Foundation for Advancement of International Medical

Transcription

FAIMER®
10 Year s of Improving World Health through Education
FAIMER
®
Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research
3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685 USA • www.faimer.org
FAIMER
®
10 Years of Improving World Health
through Education
FAIMER
®
10 Years of Improving World Health
through Education
©2011 by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research. All rights reserved.
1
Introduction
This book aims to tell the story of the first 10 years of FAIMER’s Fellowship Programs through
the individual stories of FAIMER Fellows. As part of its commitment to improving world health
by improving health professions education, FAIMER established a two-year fellowship program
for faculty development in 2001. This program, the FAIMER Institute, is designed to teach
education methods, management, and leadership skills to international health professions
educators who have the potential to play key roles in improving health professions education
at their home institutions. By cultivating strong professional bonds among the Fellows, the
program also seeks to create and maintain a global network of health professions educators.
Under the co-directorship of William P. Burdick, M.D., FAIMER Associate Vice President for
Education, and Page S. Morahan, Ph.D., the FAIMER Institute began with 12 Fellows. In the 10
years since its inception, not only has the FAIMER Institute flourished, but FAIMER has also
used the FAIMER Institute program as a model to create five additional fellowship programs in
key regions, chosen based on need and their prospects for sustainability. Regional Institutes
were established in Mumbai, India, in 2005; Ludhiana, India, in 2006; Coimbatore, India, in
2007; Fortaleza, Brazil, in 2007; and Southern Africa in 2008. By the close of 2010, there were
538 Fellows from 40 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America; by the end of 2011, there will
be more than 635 Fellows.
Upon graduation from the FAIMER Institute or one of the Regional Institutes, Fellows become
eligible to apply for an International Fellowship in Medical Education (IFME). Fellows selected
for the program pursue an advanced degree in health professions education at participating
universities.
The work of FAIMER and its Fellows has reached far beyond the fellowship programs. FAIMER
is increasingly recognized internationally for its expertise in health professions education.
Fellows play ever more important roles in national-level decision-making in their respective
countries; they serve as organizers and presenters at international conferences on health
professions education, and as peer-reviewers and editors of prominent health professions
education journals.
Efforts in India have led to the creation of a biennial National Conference on Health
Professionals’ Education (NCHPE). Conferences so far have been held in Delhi in 2007 and
Pune in 2009, with another to be held in Vellore in 2011. Fellows regularly serve on nationallevel education committees; lead workshops as part of national faculty development programs;
and hold leadership positions in international organizations, such as the South East Asia
Regional Association for Medical Education (SEARAME) of the World Federation for Medical
Education (WFME).
2
In Brazil, the government has invested in FAIMER—most of the costs of the Brazil-FAIMER
Regional Institute are underwritten by the Brazil Ministry of Health. Graduating Fellows receive
a nationally recognized Specialty Diploma in Health Professions Education from the Federal
University of Ceará. In addition, FAIMER Fellows are increasingly filling the leadership ranks
of the Associação Brasileira de Educação Médica, Brazil’s national organization of medical
educators, and are taking part in national research and scholarship programs to advance health
professions education.
In Southern Africa, FAIMER Fellows have contributed to the growth of the South African
Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE), where they are organizational leaders as
well as workshop facilitators and speakers at the annual meeting. FAIMER Fellows have also
spearheaded the creation of the African Journal of Health Professions Education, and the Southern
Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI) program is moving toward certificate status in South
Africa.
Through workshops, conferences, and even the creation of new degree and diploma programs,
FAIMER Fellows have led efforts to improve health professions education in other countries
as well: Nepal, Pakistan, Egypt, Uganda, and Mongolia, to name just several. Fellows in South
America and Mexico have organized to form the FAIMER Regional Initiative in Latin America
(FRILA) in an effort to improve health professions education in Spanish-speaking Latin
American countries.
FAIMER’s education initiatives extend beyond the fellowship programs. For example, in
collaboration with The Open University in the United Kingdom and WFME, FAIMER launched
The Open University-FAIMER-WFME Distance Learning Modules in Medical Education in
2010. This program offers series of on-line learning modules on different topics in health
professions education. Thus far, eight modules each have been developed in the themes of “Self
Review and Accreditation” and “Educational Management and Leadership.”
FAIMER continues to develop other initiatives outside the fellowship programs as well, but the
Fellows are the core of FAIMER’s education program. Each Fellow shares FAIMER’s mission and
methods with his/her community, teaching other health professionals, connecting with other
Fellows and educators, and building a truly global network of health professions education.
There is still much work to be done, but FAIMER is proud to celebrate its first 10 years in this
book by celebrating the stories of FAIMER Fellows, the individuals around the globe who are
transforming world health through their expertise, their dedication to the promise of successful
medical education, and their undaunted optimism.
3
Message from the Chair
What a privilege it is to be a part of the Foundation for
Advancement of International Medical Education and
Research (FAIMER) on the occasion of its 10th anniversary!
Founded in 2000 by the Educational Commission for Foreign
Medical Graduates (ECFMG), FAIMER is charged with
supporting ECFMG’s mission of promoting international
medical education. Over the past decade, FAIMER has met
this challenge, innovating in the areas of research, data
resources, and the area covered in this volume—programs to
enhance international health professions education.
Message from the President
Ten years ago the Educational Commission for Foreign
Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Board made a decision to try
to improve the health of communities around the world by
creating the Foundation for Advancement of International
Medical Education and Research (FAIMER). Investing in
the education of the next generation of health professionals
was consistent with the source of ECFMG’s funds and it was
believed that this would make a difference in improving
global health. How it would be done, and whether this longterm outcome would be achieved, lay in a story yet to be told.
The individuals highlighted in the pages that follow are
part of an international community of educators who
share FAIMER’s dedication to improving world health by
improving health professions education. Selected by FAIMER
for their ability to enhance teaching and learning in medicine and other health professions,
these individuals have participated in one or more of FAIMER’s fellowship programs. As such,
they are now ready resources for local partners who share the ultimate goal of improving health
outcomes. They represent attainment of an early and enduring FAIMER goal—creating networks
of professionals that can initiate and sustain positive change in the education of health care
providers.
Faculty development was one of the paths we chose to achieve
our purpose. From a simple beginning with 12 Fellows,
the program grew and evolved into what is now a global
community of health professions educators. Through this
community, the world is now a more connected and informed place, and we can envision ways of
doing even better. The ultimate goal, improving global health, is still ahead of us, but the power
and hope of this story can be found in the words in this book, the stories of individual FAIMER
Fellows. FAIMER Fellows are creative agents of change who are making a difference every day
in large and small ways, and by their actions are redefining, accelerating, and attuning what it
means to improve world health through education.
Each year, FAIMER administers more than 100 fellowships, and the potential impact of this
growing community of FAIMER Fellows on local systems of medical education and health care
cannot be overstated. On behalf of FAIMER’s Board of Directors, I offer sincere congratulations
and thanks to FAIMER’s Fellows around the world and to the staff of FAIMER’s education
programs for their outstanding commitment and contributions to the missions of FAIMER and
ECFMG.
Fellows, we are proud to be among you, the FAIMERly, a term coined by Nalin Mehta, a 2007
PSG-FAIMER Regional Institute Fellow. We are awed by your energy and committed to your
success.
Emmanuel G. Cassimatis, M.D.
Chair, Board of Directors
Foundation for Advancement of International
Medical Education and Research
John J. Norcini, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Foundation for Advancement of International
Medical Education and Research
President and Chief Executive Officer
Educational Commission for Foreign
Medical Graduates
4
5
The FAIMER Community
This map shows the locations of the home institutions of FAIMER Fellows through 2010, along
with the locations of the FAIMER Institute, FAIMER Regional Institutes, and the distribution of
operating medical schools according to the International Medical Education Directory (IMED).
Through 2010, there were 538 Fellows from 40 countries in the FAIMER Community. As of
November 4, 2010, there were 2,192 recognized and operating medical schools in 176 countries or
territories listed in IMED.
FAIMER Institute
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Established: 2001
Co-Directors: William P. Burdick, M.D., M.S.Ed.
Page S. Morahan, Ph.D.
No. Fellows (through 2010): 133
Brazil-FAIMER Regional Institute (BRAZ-FRI)
Porto das Dunas, Ceará, Brazil
Established: 2007
Co-Directors: Eliana Amaral, M.D., Ph.D.
Henry Campos, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D.
GSMC-FAIMER Regional Institute (GSMC-FRI)
Mumbai, India
Established: 2005
Director: Avinash Supe, M.B.B.S., M.S.
CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute (CMCL-FRI)
Ludhiana, India
Established: 2006
Director: Tejinder Singh, M.B.B.S., M.D., M.Sc.,
Masters Distance Education
Southern Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI)
Established: 2008
Co-Directors: Juanita Bezuidenhout, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., Ph.D.
Vanessa Burch, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., Ph.D.
6
Number of Operating
Medical Schools per Country
Color Key
150+
PSG-FAIMER Regional Institute (PSG-FRI)
Coimbatore, India
Established: 2007
Director: Thomas Chacko, M.B.B.S., M.D.
50-149
10-49
5-9
1-4
Home Institution of FAIMER Fellow(s)
7
Payal Bansal
T
he year was 2001, the dawn of the new century.
The time was mid-career, nearing mid-life.
Having trained at the most prestigious institutions,
I had gotten married and had a lovely family and a
new academic career in surgery—everything looked
perfect. However, mid-life also brought with it an
inner restlessness, a reflective quest for what I really
wanted to do before it was too late and I felt regret.
“Be ashamed to die unless you have won a victory for
humanity!” The sound was getting louder with the
passing of each day.
A slow and silent yet steady revolution is
taking place... There is so much more to do,
and do together—toward winning a victory for
humanity; toward making the world a better
place.
I first saw FAIMER in 2003 on
the bulletin board outside the
dean’s office at my school. An
International Fellowship in
Medical Education (IFME) and
the organization called FAIMER
caught my attention. Using my
newly acquired “net searching”
skills, as a surgery lecturer of two
years, I set out on a journey that
was to change my life forever.
There was this field called
medical education that seemed
to offer what I was looking for,
and that, it seemed, would allow
me to pursue my unfulfilled
quest. Preparations began, and
an IFME fellowship came a year later. I spent a full
year at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and
the transformation was sufficient to bring me the
Alfred Hitchcock “McGuffin” Award for Surprising
Career Twists! My decision to move completely to
medical education had been made. I came back to
India, pregnant with learning, eager to nurture it and
deliver!
My return to India coincided with the advent of
FAIMER programs in India, giving me the ideal
platform to apply and consolidate what I had
learned. The first time I saw FAIMER’s concept map,
I realized that it aligned very closely with the change
that I envisaged for India. I saw in FAIMER an ally
who shared this vision. As I worked with FAIMER,
I became part of the process contributing to that
change.
The 2007 FAIMER Institute added another facet to
this close relationship. It provided the very skills and
guidance that I needed at that point of time, as I took
up the challenge of my new endeavor as associate
8
FAIMER Institute 2007
International Fellowship in Medical Education 2010
India
professor in a new medical education department of
Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS),
Maharashtra, India.
Since then, there has been no looking back: a
National Conference on Health Professionals’
Education held in Pune, India, in collaboration
with FAIMER; new faculty development programs;
and a first time ever grant (INR 1,260,000) from
the Planning Commission, Government of India, to
establish a Teachers Training
Institute for nearly 300 health
professions institutions at
MUHS. More than 1,000
faculty members have trained
at MUHS and the number
continues to grow.
The journey with FAIMER
continues through
collaborative work in
Regional Institutes, distance
education module writing,
and conversations about next
steps. The IFME master’s
fellowship in 2011, again
thanks to FAIMER, will lead to
the award of a much-needed
formal degree.
A slow and silent yet steady revolution is taking
place. Many invisible, tiny forces and vibrant voices
from within the FAIMER family—Page, wise, caring,
and insightful; Bill, enthusiastic and visionary; John,
gentle and intelligent; Debby, Ray, and Ralf, all quiet
and strong—their presence is pervasive, reassuring,
and gives confidence. Additionally, FAIMER has
given me lifelong mentors in Janet, Stewart, Larry,
Rita, Thomas, Tejinder, and Avinash; invaluable
friends in Rashmi, Henal, Anshu, and many others;
and a community of educators in India, and of
course, in the rest of the world.
I have grown up. There is a newfound realization
of coming into one’s own, and a strength and
confidence that comes from there. I have been
mentoring and helping many others develop their
educational skills.
The journey continues, and yet it seems to have
just begun. There is so much more to do, and do
together—toward winning a victory for humanity;
toward making the world a better place.
9
Dinesh Badyal
CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute 2007
India
A
to print a second edition to coincide with the new
s all Fellows do, I
curriculum for medical undergraduate courses
worked on my project
thinking of it as a one-year from MCI.
assignment to go along
with the fellowship. Then I I presented my project during the second
residential session of CMCL-FRI in January
started the first residential
2008, and then went ahead and expanded it.
session in January 2007 in
I completely replaced animal experiments in
Ludhiana, India. During
the program evaluation and undergraduate pharmacology teaching during
project discussion sessions, the next year (2008), and animal mortality was
reduced to zero. I then presented a paper on the
I came to know that I
expanded project at the 6th Asia Pacific Medical
needed to think about the
Education Conference at the National University
bigger picture for my project. I was told to develop
of Singapore in February 2009. I interacted with
intermediate and long-term outcomes at that time.
other international medical educationists there
I had never thought of that when I planned my
project. I was a bit confused and worried about how I and acquired more knowledge about research
could make a difference with my project.
However, the words of faculty members
about how the project will benefit the
When I started writing my project in 2006, I never
community had a big impact on me. I
thought of all the possible outcomes. Now in 2010 (five
started thinking about the usefulness of
years down the line) I am planning to start the
the project to others, expanding it, and
long-term outcomes. A bigger dream became reality.
making a big difference.
The next year I worked on my project
and completed it successfully with few hassles.
I got very good insights when I started it at my
institute. I read a lot of information related to
simulation, simulation in teaching, etc. I thought
of modifying the curriculum of pharmacology
practical exams, including using simulation to
replace animal experiments. In the process,
I wrote my first book, Practical Manual of
Pharmacology, released in April 2008 during a
workshop on medical education sponsored by
the Medical Council of India (MCI). The book has
become very successful, and the publisher asked
in medical education. I went deeper into
scholarship and published the extended project
as a full paper, “Computer simulation models
are implementable as replacements for animal
experiments,” in the international journal
Alternatives to Laboratory Animals (ATLA). The
paper was highly appreciated, and I still receive
requests from around the world for PDF copies.
Somehow my personal growth during the
fellowship period helped me to project myself as
a good pharmacologist and medical educationist,
and I was elected as the Editor of
The Clinical Researcher, the official
publication of the Clinical Research
Board.
I conducted two big events at my
institute: a CME program on depression
and a three-day “Workshop on Clinical
Research,” sponsored by the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Just two months after that I was invited
as a guest speaker at an international
conference by the University of Hong
Kong. After that I was a guest speaker
with Dr. K. Satyanarayana, Editor of
the Indian Journal of Medical Research
(IJMR), to conduct a workshop on
writing scientific papers at the National
Conference on Health Professionals’
Education in Pune.
These developments helped me a lot,
and with each development, CMCLFRI was somehow involved. I got a
lot of support from FAIMER Fellows.
A number of Fellows belong to my
specialty, pharmacology, so we got
together to improve our specialty at a
national level.
I wrote to the Medical Council of India
in July 2009 to ask them to sponsor
a CME program. They agreed and we
successfully conducted “Alternatives
to Animals in Medical Education” in
February 2010. The CME was attended
by 150 delegates from all over India.
Some of them (including one of the top
medical colleges in Delhi) have now
written me that they have started using
simulation models. This was another of
my project’s intermediate outcomes.
FA I M E R F a c t s |
Since 2001, more than 175 individuals have served
as faculty members in the six FAIMER fellowship
programs. Faculty members have come from:
• Argentina • Brazil • Canada • Egypt • India • Malaysia • Nepal • Nigeria
• Pakistan
• South Africa
• Turkey
• Uganda
• United Kingdom
• United States
They are experts in various areas of health
professions education, including:
• assessment • team building
• curriculum development
• effective teaching skills
• community-based health professions education • organizational development
• distance learning • personal professional development
• e-learning resources • education research
• problem-based learning • qualitative and quantitative analysis
• psychometrics • change management
• program evaluation • conflict resolution
• small group dynamics • approaches to leadership
Approximately one-half of all faculty members are
individuals who have completed a FAIMER fellowship.
In October 2009, I attended the
FAIMER Institute in Philadelphia in the United
States. On International Medical Education
(IME) Day, I met an administrator from a
national body in India, who encouraged me and,
in principle, agreed to sponsor my expanded
project on “Simulation Lab to Replace Animals,”
my project’s long-term outcome. The suggestion
was made to develop such a lab to cater to basic
and paraclinical sciences, and then replicate it at
other colleges.
10
The Faculty
When I started writing my project in 2006, I
never thought of all the possible outcomes.
Now in 2010 (five years down the line) I am
planning to start the long-term outcomes. A
bigger dream became reality. My wife says, “You
Pisceans dream a lot,” and I tell her I do this so
that I can convert them into realities. I thank all
medical educationists; FAIMER, in particular
FAIMER Fellows and CMCL-FRI; MCI; ICMR;
and my mentors for their constant support and
encouragement.
11
Ricardo Borda
Kofoworola Soyebi
Colombia
T
W
his is the story of a journey of hope. I have
always been a dreamer, a dreamer in a thirdworld country in which every problem becomes a
new opportunity. I had been battling in the medical
school for 10 years, trying to introduce low-cost
technologies that would allow a democratization
of knowledge and a more intimate relationship to
learning for patients, students, and faculty. I believe
we all have a social responsibility toward a better
future for all in our country and the world; I believe it
is not only the government’s responsibility.
