Time is running out to register for the IAMSE 2026 Conference, June 6-9, in Augusta, Georgia, USA! Online registration for the event will CLOSE on Friday, May 15 at 11:59 PM EDT. If you have not registered but are planning to attend, please register before the deadline by clicking here.
If you miss the online registration deadline, we will be offering registration on-site in Augusta. We look forward to seeing you there!
The 30th Annual IAMSE Conference will include a variety of new focus sessions throughout the entire event. Below, please see the sessions being offered during the Monday morning block!
Each of the following focus sessions will take place from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EDT Monday, June 8, 2026, during the IAMSE 2026 Conference. Click the links for each session for more information!
AI-Enhanced Assessment and Clinical Reasoning in Health Sciences: Designing Questions and Bots for Deep Learning
Presented by: Hadar Arien-Zakay, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Laura Bauler, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Carolina Restini, Michigan State University, and Jayne Reuben, Texas A&M University School of Dentistry
Changing the Psychological Air in Your Learning Environment – How Instructor Signals Impact Well-Being
Presented by: Mark Speicher, AACOM
Flourishing as Role Models: Empowering Basic Science Educators to Drive Competency-Based Medical Education
Presented by: Kimberly Dahlman, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Aviad Haramati, Georgetown University School of Medicine, and Alison Whelan, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) – Washington, DC
Humanizing Medical Education: Bioethics as the Foundation of Flourishing in the Contemporary Educational Revolution
Presented by: Russell Franco D’Souza, UNESCO, Mary Mathew, Kasturba Medical College, Princy Palatty, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, and Krishna Mohan Surapaneni, Panimalar Medical College Hospital & Research Institute
Make the Match: Designing Interactive Lab-Clinical Correlation Games for Medical Learners
Presented by: Melissa Cowan, University of Central Florida, College of Medicine, David Harris, University of Central Florida, and Vania Zayat, UCF College of Medicine
Practicing in a Polarized World: Teaching Civility to Trainees
Presented by: Shaundra Blakemore, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, and Caroline Harada, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine
Professional Development of Medical Educators Using the GLASS Tool: Designing Faculty Development Sessions for Leadership in Longitudinal and Integrated Curricula
Presented by: Stefanie Carter, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Youngjin Cho, Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine, Charles Gullo, The Valley College of Medicine (Proposed), Amy Prunuske, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, John Szarek, Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine, and Gabi Waite, Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine
Protecting Gender Equity in Times of Political Uncertainty: Institutional Strategies for Adaptability and Growth
Presented by: Shiloh Jones, Oregon Health & Science University
Teaching Students to Fail Well: Applying the Science of Productive Failure
Presented by: Lawrence Loo, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, and Khiet Ngo, Northeast Ohio University (NEOMED) College of Medicine
Using a Coaching Approach to Level-Up Your Mentoring
Presented by: Alice Fornari, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell, and Joel Roberts, Rocky Vista University
For more information and to register for the IAMSE 2026 Conference, please visit www.IAMSEconference.org.
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 Kevlian Andrew.
Kevlian Andrew, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor
Department of Anatomical Sciences
St. George’s University School of Medicine
Grenada, West Indies
How long have you been a member of IAMSE?
I have been an IAMSE member since 2023.
Looking at your time with the Association, what have you most enjoyed doing? What are you most looking forward to?
During my time with the Association, what I have enjoyed most is being able to meet and share ideas with so many brilliant educators. The spaces for discussion have not been limited to just the conferences (which I’ve enjoyed for the past 3 years) but also extends to the various platforms IAMSE provides for meetings like the CoGs. What I am looking forward to most is continuing to build that network and dialogue at the next conference.
What interesting things are you working on outside of the Association right now?
At the moment, I am working on leveraging AI in my own educational practices to not only save time, but also improve the educational resources I can provide to students. I have had to move past my initial fear and have become increasingly intrigued by how this tool can be used to enhance medical education. I am also interested in finding ways educators can help students “see” and “make” connections across the curriculum. The differences in the perspectives of faculty and students (based on their varied exposure to and comfort level with information) is something I have recently become more attuned to and I’m exploring in the hopes of identifying ways to bridge the gap.
As an IAMSE Ambassador, what do you most enjoy about being a part of that?
As an ambassador, it is a privilege to be connected with motivated educators from across the globe who are doing great things in their respective regions. It has been inspiring to hear and learn from them as it shows you what possibilities do exist.
