Sixteen international health professions educators who represent academic institutions from 14 countries around the world arrived in Philadelphia on October 5, 2008, to begin their first session as Fellows of the 2008 FAIMER Institute.
The FAIMER Institute fellowship program is designed for international health professions educators who have the potential to play key roles at their schools. The program serves two main purposes, to: (1) provide participants with the tools and skills to serve as resources for their individual institutions and (2) create an environment for cross-cultural exchange of educational expertise and experiences. The ultimate goal is to improve the health of local communities by improving health professions education programs. The program helps Fellows develop curricula appropriate to their own schools and communities.
At the end of October, the incoming Institute 2008 Fellows were joined by returning Institute 2007 Fellows as they completed their final residential session. When the 2008 Fellows complete their final residential session next year, they will meet the incoming Institute 2009 Fellows. These opportunities for interaction between classes of Fellows support the development of a community of international health professions educators dedicated to the improvement of health professions education and the health of their communities.
The 2008 FAIMER Institute Fellows are:
María Bernadá, M.D., Universidad de la República, Uruguay
Elaine Bezerra, M.D., Ph.D., Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Ricardo Borda, M.D., Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia
Suleyman Ayhan Caliskan, Ph.D., M.D., Ege Universitesi, Turkey
An Dao, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.D., Hanoi Medical University, Viet Nam
Sari Dewi, M.D., M.H.P.E., Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia
Coralie Therese Dimacali, M.D., University of the Philippines Manila, Philippines
Irene Durante, M.D., M.B.A., Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
Jorge Garcia, M.Sh., Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Argentina
Harpreet Kapoor, M.S., M.B.B.S., Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, India
Michan Malca, M.D., Universidad Científica del Sur, Peru
Dianne Manning, Ph.D., M.Ed., University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Henal Shah, M.B.B.S., D.P.M., M.D., Topiwala National Medical College, India
John Tumbo, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., M.C.F.P., University of Limpopo, South Africa
Eskinder Weldetensaye, M.D., Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Zareen Zaidi, M.B.B.S., M.D., Foundation University Medical College, Pakistan
(posted April 30, 2008; updated July 9, 2008, October 3, 2008, November 26, 2008)