When I arrived in Philadelphia, it was a dream come
true. I would be able to learn and meet other people
that could possibly share the same ideals. At the
beginning, it was frightening to see how long the
road was to be walked in order to make a positive
dent in the lives of our community. I lacked a great
number of tools that were required, but as each day
passed, new abilities were acquired, new friendships
were made, new ideas were born, and, best of all,
greater dreams were constructed. Many difficult
moments occurred and are still present, but the
FAIMER staff always has been there to help guide us
and make us responsible for constructing together a
new future. When we went back home, facing reality
was extremely difficult, but the ideals, dreams, and
friendships from FAIMER are always there to help us
through those tough moments.
I became part of a community that shared. I learned
to listen, to approach new cultures, to construct
global relationships, to relate to other people in an
appreciative way. We all were touched and changed.
Our projects are no longer local but integrated with
other Fellows and other nations, and focused around
one main objective: creating a better world. One of
the important global outcomes has been the creation
of the FAIMER Regional Initiative in Latin America
(FRILA), which is making its first steps, with a
strong conviction that we will be able to contribute to
the medical education and health of Latin America.
Because of the FAIMER experience, we have begun
to improve medical education with the faculty at my
medical school. We have made a reappraisal of the
curriculum, assessment procedures, and teaching
techniques. This doesn’t mean that we are not
facing major difficulties, but the leadership tools we
received have proved to be of great help.
Thanks, FAIMER, for a new life.
hen Dr. Bose Afolabi
(PHIL 2002) told
me in February 2005
to apply for a place in
FAIMER, I did not realize
then that she was giving
me a priceless gift. Thank
God I followed her cue and
sent in my application.
My experience in FAIMER
was and continues to
be life-transforming,
as I continually make new discoveries of those
hidden talents in me. Thanks to FAIMER for the
time given to train us by the FAIMER staff, as
their commitment was commendable; for the
demonstrated interest and commitment to all, which
was a great teaching point for me; for the exposure
to modern teaching methods; for the experience of
crossing the “crocodile infested river” in a group;
for the knowledge of the “monkey(s) carried on the
shoulders;” and for making me truly international,
meeting and networking with colleagues from all
over the world.
Nigeria
ever! All of the above and more were accomplished
in less than seven months thanks to my education at
FAIMER.
The eight-person Medical Education Committee at
my institution, which includes myself and another
FAIMER Fellow, recently organized a medical
education workshop for newly appointed lecturers
at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. We
used several tips from FAIMER, including seating
arrangement, interaction, and participation of
committee members throughout the three-day
workshop. The outcome was a truly satisfied group of
newly employed lecturers who promised to use the
new ideas in their own practice.
I must say that I look forward to increasing my
knowledge through advanced training and to
continuing to press on for a medical education
department in my college, knowing that only then
can we truly perform the duties we’ve signed up for.
There are four FAIMER Fellows in my institution.
The institution calls upon us for direction in
matters of medical education and curriculum.
Recently, I found myself in a committee with
seasoned educators—chief medical directors, faculty
chairmen, and editors of medical journals. I could
not help but inquire if I had not been mistakenly
nominated into such a powerful committee. The
college president assured me that he “did his
research” before selecting members. I know my
FAIMER fellowship had a great part to play in
influencing his nomination.
I am now Head of the Department of Radiodiagnosis,
since November 2009. Through the training received
at FAIMER, a “downtrodden department” that
no one respected has ascended, in a short period
of time, to a position of positive prominence.
This dramatic transformation has included more
opportunities for hands-on, practical experiences
for radiology residents, and improved staff attitude,
communication skills, and patient handling skills.
In addition, for the first time in the history of the
hospital (48+ years), our department presented at
the hospital’s grand rounds in May 2010. The hall was
filled to the brim, which was so very unusual, and the
presentation titled “From Clinicians to Radiologists:
Bridging the Gap” was marked the best presentation
12
13
Gagandeep Kwatra
I
n the year
2005,
applications were
being accepted
to the CMCL-FRI
for the fellowship
program starting
in 2006. My first
thought was:
This medical
education activity
is not for me. I’m
going to focus on
my departmental
work for a few
years. There
would be enough time for medical education later.
But then I thought: Why not now? I do want to
become a good teacher; let me start now so that
I have enough time to implement what I learn. I
decided to apply for the fellowship, thinking that
this would somehow help me in becoming a better
teacher.
During the first contact session, I expected that the
faculty would discuss our projects and teach medical
education as well. I was in for a surprise! The faculty
did talk about that, but they put a lot of emphasis on
issues like leadership, change management, how to
handle conflict, etc., and how we would need to use
all these concepts in implementing our projects.
Later, while doing my project work, I realized how
true that was, and I continue to use those skills for
all work that we do in our department. Another
important thing I learned was long-term outcomes.
When I wrote my project, I thought I would complete
it within a year, and that would be the end of it. I
hadn’t planned anything beyond that. The faculty
made us think of long-term outcomes, and I thought
to myself: How can a small project such as mine have
any impact on our nation’s health? They made us
realize how it is possible, and that was an eye opener.
That’s how I started thinking about long-term
outcomes for everything that I do now!
FAIMER taught me to dream big and
think of long-term outcomes.
Back at home, I started working on my project.
Overcoming the challenges and making some
changes along the way, I managed to finish the
designated project. That gave me a sense of having
accomplished something, albeit small. The journey
and the learning did not stop there; it continues.
I cannot say that my project had a major impact in
our department. But for me, the fellowship was the
beginning of a process of reflection and change. It
started off with changes in my own teaching. What I
learned in the FAIMER sessions continues to be used
in my departmental work. My plans for taking
my project forward got delayed, but I am now
working on developing another module for
the students.
FAIMER taught me to dream big and think of
long-term outcomes. I envisage that, a few
years down the line, we’ll have an institutional
computer library where we will be able to
upload teaching material for the students,
including my modules. And I plan to prepare
some more teaching materials, this time with
the help of faculty from other departments
like Pathology, Medicine, Microbiology, etc.,
that just might be the beginning of integrated
teaching in our institution! As they say:
“Man’s mind, stretched to a new idea, never
goes back to its original dimension.” And the
new idea was given to me by FAIMER and the
FAIMER faculty! Thank you!
14
Rima Beriashvili
India
T
he FAIMER experience is one of my greatest
experiences in life, playing an important role in
career and personal development. My life is divided
into “before and after FAIMER” periods. It has had
tremendous impact on the better parts of who I
am, on my mind, heart, and life. FAIMER gave me
new knowledge, and that knowledge made me more
“powerful.” I observed how the real world works
and became more self-confident, going in the right
direction, creating my own experience.
My fellowship innovation project was about
institutional self-study at Tbilisi State Medical
University in the process of accreditation. My
experience, gained through FAIMER, and my
knowledge in the field of institutional accreditation
were the main reasons I was nominated to different
regulatory positions that work on setting norms
and standards in postgraduate medical education
and professional development, accreditation of
health care providers for postgraduate education,
competency standards and licensing of health care
professionals, and development of effective program
evaluation and competency measurement systems in
Georgia. I am sure that, in the near future, effective
regulation of postgraduate medical education
and professional development will contribute to
increased qualification of health care professionals
that, in turn, will promote better quality of care.
Georgia
educationalist’s community for the most noble and
positive aim: to share knowledge and wisdom with
a sense of collaboration and support. It has a major
impact on its family members and on development
of national educational systems in FAIMER Regional
Institute home countries. I wish to meet with
FAIMER faculty and Fellows again, and do hope that
FAIMER will find ways for international meetings of
alumni.
The outcomes of my FAIMER experience were
completely unexpected, even for me. My career
underwent “uncontrolled” expansion to different
agencies, including the Ministry of Health, the State
Ministry for Reforms Coordination, and The World
Bank. Since July 2009, I have been Deputy Rector for
Academic Affairs at Tbilisi State Medical University,
and I continue to cooperate with the abovementioned governmental and non-governmental
agencies toward development of medical education
in my country.
From my point of view, the best parts of the
fellowship are development of a dense professional
network, refinement of methods of teaching and
learning, assessment, program evaluation, and
dedication of a highly qualified faculty and staff. I
adore their attitude, artistry, wisdom, and depth.
Social support from the
FAIMER family is extremely
important in a hard, unstable,
critical lifetime. Every
FAIMER Fellow knows how
sweet the feeling is when
you are protected by a global
family. I went through
different challenges, and even
wars, which happened in my
country, with high emotional
support from the FAIMER
side. FAIMER is a global
15
Monika Sharma
Ana Vargas
Argentina
was a member of the first group of Fellows. I
should say instead that I had the privilege to
be in the first group of Fellows sharing all the
emotions that witnessing the launching of the
FAIMER international project had. After 10 years
of undeniable success,
FAIMER keeps raising
emotions in new groups
of Fellows, extending the
boundaries of this family all
around the world.
project. If I disappear, the project will go on with new
actors; this means that I finally achieved my goal.
India
I
read the inspiring story of one of my CMCLFAIMER Regional Institute Fellows, and I would
have loved to share something similar. But not all
stories are success stories—some disappoint us, but
in doing so, make us think deeper. My story belongs
to this second group—it doesn’t really end, and
continues as a stepping stone to greater thinking.
I joined CMCL-FRI in 2007, pretty early in my career
as a medical teacher. The intention was to have an
insight into what I thought I had imbibed naturally,
“the art of teaching.” Thanks to the FAIMER
experience, I realized that teaching was much more
than just teaching. It was the art of helping your
students learn and understand the art of learning.
It gave me the ability to think more logically and
practically toward what we all referred to as “doable.”
My project evaluated the utility of a computerbased, self-learning tool. While dissecting the
project during the on-line intersession discussion,
I realized that my project was easy to accomplish
during the one-year fellowship in the form I had
planned. The long-term plan and possible wider
applications, like creating an e-library, were very
encouraging. My project went smoothly.
The second and logical step of every Fellow is to take
the project results back home and apply them more
generally. I thought the same, and with the help of
my then Head of Department, Dr. Tejinder Singh
(PHIL 2003; IFME 2006; Director, CMCL-FRI),
decided to work on another topic and prepared a
module for undergraduate students of pediatrics
at Christian Medical College, Ludhiana (CMCL).
Developing the module was extremely laborious and
time consuming, and I soon lost steam. I could never
take my project to the next level. It disappointed me
to see that while a lot
of the other Fellows
continued their
projects, published
their results, and
carried on with more
work, I didn’t do
much that was worthy
to talk about.
My note will not
continue to be
disappointing.
I gradually realized
that my large-scale
vision was not achievable by myself or in my current
position as a pediatrician, and I nearly abandoned
the entire project. However, I decided to continue
working on things more practical and useful to my
students, and focused on using the mini-clinical
evaluation exercise (mini-CEX) as a formative
assessment tool and learning aid for postgraduate
students. With Dr. Tejinder Singh, we implemented
the program successfully in the department over
the next two years and evaluated its impact through
student and teacher feedback.
The results of this project have recently been
published in The National Medical Journal of India.
Mini-CEX has now become a part of postgraduate
learning (a little away from taking its true form of
becoming an evaluation tool too). Another FAIMER
Fellow at CMCL has taken it on as a fellowship
project and I hope to see it expanding and reaching
its final shape in the forthcoming years.
I
In 2001, my project was
about how to set an objective
structured clinical exam
(OSCE) before graduation
in our medical school.
Reflecting on the events that
have occurred since then,
introducing standardized
patients in a traditionalminded community of
faculty was, by far, the
greatest challenge that I
faced. I could taste not only
the bitterness of rejection but also the sweetness
of little victories that allowed me to succeed in my
attempt.
I recognize how important the authorities’ support
was to achieve success with the project; but the key
of the final success was support from my colleagues
and friends, who shouldered the initiative by my
side. Now, we have two groups of faculty working in
clinical skills assessment using OSCEs as their own
I have been working in medical education mainly
in the department of internal medicine, the most
difficult field in our
medical school. After
10 years, the seeds that
I spread, with effort
and persistence, have
shown to my colleagues
my conviction and last
month they elected me
President of the Internal
Medicine Department
by unanimous vote of
their representatives. It
happened while I was at
home facing one of the
most difficult problems
in my personal life. I
appreciate so much that
they consider my work
valuable and recognize that
my low profile leadership
style can help them in their development as faculty of
our medical school.
FAIMER has always been working by my side; they
have never forgotten me despite my long silence on
the listserv. Jack Boulet and Marta van Zanten have
kindly worked with me over these 10 years and are
part not only of the final success of my project and
members of our faculty community, but also my very
dear friends.
I now plan to take another step, and look into
other deficiencies in how our students learn and
how we teach. Back home, we all crib about no
formal training to teach medicine. I hope I can do
something in this regard at the grassroots level,
beginning with my postgraduate students.
I may not have a success story to tell, but I wish to
encourage those who might consider leaving midway
through the fellowship or giving up on medical
education after getting the fellowship certificate.
There is so much more to be done in the field. Why
stop or limit ourselves to that one project?
Maybe it was good my project didn’t work out well—it
led me to focus on something at least as important.
Destiny...take me along!
16
17
Tejinder Singh
Director, CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute
India
I
t was a hot, sultry
afternoon in
July 2002 when I
received an envelope
containing an
application blank
for the FAIMER
fellowship. There
was no name to
indicate who the
sender was. The
contents of the
brochure looked
attractive though,
being in alignment
with what I was
doing and wanted to do. My Dean was more than
willing to let me try for this and I applied for it.
A telephone interview and then the selection
confirmation—wow!
The program started and with each passing day, a
new light, literally transforming the way we should
be conducting a faculty development (FD) program.
Interactive sessions, group learning, supportive
fellows and faculty, and a congenial atmosphere.
In retrospect, it looks like a typical journal article
description of a FD scenario. We came face to face
with the who’s who of medical education, each one
leaving an indelible impact on my thought process,
leaving me thinking about how I can use the teaching
styles in my own sessions.
18
Then came the best part—the listserv. It changed the
way we learn and the way we teach. The moderation
skills, resource sharing, learning from each other,
and having to deal with more than 20-30 mails
a day, all added to the fun of learning. It was so
addictive that if there was a lull any day, the deficit
would be filled by frantic enquiries of “Is the listserv
not working?” It not only broadened my learning
horizons but also made me a better teacher by
applying many of these principles in my regular
classroom teaching. I am fully satisfied asking “what
questions?” rather than “any questions?” at the end
of my sessions and believe me, I have generated
more audience questions than my fellow speakers at
a number of conferences.
Being a Fellow is OK, but running a Regional
Institute as a director looked tricky. With great
difficulty and using a lot of personal influence,
we collected 12 teachers to participate as faculty at
the CMCL-FRI. Bill came for the first session in
January 2006 and it was considered a success in
local academic circles. Participants were introduced
to a new methodology, a new way of looking at
teaching and learning, and a longitudinal process of
development. Like an old Indian proverb that love
and fragrance cannot be hidden for a long time, we
could not “hide” FAIMER for very long.
Five years of being a Regional Institute Director have
been satisfying and challenging. Satisfying because
we have been able to project FAIMER as a brand. In
their last letter to all medical colleges, the Medical
Council of India specifically asked for people who
are FAIMER trained. Many medical schools have
appointed FAIMER-trained faculty as coordinators
of their medical education units. Challenging
because we still have to reach a large number of
medical schools and faculty.
I also had the opportunity to attend a Master’s of
Health Professions Education (MHPE) and then
a Ph.D. program at Maastricht University through
FAIMER support. I was doing medical education
for all these years but the theoretical inputs in these
courses truly helped to make the tacit knowledge
explicit and give a sense of direction to my efforts. I
am particularly happy about this because I am able
to disseminate this knowledge and these skills to
a larger audience through the listserv, workshops,
and writings. The degree of growth has been
phenomenal. For years, CMCL was a type of “also
ran” player in medical education; now no meeting in
medical education is complete without participation
from this institution. From invited membership in
an expert group to decide on faculty development
interventions in India, to a regional center for basic
medical education workshops, to a nodal center for
advanced workshops, we have travelled a long way
and the journey has always been cushioned by help
and support from FAIMER.
The journey has just begun but the beginning has
been with a bang. There are still paths to be traversed
and difficult terrains to be covered, but the past
experience gives hope that the outcome will be as
fruitful as it has been so far. I have one more task to
complete, and that is to find out who sent me that
envelope containing the FAIMER application so that
I can thank that person for introducing me to a new
way of life.
Sanjay Bedi
I
joined FAIMER as a Fellow at CMCL-FRI in
January 2007 after I met Dr. Tejinder Singh
(PHIL 2003; IFME 2006; Director, CMCL-FRI) at
a meeting on making a curriculum for introducing
computer education for medical students. I did not
understand anything about medical education at
that time, but was simply impressed by Dr. Singh’s
personality and was seeking some direction. I
applied for the FAIMER Fellowship with “Electronic
Classroom for Undergraduate Students” as my
curriculum innovation project.
I focused on the use of an electronic mailing list as
a teaching aid for my project. Before taking up the
project, I had a history of making many mailing
lists on Yahoo and Google Groups, mainly as part of
my conviction that this was a way to improve health
globally. A special mention may be made of a course
in cybernetics I took in 1993, which helped me to
think like a management specialist, especially about
nichemarketing.
In the
process I
had done
courses in
pediatrics,
pathology,
and
computer
networking
and
India
was looking for a way to
interconnect all of these
sciences and teach them in
a more useful way. FAIMER
gave me a way to interconnect
with so many different people
from different nations, with
expertise related to medical,
non-medical, and IT content.
My confidence that we can
make a big difference in the
coming decade by integrating
technology with education was strengthened and
now I am on my way to expanding my curriculum
innovation project to the national level. This
has brought us nearer to a revolution in medical
education, which I can see coming in the near future,
with a big group of people networked together
making efforts toward making it a reality. I see
myself as deeply involved with the coming revolution
as an important change manager with a roadmap
and support available from all directions. There are
problems but they are not insurmountable.
