Our association is a robust and diverse set of educators, 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 profile was written by long-time IAMSE member, Thomas Schmidt, PhD.
Thomas Schmidt, PhD
Professor-Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Iowa City, Iowa, USA
As I look forward to my retirement this month from the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics in the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, I also welcome this opportunity to reflect on the important role that IAMSE has played in my academic career as a basic scientist. I feel very fortunate to have been a Charter Member of our international organization and have certainly been gratified to witness its growth, both in terms of membership as well as stature within the broader medical education community. I sincerely hope that as an active IAMSE member I have, in some small way, contributed to that progress by serving on the Board of Directors, Chairing the Program Committee for the 2004 Annual Meeting, and subsequently chairing the Nominating and Development Committees.
These opportunities have certainly contributed to my personal development as a medical educator and for that I am very grateful. In 2010 I was extremely proud and honored to receive the IAMSE Master Teacher Award. That recognition is certainly one of the most gratifying experiences for me in my 37-year academic career at the University of Iowa. Another important “award” that I have been fortunate to receive has been the friendships that I have been so lucky to develop with many IAMSE members. Thanks so much to all of you!
Attending the Annual IAMSE Meetings, whether they were held in the United States, Mexico, The Netherlands or Scotland, has always been a great opportunity for me to present some of my own educational research as well as to think “outside the box” in terms of new advances in all aspects of medical education. Equally important, these annual meetings have enabled me to reconnect with colleagues and good friends from around the globe. Who can forget those exciting silent auctions!
I certainly want to take this opportunity to thank the entire IAMSE team, especially Julie Hewett and Amoritia Strogen-Hewett, for all their help and encouragement. The work you do is invaluable and IAMSE simply couldn’t thrive without your enthusiasm and dedication. I’d also like to express my appreciation to Dr. Peter G.M. de Jong, Editor of Medical Science Educator, for his continued support. Serving as a reviewer for the journal has been both a privilege as well as a responsibility, and I hope to continue serving IAMSE in that capacity after I retire.
Before my concluding remarks, I’d like to share with you a few quotes that have inspired me over the years. I think these brief statements speak in meaningful ways to why we all should strive to achieve our highest potentials as medical educators.
“A teacher affects eternity; he (she) can never tell where his (her) influence stops.”
Henry B. Adams
“Above all, I believe that teaching is an honor: to be able to influence, motivate and encourage the upcoming generation of professionals in the health sciences.”
author unknown
My very best wishes and heartfelt thanks again to IAMSE. Continued success to all of its members, both now and in the years to come.
Stay well!
Respectfully yours,
Tom Schmidt
