Featured Member: Amanda Fales-Williams

As a veterinary pathology educator, I greatly appreciate IAMSE for the expansion of research and teaching tools along with publishing opportunities. When I first joined IAMSE in 2008, I was working towards tenure, in search of guidance on teaching professional students as well as how to conduct studies to improve their learning experiences. Thus, I sought a broader range of colleagues and research venues focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning in medical education. I found these things and more through the connections made through IAMSE, sometimes with fellow veterinarians, but also with educators from a variety of medical disciplines. This truly drives home the point for me that while our species-focus may vary, the learning needs of professional students are consistent. Thus, IAMSE has proven to be a valuable resource to me as a teacher, student advisor, and researcher. As a pathologist, I find that I straddle the realms of basic and clinical science, teaching general pathology to first-year students and necropsy (autopsy) practicum to fourth-year students. Both populations would exclusively focus on clinical information if left up to them; I feel successful when fourth-year students trace their knowledge back to roots in basic science. Of the many valuable things I gained from IAMSE meetings over the years, my favorite has to be the sessions on Mind-Body Medicine. While all medical professions are becoming more focused on this goal today, IAMSE (via Dr. Haramati et al.) was the first to provide data and solutions on the positive impact of wellness strategies. This has had personal and professional benefits for myself, my residents, and my students. I’m grateful for this community and for all of the work that’s been done over the years to foster the culture of medical education scholarship!