FAIMER, along with the implementation of my
project, has brought me numerous friends from
across the country and the globe, and this makes
me feel very happy and satisfied that I have made
a meaningful contribution. However, a lot still
needs to be done, and I am making efforts toward
improving global health through the techniques I
have learned at the local, national, and global levels.
19
Dao Thi Minh An
I
am a lecturer in an epidemiology department of
a faculty of public health in Viet Nam. I applied
for the FAIMER course by chance because, before
me, no one from Viet Nam had attended a FAIMER
program. By chance, talking with my friends, I
learned that there was an organization working on
the advancement of international medical education
and research, FAIMER. With my interest in teaching
methodology, I searched on-line and found the
FAIMER web page and applied for the fellowship. I
was really worried before the telephone interview
because, at that time, my English was not good. But
Bill and Katherine were so nice that I was confident
enough to pass the interview by answering questions
related to my ability, experience, and the feasibility
of implementing my project.
I had challenges that might have prevented my
plan to attend the two residential sessions in
Philadelphia. My pregnancy caused me to postpone
my start by a year. The next year, I fractured a bone in
my leg two months before the program was to begin;
however, support from the FAIMER faculty made my
impossible possible. I will never regret attending the
course, because I gained a huge amount of knowledge
taught by FAIMER and had the chance to meet other
colleagues whom I consider my friends, my brothers
and sisters, and my teachers working in this field.
The things that impressed me about the program are:
the way FAIMER organized the course; the FAIMER
staff; the way Fellows worked in small groups for
discussion, which gave us the chance to share our
individual experiences; and the way of gathering
results at the end of the session by presenting to the
large group (this approach helped collect a variety
of ideas and knowledge from Fellows in a short
time, applying an active teaching method with its
20
Enoch Nshakira Kwizera
Viet Nam
full meaning of
student-centered
teaching). The wide
variety of teaching
approaches,
including role play,
case study, group
work, listserv,
Mentoring and
Learning Web
(ML-Web) groups,
the unforgettable
river crossing exercise, learning circles, poster
presentations, and field work, all made the course
alive and useful. Working individually or with group
mentoring made Fellows’ projects doable when they
returned to their countries. Mentors sat with their
students individually, working on their abstracts
before submitting them to “Really Good Stuff.”
One thing that is important to mention is the
teaching staff. They were so wonderful. It was the
first time I had attended a course where co-teachers
shared their knowledge and experience within
one period. They worked as a teaching team and
supported each other in not only a professional way
but also with a teamwork spirit. With Fellows, the
teaching staff was very friendly even though they are
at a high level of academic profession. They were
always available to help.
In the first moment, I felt like a fish out of water, but
gradually I found my confidence. And at the end of
the second residential session, I felt that FAIMER
had become one of my academic families.
Before joining the course, I was only a postgraduate
coordinator in my epidemiology department, one
of the seven departments in a huge faculty. With
the knowledge and skill taught by FAIMER, I have
proved that I am a useful person for the cause of
medical education in my institution. I have been
promoted to Coordinator of the Epidemiology
Module working on designing curriculum,
developing lesson plans, tutor guides, and student
assessment tools, and writing the handbook. The
impact of this contribution on my institution and
on all eight medical universities in Viet Nam is that
there will be a consensus epidemiology curriculum
for all medical universities nationwide, improving
the preparation of preventive medical doctors to face
challenges in the field of preventive medicine in
Viet Nam.
I
first heard of FAIMER from my colleague Dan
Kayongo (PHIL 2001) around the time when he
took up his fellowship, but my nascent interest
was soon smothered by my heavy workload, not
only as Head of the Pharmacology Department
at my institution but also as M.B.Ch.B. Phase III
Coordinator. I, however, closely
followed and was impressed by
the progress of Dan’s FAIMER
innovation project, which
involved the successful setting
up of an IT laboratory as a new
problem-based learning (PBL)
resource center for our students
and faculty.
In 2006, Bill Burdick came
to South Africa to plan the
establishment of SAFRI. He also
visited the schools that were
home to FAIMER Fellows, and
I hosted him when he visited
Walter Sisulu University. My
interaction with him during
that visit rekindled my interest in FAIMER. At the
time, my major research project involved graduate
follow-up and evaluation, and I indicated that I
wanted to make it my FAIMER project, too. Bill,
however, thought a community-based project might
be more appropriate to our setting, and I decided to
resuscitate a project on improving the prescribing of
medicine by primary health care nurse practitioners,
which had been on the back burner for three years or
so. I submitted my application and was admitted into
the 2007 FAIMER Institute class. And, as they say,
“the rest is history.”
For me, there were
three significant
aspects to the
beginning of my
FAIMER journey.
The first was the
diversity of people I
met and interacted
with during Session
1, including faculty,
classmates, 2006
Fellows, participants
at International
Medical Education
(IME) Day, and the
South Africa
Gregg Center staff (particularly those in Catering and
at Reception). I, of course, cannot forget the visits to
local medical schools where I saw PBL tutorials and
objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs),
and I was able to compare these with our experiences
back home. The second significant aspect was with
regard to the various concepts
and principles I learned (or
relearned) during Session 1,
including the Myers-Briggs
types, conflict management,
change management, project
planning and evaluation, and
research methods. The third
significant aspect had to do with
my project, particularly how
Debby, John, and Regina helped
me make it a SMART one.
Working on my FAIMER project
on top of my other academic
and personal responsibilities
taught me to be a better time
manager and to have a Plan B
(and indeed many alternative options) to deal with
the unexpected. More importantly, being in the
unenviable shoes of “learner” gave me better and
more empathetic understanding of my students, and
I believe the experience contributed to making me
a (hopefully) better teacher. Having had this formal
training also imbued me with more confidence,
especially when interacting not only with my peers
but also with my superiors.
My school now has three FAIMER Institute Fellows
and one SAFRI Fellow. We share our FAIMER
experiences as
SAFRI faculty
and as health
professions
education
consultants locally,
regionally, and
internationally.
All of us are at
the vanguard of
innovative PBL
and communitybased programs in
medicine, nursing,
and allied health
professions.
21
Rita Sood
India
I
first heard about FAIMER’s IFME fellowships in
the year 2003 when the application forms were
paper-based. I started filling out the form, but it was
too elaborate and, because of conflicting interests (I
had my interviews coming up for promotion), I could
not complete it by the deadline and then forgot about
it. Then, when I was invited for the consultation
meeting (for development of regional FAIMER
institute curriculum) at
Christian Medical College,
Vellore, in December
2004, I met Dr. William
Burdick. Meeting and
talking to him inspired
me again to take up this
initiative to pursue my
application process for the
FAIMER fellowship. By
this time, the application
submission process had
moved on-line, and I
applied.
Though I had been trained
in educational methods
and had been involved
in conducting faculty
development workshops
for many years, I had no
exposure to the leadership
skills. The terms “change
management” and
“conflict management”
were new to me, and yet I was required to lead our
school’s Centre for Medical Education.
The journey through these last five years has been
very exciting and rewarding for me. One great feeling
that I got when I joined the first session in October
2005 was to know that I was not alone in my struggle
to get recognition for my and others’ involvement
in medical education; it was the same story globally.
The first meeting (meet the experts session) with
Jim was very comforting and reassuring and further
increased my determination to follow my passion.
The sessions on change management, conflict
management, and appreciative leadership were
eye-openers for me and made me look at the same
work environment differently and more positively.
Knowledge of the process of change and barriers
to change was very helpful in successfully pursuing
my project despite many challenges. The listserv
experiences were just too exciting and learning was
22
so much fun. I got addicted to the listserv and have
thereafter become an avid on-line learner.
Then the experiences as faculty at the FAIMER
Regional Institutes, under the mentorship of Bill
and Page initially and then Debby, Janet, Stewart,
and Ray, were the boosters and have been great
learning experiences for me. They have made me
a much more patient
and confident facilitator
who need not always
depend on PowerPoint
presentations, and they
improved my skills
for conducting more
interactive sessions.
I have become more
accepting of the
unexpected outcomes.
The knowledge and skill
enhancement in the areas
of educational research
and scholarship, and
leadership and change
management, have really,
really changed my life in
many ways. Although I had
been working quite a bit
in terms of educational
innovations and faculty
development activities
for nearly 15 years, I was
a hesitant writer. I had been usually a quiet worker
and had edited two books on medical education (one
on assessment methods in 1995 and another on
postgraduate education in 2002), but I did not quite
work on promoting these. Over the last three or four
years, after my second session at FAIMER, I have to
some extent learned the skill/art from Page that she
calls “graceful self-promotion.” I am less hesitant to
talk of my achievements than I was earlier.
Before FAIMER, I had never in my life had mentors
like Page and Bill, who brought out the strengths in
me of which I myself was not aware. It was one of the
best experiences for me to organize the first National
Conference on Medical Education at my institute
with the support of FAIMER. The presence of John
Norcini and other board members was really very
encouraging. This conference was complimented as
a landmark event in medical education by most of the
people who attended.
FAIMER has played an important role in increasing
my visibility and has made a significant contribution
to my international accomplishments, the latest of
them being an invitation to the Karolinska Institutet
as faculty for its leadership program and by the
British Medical Journal to speak during its annual
International Advisory Board meeting.
general, I have become much more positive in my
approach to work and life. This stood me in great
stead while leading work teams in my medical unit
and also at the Centre for Medical Education while
I was in charge for three-and-a-half years. This
approach has also helped me in coping smoothly
with ups and downs in my career.
Personal growth—the change in me as a person—
has meant more to me than the professional
development. I think others have also noticed and
appreciated this change. I have become much more
patient, accepting, and tolerant of others’ points of
view and have developed an “appreciative eye.” In
To summarize, the FAIMER experience over
the last five years has contributed immensely
to my professional and personal development,
and I consider myself fortunate to be part of this
wonderful FAIMER family. I thank everyone at
FAIMER for providing me with this opportunity.
V.V. Unnikrishnan
F
AIMER was a
revelation for
me.
I am a “rightbrained”
physiologist,
who wishes to
dream and hope.
Quite often
I wondered why my dreams and hopes do not
materialize into realities in flesh and blood, in
the way I want them to. FAIMER gave me answers
in more than one way. The FAIMER way of
thinking gave me a totally different paradigm in
approaching medical education and life. It unveiled
a methodical, systematic approach, which is bound
to achieve its goals. The most recent trends in
management, statistics, medical research, and
even cost accounting were incorporated into the
curriculum. The process of sifting through volumes
of information and data, especially from the listserv,
PSG-FAIMER Regional Institute 2007
India
and reaching concrete conclusions from them was a
revealing experience.
The commitment of Bill, Janet, Katherine, and
Thomas, and the wonderful way in which one’s
queries were addressed during a remarkable period
of time, were some of the high points. It is with
unbounded pride that I look up to my contemporary
Fellows—Saira, Ravi Shankar, Jyoti, Reem, and
Supten—who have since excelled in the FAIMER
pathway.
The FAIMER way of thinking gave me a
totally different paradigm in approaching
medical education and life.
FAIMER stands as a polestar in my career, to help me
determine my bearings.
23
Christy Amaiheaghara Nene Okoromah
W
hen I was first
appointed as
academic medical faculty
at the College of Medicine,
University of Lagos (CMUL),
Lagos, Nigeria, I was lost in
a sense, being uncertain of
what the rules, regulations,
and expectations were for
my new job. As a newly
appointed academic medical
faculty, I wondered why new
and junior faculty were neither formally orientated
to the institution nor prepared to carry out their core
roles of teaching, research, and service before ever
daring to commence any of these crucial duties.
So when the FAIMER fellowship program application
came up, it suited my career development dreams
and ideas, and I did not waste time in seizing the
opportunity to apply. Although the process for
completing the then paper-based application was
quite tedious, things worked out for me faster than
I ever imagined. I looked forward to implementing
innovative educational programs and using the
FAIMER fellowship experience to influence the way
medical education business enterprise is run, since
I strongly believe that improving medical education
will eventually translate to better health care for all
peoples.
My first shock during my first FAIMER Institute
session was the culture mix and the widely varied
professional and academic attainments of the
Fellows. I could not but doubt my ability to match
the knowledge and skills of some of the more
experienced participants, some of whom
had written books in medical education, or
chaired medical education departments in
their institutions. Kudos to the enthusiastic
and engaging team of FAIMER faculty, who
reassured us and were able to engage all of us,
notwithstanding our glaring disparities and
diversities. The two FAIMER Institute sessions
were memorable, but humbling learning
experiences for me.
Nigeria
innovative FAIMER fellowship projects conducted
in participating Fellows’ home institutions served
as the workshop in which to test and practice the
skills learned during the FAIMER Institute. For my
FAIMER project, I designed, implemented, and
evaluated, along with a multidisciplinary team of
faculty, a program on evidence-based medicine to
determine its impact on medical students during a
paediatric clerkship.
Many of my roles and responsibilities are
attributable to my FAIMER experience including
coordinating the integration of newer educational
domains such as ethics and professionalism,
evidence-based medicine, communication skills,
and introduction of early clinical exposure,
coordinating development of a medical education
and research unit, and participating in planning,
implementation, and evaluation of faculty
development programs. I have also been invited as a
resource person for faculty development on research
skills and writing for publication in neighboring
medical schools.
My FAIMER story is incomplete without Dr. Nancy
Gary who, on my first day of the FAIMER Institute,
offered me a warm handshake and engaged me in
conversation about my country and my career. The
sparkle and excitement in Dr. Gary’s eyes, and her
kind words practically dissolved my uncertainties
about what the fellowship program was all about.
My FAIMER story is yet unfinished and is an evolving
story. Thank you for giving me, and the growing
community of FAIMER Fellows, the opportunity
to explore the world of medical education and
educational research.
Juanita Bezuidenhout
B
ecoming a FAIMER Fellow was one of the
single defining moments of my life. I entered a
community where I found meaning and affirmation
of what I believe in with regards to education.
Co-Director, Southern Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute
South Africa
is very time-consuming, it is worth every minute to
see how Fellows from all over Africa develop and not
only follow in our footsteps, but pass us and lead the
way.
The FAIMER community
accepted me as an
individual, allowed me
to be as creative as I
wanted to be, and did not
frown upon my slightly
odd way of thinking. In
turn I felt safe to develop
my creativity even more,
came into my own, and
realized that odd is more
than OK. I’ve learned
that what I thought was
“agonizing over things”
is actually “reflection”
and OK.
The first day at FAIMER
I met many people that
I became good friends
with and a few from
whom I’m inseparable,
including David Cameron
and Christina Tan, and
I built bonds across
oceans. Through FAIMER
I developed a set of skills
that is fairly unique in
my environment and I
developed a confidence
that I can feel. I am now
regarded as a health
sciences education expert
in my institution, my
country, and in Africa. I
am actively involved in
numerous activities and committees, most recently
as a board member of the Medical and Dental Board
of the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
None of these achievements I would have envisaged
prior to joining FAIMER.
From a research
perspective, it has
opened new doors as well. I have developed a
collaborative project with FAIMER and SAFRI
Fellows from all the institutions in South Africa, and
through Janet Grant, an arm in the United Kingdom
as well.
Through my participation in SAFRI, I have found
the “cause” that a person with a Myers-Briggs INFP
personality searches for and I believe that this is
one of the most worthwhile things I do. Although it
Most importantly, as you can see from my short
story, the network that I developed is amazing.
Never before did I contemplate that I would meet the
education gurus and become friends with them.
The FAIMER Institute brought to the fore
the impact that formal training in medical
education can have on one’s career as a medical
educator, and the tremendous value such
training can add to the teaching and learning
process at all levels of medical education. The
24
25
Praveen Singh
O
ur institute,
Pramukhswami
Medical College,
situated in Gujarat
in western India,
is a prestigious
institute always
looking forward to
developing innovative
teaching-learning
methods, working
for betterment of
students, and serving
the community at
large. I came to know
about the FAIMER
fellowship at a workshop conducted by one of our
FAIMER Fellows in the college, along with a FAIMER
Fellow from another institution in 2007. The
workshop was very useful.
After knowing the objectives and activities of
FAIMER, both I and my wife, Dr. Suman P. Singh,
applied for the FAIMER fellowship at Christian
Medical College, Luhdhiana. I am a teaching faculty
member in anatomy and my wife is a teaching faculty
member in microbiology at the same place. We were
used to discussing various methods used for the
teaching-learning process, so we were very happy
to learn that there is an international organization
like FAIMER, concentrating on health professionals’
education. We went through the process required for
FAIMER application, and then eagerly waited for our
turn.
Now the day of the result came and I received a letter
from CMCL-FRI stating that I have been selected for
this prestigious fellowship. It made me very excited,
as I was looking forward to the academic feast that
was going to follow. But at the same time, it was a
bit sad, as my wife did not receive the letter. This
didn’t last long, as my wife was informed that she
also was selected, after the waiting list was cleared at
CMCL-FRI.
We reached Ludhiana with the preparations that
we were required to undergo. We were enthusiastic
about the whole process. We were highly impressed
by the quality and quantity of knowledge that we
received from Dr. Tejinder and team. We were
actually expecting the environment to be similar to
our departmental conferences and workshops, but
the scenario was totally different. Each day started
26
Suman Singh
India
sharp, right on-time, and the sessions were so
different—interactive and well managed—that we
were spellbound. The environment at CMCL was so
charged that we were even discussing issues during
our breakfast and lunch times. For the whole week,
we were very much enriched by knowledge, along
with a very important message by Dr. Tejinder that
we cannot wait for the world to change, but we should
ourselves start the process and act as a role model.
