UAG Faculty to Participate in the IAMSE 2024

UAG School of Medicine is proud to announce the participation of our distinguished faculty members in the Annual Conference of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE). This esteemed event, set to take place from June 15-18, 2024, in Minneapolis, offers unparalleled opportunities for faculty development, networking, and the exchange of innovative ideas in medical science education.

Conference Highlights
The IAMSE Annual Conference is renowned for bringing together medical science educators from across the globe, providing a vital platform to enhance professional skills and share best practices. Featured plenary speakers this year include Dan Cannity (University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA), Kim Lomis (American Medical Association, USA), Subha Ramani (AMEE, Scotland, United Kingdom), and Alison Whelan (Association of American Medical Colleges, USA). The theme for this year's conference, "Empowering Educators: Embracing the Evolution of Health Sciences Education," underscores the event’s focus on advancing educational practices in the health sciences.

UAG Faculty Sessions
Dr. Kashif Ahmad and Dr. Carlos Rocha will lead a focus group session titled "Enhancing Anatomy Education Through Virtual Reality: From Basics to Clinical Proficiency." This session, scheduled for Sunday, June 16, 2024, from 9:45 AM to 11:15 AM, will explore the transformative potential of virtual reality (VR) in anatomy education. Participants will engage in interactive activities and hands-on experiences, learning to navigate 3D structures in VR, apply anatomical knowledge to clinical cases, and evaluate the effectiveness of VR compared to traditional methods. The session aims to empower educators with innovative strategies to enhance spatial comprehension and knowledge retention among medical students.

Dr. Ennid Duran, the Director of Faculty Development and Engagement at UAG School of Medicine, will conduct a faculty development workshop on Saturday, June 15, 2024, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Dr. Duran, an occupational health and educational development expert, will share her insights on advancing teaching skills, curriculum design, and faculty development. Her workshop will focus on creating supportive environments for faculty growth and ensuring teaching and academic leadership excellence.

On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, from 10:15 AM to 10:30 AM, Dr. Carlos Rocha will present an oral session titled "UAG SOM Anatomy Club: Bridging Gaps in Basic Science Education." This presentation will highlight the innovative microlearning approach of the UAG SOM Anatomy Club, which has significantly improved student performance in gross anatomy through concise, online learning modules. Dr. Rocha will discuss the course's methodology, results, and its impact on aligning basic science education with clinically focused medical training.
Additionally, UAG will present a poster titled "Revitalizing Medical Education: A Journey of Curriculum Redesign" (Poster 211). This presentation will showcase the efforts and outcomes of UAG's curriculum redesign initiatives aimed at enhancing medical education.

The participation of the UAG School of Medicine faculty in the IAMSE Annual Conference reflects our commitment to excellence in medical education and continuous professional development. We are excited to see our faculty contribute to and gain from this prestigious event, bringing back valuable insights and innovations to enhance our educational practices.

We look forward to them sharing their experiences and knowledge gained from this conference with our UAG community and beyond.