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 Amin Shah.

Amin Shah, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Translational Neuroscience
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

How long have you been a member of IAMSE?
I have been a member of IAMSE since 2021.

Looking at your time with the Association, what have you most enjoyed doing? What are you most looking forward to?
I have enjoyed connecting with dedicated medical educators from around the world during the annual conferences, learning from their expertise and experience in the medical education. I also value the virtual sessions and forums that cover important and current topics, helping me expand my knowledge and stay up to date with the evolving field of medical education topics. I look forward to more opportunities and resources that IAMSE offers and feel privileged to serve on its committees.

What interesting things are you working on outside of the Association right now?
Outside of IAMSE, I engage in teaching and learning, serving in institutional committees, and conducting medical education research. I am excited about my current research, which explores how medical students develop dispositional learning skills during the preclerkship phase of undergraduate MD curriculum. 

As a member of the IAMSE Membership Committee, what do you most enjoy about being a part of that?
It has been a rewarding experience serving on the IAMSE Membership Committee. I enjoyed our regular committee meetings where we discussed strategies and initiatives to engage members, create new opportunities, and welcome medical and health professionals from around the world to IAMSE in an inclusive and supportive way. As a member of the committee, I was able to learn from the dynamic team of the membership committee and grow professionally and personally.

Anything else that you would like to add?
IAMSE is a welcoming and vibrant professional society. I am proud to remain an active member and support its mission and vision wherever I can.

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 Shauna Groven.

Shauna Groven
Medical Student
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

What encouraged you to become involved in IAMSE as a student?
I became involved with IAMSE after my research mentor, Dr. Simanton, encouraged me to submit an abstract for a poster presentation at the 2025 IAMSE Annual Conference. After learning about IAMSE’s mission to advance medical education through research and collaboration, I was driven to share the findings of my project, which examined how socioeconomics status influences admission metrics and academic performance in medical school. Considering the vast network of educators within IAMSE, this association felt like the ideal platform to connect with those committed to fostering equity in medical education.

Congratulations on receiving a Student Presentation Award (Outstanding Student Poster Presentation) at the Annual Conference! What interesting things are you working on next?
Thank you! After presenting our findings at the conference, I am working on developing our research into a manuscript for publication. Additionally, I plan on exploring other factors influencing student performance, such as if medical students with first-generation, low-income (FGLI) backgrounds demonstrate similar trends to students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. I am also conducting a clinical research project investigating the antioxidant effects of freeze-dried strawberry supplementation in individuals with prediabetes and writing a manuscript for publication.

What advice do you have for other students thinking about getting involved with IAMSE?
I would take the opportunity to engage with everything IAMSE has to offer. Whether you are attending sessions or presenting your own work, you will find a welcoming community eager to share their knowledge and ideas. While at the conference, I had the privilege of interacting with medical students, professors, and administrators from medical schools of many different countries. These discussions provided me with valuable insights into my own research, as well as exposed me to diverse perspectives on medical education. Overall, this conference was a great chance to network and truly showcased the supportive community IAMSE has to offer.

How does being a part of IAMSE support your future career goals?
IAMSE has broadened my understanding of medical education and strengthened my passion for researching how the system can better support students from all backgrounds, both during the admissions process and throughout medical school. In the future, I hope to collaborate with admissions and curriculum committees to help inform policies that promote inclusivity in medical education. Being a part of IAMSE offers the resources, mentorship, and connections for me to pursue these goals and contribute meaningfully to the field. 

Anything else that you would like to add?
I am grateful to IAMSE for recognizing our work and creating such a welcoming environment. I look forward to staying involved and continuing to collaborate with this inspiring community in the future.