I
Leaving Ludhiana was different for us from any other
conference. We knew that our day was not ending
there, but would continue on and on, unlike other
conferences or workshops. We were committed
to the work, and enjoyed our on-line intersession
period with monthly moderated discussion topics,
and most importantly, continued with our project
work. The faculty and our senior Fellows were very
cooperative in solving whatsoever difficulties that
surfaced during this time. Only at FAIMER could
we see a concept of co-mentorship, where seniors
helped us wholeheartedly. At times when we needed
help in our listserv discussions, it was available in no
time.
I applied for the FAIMER fellowship at CMCL, but
did not get selected at first. I was wait-listed, but I
got a call at the last moment. I was very happy as my
life partner was also among the selected Fellows.
t was sometime in July 2006 when I attended a
faculty development program at our institute. One
member of the faculty was a FAIMER Fellow and I
got interested in this unknown world at that time.
I wanted to know more about it due to my inherent
inclination towards teaching. The more I knew about
it, the more fascinated I became with the philosophy
of FAIMER and its determination to serve mankind
through its mission to improve education.
It was a year full of academic activity, learning,
understanding new concepts, and the excitement
of becoming a part of the big FAIMER family. The
best thing that I have gained through FAIMER is to
be patient and optimistic and make every effort to
be the change that we want to see. In short, I have
India
learned to live through FAIMER. The persistent
efforts have started to bear fruit, and the perception
of my institution toward medical education has
changed in a positive direction.
I and my life partner, Praveen Singh, also have
the privilege of being selected as FAIMER faculty
at CMCL, and thus of having the responsibility to
maintain the change that has been initiated, to fulfill
the mission of serving society through improvement
of medical education and the health care of society at
large.
Thank you FAIMER, for providing us the opportunity
to serve mankind in a noble way.
In these two years, with the help of knowledge
acquired through FAIMER and its resources, we
conducted many workshops on medical education
at our place. I presented my curriculum innovation
project at our national conference, where the work
was duly appreciated. Because of FAIMER, we were
able to introduce changes in the anatomy curriculum
in the form of introducing case-based learning as a
part of the curriculum for the phase one students.
After successful completion of our fellowship, we
were happy and fortunate to be called back as faculty
at CMCL-FRI, which has helped us grow in the field
of health professions education. Our experience
of FAIMER helped us in conducting a three-day
workshop on basic medical education at our
institution. For this we not only invited faculty from
our place, but from across the whole of the Gujarat
state. Because of my activities, I am a part of a faculty
development program at our institute.
FAIMER helped us in achieving expertise in the field
of medical education. This insight will further help
us in taking care of the teaching-learning processes
at our medical college, spreading the light of medical
education to regional medical schools by conducting
workshops, thereby helping us in the end to serve
the community at large.
Communities of Practice
There are six FAIMER communities of practice, one for each of the Institutes. Fellows stay
connected through professional development listservs. There were 69,389 messages posted
across all six listservs from December 1, 2005, through June 30, 2010. In the first six months of
2010, there was an average 2,261 messages posted per month. Through the listservs, Fellows
share knowledge and resources, explore ideas, devise and conduct collaborative projects,
request and receive help and advice, congratulate, celebrate, and commiserate!
27
Wagdy Talaat
Suely Grosseman
Egypt
based on faith in my personal, sincere motives and
relied on FAIMER’s understanding and support as
the major, technical sponsor of my project.
A
s soon as I heard about FAIMER’s noble
mission, I decided to apply for its international
fellowship program. It was midnight Cairo time,
and I did not realize then that I had to fill in the
application form on-line. When I got to the research
project section, it was the next morning already, and
I was too exhausted to think of a sound, genuine, and
creative idea for my project! It was as if I fell asleep
on my computer and was dreaming when I said to
myself: I FOUND IT!!!
I always dreamed of leading change in medical
education in my country, Egypt. A few years earlier,
I had established the first academic medical
education department in Egypt and the Eastern
Mediterranean Region. One of its postgraduate
programs was the Joint Master of Health Professions
Education (JMHPE) through distance learning,
in a partnership between Maastricht University
in the Netherlands and Suez Canal University in
Egypt (www.medfomscu.org). As a regional (now
international), highly expensive program for the
Egyptians, I felt guilty because I could not be of more
help to the Egyptian health professionals working
in academic or training positions. Although
it’s the most affordable among comparable
programs in the world, I still had a long list of
Egyptians who applied for the JMHPE program
but failed to register because of its relatively
high fees. I asked myself: can we plan, this time
on our own, another more affordable program
to encourage more Egyptians to enroll? Again,
I said to myself: I must be dreaming! This
requires a lot of experience in planning such a
high-tech program with limited resources and
also needs a major, courageous sponsor. I was
too tired to think of another project, and also
too enthusiastic about the idea to let go! I took
my chances and planned my FAIMER project
28
As much as I felt happy and honored to be chosen
as one of the 16 international Fellows (PHIL 2007),
equally as much I felt committed to make my dream
come true and responsible for proving to FAIMER
that it was a vision rather than a dream. Once I
shared this vision with my FAIMER faculty and
colleagues, I could see clearly the end of the road,
and I learned at FAIMER how to reach it by the
straightest line—through good planning and concept
mapping.
We started our first FAIMER on-site session in
the first week of October 2007, and I promised to
open my national “Diploma of Health Professions
Education through Distance Learning” program
(www.dhpescu.org) in the first week of October
2008. I fulfilled my promise, and opened this
program exactly on time. A gush of highly ranked
faculty formed the first cohort of this program,
mainly chairpersons, full professors, and a dean
of a medical school. In the first round, we received
56 fellows and graduated 36. By the end of 2010,
we had 97 fellows, which reflects the credibility of
the program and its sustainability. The Egyptian
government and the World Health Organization
are sponsoring almost half of the applicants, and
practice regular quality assurance checks on the
program during their accreditation peer-review
visits to our school.
In short, FAIMER helped me become more selfconfident, more professional, and more loyal to my
country and to the whole global medical community.
Thank you, FAIMER.
I
n 2003, my institution changed its curriculum
after a long process of discussion. Everything
seemed to be perfect. However, out of 180 faculty
members, only 15 applied to the faculty development
program. After some time, a lack of motivation took
hold among those engaged in the movement. I felt
the need to look for some strategy that could raise my
motivation and bring more results to our institution.
I didn’t realize then that FAIMER would be so
important in and to my life.
Even before going to Fortaleza to attend the BrazilFRI, I discovered that I was not alone, because we
started on the FAIMER listserv and began to present
ourselves to each other and to discuss some articles,
sharing opinions and experiences. When I got to
Fortaleza, I met many peers, who were experiencing
situations very similar to mine and with whom I
could share ideas and feelings.
The care taken by each of the FAIMER team
members during the whole meeting in Fortaleza was
fantastic. The organization and the environment
were perfect. The faculty was highly qualified and
accessible, models to be followed. This context
contributed to a jump in my process of learning. I
learned a lot about: medical and health professions
education, the project to be developed, planning,
leadership, and myself through the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator. All of these processes, which, in a
very agreeable environment, promoted closer ties
and supported our efforts to improve ourselves to be
able to improve our reality, made me become a very
different person and gave me energy.
Being a FAIMER participant gave me the
feeling of belonging to a group, a family
with many wonderful relatives...
When I came back to Florianópolis, I knew I was not
alone any more. There was a lot of work to be done.
I carried out my project on the pediatric internship
student assessment. It was very important to trigger
the feeling among the students, staff, and faculty that
students’ assessment in internship should change.
We organized a Student Assessment Committee to
study and implement new tools for the assessment of
competence, and we are still discussing how to do it.
My two years of participation as a FAIMER
student made a difference in my way of seeing
Brazil-FAIMER Regional Institute 2008
Brazil
things—perceiving possibilities—and in my behavior.
I began to deal better with reality. I became more
patient, giving some suggestions and pointing out
strategies, but understanding that some time is
required until some stakeholders perceive the need
for them.
Recently, I have begun to feel
that there is a progressive
involvement of students and
faculty in the improvement
of our curriculum. The
students invited me to join
an interdisciplinary group
to discuss ways to improve
undergraduate students’
mental health, and the
doctors of a Basic Health
Unit invited me to discuss
strategies to reinforce their
relations with the university. I hope I can involve
more students and faculty members, so that we
can again structure a committee to evaluate and
improve our course. I believe this can be done in a
more systematic way thanks to The Open University
distance learning course on self-review and
accreditation offered by FAIMER.
Recently, Brazil-FRI Co-Director Henry Campos
invited me to join the FAIMER leadership
discussion group, and the FAIMER team gave me the
opportunity of being a faculty member. For me, it was
a gift; it was like a dream come true. I have to confess
that I have never felt so valued in all my academic
life. And I was, I am, and I will always be grateful
to FAIMER for the opportunity of experiencing
this continuous and intense process of learning in
a program that addresses both the cognitive and
affective dimensions.
Being a FAIMER participant gave me the feeling of
belonging to a group, a family with many wonderful
relatives, spread all over Brazil and other countries,
which gives support and empowers and strengthens
each of its members to improve professional
education in an effort to improve health care, not
only in the institutions where they work, but also at
the regional and national levels.
FAIMER is the best program I have ever experienced
in my life and my hopes are to be able to continue
growing and contributing to the development and
strengthening of this very special new family to
which I belong.
29
Jose Frantz
T
30
Hemant Damle
Southern Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute 2008
South Africa
he journey
for me
has been like
writing an
article. The
Introduction
and
Background
to my journey
was provided
by the on-site
interactions
at SAFRI, as
well as by the
ongoing Mentoring and Learning Web (ML-Web)
discussions. During the on-site sessions, the gap in
my knowledge was highlighted, but the sessions also
assisted in emphasizing the contribution that I could
make to health science education and research.
and means of overcoming these weaknesses. In
addition, sessions on different assessment methods
and providing feedback helped me to learn how to
objectively measure physiotherapy education in our
department and nationally.
The Methodology section was both quantitative
and qualitative in nature. Getting to understand
my Myers-Briggs type, leadership style, and
ways of managing conflict contributed hugely to
understanding the phenomena called MYSELF.
During the process, I was able to identify my
strengths and my weaknesses, as well as ways
The Conclusion is that this journey has not ended—it
is only starting, and the recommendation being
made is that after this article has ended I will
continue to write others. The seed has been planted,
and over the years you will have to watch the tree
grow.
The Results of this SAFRI/FAIMER experience are
that I am currently applying many of the concepts
I learned on this journey in teaching, research,
and administration. In the past two years, I have
been able to implement well-structured faculty
(staff) development workshops relating to writing
for publication within our department and for our
faculty. The process and planning required to cross
the crocodile river has been used as a framework
for conducting research projects in my research
methodology course and is often used in youth
development programs to highlight the importance
of teamwork and planning.
Thank you for the experience.
I
t was about 12 years ago that the medical college
where I worked asked me to join an in-house
medical education technology (MET) workshop.
Our reactions were mixed. I knew then that this was
a new area for me to develop new skills apart from
clinical skills, which I had (I am a gynecologist).
Our in-house faculty were themselves a
little clumsy and awkward (forgive me
for this comment) as they all were from
non-clinical branches. Then I happened
to meet a real expert from the clinical
side, Dr. Payal Bansal (PHIL 2007, IFME
2010), who had undergone training at
FAIMER. Then because of our mutual
friend Dr. Mrs. Chandorkar (CMCL 2006)
and our Principal Dr. Vivek Saoji (PHIL
2003) I was inducted into our in-house
MET cell. I think my only qualification
was my little bit of extra knowledge of
computers and AV aids and I was the only male
member to do all odd jobs. There I enjoyed the team
but my heart was not fully into it. (I used to think, “I
am a gynecologist and surgeon. These funny games
like snake pit are very childish. Better to upgrade
yourself in your areas of specialization, and then
good teaching and training to juniors will naturally
follow.”) I was encouraged to apply for a FAIMER
regional fellowship by my mentors. The first attempt
was a failure. (My project writing was not very good.)
But the second attempt was an improvement over the
first and I joined the seven-day workshop at GSMC
in Mumbai. There I was touched by the foreign and
Indian faculty.
GSMC-FAIMER Regional Institute 2007
India
As a student I think I was below average. My other
batch mates were very much charged and wellaccustomed to MET language like “cognitive,”
“psychomotor skills,” and “pedagogy.” I am
accustomed to plain simple English. What really
changed me was the dedication, sincerity, and work
culture of the faculty. I was thinking,
“Why have they have come traveling
thousands of miles with all the heat
and difficulty to Mumbai?” I got the
answer… MET was like their religion.
They have come to spread this gospel.
Once you join them you become part of
the family. You may be good or not so
good, but you can’t escape the family.
Later I completed the course. I
participated in many workshops,
and interacted with many big shots.
I got a promotion with new responsibility and
am now supervising many faculty members, both
juniors and seniors. But the betterment of society
by producing better trained doctors will always
remain the principal driving force. If you really ask
me the greatest influence FAIMER has had on me,
it’s not my learning micro teaching or making great
PowerPoint presentations, but learning how to make
an impact on others by your way of living, thinking,
and work culture. Last note: I was fortunate to talk
with the director once in one of the conferences
and started to introduce myself. He interrupted
me and pointed his finger to his forehead and said,
“Hemant, you are here.”
31
Ricardo Ronco
I
n 2001, a new
school of medicine
was created in Chile.
I was invited to this
new project, coming
from a very warm
and well-established
environment. I had
been a full-time
pediatric intensivist,
dealing with very sick
children and complex
diseases. I was able to
measure almost all the
physiological variables,
like cardiac output, respiratory mechanics, and
intracranial pressure. My role as a teacher was
almost completely dedicated to pediatric intensive
care fellows.
However, I accepted this challenge to teach at the
new school. The dean gave me a task: “we need to
professionalize our learning-teaching process.”
And I told him to give me some time. I needed to
learn what this was all about. In the beginning, it
didn’t feel good doing something that I was not
trained for at all. I will never forget the day when I
received the acceptance from FAIMER. I saw that
e-mail like a hope, a new beginning. I was afraid of
the future since I had been a “technocrat” for years,
never inquiring about
education and its role in
the health of the people.
We are a team now of five
people. My job is to lead
the team and try to get the
best out of each person. I
show them the map, and
they drive the car. In the
meantime, I was named
Chairman, Department of
Pediatrics, working as a
clinician in the pediatric
intensive care unit as well
as in a private general
pediatrics office. Plus,
I was mentoring some
32
Esther Ofoegbu
Chile
interns in a public hospital, the clinical venue
for the school of medicine. My role has been
transforming this into a hospital with rounds,
medical discussions, and treatment guidelines. My
days are long and so are my nights.
At the office for educational development we
initiated a faculty development program. This is a
one-year program with seven modules conducted
twice a week. The faculty members really like it. For
assessment, we started with objective structured
clinical examinations that now have been developed
for all the clinical rotations, and we do course
evaluations. Still there are important questions:
How do we know that as a college of medicine we are
doing a good job? How do we know that our courses
are well-planned and delivered? How can we be
certain that our students learn what is necessary?
My priority is to engage a bigger core of faculty with
the challenge of education. Sometimes starting
a new project is, in some ways, easier compared
with sustaining it. This is my second goal: Sustain
the project. Our first generation out of the school
will work as an engine for this purpose. Thanks
to FAIMER support, we have been growing in the
number of faculty working on medical education,
always keeping in mind that education can make an
impact on the people’s health.
Nigeria
O
ne fateful day, I stumbled on the FAIMER
website and saw the call for applications for
fellowship. From that moment my approach to
teaching and training medical students and medical
residents has never been the same. Even my
approach to health education for patients and rural
women in Nigeria changed. I now use problembased learning and interactive teaching for all these
cadres of people. I also plan learning outcomes
ahead of time.
the Curriculum Committee, I
undertook a sabbatical year in
the Office of Medical Education
at the University of Texas
Medical Branch in Galveston,
Texas. There I equipped
myself with the required
skills for student assessment,
curriculum evaluation, and
innovative teaching methods.
My knowledge of medical education has also risen
exponentially since then. First, in the course of
completing the application and writing the proposal
for my FAIMER project, I had to seek out medical
education journals and read about topical issues in
medical education, which I was not in the habit of
doing. My self-directed learning and research had
been on clinical medicine and endocrinology topics
only.
On my return to my home institution, I was
mandated to set up a proper office of medical
education in our institution for advancing and
improving medical education. On being awarded the
FAIMER fellowship, with the advice and mentoring
of FAIMER faculty—in particular Page Morahan
and William Burdick—I chose the establishment
of an office of medical education in my College of
Medicine as my FAIMER project.
Before my FAIMER experience, I had been a clinical
endocrinologist and university teacher for 13 years
at the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus. Three
years prior my FAIMER fellowship, I developed a
keen interest in medical education as a discipline,
and in particular faculty development, when I was
appointed Chair of the Faculty of Medical Sciences
Curriculum Committee. It was then that I observed
that lecturers in my institution did not get any
formal capacity building for “lecturing.” Content
experts were engaged as lecturers and left to their
own devices as to how they facilitated learning,
imparted knowledge, and assessed students. Since
I was saddled with the responsibilities of Chair of
I have advanced professionally, undertaking
leadership roles in varying situations and positions
with confidence as a result of the leadership training
I received from FAIMER. These leadership roles
include: reviewer for several academic journals,
external examiner to several medical schools in
Nigeria, examiner and member of the accreditation
team for the West African College of Physicians, first
female Chair of Internal Medicine in my institution,
and member of the accreditation team of the Medical
and Dental Council of Nigeria.
I also acquired much needed leadership skills from
my FAIMER experience, which has stretched from
my FAIMER fellowship years to my subsequent
appointment as a global faculty
advisor and currently as a participant
in the Mentoring and Learning Web
(ML-Web) activities. These on-line
discussions have kept me abreast of
advances in medical education.
The most important benefit I derive
from my FAIMER experience is the
level of comfort I enjoy with regard
to conducting faculty development
programs, teaching medical students
and resident doctors, addressing
student assessment at both
undergraduate and postgraduate
levels, and educating patients and
people in the community.
