It is our pleasure to provide you with the Registration materials and a Call for Abstracts for the Fifth Annual Meeting of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE).  For the most current updates, we encourage you to bookmark our webpage at conf/conf5/conf5_menu.htm.  The alliance of IAMSE with Mayo Clinic as Host and Joint-Sponsor of this event makes a clear statement of our mutual commitment to the inseparability of the clinical and basic sciences in the practice of modern medicine.

The International Association of Medical Science Educators is the only interdisciplinary professional organization dedicated to promoting the teaching and learning of medical science in appropriate form and content for those in physician training.  Our membership currently from 42 countries is comprised mostly of those who teach the sciences arising from the traditional disciplines of Anatomy, Behavioral Sciences, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology.  At this meeting we are pleased to introduce the first two of several planned IAMSE courses in faculty development.  The topics of these full afternoon events are (1) Becoming an Effective Course Director and (2) Developing Effective Website Teaching and do require pre-registration, but no additional fee (see details enclosed).  Register early since space is limited.

Our program has once again been designed by an international committee of medical science educators who have identified several areas to be addressed.  These include Assessing Competence, Distance Learning, Principles of Adult Learning, and Faculty Development, to cite just a few.  From large group Plenary Sessions to small group Focus Sessions, Oral and Poster Presentations, participants will be offered a variety of interactive formats.  Back once again by popular demand, we are featuring the IAMSE Debate, this year on the timely topic of Distance Learning.  Also featured is another update in our continuing series on the United States Medical Licensing Examination.

The 2001 IAMSE meeting venue will be on the campus of Mayo Clinic and Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.A.  This Medical School is an integral part of the Mayo Foundation and renowned Mayo Clinic, world’s largest group practice of medicine.  Developed gradually from the medical practice of a pioneer physician, the Clinic has evolved as a model for integrated group practice and achieved an international reputation for excellence in individual patient care, clinical and basic research, and medical education.  In 2001, Mayo will open the new Gonda Building as part of its practice integration project.  This new facility is designed to allow closer integration of medical education, research and practice.  Various events at this IAMSE Annual Meeting will showcase these state-of-the-art facilities that build on Mayo’s history and tradition in medicine.

We cordially invite you to submit an abstract of your projects in medical science education for consideration as oral presentation, poster discussion, or computer demonstration.  Please note the deadline for receipt of abstracts is April 1, 2001.  Note also that for those who have not yet joined IAMSE, we are pleased to announce a special membership offer: a significant part of the non-member registration fee for this meeting will be credited towards a one-year discounted IAMSE membership (see Special Conference Membership Offer for details).

We look forward to seeing you in Rochester, Minnesota this July.

   Roger Koment, Ph.D.              Giulia Bonaminio, Ph.D.             Thomas Viggiano, M.D.
IAMSE Executive Director              Program Committee Chair                   Host and Site Director