This year, the Professional Development Workshops (PDWS) are offered across five different themes. Participants will receive a Certificate of Workshop Attendance for each workshop completed. Participants who complete two workshops within the same theme will receive a Certificate of Series Attendance listing both workshops and the overarching theme. The themes for the 2026 PDWS are:
Below, we look at the Methods for Health Sciences Education Research Professional Development Workshops:
Workshop 1: Quantitative Research in Medical Education
When: Saturday, June 6, 2026, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM EDT
Presented by: Sateesh Arja, Praveen Kottath Veetil, and Amina Sadik
This workshop guides participants through both the principles and practices of quantitative research methods in medical education. Participants will learn how to develop questionnaires, rating scales, and observational studies. You will understand the concepts of reliability and validity, as both are essential for publishing findings. The workshop will provide you with the tools to understand your data, describe it adequately, and present it in a meaningful way, to help ensure informed decision-making consistent with the information the data provides. Participants are also encouraged to attend Workshop 2, which focuses on mixed methods, to gain a comprehensive understanding of current research approaches in medical education.Workshop 2:Mixed Methods in Health Sciences Educational Research
When: Saturday, June 6, 2026, 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM EDT
Presented by: Sateesh Arja, Machelle Linsenmeyer, and Amina Sadik
This foundational workshop aims to provide a fresh perspective on educational issues, problems, and research. The presenters will introduce you to a range of research methods for collecting qualitative data. This will enable an understanding of how these methods can be applied in an educational environment. The presenter will guide you through the process of Mixed Methods Research and Evaluation, including research designs and Sampling in Qualitative Research Methods. Participants are invited to take part in Workshop 1 on quantitative research in the morning to gain a deeper understanding of quantitative methodologies, which form an essential component of mixed-methods research.
For more information on both of these Methods for Health Sciences Education Research PDWS sessions, including presenter information, key learning objectives, and workshop schedules, click here. (Each PDWs theme has it’s own tab).
All PDWS will take place on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Registration for each workshop will be an additional fee of $140.00 USD during registration. Already registered? You can still add PDWS to your schedule by modifying your registration. To do so, you may click here.
If you have any questions or would like assistance adding a workshop to your schedule, please contact support@iamse.org.
Don’t forget to register before the Early Bird deadline on Friday, April 1 to receive a discount on registration costs!
IAMSE Communities of Growth (CoGs) are ongoing groups of like-minded individuals who want to informally get together to connect over an area or topic of interest. A Community of Growth is not directly connected to any Committee and is self-organized, and all CoGs are open to all. For more information on IAMSE CoGs, click here.
The AI CoG and Black Medical Educators CoG have upcoming meetings! Below are the details for each meeting.
The AI CoG meeting on Zoom will take place at Noon (12 PM) EDT on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. IAMSE AI CoG meetings take place regularly at 12 PM ET on the first Wednesday of each month. For information on how to join the AI CoG, email Steve Garwood at garwoods@rowan.edu.
At this meeting, the AI CoG will meet for a presentation and Q&A by Dr. Keshab Paudel on his recent article in Medical Science Educator – “AI-Generated Podcasts as a Supplemental Learning Tool: A Feasibility Study in Undergraduate Medical Education.”
There will also be announcements/updates from:
The full agenda can be viewed at AI CoG 4/1/26 Agenda. Join us for an engaging AI CoG discussion. As a member-based group, your voice is important! See you April 1!
To join the April AI CoG Zoom meeting, click here.
Meeting ID: 966 6621 1082
Passcode: 361577
The IAMSE Black Medical Educators CoG meeting will take place at 12:30 PM EDT Friday, May 1, 2026. IAMSE Black Medical Educators CoG meetings take place quarterly at 12:30 PM ET on the first Friday in May, August, November, and February. If you are interested in learning more about this CoG and/or how to become a member, please contact Jacqueline Powell at jpowell@msm.edu.
To join the May Black Medical Educators CoG Zoom meeting, click here.
Meeting ID: 945 0993 9814
Passcode: 054506
As a reminder, IAMSE is pleased to announce that applications for the 2026 Medical Educator Fellowship (MEF) Program are now being accepted! IAMSE is once again offering members and non-members the option of beginning the MEF Program during the IAMSE 2026 Annual Conference.
The primary goal of the MEF is to support the development of well-rounded healthcare education scholars through a program of targeted professional development and application of learned concepts to mentored research projects. The program is designed for healthcare educators from all backgrounds who wish to enhance their knowledge and productivity as educational scholars.
Please note applicants are required to have completed the Foundations of Health Professions Education Course (Foundations) OR the Essential Skills in Medical Education (ESME) Program as a prerequisite. For more detailed information about the MEF program, please visit the information on our website at https://www.iamse.org/fellowship-program/.
