Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil

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2010 CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute

(posted January 8, 2010; updated January 25, 2010; March 30, 2010)

The first residential session of the 2010 CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute took place January 12-18 in Ludhiana, India, under the direction of Tejinder Singh. The 2010 CMCL-FAIMER Fellows are:

Sanam Anwar, M.B.B.S., M.D., D.N.B. (Social and Preventive Medicine), Oman Medical College, Muscat, Oman

Preeti Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D., Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, India

Palash Das, M.B.B.S., M.D., D.P.H., Midnapore Medical College, Midnapore, India

Shubhada Anant Gade, M.B.B.S., M.D., D.G.O., N.K.P. Salve Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Nagpur, India

Atul Goel, M.B.B.S., M.D., Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, India

Shyamala Handattu Hande, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal, India

Mohammed Ahmed Hassanien, M.S., M.Ed., Ph.D. (Clinical Biochemistry), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Anil Kapoor, M.B.B.S., M.D., People's College of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bhopal, India

Anisha Kellogg, M.B.B.S., M.D., Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, India

Tamkin Khan, M.B.B.S., M.D., Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh, India

Dinesh Kumar, M.B.B.S., M.D., Government Medical College, Jammu, India

Sarabmeet Singh Lehl, M.B.B.S., M.D., Government Medical College, Chandigarh, India

Babu Raja Maharjan, M.Sc. (Medical Biochemistry), Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal

Dipta Kanti Mukhopadhyay, M.B.B.S., M.D., Bankura Sammilani Medical College, Bankura, India

Ramesh Kumar Narula, M.B.B.S., M.S., D.Ortho., Rohilkhand Medical College and Hospital, Bareilly, India

Rana Arun Gopal Krishan Pal, M.D., Genesis Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, Ferozepur, India

Mugdha Potnis-Lele, Ph.D., Maharashtra University of Health Sciences Regional Centre, Pune, India

Punita Salwan, M.S., Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Science and Research, Amristar, India

Sunita Jayant Vagha, M.B.B.S., M.D., Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Wardha, India

Phagalvarthi Vasudevan Vijayaraghavan, M.B.B.S., D.Ortho., D.N.B.Ortho., M.Ch. (Orthopedics), Sri Ramachandra University and Medical Centre, Chennai, India

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Journal of the International Association of Medical Science Educators Call for Papers

(posted February 19, 2010)

The Journal of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (JIAMSE) is currently seeking monographs, full-length research manuscripts, and short papers dealing with the education of medical professionals and innovations in medical education. JIAMSE is a peer-reviewed, electronic publication that covers a broad array of topics in medical science education. In addition to research papers, the journal publishes information on scholarly activities, announcements, editorials, and opinion pieces. If you would like to submit a manuscript or serve as a reviewer, please contact Uldis N. Streips, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, at unstre01@louisville.edu.

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National Conference on Health Professionals’ Education Held in Pune, India

(posted January 25, 2010)

Approximately 250 health professionals from the fields of medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, and nursing, as well as ayurveda and other Indian systems of health care, gathered in Pune, India, December 10–13, 2009, to attend the second biennial National Conference on Health Professionals’ Education (NCHPE). The conference was organized by the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) Department of Medical Education and Technology, and was supported by FAIMER and the Office of the Health Attaché of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regional Representative for South Asia, as well as various health professions agencies and institutions throughout India. The first national conference on medical education was held in New Delhi in 2007.

The theme of the conference was “Good Teaching Practices: Sharing Best Practices in Teaching-Learning and Assessment.” Objectives included:

FAIMER Institute and Regional Institute faculty, FAIMER Fellows, and several other international faculty led poster sessions, presented research, and led workshops. Intensive workshops were conducted on assessment, research and publication, curriculum development and evaluation, communication and ethics, adult learning, the use of simulation in teaching, and distance learning. Sixty-five abstracts on innovations in health professions education were presented at interactive poster sessions.