33
Harpreet Kapoor
India
M
y association
with
FAIMER dates
back to 2005,
when CMCL-FRI
was conceived.
Reflecting back
on the journey, I
feel I have come
a long way since
then, and FAIMER
in one way or
the other has made a significant contribution in
fostering my professional and personal growth over
these last few years.
It was in January 2006 that I attended the first
session of CMCL-FRI as a Fellow of the pioneer
batch. I was a novice in the field of medical education
then. I vividly remember how overwhelmed I was
subsequent to being introduced to this whole new
world, and the realization that despite being faculty
of a prestigious medical school most of us were
oblivious about it. The first residential session was
indeed an eye opener, and I would say it turned
around the way I even thought—after that there was
no looking back!
As a CMCL Fellow, I got the opportunity to spruce
up my teaching skills, and immense learning
happened as I went through each phase of my
curriculum innovation project. Since my project
involved contributions from other faculty members
in the department, they were also sensitized in the
process. As part of the project, a faculty development
workshop was organized for the institution. This
was much appreciated and helped in increasing
awareness about the need for such programs for the
faculty.
An integral part of the Institute was to impart
management and leadership skills. For me, this
component of the program was invaluable and had
a meaningful impact on my professional growth.
The timing was just right. The same year I was given
the responsibility of heading of the Department of
Ophthalmology—a department where a lot could
be done. Although this was unexpected, I took up
the challenge, and much of where the department
stands today has resulted from the application of
skills I learned at FAIMER. Concepts of program
evaluation need a special mention here—these
34
were very new to me then but came in handy and
helped in establishing liaisons with international
developmental organizations like ORBIS, which
is devoted to the prevention and treatment of
blindness. FAIMER had equipped me with the
process of program evaluation. I could systematically
outline the outcomes, activities, and indicators
of a potential child eye care project. Effective
communications regarding these convinced ORBIS
of our capability, and we received immense support
for capacity building.
The pearls gathered in project management helped
me get recognition from a German foundation, and
they invited me to conduct a series of workshops
in India and Bangladesh to train their partner
organizations in project cycle management. We
also created a program to train primary school
teachers from rural, underserved areas to carry out
vision screening of school children and to identify
children with low vision, who were later provided
free treatment by our team. This sustainable
strategy was quite effective in reaching out to a lot
more underprivileged children, thus saving several
families from the misery of childhood blindness.
Sooner than I knew, I became a part of the faculty
for CMCL. Subsequently, our Regional Institute
team also conducted
faculty development
workshops for other
medical schools of the
country. We have now
been given the status
of Regional Centre for
faculty development
by the Medical Council
of India. As other
medical schools were
benefiting from the
faculty development
workshops, my
personal knowledge
and skills kept
improving with each
subsequent session.
additionally offered a platform to interact with
educators across the globe to share ideas, learn from
each other, and grow together. It was noteworthy that
some virtues were inherent to all faculty at FAIMER—
positivity, optimism, enthusiasm, flexibility,
support, and encouragement—you couldn’t possibly
go back without imbibing these.
My project for the FAIMER Institute 2008 was
aimed at structuring the internship program in
my department. As part of the project, the faculty
of ophthalmology underwent training in newer
assessment methods including the mini-clinical
evaluation exercise (mini-CEX) and direct
observation of procedural skills (DOPS). With the
guidance and motivation received from FAIMER
faculty, I could get my project results published as
“Really Good Stuff” in Medical Education, which
has helped in disseminating the model to a larger
community of educators. Early this year, I also got
an invitation to be a reviewer for Medical Education,
which was yet another milestone in this inspiring
journey.
Thank you FAIMER for touching my life and
changing it forever!
To further enhance my skills, I applied for the
FAIMER Institute in Philadelphia. The FAIMER
Institute was indeed an exceptional experience with
a more international flavor to it. Besides providing
an outstanding educational experience, the Institute
35
Dianne Manning
M
y FAIMER journey began with a casual
conference conversation with two previous
Fellows, Jacky van Wyk (PHIL 2004) and Francois
Cilliers (PHIL 2004), both of whom suggested that I
apply for a fellowship. The seed was planted, and by
the time I arrived in Philadelphia it had germinated,
ready to be fed and watered by the faculty, Fellows,
and global faculty advisors who were soon to become
so familiar that it was hard to remember we had
known each other such a short time.
Being a FAIMER Fellow has changed me in a number
of important ways. First, it has strengthened my selfconfidence as a medical education specialist with
the expertise to share, guide, and support others.
Besides what I learned during the on-site sessions, I
believe the Mentoring and Learning Web (ML-Web)
has been enormously useful in maintaining the
momentum of learning and in providing a wealth of
additional resources and skills.
I believe the relationships I have built with other
faculty and Fellows, both in my year and other years,
will be one of the most enduring benefits of the
program. I truly feel part
of a caring and supportive
network and, as I learn
more about others with
similar and different
problems in their corners
of the globe, I know that
I will never need to feel
isolated.
Becoming a member of
the SAFRI faculty has
been a particularly affirming experience. Being able
to contribute to the development of more Fellows
in direct and practical ways has provided me with
further opportunities to grow and enhance my own
knowledge and skills in medical education and
leadership. Representing SAFRI in the Program
Evaluation Advisory Group has also added to this
experience by providing further links to the other
Regional Institutes and, thus, has strengthened my
sense of community membership and participation.
I see the work of the Regional Institutes as
potentially the most important legacy of the FAIMER
program and something I would like to contribute to
in meaningful ways in the long term.
Although the impact in my school and (through
SAFRI) the wider area of influence in Africa is still
in its infancy—it being less than two years since my
fellowship began—I am confident that what I have to
offer is already visible in the education courses I run
and am developing. It’s visible in my mentorship of
students, faculty, and new Fellows, in the leadership
roles I am taking on, and in the relationships I am
building as I work toward expanding my project.
FAIMER and SAFRI have made me proud of who I am
and of what more I can achieve through working with
others.
36
Thomas V. Chacko
South Africa
Director, PSG-FAIMER Regional Institute
International Fellowship in Medical Education 2002 & 2006
India
I
was an active member of my medical school’s
Medical Education Unit when I heard about
FAIMER and was awarded the IFME fellowship in
2002, so that I could get exposed to the fundamentals
of medical education at the world’s first Medical
Education Department at the University of Illinois
at Chicago. It was an enriching experience for me
and enlarged my world view, and since then there
has been no turning back. I was then selected for the
2004 FAIMER Institute in Philadelphia, where I met
leaders in medical education and was inspired by
their achievements and their dedication to the cause
of medical education.
of shepherding the
cause of medical
education in the South
East Asia region as an
Executive Committee
member of the South
East Asia Regional
Association of the
World Federation for
Medical Education
(SEARAME) and also
as a member of their
journal’s editorial board.
The FAIMER Institute program equipped me with
skills and confidence to take up a leadership role
for furthering the cause of medical education in
Following my FAIMER Institute fellowship I was
entrusted with the challenging task of providing
leadership in South Asia as Director of the PSG-FRI.
This provided me with opportunity to apply
the leadership skills I had learned and further
strengthen my networking and mentoring
skills through the Mentoring and Learning
Web (ML-Web) throughout the year.
The FAIMER Institute program equipped me with skills
and confidence to take up a leadership role for furthering
the cause of medical education in my part of the world.
my part of the world. The program taught me to use
opportunities that present themselves in the local
context, and so when our institution was celebrating
its second decennial, I could help in organizing the
National Symposium—“Vision 2020: Towards Global
Standards in Health Sciences Education” at our
institution. This catapulted me to the responsibility
The FAIMER fellowship programs and my
role as an FRI Director have made me a fulltime medical education professional, and
my expertise in the field is being sought after at
the national and international levels. This capacity
building in me has been especially possible through
FAIMER’s support, through its IFME master’s
program, as well as by providing me the opportunity
to exhibit my talents in international fora and
conferences.
37
Astrid Valenzuela
Leilanie A. Nicodemus
Chile
I
think it’s better to start backwards. In May 2010,
I attended the Ottawa Conference in Miami,
Florida. Although I had to present
a poster I had sent, I was more
excited about meeting FAIMER
Fellows and faculty members.
Before going to Miami, a group of
Latin FAIMER Fellows had made
an appointment to get together
to work on our big project: the
FAIMER Regional Initiative in
Latin America (FRILA). Also,
I wanted to meet Jack Boulet to
arrange his visit to Chile. And
that’s a big difference. Without
FAIMER, I wouldn’t have been
doing any of these activities.
Medical education is not only
transferring knowledge. As I
learned from other Fellows, I can see that the focus is
every person in the world. And the more people who
get involved and exchange experiences, the better we
will do our task.
In my school of medicine, I
have had the support of two
other FAIMER Fellows and two
faculty members who were at
McMaster University. Working
together has made it possible to
develop projects that improve
our teaching and assessment
methods, and to enhance critical
thinking in our students. We’ve
also been working on faculty
development. Reading all the
opinions posted on the listserv
is a big support that we are doing
things right and that we can do
them even better.
I have learned to plan and to crystallize ideas. If an
idea is good and it will benefit our students and our
patients, just plan it. The sky is the limit.
I
just wanted some sort of help, and I was lucky to
find it on the internet! That was my serendipitous
encounter with FAIMER. To be included among
the ranks of esteemed educators in the world as a
FAIMER Institute 2007 Fellow has been an honor for
me—one that I never expected.
My project when I applied was very vague. I
believed in its potential to help us address primary
care physician brain drain and to enhance the
competency of family physicians, but I had no idea
how to write down my thoughts about how to give this
innovation structure and direction.
My two-year learning experience in the FAIMER
Institute was very productive and quite fast. I
accomplished so much starting with concretizing
my idea into a workable project, through
implementation, to writing the results in a way
worth sharing. I shared methods and ideas from
my Institute colleagues that I learned during the
residential sessions with my institution—as a result,
the more I learned from the Institute, the more
responsibility I was given at my institution (on top of
doing the project).
Writing a publishable item and submitting it to
Medical Education is another milestone in my
career as an educator. The comments of reviewers
gave a realistic perspective to the results of my
project. Even though my paper was not considered
for publication, the experience of submitting and
meeting the standards of peer-reviewed journals
was inimitable. Just getting inspiration from other
Fellows who successfully published gives courage
and motivation to follow suit.
Philippines
Today, as I take a moment
to trace back my steps
since Day 1 of FAIMER,
I realize that I have
gone far (and soared
high) in terms of my
contribution to the
education and training
of family physicians in
my country and in my
professional development
as an educator. My
contributions are
being recognized in my
institution, as shown
by the tasks that were
given to me, which include: I have been asked to
lead improvements to the family medicine graduate
program, Co-Chair the Committee on Quality
Assurance of the university, continue to serve as
Training Coordinator of Family Medicine, and as
a member of the Medical Personnel Board and
the Training Committee. The recognition extends
beyond my medical institution to the specialty
society of family medicine in the Philippines, where
I have been designated Chair, Specialty Board of
Family Physicians; Executive Secretary, Association
of Family Medicine Educators; and Chair, Task
Force for the Future, Philippine Academy of Family
Physicians. In February 2011, I chaired the Global
Standards in Family Medicine Training session at an
international meeting.
I believe that I would not have been given all of these
tasks without people believing in what I would be
capable of doing after my stint as a
FAIMER Fellow. I did not undergo any
formal training in health professions
education, yet I am being afforded
recognition as an esteemed educator,
including having been chosen as best
teacher of the year by medical students.
I am forever thankful for my
serendipitous encounter with FAIMER
because of what I have become as an
educator today. The seed that was
planted by FAIMER in 2007 grew fast
and many were able to reap its fruits—
me, my colleagues, my institution, my
specialty, and my country. And that’s the
legacy of FAIMER in the world!
38
39
Ahuka Ona Longombe
Democratic Republic of the Congo
I
n 2002, one of my former residents living in the
USA told me for the first time something about
FAIMER: that this Foundation could help to improve
what I do as a teacher. I applied and was accepted,
but it was not possible to go to
the States because of a horrible
civil war that year (2002) in the
Nyankunde-Bunia/Ituri region
of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC), where I was
living. However, FAIMER gave me
another chance to join the 2003
Institute class.
In October 2003, I went to
Philadelphia. Please follow how
my trip was a challenge: from
Nyankunde-Bunia to Goma
(DRC): 750km; from Goma (DRC)
to Kigali (Rwanda): 150 km; from Kigali (Rwanda) to
Johannesburg (South Africa); from Johannesburg to
Rome to Philadelphia. Many things were challenging
for me coming from a French-speaking country:
language problems, and new methods of learning
and teaching like problem-based learning (PBL).
Sekelani Banda
After the FAIMER experience, I began to see learning
and teaching with new eyes. I began to apply new
methods of learning and teaching. I understood
better how human beings learn things. Step by
step I became a good learner
and facilitator able to help
students.
For my school and other
medical schools in the
provinces of DRC, I became
a resource person in medical
education. I established the
first Department of Family
Medicine and Primary Health
Care at Goma University. I
was appointed as President of
Continuing Medical Education
of North-Kivu.
In 2005, I received an IFME scholarship from
FAIMER to get a Master’s in Health Professions
Education from Maastricht University in The
Netherlands. I received this degree in 2008 and I
am now consulting in many medical schools, giving
advice in the field of health professions education.
Zambia
F
A IMER is a unique educational model that
stands up to any networking and change agent
model I know of. Medical education as an academic
discipline is evolving rapidly, as evidenced by the
many master’s and doctorate degree programs on
offer. FAIMER has served as a catalyst in making
many academicians become aware that medical
education is an academic discipline in its own right,
and indeed several Fellows have gone on to study for
medical education academic degrees after FAIMER.
My FAIMER project, self-evaluation using WFME
standards, has been a dramatic success and eyeopener for me and the organization I work for. I
have presented my project at two international
conferences, had two publications from it, and I
continue to serve as a local authority
on the subject. FAIMER has also
given me a community of friends,
FAIMER is a unique educational model that stands up
collaborators, and mentors from
to any networking and change agent model I know of.
among FAIMER Fellows and Directors.
Bravo, FAIMER.
40
P. Ravi Shankar
Nepal
I
was informed about the FAIMER Regional
Institutes by one of my friends during my
postgraduate training in February 2007. I read about
FAIMER on the web, was interested, and decided
to apply for the first batch of the PSG-FRI. One
of the challenges was developing an educational
innovation project for implementation in my
home institution. I decided to develop a medical
humanities (MH) module, considering my interest
in arts and literature. It was challenging—developing
a new module, keeping in mind important areas to
be covered, and at the same time considering the
feasibility and ease of implementation of the project.
Also, MH programs were uncommon in South Asia.
My dean at Manipal College of Medical Sciences
(MCOMS), Pokhara, was supportive and we decided
to offer the module as an elective to interested
students. MH educators from developed nations
helped with developing the program. I conducted
the module for both clinical and preclinical students
at MCOMS. I enjoyed conducting the sessions, and
the participants (students and faculty) enjoyed
participating. For clinical students, sessions
were held in the evening after dinner, and it was
wonderful to see the participants’ enthusiasm.
In October 2007, I shifted to KIST Medical College
in Lalitpur, a new medical school. The institution
wanted to be different and become a center of
excellence. The hospital director and the Chief
Academic Officer were supportive and I found an
internal medicine specialist, Dr. Piryani, who shared
my enthusiasm for the humanities. With the support
of management, we started an MH module for faculty
and medical officers. Dr. Piryani was a co-facilitator.
Certain faculty participants were enthusiastic while
others had problems with certain aspects of the
module.
The first batch of undergraduate medical students
joined in November 2008. Our Principal and our
Director of Academics were keen to have a module
for first-year students. Dr. Piryani and I created
a module, Sparshanam (“touch” in Sanskrit), for
students, drawing upon our experiences with the
faculty module. Students enjoyed the classes overall,
though attendance was low during sessions just
before exams. Certain interested faculty members
who had attended the previous module joined as
co-facilitators. In November 2009, the second batch
joined. This was a larger batch of 100 students, and
we were thinking about how to organize the sessions,
eventually settling for two separate sessions of 50
students each.
The journey has been long and still continues.
Introducing a new subject into a crowded
undergraduate curriculum was difficult. I thank all
individuals who have supported me in this effort.
The fellowship has given me a better idea about
medical education and educational leadership. I have
been able to obtain knowledge about MH programs
in different parts of the world, and have been able to
build ties with other educators working in this field.
I am happy to inform you that I have been selected
as an editorial board member of BMJ Medical
Humanities. I have learned a lot from the listserv. The
fellowship has resulted in me being considered an
“expert” in medical education in my institution.
41
Dr. Anshu
India
I
n 2006, I first heard of FAIMER and wanted to
apply to GSMC-FRI. But I was not allowed to
apply, I was told, because I had already been trained
and someone else would be given the chance. But I
persisted, and in 2007 I was selected for my CMCLFAIMER fellowship. In the beginning, I didn’t
quite understand all the
emphasis and hullaballoo
surrounding refining our
curriculum innovation
projects and wished they
would shift the focus to
teaching, for that is what we
did in class. But it all began
to make sense when I began
doing my project.
I introduced case-based
learning in my classes
to emphasize rational
use of investigations in
clinical pathology. I was
just trying to make a small
modification in the teaching
style in my own class, and I did not expect it to
affect anybody else. But the ripple effect amazed
me. I got reactions of all kinds. My undergraduate
students supported the innovation and called my
classes “a welcome relief from the regular spoonfeeding that we are subjected to.” My postgraduate
students, who had been subjected to a firing squad
Being a part of the FAIMER family
has changed my outlook on the world,
given a new direction to my life, and
finally I am able to do what I always
wanted to do.
kind of questioning previously, said they finally felt
comfortable expressing themselves. “Finally we can
tell people what we know, rather than being ridiculed
for what we do not,” is what they told me.
