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 Steve Garwood.
Steve Garwood, EdD, MCIS, MLS
Director of Faculty Development
Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
Stratford, New Jersey, USA
How long have you been a member of IAMSE?
I joined IAMSE in 2021 and began managing our institutional membership in 2022. As a Director of Faculty Development, I was very interested in ensuring that my faculty was aware of IAMSE and all the learning opportunities available. When I started my position in 2019, I was new to medical education after spending most of my career in teaching, instructional design, and higher education administration. The IAMSE WAS and Cafe sessions especially helped me get acclimated to medical education jargon and processes.
Looking at your time with the Association, what have you most enjoyed doing? What are you most looking forward to?
Two things stand out: my time working on the IAMSE Web Seminar (WAS) Committee and with the AI Community of Growth (CoG). I got interested in working on the WAS after years of registering my institution for events and receiving positive feedback from my faculty. I knew this was a group where I could make a positive contribution, and it turned out to be much more than I thought. I’ve met wonderful colleagues, helped plan multiple series, published meeting reports, and more. I’ve also really enjoyed being a member of the AI CoG and am looking forward to my new role as co-coordinator of the group. AI is having a significant impact on healthcare and healthcare education, and I’m delighted to be part of a group that’s helping us all make progress.
What interesting things are you working on outside of the Association right now?
I have a couple of articles in progress: one on the accuracy of automated speech recognition transcription in our lecture capture system, and another on teaching students to provide peer feedback. Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from AI, even though we used AI in the analysis for both of these projects. At home, I recently rooted cuttings from one of my favorite plants, a philodendron tripartitum. I love watching things grow and using plants to green up my work and living spaces. I’m really looking forward to spring and to spending time in my flower garden.
As a member of the Program Committee, what do you most enjoy about being a part of that?
The Program Committee has been a wonderful, highly organized, and very collaborative effort. I’ve worked on large events, so I was looking forward to bringing my experience to the group. Once I arrived, I was amazed by the skills and experience in the room and by how everyone brought their best to the Committee’s work. I’ve learned so much about how the conference is organized, how decisions are made, and how the Committee and organization handle the many tasks necessary for a successful event. Will (Brooks), the Committee’s Chair, has been a wonderful leader. He’s kept us on track, managed challenges, and ensured that everyone on the Committee has a say in decisions.
Why should people attend the IAMSE Conference this year?
I think this year’s theme, “Flourishing Through Change: Adaptability, Innovation, and Growth in Health Sciences Education,” is very timely, and we have a great agenda featuring plenary speakers, focus sessions, and oral and poster sessions. It’s always great to learn from our peers and see all the wonderful work people are doing in the healthcare education space. I think the conference will not only give us time to recharge and meet with colleagues, but also equip us with skills to persevere in these changing times.
Anything else that you would like to add?
I’d like to give a special kudos to the IAMSE Medical Educator Fellowship (MEF) program. I completed the program this year, and the experience was extremely helpful. Everything from the Foundations of Health Professions Education program (formerly Essential Skills in Medical Education, or ESME) to the group meetings, individual meetings, and correspondence with mentors was highly professional and extremely educational. I received advice and insight from many knowledgeable individuals, and the project I worked on was published in Medical Science Educator. I highly recommend this experience to anyone seeking to develop their skills as educators, researchers, and leaders.