Applicants for the next cohort will be accepted until April 15, 2026. To submit your application, please click here. For questions about the Fellowship or how to apply, please contact support@iamse.org. We thank you for your interest and look forward to supporting you in achieving your professional goals in educational scholarship.
We are excited to welcome Dr. Laura Nimmon, Associate Professor and Scientist at the University of British Columbia, who will present Rethinking Psychological Safety: Exploring “Educational Safety” Through Learners’ Experiences in a Peer Mentorship Context. The session will take place on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at 12:00 PM EDT, for the fifth and final week of the IAMSE 2026 Spring Webcast Audio Seminar Series titled “‘Tough But Fair’ Standards with Support: Empowering Success.”
This series is tailored for medical educators, particularly those teaching in the pre-clerkship curriculum. We’ll explore how to set ambitious, yet achievable, standards for your students, fostering the rigorous foundation future physicians need. Beyond just raising the bar, this series provides you with practical strategies to ensure your students not only meet these high expectations, but truly excel. Discover how to balance a demanding curriculum with the essential guidance that empowers the next generation of medical professionals.
The full IAMSE Spring WAS schedule can be found on the website.
Below we look at the fifth week’s presentation:
Laura Nimmon, PhD
Presenter: Laura Nimmon, Associate Professor and Scientist at the university of British Columbia
Session Date & Time: April 2, 2026, at 12:00 PM EDT
Session Description: Psychological safety is widely recognized as essential to effective learning in health professions education, yet much of the literature defines it by its absence—focusing on mistreatment rather than exploring learners’ own conceptions of what psychological safety is. In this talk, I present findings from a study exploring how medical students experience psychological safety within a peer mentorship learning context. Students described safety as “not feeling judged,” which allowed them to be more present, take learning risks, and build authentic relationships. I propose reframing psychological safety as educational safety—a relational construct that can help us build learning environments that foster trust, mentorship, vulnerability, and support.
If you are an IAMSE student member or trainee, please contact support@iamse.org for information about registering at no cost.
In 2024, IAMSE refreshed its introductory course in educational principles, previously known as Essential Skills in Medical Education (ESME) to Foundations of Health Professions Education (to be known as the Foundations course).
With the increasing professionalization of medical education, the need for faculty in the healthcare professions to have training in educational principles is widely recognized. While many institutions worldwide offer certificate or Master’s degree courses in medical education, there is a lack of accredited basic level courses. The new Foundations course has been designed to meet the need for an entry level survey of principles in health professions education. Foundations will be of particular interest to faculty who are involved with health professions education for the first time, or who have been given some new responsibilities or assignment relating to teaching. Others will find this course useful as a refresher course or update.
The course is led by two seasoned educators and long-time IAMSE members:
Aviad Haramati, PhD, is a Professor of Physiology and Medicine, and Director of the Center for Innovation and Leadership in Education (CENTILE), at Georgetown University Medical Center. He served as IAMSE’s first president and received the Distinguished Scholar Award, as well as the Edward P. Finnerty Lifetime Achievement Award from IAMSE.
Amber J. Heck, PhD, is Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She served as Program Chair for the 2023 IAMSE Conference and received the 2020 IAMSE Early Career Award of Excellence in Teaching and Innovation.
As a reminder, IAMSE is pleased to offer the course, which will start Friday, June 5, 2026, at 9:00 AM EDT, a day before the Annual Conference, and it is designed to be specifically relevant to medical science educators. Successful completion of the Foundations course is a pre-requisite for the IAMSE Fellowship Program.
Additional Foundations Course details and registration information can be found by clicking here.
Don’t forget to register before the Early Bird deadline on Wednesday, April 1 to receive a discount on registration costs!
As a reminder, registration for the 30th Annual Conference of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) is OPEN! The annual conference is to be held June 6-9, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia, USA, at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center. Faculty, staff and students in health sciences education from around the world will join together at the IAMSE Annual Conference to engage in faculty development and networking opportunities. Sessions on curriculum development, assessment, and simulation are among the common topics available at the conference.
DON’T FORGET! The Early Bird Deadline to register for #IAMSE26 is 11:59 PM EDT Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Featured plenary speakers include Kimara Ellefson (Kern National Network for Flourishing in Health, United States), Dr. David Rogers (University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States), Dr. Ken Masters (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman), and Dr. Adaira Landry (Harvard Medical School, United States).
Additional meeting details and registration can be found at www.iamseconference.org.