The next phase was exciting, as we now had a whole
group of around a dozen faculty members who had
42
been trained at the FAIMER Regional Institutes and
the National Teacher Training Centre (NTTC). We
had so many people speaking the same language.
Together we did small in-house workshops for our
faculty. Slowly, but surely, more people were being
sensitized to view medical education as a specialty.
Our team at Mahatma
Gandhi Institute of
Medical Sciences
(MGIMS), Sevagram,
then organized an
international continuing
medical education
course on the quality
of medical education
in which several
FAIMER Fellows and
faculty participated.
Getting national and
international faculty to
focus on communitybased medical
education, which is the
focus of my institute, was
one of the high points for our team.
For me, the best phase of my fellowship was in the
second session, where I took to on-line learning like
a fish to water. When I finished my NTTC course, I
had learned the basics, but there was no incentive to
explore literature in medical education. With access
to literature and information, and much guidance
from Dr. Tejinder Singh (PHIL 2003; IFME 2006;
Director, CMCL-FRI), I found myself reading more
and more. Since I had the job of moderating the first
Mentoring and Learning Web (ML-Web) session
for my batch with Chetna Desai (CMCL 2007), we
unleashed our creativity and designed our session in
a format that continues even today.
colleagues and students, and suddenly we
found more people who shared the same
wavelength.
After my CMCL-FAIMER fellowship, I was
invited to be faculty at all three FAIMER
Regional Institutes in India. This process
of evolving from Fellow to faculty was
interesting, as it gave me several insights
into how a session was designed based on
the objectives. The feedback received at
the faculty debriefings helped me improve
my facilitation skills. When I returned to
my institute, I experimented with using
interactive sessions instead of didactic ones.
We worked in teams, designed sessions
differently, and people were pleasantly
surprised to see three or four faculty
presenting a single session without stepping on
each other’s toes. In an environment where rigid
rules and hierarchy ruled, bringing in teamwork and
informality, and getting participants to speak instead
of listen passively was an achievement in itself.
The FAIMER experience has brought me recognition,
and I get invited to local and national fora to conduct
sessions and workshops on different topics. I was
able to publish four papers on medical education
themes with guidance from FAIMER faculty. I have
been able to encourage others to train in medical
education. Having a core group that understands the
need for change does help tremendously. In 2009,
I was selected for the FAIMER Institute fellowship
in Philadelphia. Interacting with Fellows from
across the world was an eye opener. We were so
similar, had the same problems, and yet listening
to the experiences of others showed me how they
had surpassed the hurdles. It was an inspiring and
humbling experience. In Philadelphia, I learned
subtle skills on how faculty designed sessions and
conducted them, things I wish to apply in my own
setting.
Change is a gradual process, and for someone like
me, who is impatient, learning to do things patiently
and understand how people think has been valuable.
Being a part of the FAIMER family has changed
my outlook on the world, given a new direction to
my life, and finally I am able to do what I always
wanted to do. I now have a whole network of friends
I regularly turn to when I need to organize my
thoughts and need help. Together, with patience and
persistence, I believe we can improve things in the
medical education arena in India.
There is a distinct change I notice in myself, which
I attribute to the ML-Web sessions. I learned to ask
for help—something that didn’t come easily to me
initially. In India, students are competitive, and
there is a tendency to be secretive about what you
are reading and learning. For me the ML-Web was
a different world, where people shared knowledge
so easily and without second thoughts. There is
a Sanskrit saying that knowledge expands when
you share it, unlike wealth. Like my friends on the
web, I found myself sharing what I learned with my
43
Maria Cristina Diniz Gonçalves Ezequiel
I
am very proud of being part of this fabulous BrazilFRI family.
In 2007, my project was chosen from among 90
candidates and I felt instantly that I was in the right
place. I belong to the FAIMER world. Since I entered
and attended the first residential session of studies
at Fortaleza, I have been growing and learning and
sharing my experiences in medical education. I
have become a better teacher, colleague, and human
being.
Besides the enormous acquisition of information in
education practice in general, we are being trained
to build our knowledge in: strategies of teaching,
planning, organization, dealing better with conflicts,
leadership, humanization skills, managing and
scoring the evaluation of students and processes,
appreciative inquiry, positive deviance, and
stakeholder analysis. What is the most interesting is
that I am always remembering sessions, classes, and
advice such as “CELEBRATE every little thing you
have conquered in your life!”
My research was done to upgrade and review our
current practices in the assessment of medical
doctors, who are themselves tutors, and postgraduate
students in the Basic Family Medicine Units under
the jurisdiction of the Faculty of Medicine of
Petrópolis. We developed an integrative activity,
which established the commitment of graduate
students, visiting professors, unit administrators,
doctors, nurses, and community agents, as well as
the patient, to try to foster a better pattern of skills
and attitudes for tending the needs of patients and
their families. It has become an excellent instrument
of “permanent education” for students and faculty,
and has been incorporated into many events, such
as three of the annual Brazilian Congress on Medical
Education
(COBEM)
meetings,
medical
encounters
at the
Faculty of
Medicine of
Petrópolis,
and two
Brazilian
federal
programs
called
PET-Saúde
and PRÓ-Saúde. Our project has been growing and
is respected by all departments at the school. It’s a
pleasure to say to everyone that it was constructed
and exhaustively discussed with my FAIMER
teachers for whom I have great gratitude.
In 2010 I was invited to be a member of a new
department at the Faculty of Medicine of Petrópolis:
The Department of Educational Development and
Research focuses on discussing curriculum reform.
Besides this I am a member of a key decisionmaking group at the school.
For the next 10 years I am looking forward to
remaining a part of the
FAIMER family and
continuing to learn,
share experiences, and
FA I M E R F a c t s | Institutes & Initiatives
make great friends.
To be more specific, I
FAIMER has six fellowship programs and one regional initiative with
want to be part of their
activities on four continents:
lives forever.
FAIMER Institute — Philadelphia, USA
Brazil-FAIMER Regional Institute (BRAZ-FRI) — Porto das Dunas, Ceará, Brazil
CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute (CMCL-FRI) — Ludhiana, India
GSMC-FAIMER Regional Institute (GSMC-FRI) — Mumbai, India
PSG-FAIMER Regional Institute (PSG-FRI) — Coimbatore, India
Southern Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI) — Southern Africa
FAIMER Regional Initiative in Latin America (FRILA) — Latin America
44
Sarah Kiguli
Brazil-FAIMER Regional Institute 2007
Brazil
Thanks for everything
you gave to me.
I
had been working
as a lecturer in
pediatrics for about
10 years. My work
involved coordination
of students’ learning
activities, an
assignment that I
was given as soon as
I joined Makerere
University, without
any prior training.
Involvement in planning students’ activities exposed
me to the challenges of curriculum development,
student teaching and learning, especially in the
clinical areas, as well as student assessment. I
discovered I loved teaching medical students
and coordinating their educational activities.
I volunteered to be a member of a team that
introduced some innovations in the undergraduate
program. I got news about the FAIMER program
from the Deputy Dean of Education, who was a
2003 Fellow. In pursuit of excellence as a teacher
and leader in medical education, I applied for the
FAIMER Institute in 2004. My particular area of
interest was integrating clinical skills training into
pre-clerkship training, an innovation that Makerere
had taken on but was experiencing challenges in
implementing.
My experience at FAIMER was eye-opening.
The experience of joining a team of diverse
individuals, and the experiential learning of
teamwork, leadership skills, and medical education
advances left a visible mark on me. For the first
time I understood why I behaved the way I did,
my strengths and weaknesses, and why the people
around me behaved the way they did. This was
true for my relationships both at work and home. I
learned to appreciate and accommodate people of
different personalities.
Uganda
of the personal development skills that I learned
at FAIMER. I have been exposed to regional and
international leaders in medical education and I
have been able to contribute to the growth of medical
education in my department, my institution, and
sub-Saharan Africa.
I enjoy the on-line discussions and learning
opportunities offered by the listserv. I am privileged
to be mentored by the FAIMER faculty and to be a
member of the FAIMER family. I receive special
recognition and admiration whenever I mention
that I am a FAIMER Fellow, and I usually attribute
my successes and achievements to this experience.
I often encourage faculty in my institution to apply
to FAIMER, although it is becoming more difficult
to be accepted as a FAIMER Fellow. I hope that I will
be given more opportunities to participate in the
existing FAIMER programs as a faculty member in
the future.
My dream is for all faculty in my school to be exposed
to the education that I gained at FAIMER. This will
give them the knowledge and skills to lead in medical
education, to manage change, and create a learning
institution. I hope that the network of medical
educators in the region will grow, and that together
we will promote the health of our population by
educating and training health professionals with
the appropriate competencies to address the everchanging needs of the community. I also hope that
Fellows will continue working together to promote
international medical education and research
through collaborative learning and research projects,
participating in medical education activities
(local, regional, and international), and sharing
experiences at every opportunity. We should also be
groomed to create local institutes in our countries
and regions, so that we reach all educators.
My outputs in my department and faculty improved,
and everyone desired that I become a member of
their team. I was given more and more assignments
at work. Within 12 months of being admitted
to FAIMER, I applied for the position of Senior
Lecturer, and within four years, I applied for the
position of Associate Professor. I am glad to say that
within six years of being a member of the FAIMER
family, I moved from the academic level of Lecturer
(where I had stagnated for 10 years) to Associate
Professor. My academic growth is a manifestation
45
Praveen Iyer
T
he journey began
in 2007 when I was
selected for the third
GSMC-FRI. Initially I
had apprehensions about
the fellowship. Through
the first on-site session,
the nerves calmed down
and the curriculum
innovation project
became manageable. The
ML-Web really triggered
interaction between Fellows and faculty and greatly
helped develop knowledge, attitude, and skills in
various aspects of medical education. The second
on-site session made the curriculum innovation
project a reality when the poster was presented and
well received. My educational scholarship output
included presentation of the project at the 56th
National Conference of the Anatomical Society of
India in 2008 and the National Conference on Health
Professionals’ Education in 2009.
Things learned at FAIMER have been applied in
the day-to-day functioning of the departmental
Prashanth Kumar
activities at Seth G.S. Medical College in Mumbai.
More and more faculty members are now aware
of FAIMER, and hence one can see a tremendous
rise in the number of applicants for the fellowships
offered by FAIMER. Many FAIMER Fellows in my
institution are faculty for conducting sessions on
medical education technology. Because of this, many
curriculum innovations are being tried out in various
departments to enhance student learning.
The fellowship has changed me in several ways.
It had a direct influence on my career in medical
education. I became a member of my institution’s
medical education unit (MEU). Also, I am now
a faculty member at GSMC-FRI. I have imbibed
leadership skills and have developed good
networking skills. I have developed a different
perspective on medical education. My attitude
toward my colleagues has become better. I am also
now more comfortable in resolving conflicts, in
both my professional and personal life. From being
actively involved in conducting certificate courses of
our MEU, to being guest faculty at other institutes,
FAIMER has given me the opportunity to grow in
stature.
India
B
ack in 2008, a colleague of mine at M.S. Ramaiah
Institute of Health Science in Bangalore, who
was a FAIMER Institute Fellow, introduced me to
the noble concept of FAIMER. He did so because
I had earlier worked in various capacities in the
medical education unit of the college. I applied
for a fellowship at GSMC-FRI and surprisingly got
selected. Having now undergone the course, I truly
underwent a metamorphosis as a teacher.
I felt enlightened about an array of issues related to
medical education, from teaching to administration
to crisis handling. I went back to my institute and
joined hands with a few other FAIMER Fellows, and
we started orienting other colleagues there about
the essence of things that we had had gained from
FAIMER. We did inspire a few more friends to take
up fellowships, and more importantly, we started
getting them to participate in our medical education
projects.
In October 2008, along came a proposal for a
teaching contract at a medical university in Libya,
46
Ashwini Chamnahalli Appaji
India
and I took it up as a challenge. This took me to a far
and enigmatic nation. It was a challenging job, with a
lot of surprises too. But I have a deep feeling that this
is a nation where a phenomenon like FAIMER can
really impact medical society. Someone can take up
the task of training medical teachers of universities
here and make a real contribution to the society.
I
had recently joined as lecturer in the Department
of Anatomy at M.S. Ramaiah Medical College. As
I entered the college every day, my eyes used to gaze
through the office notice board for any interesting
news. One day, around early January 2008, there was
a very attractive poster announcing on-line learning
with a project, spending two hours per week on
the internet. This interested me, as I was gaining
curiosity about medical education after attending
the International Conference in Medical Education
(ICME) at All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) in Delhi in March 2007.
But then I hesitated, as I had to approach the
Principal of our school, Dr. S. Kumar, and I was a
newcomer and a junior in my department. First,
I approached my department head, Dr. Roopa
Kulkarni, who was very encouraging and permitted
me to go and meet Dr. Kumar. After meeting Dr.
Kumar and voicing my interest in enrolling for the
fellowship, the PSG-FRI program, he was happy to
see my interest and asked me to write up a project
proposal and meet the medical education cell
members. Under the guidance of Medical Education
Cell member Dr. Vijaya Mysorekar (CMCL 2006),
I wrote a proposal and showed it to Dr. Kumar.
Reading through the proposal, he sat with me for
four hours in multiple sessions after college hours,
and guided me through each step in the on-line
application form.
This attitude of my principal, Dr. S. Kumar, is
appreciable, as among all his huge responsibilities,
he was humble enough to lend a listening ear to a
beginner, and have confidence that I would be able
to succeed. I had no projects, no publications. I was
nobody.
India
With god’s grace
and my principal’s
encouragement
and guidance,
I went through
the application
process and got
selected. It was a
real achievement,
and motivating for a
beginner. The whole
experience of the
FAIMER on-site
sessions and offsite sessions was
enriching in terms of
knowledge, networking, and collaborating with other
Fellows. The learning experience in the form of adult
learning (ML-Web learning) was incredible—a totally
new way of learning that gave me my own time to
comprehend and utilize the knowledge in my routine
teaching experiences. Of course, deadlines were
there to charge me up to keep up my work and to be
on time with assignments.
The ML-Web learning gave me scope to network
with people of different faculties, and this could
be utilized for improvisation and critical review of
whatever I did, be it a questionnaire, methodology
of my innovation project, statistical analysis, or
scholarly writing. I got constructive feedback at every
step of my project.
I was exposed to new concepts of group dynamics,
collaborative learning, on-line learning, and
scholarly writing, with input from international
faculty, which was an added advantage. I was able to
publish my innovation project in “Really Good Stuff”
in the journal Medical Education. I am now working
on my scholarly report on the ML-Web learning
experience.
With all these inputs, I have transformed into a
medical educator. I am a member of the Medical
Education Cell of my institution, and I am more
knowledgeable and able to actively participate in the
in-house activities of medical education, such as
faculty development, research methods workshops,
and evaluation of the teaching process.
I thank all the members of the FAIMER family for
giving me an opportunity to go through this unique
learning experience. Thank you once again!
47
Mercedes Bernadá
Uruguay
I
am an associate professor of pediatrics in the
public school of medicine of Uruguay. I have
the happiness and pride of belonging to the 2008
batch of the FAIMER Institute. Some years before
2007, I was trying to improve my teaching abilities
by participating in any short or long course I could
find. I had never heard about
FAIMER. One day, I received an
e-mail from the university with
the FAIMER link. I followed the
link, and as I started to dig deep
into it, I became very excited
with the remote possibility
of the fellowship. It would be
an excellent opportunity for
completing my teaching training
with the extra challenge of
the language. I prepared my
application. I was absolutely
happy the day I received the
provisional acceptance e-mail,
and then very stressed the day
of the telephone interview until
Alberta’s sweet and quiet voice
appeared.
The FAIMER experience
exceeded by far my expectations.
I thought I was starting a very formal, cold, and
exclusively cognitive learning course. And I was
right in some part; I found an absolutely formal and
serious organization that, with lots of dedication
and love, prepares everything for this extraordinary
I learned a lot from all of the faculty and staff. Many
times in my daily academic life I find myself now
replicating specific teaching strategies I learned
from all of you. And I laugh to myself and thank you
from Uruguay. I also have the feeling that I have all of
the faculty very close and available if needed. I have
the same feeling about past and
current Fellows and would like
others to feel the same about me.
It’s a real network founded on
very strong stones put in Philly
and all around the world. During
the Institute, we all shared not
only our knowledge and academic
experiences, but our deepest
human roots, and this makes the
difference.
I could list a lot of specific
knowledge, resources,
information, and ideas that had
an impact on me and, through
different activities and projects,
my institution. But what I most
want to stress is the feeling of
company and support, the feeling
of not being alone as people,
institutions, or countries on the path of improving
the health of our communities.
As told by Eduardo Galeano, a much loved writer
from my country: “A man of the people of Neguá, on
the coast of Colombia, climbed to the
high heavens. On his return, he said
he had seen, from above, human life.
He revealed that the world is a sea of
...what I most want to stress is the feeling of company
little fires. Each person shines with
their own light, and no two fires are
and support, the feeling of not being alone as people,
alike. There are people of calm fire
institutions, or countries on the path of improving the
that are not even aware of the wind,
health of our communities.
and people of crazy fire that fill the air
with sparks. Some fires are silly fires
that don’t light or burn, while others
burn life so hard that you cannot
watch without blinking, and those who come close
Institute. Special mention in this area goes to
are ignited by it.”
Katherine and Alberta, two real queens. I learned a
lot from them. Thank you.
In the future, I imagine our FAIMER family
continuing to light different kinds of fires all around
the world.
48
Noor Ahsen
Pakistan
I
reverberations from “Come to FAIMER” and “I will
do it my way.”
t was 2006. I
was nervous and
apprehensive, and
unsure of myself as
I boarded the plane.
I guess the curiosity
got the better of me.
The million dollar
question lurking in
my mind was: “Will I
be able to manage in
this strange land with
strange people?!”
Yes, things were different—the non-spicy food for
one thing and the sparkling golden fall of Bryn Mawr
for another. I wondered how one’s shoes didn’t get
dusty even after walking for miles. I still wonder!