FAIMER President and CEO John Norcini delivered a plenary address on “The future of assessment in medical education,” and conducted a practicum on “Workplace-based assessment.” Associate Vice President for Research and Data Resources Jack Boulet presented on “The challenges of using simulation in medicine,” and conducted a workshop on “Setting performance standards for simulation-based exercises.” Associate Vice President for Education Bill Burdick presented a plenary address on “Capacity building in the health professions” and presented a workshop on adult learning.

By all accounts, NCHPE 2009 was a resounding success and a testament to the growth of health professions education in India. Other FAIMER Fellows and staff who served as NCHPE 2009 faculty included: Anshu (CMCL 2007, PHIL 2009), Shubhada Aphale (CMCL 2006), Dinesh Badyal (CMCL 2007, PHIL 2009), Payal Bansal (PHIL 2007), Sanjay Bedi (CMCL 2007), Director of the PSG-FAIMER Regional Institute Thomas Chacko (PHIL 2004), Shubha Chandorkar (CMCL 2006), Chetna Desai (CMCL 2007), Venkatesh Doreswamy (PHIL 2007), FAIMER faculty member Janet Grant, Arun Jamkar (PHIL 2004), FAIMER faculty member Medha Joshi, Mrunal Ketkar (CMCL 2007), Gagandeep Kwatra (CMCL 2006), Savita Marathe (GSMC 2008), FAIMER faculty member Nima Rege, Ranjana Sahasrabude (PSG 2009), Vivek Saoji (PHIL 2003), Supten Sarbadhikari (PSG 2007), FAIMER faculty member Mary Beth Scallen, Henal Shah (GSMC 2006), Director of the CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute Tejinder Singh (PHIL 2003), Rita Sood (PHIL 2005), Director of the GSMC-FAIMER Regional Institute Avinash Supe (PHIL 2002), Rashmi Vyas (PHIL 2003), and Anand Zacharaiah (PHIL 2001).

NCHPE 2009 participants have been added to the health professions education listserv that was started after the 2007 conference. The listserv is open to all health professions educators. If you are interested in joining, please send a blank email to meu_india-subscribe@googlegroups.com.

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UpToDate International Grant Subscription Opportunity

(posted January 25, 2010)

The Global Health Delivery Project and electronic medical information provider UpToDate are offering a new grant subscription program to qualifying clinicians and organizations. A limited number of complimentary, one-year subscriptions to UpToDate, a leading evidence-based and peer-reviewed clinical information resource, will be awarded in two rounds in February and May 2010.

The internationally focused grant program extends eligibility to individuals and organizations that provide medical care or related services to poor or underserved populations outside the United States. The deadlines for application are January 25 and May 3, 2010, respectively.

For complete details on application and eligibility, please visit http://www.ghdonline.org/uptodategrant/.

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The Open University-FAIMER-WFME Distance Learning Modules in Medical Education Available in Early 2010—Reserve Now

(posted December 9, 2009; updated January 14, 2010)

FAIMER, in collaboration with the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) and The Open University Centre for Education in Medicine (OUCEM) in the United Kingdom, has produced a series of distance learning modules in medical education. The first four will become available in 2010:

Each course takes approximately one hour per week for 10 weeks. The modules can be downloaded or used on-line. Participants will be provided with course materials and supporting documentation, as well as access to an on-line discussion forum. A learning advisor will be assigned to each participant to stimulate and discuss progress. Participants will be expected to complete two one-hour assignments (within the 10-hour allocation) for which they will receive marked feedback.

At the end of each module, participants will receive a certificate that can be used as evidence of continuing professional development (CPD). In time students will be eligible to use this certificate as credit for a practice-based CPD certificate course at The Open University.

The cost of each module is US$ 85. You can purchase the modules by visiting the distance learning page of this website. If you would like further information, please e-mail OUCEM at oucem@open.ac.uk, or call +44 (0)1908 653776. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the start date of each of the modules.

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[last update: September 8, 2010]