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 IAMSE 2026 Conference Program Chair Will Brooks.
Will Brooks, PhD
Professor
Department of Medical Education
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama, USA
How long have you been a member of IAMSE?
I joined the Association in 2013 after starting as faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I was encouraged to join IAMSE by a colleague at UAB and have loved every minute of it!
Looking at your time with the Association, what have you most enjoyed doing? What are you most looking forward to?
There are so many things that I have enjoyed doing with IAMSE. The annual conference each year is a highlight for me. I love interacting with colleagues from around the world, hearing wonderful talks, and learning about new approaches to teaching and learning in medical education that I can take back with me. Working with the Webcast Audio Seminar Series (WAS) committee has been another highlight of my time with IAMSE. I learned so much from the incredible people who made up the WAS and established lasting friendships. And, of course, chairing the 2026 Annual Conference has been an incredible experience of continued growth and learning. Right now, I am most looking forward to attending the 2026 Conference. I can’t wait to see the fruits of the Program Committee’s collective efforts, and I know that I will bring home so many new ideas to try out and collaborations to engage in for the upcoming academic year.
What interesting things are you working on outside of the Association right now?
My colleagues and I at UAB have been working on an evaluation of long-term outcomes from our Rural Medicine Track. It has been very rewarding to see the outcomes of a program that is 30 years old. We are also looking at how we can use both curricular and para-curricular formative assessments to build a predictive model that will allow early identification of students at risk of failing preclinical coursework so that early intervention can be used to support success.
As the Chair of this year’s IAMSE Program Committee, what do you most enjoy about being in this role?
The people! Working with such a talented group of people on the committee and with the IAMSE administrative staff has been awesome. Getting to know our plenary speakers and learning about their work has been equally rewarding.
What can people expect from this year’s conference?
The 2026 Annual Conference in Augusta, GA promises great Southern hospitality, charm, and cuisine. As a native Alabamian who grew up in a rural setting, I am very proud of my Southern heritage and look forward to sharing a bit of my Southern culture with the IAMSE membership. The four plenary speakers that are lined up will bring a wealth of wisdom and excitement to the conference that you don’t want to miss. Folks should also expect an incredible array of research talks, posters, and focus sessions that are sure to re-ignite your passion for health professions education!
Anything else you would like to add?
This year’s conference will host a local bookstore from Augusta to sell a collection of high impact books in medical education, some of which were even authored by our plenary speakers. Be sure to check out the collection and do some shopping for your office library!