At FAIMER, people were also behaving so
differently than I had ever experienced anywhere
else. They smiled more and tried their best to keep
you at ease. It never happened here at home. It never
happens, even now.
On the professional front, I have evolved from
a novice in medical education to a Director of
Medical Education. I have had the opportunity to
hold the Endeavor Executive Award for advanced
professional development in medical education
from the Australian Government (thanks to
John, who introduced FAIMER there). Also, I am
involved in curricular design, faculty development
programs, medical education workshops, and
more importantly, in advocacy of quality in medical
education. As a researcher, two manuscripts
focusing on medical education (one based on
my FAIMER project) have been published in
international peer-reviewed journals, and two more
are underway.
Fellowship or not, coming to FAIMER was a great
transformation. As I am writing this, I fondly
remember the trusting smiles of Debby and Ralf;
the polite yet firm stance of Page; Bill, with whom
I share an INTJ personality type connection; the
support of John and Jim; the quiet of Jack, with
whom I hardly talked, but I’m sure the vibes were
always positive; the grace of Ray; the politeness
of Stewart; the fun of Ara; the unflinching help of
Katherine and Alberta. And last but not least, the
49
Yinusa Raji
Coralie Therese D. Dimacali
Nigeria
senior mentors), abstract writing and submission,
Mentoring and Learning Web (ML-Web) discussion,
and International Medical Education Day are
experiences that will remain useful to me and my
institution forever.
I
work as a lecturer in the Department of
Physiology, College of Medicine, University
of Ibadan, Nigeria. I have been coordinator of
medical, dental, and postgraduate programs in my
department under the headship of my mentor and
Ph.D. supervisor for some years. We have been able
to introduce a number of changes, which have been
judged excellent and useful to students in physiology.
This led the head of the department to introduce
the FAIMER program to me with the belief that I
would be a better instrument of positive change with
FAIMER training. She had been an IFME Fellow
at Duke University School of Medicine in North
Carolina.
I will summarize my FAIMER experience thus:
“Experience FAIMER training and you will never
be the same again as a medical educator—
you are completely changed for the
better for life. You will learn several tools
of change and change management,
leadership, and modern teaching methods
and technologies…in a conducive
atmosphere where teachers freely interact
with Fellows, where ideas in medical
education and leadership freely flow, and
where opinions are appreciated.” I had
a wonderful, memorable, unparalleled,
and landmark training experience in
FAIMER. Meeting and interacting with a
family of medical educators from around
the globe (particularly FAIMER faculty and
50
My FAIMER experience has impacted positively
my life as a teacher in a medical school, and it
is helping me in the discharge of my duties as a
teacher and administrator with renewed vigor, full
of confidence. The FAIMER support to participate
in medical education workshops and conferences
has also helped in building my capacity. This has
improved my recognition both by my students and
my institution. I am a better teacher.
The impact on my institution has been positively
enormous. My inclusion as a tutor and contributor
in the newly established master’s degree program
in biomedical education is a result of my FAIMER
training and experience. I have been more actively
involved with increased responsibilities, such as
curriculum development and implementation,
and coordination of students’ programs (including
the lecture timetable) and examinations. The
recognition of the need to train others has
resulted in our using the committee system for
these programs. Faculty members who are less
experienced in the system are brought into the
committees to acquire training.
Philippines
F
A IMER was introduced to me by Joe Cueto (PHIL
2002), a colleague in medical education in the
Philippines. It took some time before I eventually
filled out the FAIMER application form for myself.
I was not accepted as a FAIMER Fellow in the first
year that I applied, although I was considered an
alternate. Being a bit fatalistic, I thought then that it
wasn’t for me. I didn’t know until later that another
colleague from the Philippines, Lani Nicodemus
(PHIL 2007), had been accepted as a FAIMER
Fellow that year. That was a fortunate turn of events
because our college dean then became more aware
of the FAIMER Institute, especially when Bill
Burdick updated him about Lani’s project. I got a call
from my dean to ask if I was still interested in the
FAIMER fellowship, as he wanted me to assist him
in implementing a return of service agreement for
medical graduates. I then developed a study proposal
to review existing efforts in community immersion
and their impact on continuing medical practice
in the country. This was entirely different from my
previous proposal and required me to review my
own thoughts and perceptions about community
immersion and community practice. I barely met the
deadline, and the dean offered to shoulder the cost
of mailing the application to FAIMER. I am fortunate
to have been accepted into the FAIMER Institute in
Philadelphia and to have met friends with similar
interests in 2008.
At about the same time, I was tasked to help organize
an international conference on health professions
education. Thus began my correspondence with
John Norcini, who graciously accepted the invitation
to speak at our convention. I also met the other
FAIMER Fellows from the Philippines, Mila Rabe
(PHIL 2005) and Roy Cuison (PHIL 2004), during
a dinner that we hosted for John when he visited the
Philippines.
I have been at the forefront of medical education in
my institution and have recently been elected as
a member of the curriculum committee. In
my capacity as Associate Dean for Academic
Development from 2003 to 2006, I was able to
implement an organ-system, integrated curriculum.
Sitting on the curriculum committee now after
my FAIMER experience will allow me to bring a
fresh perspective to monitoring, evaluating, and
improving our curriculum. My FAIMER project on
the impact of community immersions on choice
of medical career should guide our college in the
implementation of return of service agreements
after graduation in 2014.
On a personal level, the FAIMER experience has
taught me to be more introspective and reflective.
It has offered me a global perspective on many
issues not limited to medical education alone. I
have also been given the opportunity to present
at an international conference, the Asian Medical
Education Association conference, through Sari
Dewi (PHIL 2008). I am inspired by the many
achievements of other FAIMER Fellows, and I hope
that I can make the FAIMER community proud
some day. Together with Joe, Lani, Mila, and Roy,
I hope to be able to put the Philippines on the
medical education map.
51
Ben van Heerden
Marietjie van Rooyen
South Africa
M
anaging our medical program became one
of my responsibilities when I was named
Head of the School of Medicine of the University of
Stellenbosch, and this is when my passion for health
sciences education truly began.
Three colleagues preceded me
at FAIMER. The value that these
colleagues added to teaching and
learning at our institution prompted
our dean to nominate me for a
fellowship in 2005 (which I did not
receive) and again (successfully)
in 2006. My FAIMER project dealt
with the use of neural network
analysis to find the most powerful
predictors of success in the first
year of our M.B.Ch.B. program, the
results of which were published in
an international journal.
After my term as Head of the School of Medicine
ended, I became the first Director of our newly
established Centre for Health Sciences Education
(CHSE). The aim of this Centre is to promote
the scholarship of teaching and learning at our
institution. I was able to recruit a number of
talented and skilled personnel for the CHSE.
Armed with the knowledge and skills I obtained
from FAIMER, and assisted by a superb team, we
were able to get a number of important initiatives
established, including a master’s degree in health
sciences education in 2008, of which I am the
program coordinator, as well as a well-coordinated
educational research program.
The Masters program proved to be so successful
that we have now applied for the introduction of
a Ph.D. in health sciences education. We are also
currently developing a faculty development plan in
health sciences education for
our own faculty. A number of
workshops and short courses
have already been developed
for this purpose.
One of the most exciting
and fulfilling activities that I
became involved with outside
of our institution started when
the Southern Africa-FAIMER
Regional Institute (SAFRI) was
established in 2008. I was a
founding member and still am
a member of the SAFRI Council and faculty, helping
to develop and continuously improve the curriculum
and continuing to facilitate sessions.
Since my introduction to FAIMER in 2006, I’ve
become very interested in the field of education
leadership. In 2009, Juanita Bezuidenhout (PHIL
2005 and Co-Director, SAFRI) and I became part of
a FAIMER Leadership Curriculum Working Group
led by Page Morahan and Ray Wells. Juanita and I
became co-leaders of an expanded working group
in 2010. The group also consists of a number of
Fellows from Brazil, India, and Pakistan. We meet
regularly by way of telephone conferencing. My
involvement in this initiative means that my
association with FAIMER is still actively and
formally continuing: a great privilege and very
satisfying experience.
W
hen David
Cameron
(PHIL 2005)
returned home
from his FAIMER
fellowship, he left
me with conflicting
emotions. On
the one hand,
his endless talk
about how great
it was and the
positive influence
it had on him was
a bit irritating and
hard to believe,
but it also made
me wonder and wish that it could have been me,
especially after he started using his new skills and
knowledge in the department. I applied, not really
believing that I would be accepted, because I was still
relatively new to the world of medical education. So
when I got accepted I was over the moon and could
not wait to learn and experience more—and more it
was—more than I ever expected!
I have now been part of the FAIMER family for
almost four years, and I am continuously surprised
and humbled by the effect it had on me and my
department. I changed from a very unsure new
medical educator to someone who is skilled and
equipped to be of use. How nice it is to see the results
South Africa
and get feedback from a teaching session that went
great, or an assessment that worked, or a thank you
note from a fellow teacher who benefitted. As I’m
a HUGE “ENFP” according to the Myers-Briggs,
obviously people are of utmost importance to my
existence, and, wow, FAIMER opened the world to
me. I still Skype with my friends from all over the
world on a regular basis—on medical education
topics but also on personal issues because we
became more than colleagues, we became friends.
International and national conferences became
meeting places for old friends, and I know that when
I need advice or someone to brainstorm with me
(and I can’t find someone close by) the world is at my
fingertips.
The birth of SAFRI was a privilege and a huge
learning experience to be part of. Like FAIMER, it
has its own identity and a life of its own now. It is
bigger than the individuals who started it, and I saw
how teamwork and using the strengths of each team
member WORKED!
A new phase in my life has started now with the birth
of my daughter in August 2010, and with that a lot of
new challenges and uncertainties. But one thing will
stay true no matter what—once a part of the FAIMER/
SAFRI family, always a part of the FAIMER/SAFRI
family!
Another landmark in my association with
FAIMER was when I was asked to become a
global faculty advisor in 2008. This presented
the opportunity for further personal and
professional development as well as the
opportunity to be in Philadelphia during and
in the aftermath of a World Series victory!
The period since 2006 has been personally
and professionally the most satisfying of my
entire career. There is no doubt about the
enormous positive and catalytic role that my
involvement with FAIMER and SAFRI has
played in this.
52
53
Vinod Pallath
T
he most
important
change FAIMER
brought about
in me was selfawareness
regarding my
strengths and
where I need
to improve in
educational
scholarship. My
confidence as
an educational
researcher
increased
many fold. The
fellowship provided a safe, nonthreatening
environment, which nurtured the participants’
abilities and ensured personal growth. I should
emphasize that the experience liberated our
thought process to believe in ourselves and
demonstrated the power of empowering people
in bringing and sustaining change.
The project that I undertook for the FAIMER
fellowship was part of the program evaluation
of the curricular reforms that we had implemented at
Melaka Manipal Medical College. The project helped
us to understand our strengths and also the areas
where we can improve. The results were presented
to the faculty council and to the accreditation bodies
(Malaysian Medical Council). The results of my
project functioned as a reliable indicator of the
54
Sanjay K. Diwan
India
performance of our curriculum. It made us
review, reflect, and reorganize our teachinglearning practices. The net effect, I believe, was
the strengthening of our curriculum, making our
medical program a model for international medical
education programs of excellence. The results of
the project were presented at two international
conferences—one in Malaysia and the other in Saudi
Arabia.
Our institution is experiencing a well-controlled
chain reaction, catalyzed by FAIMER. We have at
present 10 FAIMER Fellows at my institution. Four of
the Fellows have completed the Regional fellowship
and the rest are currently enrolled. One Fellow has
also been selected for the FAIMER Institute program.
Each faculty’s project opens the way for another,
Our institution is experiencing a well-controlled chain
reaction, catalyzed by FAIMER. Each faculty’s project
opens the way for another, enriching our institution’s
educational scholarship profile and its curriculum.
enriching our institution’s educational scholarship
profile and its curriculum. This will strengthen our
academic program in the years to come.
I
first came to know about the FAIMER program
through the National Conference on Medical
Education (NCME) in 2007 at the All India Institute
of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. I was
already a trained faculty member at my institute,
Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Wardha,
from the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical
Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry. I
was interested in medical education technology and
engaged in faculty development activities. At around
this time JNMC became a Deemed university, and
I personally felt that faculty development would be
a big task in this expansion program if we were to
succeed in our mission.
I was exposed to leaders in the field from India
and abroad at the AIIMS meeting, and became
keen to enroll in the GSMC-FAIMER Regional
Institute fellowship program. Internet connectivity
as prerequisite was the immediate stumbling
block then. Finally, in 2008, internet connectivity
came to our place and I could enroll myself for the
fellowship. My area of interest was curriculum and
evaluation, and I chose the same for my project.
During the course, I had a chance to seek guidance
directly and at a distance from leaders in the field.
I learned a great deal about distance learning, adult
learning, workshops, and research in medical
education.
India
Apart from the
very unique
and impressive
format of the
course, the
faculty has left
a big impact on
me. Dr. Supe
from India, Janet
Grant from the
UK, and Bill,
Dr. Norcini,
and Debby from
FAIMER, USA,
have been just
great all along.
The 2009 National Conference on Health
Professionals’ Education (NCHPE) in Pune further
fortified the impression of FAIMER. Program
and faculty were simply the best. Attending the
workshops made the entire learning a great
experience.
At present I am greatly inspired to develop my
research ability in education further. I have already
published two papers and I am guiding faculty in
enrolling for the fellowship program and helping
them with their projects.
The FAIMER fellowship enhanced my ability to
function effectively in every role of a medical
educator—information provider, evaluator, resource
developer and, above all, on-the-job role model.
55
Avinash Supe
Director, GSMC-FAIMER Regional Institute
India
T
hough I was
interested
in medical
education, my
interest was
restricted to the
university level.
I was introduced
to FAIMER when,
in April 2002, my
then dean asked
me to apply for
this fellowship.
Initially, I was
reluctant to apply
due to time constraints. However, I was delighted
when I was selected. Though there was some
information in a brochure, I was curious as well
as tense about spending three weeks in a different
environment. However, it was such a pleasant
experience, from the moment I entered the Sugarloaf
Conference Center in 2002, and it has been part
of my life ever since. I was especially impressed by
Page and Bill and had lots of learning from them.
My project was on developing skills labs and I was
able to develop and evaluate basic courses. The
skills labs are still working in my institute and have
become regular features of the curriculum. In fact, I
have been able to convince regulatory authorities to
introduce skills labs in all medical colleges and this
will soon be implemented all over India.
The next step was expanding FAIMER and
introducing regional initiatives, when I served as
a global faculty advisor from 2004-2006. We had a
good meeting in Vellore and, subsequently, Bill,
I, and others developed the regional model and
started GSMC-FRI in 2005. Initially, everyone was
curious about what we were doing, but as the years
have passed, everyone has realized the power of
this model and its techniques, and these are now
being adopted and used in other programs. Then
more Regional Institutes started. The Brazilian
Minister of Health attended our institute in 2006
and he supported the initiation of the BrazilFAIMER Regional Institute in 2007. It was fun
initiating new Regional Institutes with other
colleagues.
in India in 2002. In 2011, most faculty know about
it and aspire to be Fellows. Regulatory bodies have
recognized FAIMER Fellows as well as the programs.
National medical education conferences in 2007
and 2009 were a great success. The need for faculty
development programs has been recognized and, as
a result, programs have been initiated by the Medical
Council of India (MCI) and by the National Board of
Examinations.
On a personal note, I have received a lot of national
and international recognition. I have been able to
publish many papers in national and international
journals, and have participated in various
conferences as a faculty member or speaker. I have
also received many awards and honors. And there is
definitely an improvement in my soft skills in human
management and communication. My growth in
the surgical faculty is due to these skills. The IFME
fellowship and working with University of Illinois,
Chicago has helped me to update my knowledge.
The FAIMER experience has helped me to work
effectively in the Postgraduate Working Group of
MCI and to develop the “Vision 2015” report to
restructure postgraduate education in India.
Overall, it is extremely difficult to write or express
in one page what FAIMER has done for me. FAIMER
has been part of my life for the last eight successful
years. I would like to thank Nancy, James, John, Bill,
Page, Debby, Janet, Gerry, Ralf, Vanessa, Ilene, Ara,
Tejinder, Thomas, and all Fellows and colleagues
who have witnessed this journey and have supported
me. I feel proud to be associated with FAIMER.
Thanks.
Animesh Jain
India
I
Having undergone the FAIMER Regional Institute
still feel as if it
was yesterday that fellowship has helped me understand better the
issues and topics related to medical education and
I was selected as a
research. It has also led me to implement small but
Fellow at the PSGmeaningful changes in the way I teach and the way
FRI. What ensued
I frame questions in examinations. I have started
was a journey of
preparing a key in all the theory examinations that I
learning in a great
coordinate.
environment. The
way on-site sessions
The way feedback is given in FAIMER has helped
were conducted
me use it as a model in my workplace, even with
made me so
the students. I have also started looking at various
interested
and
stimulated
that I
The unique on-line experience of the ML-Web …
was looking forward to exciting learning
was almost like having a “friend, philosopher, and
experiences ahead.
guide” whom I could turn to for almost any kind of
The two-year long journey was a pleasant
help and advice.
one. The unique on-line experience of
the ML-Web was new to me. I was initially
apprehensive and anxious about whether
workshops and programs and activities related to
it would work and whether it would really help
medical education in a critical way, and conveying
me to learn. However, not only did I find that it
my feedback to the organizers and speakers to
worked well, but it was almost like having a “friend,
improve the program next time.
philosopher, and guide” whom I could turn to for
almost any kind of help and advice. When I needed
FAIMER has not only enriched me in the field of
advice on a faculty development program or intern
medical education, but also, in general, with all the
orientation program, I posted queries and received
issues related to health professions and practice.
responses from Fellows and faculty in no time.
