The Seventh Annual Basic Science Education Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting was convened on Monday October 31, 1994, in the Boston Marriott Hotel. Roger Koment, Director, formally welcomed the assembly of 46 faculty/staff and 6 invited student participants and described the purpose of this SIG and our autonomous global organization, the Basic Science Education Forum (BSEF). He noted that the SIG now has 1,041 members who represent every allopathic medical school within the AAMC and many osteopathic and podiatric schools. Our activities continue to attract medical faculty to national and regional AAMC Group on Educational Affairs meetings by providing programs in basic science education. He introduced the four Regional SIG/BSEF Directors, noting in particular Penny Hansen (Northeast) and Gary Rosenfeld (Southern) as the new incoming Directors for their regions. Outgoing Directors Alix Robinson (Northeast) and Dick Hyde (Southern) were recognized for accomplishments during their terms in office with a commemorative plaque for each which read: “In Grateful Appreciation for Dedicated Service to the Basic Science Education Forum _______ Founding Member and __________ Regional Director 1990-1994”.

Turning to issues of the Basic Science Education Forum, Roger reminded the assembly of the upcoming Second Biennial Conference of the BSEF, this June 24-27, 1995, on Strategies for Integrating Clinical and Basic Sciences.

The BSEF~ has expanded dramatically since we began our Global Outreach Program in 1992, doubling the number of countries involved each year (4 in 1992, 9 in 1993, and 20 in 1994), and our goal is to continue this effort by establishing a presence in 40 countries by the end of 1995. Clearly, the BSEF has positioned itself to be a global resource for all faculty concerned with basic science education. Roger announced that for the past several months, he and the BSEF Executive Committee have been planning our first venture into this global arena, which will be to sponsor an East-West Conference on Educational Strategies in the Preclinical Sciences. This will be hosted by our Russian colleagues in June of 1996, most likely in St. Petersburg. The purpose is to present and debate the merits of both Eastern and Western methodologies before and with an audience of up to 300 Russian and Eastern European medical faculty. Although contingent upon government funding, we will shortly be seeking 12 to 14 U.S. and Canadian basic science educators willing to travel to St. Petersburg for five days (all expenses paid) to present the Western portion of this program.

Roger then turned the program over to Murray Saffran, Central Regional SIG/BSEF Director, who guided the student presentations and audience discussion on the topic of Student Perceptions: Student-to-Faculty Feedback