The underlying purpose of this meeting was to explore how, by working
together and sharing our knowledge, the barriers might be overcome in
preparing ourselves for proactive leadership in the evolution of both content
and process for teaching the fundamental sciences of medicine.
The outcome of this and subsequent annual meetings, was the creation of a
new method for information exchange within the AAMC Group on
Educational Affairs (GEA), the “Special Interest Group” (SIG). From 1988
to the dissolution of all GEA SIGs in 2000, meeting time and space was
graciously provided by the GEA at the AAMC National Meeting each fall,
and at all four of their Regional Meetings each spring. Each 2-hour session
focused on some aspect of basic science instruction or the professional
advancement of basic science faculty members. These meetings were
structured to provide different viewpoints by multiple speakers, followed by
audience interaction. The following titles provide some indication of the
programs presented at the AAMC National Meetings.
1988 Basic Science Faculty: Our Responsibility in
Medical Curricular Change
1989 Facilitating the Need for Curricular Change
1990 Strategies for Developing a Positive Influence on
Medical Education
1991 Basic Sciences in the Clinical Years
1992 Information Overload: Defining Essential
Curricular Objectives
1993 The Role of Basic Scientists in Optimizing Basic
Science Learning
Thus it was that between 1988 and 1993, this Special Interest Group on
Basic Science Education, through its programs of relevance in teaching,
attracted basic science faculty members, deans for medical education,
curriculum planners, and clinical faculty members from every medical school
under AAMC jurisdiction. As Convener of this National SIG, Dr. Koment
facilitated the nominations and elections (by respective regional members) of
four Regional SIG Conveners. With both National and Regional Chapters,
this group remained the most organized of the fourteen National and
twenty-three Regional Special Interest Groups on various topics in medical
education that subsequently arose. In 1997 after ten years, Dr. Koment
appointed Dr. Gary Rosenfeld, University of Texas Houston Medical School,
as his successor to assume the leadership of basic science education within
the AAMC Group on Educational Affairs.
Today, as an independent nonprofit organization, IAMSE owes a great debt
to the Association of American Medical Colleges, and in particular to the
leadership of the Group on Educational Affairs, for providing an environment
in which the ideals of our membership first flourished.
1993 – WE LEAVE THE NEST…
Between 1988 and 1993, word of this Special Interest Group spread not
only to every allopathic and osteopathic medical school in the United States
and Canada, but soon found its way to South America and Europe. Here,
for the first time, were individuals responsible for teaching the fundamental
sciences of medicine who were fostering open communication across
disciplines, and freely exchanging ideas, techniques, and educational
resources. Individuals from medical institutions in Venezuela and Spain were
the first to request to participate. In addition, faculty members in the United
States from schools of dentistry, chiropractic colleges, and even colleges of
veterinary medicine facing similar needs were attracted to this concept and
sought to join. But since this SIG was part of the AAMC, membership could
only be offered to those individuals from AAMC-affiliated medical schools.
Therefore, in 1993, the decision was made to create an organization that
would be independent, yet parallel, to this Special Interest Group. Its name
would be the Basic Science Education Forum (BSEF) and it would stand
totally separate from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Creation of this independent entity would remove all restrictions on
participation, and membership at no cost was extended to all.
Admittedly, there was an initial period of confusion in some people’s minds
between the new BSEF and the continuing AAMC-GEA Special Interest
Group on Basic Science Education. Mostly, this was because the purpose
and goals of the BSEF were identical to those of the SIG; plus, Dr. Koment
and the four elected SIG Conveners constituted the leadership not only of the
National and Regional AAMC-GEA SIG Chapters, but also of the BSEF.
However, this was soon overcome as word of the BSEF and its mission of
mutual support and professional development continued to spread around the
world.
Many individuals contributed to the progress and achievements of the Basic
Science Education Forum, but much of the momentum during those early
years was the direct result of a synergistic relationship between Dr. Koment
and one very unique individual. Many will remember the significant
contributions of Gabriel Virella, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology and
Immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina. A dynamic
individual, Master Teacher, and consummate professional, Dr. Virella served
for many years as the Editor-in-Chief of the Basic Science Educator, our
organization's first peer-reviewed journal dedicated to advances in basic
science education. His provocative Editorials always hit the mark of
relevance. Dr. Virella was a driving force behind the creation of our current
Annual Meetings. He and Dr. Koment, both being Microbiologists, drew
heavily upon their combined experiences participating in the still ongoing
series of Myrtle Beach Educational Strategies Workshops for Teaching
Microbiology and Immunology. It was Dr. Virella who arranged for the
Medical University of South Carolina to host both our First (1993) and our
Third (1997) Biennial Conferences.
