Our Association is a robust and diverse set of educators, students, researchers, medical professionals, volunteers and academics that come from all walks of life and from around the globe. Each month we choose a member to highlight their academic and professional career and see how they are making the best of their membership in IAMSE. This month’s Featured Member is Snehal Mehta.
Snehal Mehta, MD, CHSE®
Associate Professor
Clinical Foundations; Semester 5 MICR Module Co-Director
Ross University School of Medicine
St. Michael, Barbados
How long have you been a member of IAMSE?
I have had the privilege of being a member of IAMSE since 2019. Over the past six years, my involvement has grown from attending conferences to actively contributing as a manuscript and abstract reviewer, finishing IAMSE Fellowship and most recently, serving as an IAMSE Ambassador. It has been a truly rewarding journey of growth and collaboration.
Looking at your time with the Association, what have you most enjoyed doing? What are you most looking forward to?
What I have move enjoyed is the sense of being part of a global community dedicated to a common purpose. Specifically, I cherish the opportunities for collaborative scholarships, such as co-authoring publications with international colleagues and the chance to introduce peers in their own scholarly activities, like onboarding them as reviewers for the Medical Science Educator (MSE) journal.
Looking forward, I am incredibly excited about the potential for deeper regional engagement. My goal is to continue fostering connections among medical educators in the Caribbean, facilitating more collaborative research projects, and helping to highlight the unique perspectives and innovations from our region on the IAMSE platform. I am also keen to explore, with the Ambassadors team, how we can better involve students in health education research from the very beginning of their careers.
What interesting things are you working on outside of the Association right now?
Outside of my IAMSE activities, my passion lies in integrating simulation-based learning into clinical education. I have contributed significantly to developing and implementing several simulation and active learning clinical sessions for our pre-clinical students at the Ross University School of Medicine, Barbados. We are now designing a research study to measure how this early exposure of simulation helps build their clinical confidence and problem-solving skills. My interest in simulation and technology in healthcare education also led me to contribute to a major industry report. I authored a section on ‘Clinical Decision Support’ for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare’s (SSiH) White Paper, which explores the future of technology in medical training. I have also been involved in a collaborative research project, working with colleagues from the universities and academic hospitals in Barbados and around the world. It is a brilliant example of how academic medicine can directly contribute to public health understanding in our community.
As an IAMSE Ambassador, what do you most enjoy about being a part of that?
Being an ambassador is less of a title and more of a joyful responsibility. It has been both an honor and a genuine pleasure to collaborate with Professor Di Eley, our Ambassador Committee Chair, and my fellow Ambassadors. Their dedication and collaborative spirit have made the experience incredibly rewarding.
What I most enjoy is the role of a connector – a bridge. I value being able to introduce my colleagues here in Barbados and the wider Caribbean to the incredible resources and networking opportunities IAMSE provides. There is a profound sense of fulfillment in helping to improve their voices, support their professional development, and integrate our regional experiences into the global conversation on medical education.
Anything else that you would like to add?
I would like to express my deepest gratitude for this recognition. My foundational training in both Clinical Biochemistry and Emergency Medicine has given me a unique lens through which I view medical education; it is about connecting the foundational science to the clinical bedside in a way that is meaningful for students.
Ultimately, everything I do is driven by a simple goal: to contribute to forming compassionate, and competent, 21st-century physicians. By advocating for global collaboration, innovative teaching methods like simulation, and supporting scholarly growth, we are not just improving education; we are investing in better and more accessible patient care worldwide. IAMSE has provided the perfect platform to live out my passion for this integration. Thank you for this incredible opportunity to be a part of this mission.