This year, the Professional Development Workshops (PDWS) are offered across five different themes. Participants will receive a Certificate of Workshop Attendance for each workshop completed. Participants who complete two workshops within the same theme will receive a Certificate of Series Attendance listing both workshops and the overarching theme. The themes for the 2026 PDWS are:
Below, we look at the Engaging Students with Coaching and Outreach Professional Development Workshops:
Workshop 1: Evidence-Based Coaching Techniques to Help Preclinical Students Through the Learning Paradigm Shift from Memorization to Application
When: Saturday, June 6, 2026, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM EDT
Presented by: Richard Gonzalez, Timothy Le, and Jonathan Wisco
The workshop will begin with an introduction to principles of student-centered perspectives to the learning process, and the importance of being cognizant of student potential, skills, and interests, as well as the demographic backgrounds, intersectionalities, and insecurities. Participants in the workshop will be able to define and recognize concepts of dual-processing theory, and how the so-called “curse of knowledge” can contribute to learning and coaching environments.
Workshop 2: Establishing, Sustaining, and Evaluating the Impact of Outreach and Service-Learning on Preclinical Student Professional and Personal Development
When: Saturday, June 6, 2026, 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM EDT
Presented by: Arlin Arias, Richard Gonzalez, Kirsten Porter-Stransky, Carolina restini, Peter Vollbrecht, Tracey Weiler, and Jonathan Wisco
This foundational workshop will help preclinical and clinical instructors understand the importance of outreach/service-learning for preclinical education and learner professional/personal development. Participants will learn how to design service-learning experiences that cultivate professional identity and meaningful community impact. The workshop will introduce practical and straightforward toolkits to align with goals, set up reciprocal partnerships, and track outcomes that participants can use to address their institution’s program(s) impact on preclinical learners and community partners. The participants will then work in small groups with facilitators to address core establishment plans, sustainability elements, and/or evaluation for their program needs.
For more information on both of these Engaging Students with Coaching and Outreach PDWS sessions, including presenter information, key learning objectives, and workshop schedules, click here. (Each PDWs theme has it’s own tab).
All PDWS will take place on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Registration for each workshop will be an additional fee of $140.00 USD during registration. Already registered? You can still add PDWS to your schedule by modifying your registration. To do so, you may click here.
If you have any questions or would like assistance adding a workshop to your schedule, please contact support@iamse.org.
Don’t forget to register before the Early Bird deadline on Friday, April 1 to receive a discount on registration costs!
By Katherine Muenks, PhD, BS
We are excited to welcome Dr. Katherine Muenks, Associate Professor and Louise Spence Griffeth Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, who will present Faculty/Instructor Mindset Beliefs. The session will take place on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 12:00 PM EDT, for the fourth week of the IAMSE 2026 Spring Webcast Audio Seminar Series titled “‘Tough But Fair’ Standards with Support: Empowering Success.”
This series is tailored for medical educators, particularly those teaching in the pre-clerkship curriculum. We’ll explore how to set ambitious, yet achievable, standards for your students, fostering the rigorous foundation future physicians need. Beyond just raising the bar, this series provides you with practical strategies to ensure your students not only meet these high expectations, but truly excel. Discover how to balance a demanding curriculum with the essential guidance that empowers the next generation of medical professionals.
The full IAMSE Spring WAS schedule can be found on the website.
Below we look at the fourth week’s presentation:
Katherine Muenks, PhD, BS
Presenter: Katherine Muenks, Associate Professor and Louise Spence Griffeth Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin
Session Date & Time: March 26, 2026, at 12:00 PM EDT
Session Description: In this talk, I will discuss my research on faculty mindsets, including evidence that these mindsets matter for students’ psychological and academic outcomes, ways in which faculty communicate and their mindsets to students, and implications for teaching practice.
If you are an IAMSE student member or trainee, please contact support@iamse.org for information about registering at no cost.
As a reminder, we are excited to announce that the IAMSE Board of Directors has approved the AI in Health Professions Education (AI in HPE) Course, a comprehensive, six-month professional development program that guides health professions educators from foundational AI skillsto real-world implementation at their home institutions.
Applications are now open for our inaugural cohort of 25 participants, who will begin the program at the IAMSE 2026 Annual Conference in June.
Course Enrollment Options:
There will be two standalone AI Professional Development Workshops (PDWS) as pre-conference sessions.
These workshops can be attended individually as standalone sessions. Educators who want targeted AI Skill development can register for either or both through the pre-conference workshop system.
The AI Foundations and Advanced Applications workshops serve as the required in-person foundation for the new comprehensive AI in HPE Course. The full course adds:
Total course commitment: 30-35 hours.
Limited to 25 participants: Application-based selection.
Application Requirements:
Course Fee: Certificate of Advanced Completion (3 workshops + project): $675 USD.
Application Deadline: Wednesday, April 1, 2026. All successful applicants will be notified by May 1, 2026.
Click here to learn more and apply. For any questions, contact support@iamse.org.
We look forward to building together.