1996 – REACHING OUR LIMITS…
Between 1993 and 1997, the Basic Science Education Forum attracted
individual members from over 400 medical institutions throughout 87
countries. Every person who requested to join received our semi-annual
publication, the Basic Science Educator (previously known as The Forum
Newsletter). This was the forerunner of today’s peer-reviewed journal.
Financial support from software and textbook publishers was invaluable in
those early years, but sporadic. We depended most heavily upon the
proceeds of our international conferences on educational strategies in the
basic sciences (see 1993, 1995, and 1997) to fund the printing and
distribution of our publication.
At the beginning of 1993, there were members of the Basic Science
Education Forum from the United States and Canada. However, by the end
of that year, individuals from other countries had begun to join in logarithmic
fashion.
Twice each year, well over 2,000 copies of our publication were being
created, printed, and mailed – free of charge – to basic science colleagues
and medical libraries in such diverse places as Australia, Siberia, Bangladesh,
Switzerland, Japan, Israel, and Southern Chile. Each issue was between 25
and 30 pages in length and represented the work, on average, of 24
individuals.
There was no doubt that this logarithmic increase would continue, but we
were rapidly approaching the limits of resources and endurance. By
mid-1996 it became overwhelmingly evident that managing a global
organization of such proportions through the volunteer efforts of individuals
holding full-time faculty appointments was no longer feasible. Financial
resources especially could not keep up with the demand, despite personal
donations by our leaders. The choice we faced was either to discontinue this
great project, or to formalize our efforts by incorporating and becoming a
nonprofit organization. This latter course would be the only means by which
we could obtain the federal, private, and corporate funding necessary to
carry on our work.
1997 – THE BIRTH OF A NEW ORGANIZATION…
After months of consulting with trusted colleagues, the decision was made to
incorporate and levy a modest membership fee. This was accomplished
effective June, 1997, when Dr. Koment assumed the title of President and
Chairman of the Board of Directors. He officially changed the name of this
organization to the International Association of Medical Science Educators
(IAMSE) and appointed eight individuals to constitute the first Board of
Directors. With the initial membership fees he procured the services of an
association management company. The first Board members appointed
were:
Wolfram Antepohl, M.D.
University of Cologne Faculty of Medicine
Cologne, Germany
Pamela C. Champe, Ph.D.
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Piscataway, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Robert G. Carroll, Ph.D.
East Carolina University School of Medicine
Greenville, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Denise Ferrier, Ph.D.
MCP-Hahnemann School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Frances Maitland
Alliance for Continuing Education
(Retired)
Todd R. Olson, Ph.D.
Yeshiva University
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, New York, U.S.A.
Gary C. Rosenfeld, Ph.D.
University of Texas Houston Medical School
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Thomas R. Viggiano, M.D.
Mayo Clinic and Medical School
Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.A.
Within one additional month, two more appointments had been made.
Margarita Baron, M.D., Ph.D.
Universidad de Alcala de Henares
Facultad de Medicina
Madrid, Spain
Gönül Ö Peker, Ph.D.
Ege University School of Medicine
Izmir, Turkey
The first task of the new eleven-member IAMSE Board of Directors was to
draft a bylaws document that would be used to guide this organization. On
June 22, 1997, during the Third Biennial International Conference, Dr.
Koment announced the dissolution of the Basic Science Education Forum
and the rebirth of our organization as the International Association of Medical
Science Educators, a bona fide nonprofit organization. This action became
effective as of July 1, 1997.
The new Association adopted the Mission Statement previously developed
for the BSEF with only minor modifications. Membership fees also provided
for upgrading the Basic Science Educator and promoting its progress to
become a recognized peer-reviewed journal unique in medical education
because of its sole focus on cross-disciplinary basic science education. The
website, developed in 1994 for the BSEF in collaboration with Dr. James
Swierkosz (St. Louis University School of Medicine), was revised and
adapted to now serve IAMSE.
*** *** ***
The birth of a new organization was a time of tremendous excitement yet
fraught with difficulties, since we were still volunteers with full-time
responsibilities to our individual medical schools. Because of this, progress at
times was slow, yet the need that inspired creation of this association
continues to be great. Through IAMSE, medical science educators finally
have a trustworthy source of information and mutual support, and can belong
to an organization dedicated to their professional development. The ultimate
beneficiaries of our combined efforts will be the subsequent generations of
health care providers around the globe – our students – who are trained in
both the art and science of modern medicine.
*** *** ***
1998 – SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS…
1999 – SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS…
2000 – SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS…
2001 – SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS…
2002 – SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS…
2003 – SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS…
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