| Dear Colleagues…
It is our pleasure to invite you to join us for the Sixth Annual Meeting of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) to be hosted and joint-sponsored by the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine. This year represents an important step in affirming the global nature of our membership as this is the first Annual Meeting to be held outside the United States. We are pleased to share this occasion with our good friends and colleagues in Mexico. 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 in over 45 countries is comprised primarily of those who teach the sciences arising from the traditional disciplines of Anatomy, Behavioral Sciences, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology. We also extend invitation to both membership and participation in these Annual Meetings to clinical faculty members, curriculum planners, medical school deans, deans for medical education, curriculum, faculty development, CME, and indeed all those who support science as the foundation of clinical medicine. The overwhelming response to the Faculty Development Courses piloted at the 2001 Annual Meeting has encouraged us this year to expand these into day-long, in-depth events. Four concurrent Pre-Conference Courses will be held on Saturday, July 20th for which a nominal additional registration fee will be charged. Following the usual Saturday Evening Opening Reception, the meeting program as in the past will extend from Sunday morning through noon on Tuesday. A major emphasis will be exploring how we define competency in scientific knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to prepare medical students for optimal understanding in their clinical studies. This will culminate on Tuesday with another IAMSE Debate, this year addressing the pros and cons of developing a common core curriculum. In addition to the Pre-Conference Courses, new features to look for this year include concurrent sessions devoted to individual medical science disciplines, plus an afternoon of hands-on workshops at the EDUCON Continuing Education Center of the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. To encourage participation of our Latin American colleagues, simultaneous Spanish/English translation facilities will be made available if we receive a sufficient number of requests on registration forms by April 1, 2002. The social highlight this year will be an authentic Mexican Fiesta. A number of day tours are being planned for accompanying guests who wish to see Guadalajara attractions and shop the many markets and bizarres. Continue experiencing the hospitality of Mexico with your spouse and family through our discounted Pre- and Post-Conference trips to historic sites and cities. 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, 2002. Note also that for those who have not yet joined IAMSE, we are pleased to announce a special registration/1-year membership combination offer. This applies a portion of your registration fee towards a discounted one-year membership in IAMSE (see Special Conference Membership Offer for details). For a unique professional and cultural experience,
plan now to join us in Mexico this July. Centrally located, travel
to Guadalajara is surprisingly
affordable from North, Central, and South America as well as from many
origination points in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Far East.
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