The success of FAIMER Institutes is due to the
structure of the model. FAIMER was not known
56
57
Zahra Ladhani
T
en years
is a long
time in an
individual’s
life, but for an
institution 10
years is just a
milestone…
It is very
difficult to
separate
FAIMER
from its
Fellows’ lives,
hence, it is
not 10 years
that we are
celebrating,
it is 10
multiplied by the total number of Fellows whose
lifestyles, careers, and, above all, thinking processes
have been changed—forever!
I started my journey on the path of medical education
with an accident. And, since hindsight is always
perfect, this accident turned out to be most favorable
for my professional life. It all started when I met
one of the FAIMER Fellows in our
college who, while chatting, introduced
me to the “never-heard” scope and
possibilities of medical education
and offered me his assistance for the
application process. And that was it.
I started writing the application with
apprehension about whether what I
was getting into was something “real”
or just a fad. Well, my application was
accepted, and I came to the Institute
for the first residential component,
and it was a complete turnaround.
Topics like the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator, Mini-CEX, one-minute
elevator talk, and appreciative inquiry
were new for me. Topics like distance
education, problem-based learning,
and educational research challenged
my previously acquired knowledge.
Some topics, like community-based
education, qualitative research, and
project management tools, were
58
Jugesh Chhatwal
Pakistan
invigorating. The process and methodology of the
Mentoring and Learning Web (ML-Web) sessions
was altogether a new dimension of learning. The
process of carrying out an educational project not
only strengthened my learning but also gave me
confidence to bring about change at the institutional
level. The project that I carried out as a Fellow
helped my institution to adopt a competency-based
curriculum for community health, which I have
carried forward as a Ph.D. thesis as well.
Presentations, opportunities for participation, and
tons of stimulating listserv discussions gave life to
the health professions educationist that was buried
deep down inside me. From a reluctant starter, I
have now become a believer in miracles that medical
educators can bring forth to improve the health
of populations. Now I am a bearer of the health
professions education torch!
My story would remain incomplete without
acknowledging the support, encouragement,
learning circles (another term out of my FAIMER
dictionary), cheers, and critical feedback of the
faculty members, mentors, Fellows and staff. Their
support and “soft reminders” brought out the
educator in me.
I
first heard about FAIMER when one of my
colleagues mentioned it, and I thought it was
just another new organization. Then I had the
experience of observing the
FAIMER Regional Institute
at CMCL and felt there was
a lot of meaning to what was
being done. The philosophy
of improving teaching and
learning was something that
was close to my heart, and I
wished to be a part of it and,
hence, started my FAIMER
journey. I completed my
fellowship and my project
at the FAIMER Institute in
Philadelphia and further
expanded it to make it a part
of undergraduate training.
I am now considering
including it in the program for
postgraduates as well. Also, in
an attempt to focus attention
on the subject and increase
awareness, I delivered a
talk at one of the regional
conferences and the institutional grand rounds.
Looking beyond the project, FAIMER has impacted
various other aspects as well. Just like Katherine’s
“gentle” reminders, the FAIMER breeze has gently
India
permeated almost all aspects of my professional life.
My teaching skills, patient interaction, leadership
skills and style, presentation skills, and also my
management skills have all
in some way or other been
affected. The Mentoring and
Learning Web (ML-Web) has
been a huge and rich resource
of knowledge, which is easily
accessible. The interactions
on the listserv, in addition to
improving my computer skills,
have also been the source of
two poster presentations, one
at the Association for Medical
Education in Europe (AMEE)
conference in Spain in 2009,
the other at The Network:
Towards Unity for Health
conference in Nepal in 2010…
and, hopefully, an article, also,
soon.
All of this learning and these
activities have also helped in
my becoming a recognized
faculty member for the FAIMER Regional Institute
as well as for the Medical Council of India’s faculty
development program.
59
John Tumbo
South Africa
I
joined the FAIMER family in 2008 after hearing
about FAIMER from a 2007 Fellow. I became aware
of FAIMER when the Fellow selected me as one of
the participants in his project. The topic of study,
something to do with validity in the assessment
of medical students by objective structured
clinical examination (OSCE), immediately struck
a chord with my desire to improve the teaching
and assessment of medical students. I suddenly
realized that the challenges I had faced in teaching,
curriculum development and review, assessment,
and scholarship had a platform that comprehensively
addressed them. It became clear that FAIMER was
a great opportunity for me to fill this void. With
this enthusiasm, I applied for fellowship and after
a tedious negotiation with my dean regarding a
recommendation it eventually came out of his office.
Surely, the dean and indeed many in the academic
institution had not been touched by the FAIMER
wave and so were unable to understand the value of
the fellowship.
The 20-day contact session in Philadelphia was
just overwhelming. The information tsunami on
leadership, conflict management, teaching methods,
curriculum development and review, assessment,
personal development, etc. was very valuable.
The structure of the fellowship, anchored by the
innovation project, was indeed unique in that it was
grounded in an
identified need
by the Fellow
and institution.
The fellowship
provided an
opportunity
to put into
practice
educational
research
methods,
quality
assurance,
and project
management.
For the next
10 months
the anxiety of
having to present my completed work was the driving
force to learn and improve. The unique Mentoring
and Learning Web (ML-Web) support system kept
the Fellows afloat. The climax of this hectic but very
rewarding journey came in October 2009, when all
the Fellows presented their completed work and
participated in International Medical Education
Day which looked at bigger international concepts
in medical education. One should not forget the
immense energy that went into involving other
managers and educators at the home institution
to make the project and interventions possible.
By the end of the year, pessimism had turned
into a major strength as appointments into
curriculum development committees and the
examination committee started happening for
me.
Fairly rapidly the institutional management
started seeking my opinions on diverse
issues, for example, the development of a
linear assessment and evaluation tool for
educational programs. A second climax was
achieved through the acceptance of my abstract
for publication by the prestigious Medical
Education journal in May 2010. Well, this was
indeed scholarship in action, and this gave me
the motivation to conduct and publish medical
educational research. Yes indeed, FAIMER
training has shown that this is possible!
The principle of sharing knowledge for the
advancement of other educators was actualized
early in 2010 when I agreed to the request to
60
be a facilitator at SAFRI. I have been involved in
the selection of SAFRI Fellows for year 2010 and
in their supervision. The development
of the Regional Institute has also been
an important aspect of my FAIMER life.
I have appreciated every moment of the
support I give to regional development. In
the last two years, we have seen increasing
interest in the fellowship among medical
educators, not just in my institution, but
also the entire country and throughout
Africa. For example, two or three years
ago there was only one Fellow in my
institution, and currently there are four
Fellows who are spreading the medical education
gospel widely.
Education Innovation Projects
A major goal of the FAIMER fellowship program is the completion of an education innovation project, proposed
by Fellows in their initial application to the Institute, and then implemented at their home institution during the
first distance learning session. Projects with the potential to improve the health of the community, region, or
country of the applicant’s institution are given higher priority in the fellowship selection process.
The following table shows a breakdown of Fellow innovation projects by their topic or focus. The data include
only projects of Fellows who consented to participation in a recent evaluation of the fellowship program
(N=435). Projects were assigned up to two topic focus areas.
Project Focus
Description of Focus
N
%
EDUCATION METHODS/
MODELS
Implementation of education methods; application of teaching
methods to focal learning areas. Specific examples include projects
focused on problem-based learning (PBL), use of simulations, teaching
critical thinking, clinical skills education, evidence-based medicine.
159
37%
CURRICULUM REVISION/
INTEGRATION/CHANGE
Changes to all or part of an institution’s curriculum.
99
23%
PROGRAM EVALUATION
Evaluation to increase understanding of the need for or impact of an
intervention.
83
19%
STUDENT ASSESSMENT
Implementation of new or improved methods to assess students,
including formative and summative assessment.
76
17%
ALIGNMENT WITH HEALTH
SYSTEM, CONTEXT, AND
NEEDS
Alignment of content of education with health care context or
population health needs; community-based education; health systems
change.
73
17%
DISTANCE AND COMPUTERBASED LEARNING
Design/implementation of distance learning programs/modules; use
of IT-based education.
40
9%
FACULTY/TEACHER/TRAINER Professional development programs for faculty or others engaged in
DEVELOPMENT
teaching or training.
38
9%
STUDENT AFFAIRS
Interventions to improve student well-being and the learning
environment.
25
6%
PROFESSIONALISM/
HUMANISM/ETHICS
Interventions intended to improve the teaching and learning of
professionalism, humanism, and ethics.
16
4%
ORGANIZATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Changes to organizational structure, such as creation of a center for
research in HPE or establishment of a new degree program.
13
3%
61
Christina Tan
Malaysia
I
am a family physician by training, but my interest
in medical education has developed over the years
with my involvement in curriculum planning and in
coordinating various faculty modules and activities
in the medical program at the University of Malaya.
My FAIMER journey actually started way back in
about 1998 when I met the late Dr. Nancy E. Gary
(former President and Chief Executive Officer,
ECFMG) in Kuala Lumpur during a visit she made to
the South East Asia region. She and the then Deputy
Dean for Undergraduate Studies at the University of
Malaya encouraged me to apply for an International
Fellowship in Medical Education. I then spent a
six-month fellowship during my sabbatical leave at
the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (UNM),
with the Department of Family Medicine. This far
exceeded my expectations, and it was a wonderful
opportunity for me to look at the medical school
curriculum and family medicine residency program
at UNM, to share experiences with faculty interested
in medical education, and to engage in a large variety
of activities including “hands-on” teaching.
I subsequently heard about the FAIMER fellowship
program through a faculty colleague, Nor Azila Mohd
Adnan (PHIL 2002, IFME 2005). The enthusiasm
Azila generated on her return from Philadelphia
rubbed off on me, and I was privileged to be
accepted for the program in 2005. I cannot really
find the right words to describe the mind-blowing
experience of meeting other individuals from around
the world, sharing our common areas of interest/
love/passion in medical education, and also being
able to feel that we are not alone. Some of the things
that particularly stuck in my mind in that first of two
residential periods in
Philadelphia were the
river crossing and the
impact of friendships
made. In particular, the
“instant” friendship I
struck up with Juanita
Bezuidenhout and
David Cameron, both
from South Africa and
Fellows in my class,
was such that we were
inseparable, and this
continued even after
we returned home. I
believe we earned a
reputation at FAIMER as “positive deviants,” and
they invited me to visit them in South Africa in 2006.
The initial intention was for social reasons, but this
subsequently led to an invitation to participate in
the early planning stages for the Southern AfricaFAIMER Regional Institute (SAFRI) in 2007 and
also to an opportunity to conduct a workshop at a
South African Association for Health Educationists
(SAAHE) conference based on the project that
FAIMER had helped me develop. I was invited
back in 2008 and 2009 by the SAAHE conference
organizers not only to conduct this workshop
again but also to deliver a plenary lecture for two
consecutive years.
faculty development courses is based on my FAIMER
Chair in Family Medicine in my institution. I was
project and deals with objective structured clinical
totally inexperienced and having to grapple with a
examination (OSCE) examiner training, focusing on
lot of difficult issues and difficult people. FAIMER
enabling faculty who are OSCE examiners to develop
provided a lifeline and a very strong support
appropriate and consistent checklist rating skills and
mechanism, teaching me conflict and change
inter-rater reliability. The course received a 2010
management, among other things, which greatly
helped me get through the rough times. I have grown University of Malaya Excellence Award in Teaching.
in confidence and strength, and now I try to
mentor others in the same way I have been
mentored. It is now heartening to observe
younger faculty beginning to develop an
It is now heartening to observe younger faculty
interest in medical education and to see
beginning to develop an interest in medical
that they are aware of the need to improve
education and to see that they are aware of the
the quality of assessment as well as their
teaching and learning practices.
need to improve the quality of assessment as well
FAIMER has shifted my focus in my
institution from family medicine to
medical education, and, in 2008, the Dean
appointed me to head the newly formed
Medical Education and Research Development Unit
(MERDU), as well as the Clinical Skills Unit. The
medical education arm of this unit has had a long
gestation, with the initial proposals being made by
Azila in 2003, but it only really took shape with my
appointment, which acted as a catalyst. Two other
faculty colleagues, Debra Sim (PHIL 2007) and
Jamuna Vadivelu (PHIL 2006), have recently joined
me in the unit, and together we are planning to
expand faculty development courses which are now
recognized by the Dean and faculty as an essential
part of training for all academic staff. One of the
as their teaching and learning practices.
The faculty is also embarking on a major curriculum
review now of our undergraduate medical degree
program, and we are working very closely with the
Deputy Dean for Undergraduate Affairs to help steer
faculty through this exercise. I would not have had
the confidence to take up this challenge without the
knowledge and experiences I have gained through
FAIMER.
Friendships with other FAIMER Fellows—Tara Jaffery
(PHIL 2005) and Mobeen Iqbal (PHIL 2006)—led to
another invitation, from Shifa College of Medicine
in Islamabad, Pakistan, to run an assessment
workshop in May 2009. Each of
these events has given me the
opportunity to share my medical
education experiences and to
apply what FAIMER has taught. I
feel this would all not have been
possible if I had not become part
of the FAIMER family.
FAIMER has given me
confidence in leadership
and management skills and
also provided personal and
professional development. I was
a timid FAIMER Fellow when I
started in 2005. I came at a time
when I had just been appointed
62
63
Ajita Nayak
I
t all began not
very long ago, in
2007. I learned about
FAIMER from my head
of department who
was a faculty member
at GSMC-FRI. I was
immediately interested
and intrigued. I applied
for the fellowship
under her guidance
with a project, which
pertained to undergraduate teaching in psychiatry.
The project was accepted. Things have never been
the same since.
The project itself underwent changes during Session
1 of my FAIMER fellowship. It has taught me a lot
about project evaluations and research methodology.
I have also learned about planning for various
programs, projects, and events and am now able to
maintain a better timeline. Carrying out the project
itself taught me about networking. I also learned
about analysis and report writing.
FAIMER has made me a better teacher and mentor.
I have started applying new teaching strategies and
taking regular feedback. I learned the importance
of various methods of interactive
teaching. They have been appreciated
tremendously in all the workshops,
lectures, and small group discussions
I have conducted. I have also begun
to appreciate the importance of the
application of change management
and conflict management strategies
in implementing new educational and
administrative policies. I am now able to
understand group dynamics much better
and am also able to handle team activities
more efficiently. I have learned a great
deal about computer technology, distance
learning, and literature searching
64
Savita Marathe
India
on the web. The web discussions have made me
more computer savvy, increased my interest in
communicating via the Internet, and increased my
knowledge about various subjects related to medical
education.
FAIMER and various projects undertaken by the
Fellows have resulted in sensitizing the faculty
and students of my medical college to the need for
innovations in medical education. Various changes
in the form of integrated and interactive teaching are
being carried out by all the disciplines. Modifications
in assessments and feedback evaluations are now
a regular feature. The students and faculty are also
willing to participate actively in research related to
medical education. The curricular and other changes
are also being accepted by peers and the university.
FAIMER is a pioneering effort in improving medical
education. It has resulted in improved learning
among the students, which will benefit patients and
society at large. On a more personal note, it has been
an unforgettable experience which will always be
cherished.
India
W
hen I came to Mumbai for the first contact
session of GSMC-FRI in June 2008, I was a
little anxious about how those seven days would pass.
I wondered if I would be able to cope with the tight
schedule of the session and wondered how I would
learn in such a hectic schedule. But on the first day
all my anxiety disappeared. The major thing that
appealed to me and by which I was impressed was the
continuous engagement. I never had a feeling that
I was sitting idle and just looking at the PowerPoint
slides. This was my first exposure to active learning.
At the end of the contact session I was a changed
person with a different outlook toward people. I
understood the value and importance of sharing—the
most important aspect of leadership. Everyone was
very caring, helpful, and sharing.
My project on communication skills has helped me
to internalize and practice effective communication
skills in day-to-day life. I am a better listener now
and use non-verbal communication extensively. I
have understood the importance of teamwork and
have started practicing it in my institution. While
working on my project, I acquired multiple skills like
communication with people, objective structured
clinical examination (OSCE) development, training
standardized patients, and giving constructive
feedback. I presented a poster titled “Development
of Communication and Attitudinal Skills Curriculum
for Medical Interns” at the 7th Asia Pacific Medical
Education Conference held in February 2010 in
Singapore.
I was first introduced to adult learning principles
at FAIMER. I use these principles in the sessions
that I teach in the teachers training courses that my
institution conducts. In the Department of Medical
Education Technology of Maharashtra University of
Health Sciences, Nashik, we now plan to conduct
courses on communication and attitudinal skills of
medical students all over the state of Maharashtra,
which is a dire need in India. We will also conduct
Train the Trainer courses on communication skills
and how to conduct an OSCE.
Because of my exposure to program evaluation
during my project, I have now started evaluation of
all the programs conducted by my organization. The
Mentor and Learning Web (ML-Web) discussions
helped me to learn and apply the knowledge learned
in qualitative research, communication skills,
and facilitating adult learning during our faculty
development courses.
65
Ciraj Ali Mohammed
India
A
t my institution we had adopted a new
curriculum that had more emphasis on studentcentered learning. The planned curriculum and
the modes of delivery were different from the
conventional ones practiced so far. So it became
a matter of necessity for the faculty to learn,
understand, and implement strategies to achieve the
desired outcomes. In this context, some of us who
were already working with the medical education
department decided to explore the field of medical
education in a more organized manner. It was then
I came across the invitation to CMCL-FRI. I tried to
learn about the program, the philosophy behind it,
and the people involved. To a great extent, I found
that my priorities matched with them. I had no
second thought. My journey with FAIMER began
on the very first day I filed my application for the
CMCL-FRI.
Once I was in the program, I realized that passion
alone would not suffice and there was a need to
blend this with scientific reasoning. The methodical
approach and the firm focus on tangible outcomes
inspired me. Though initially skeptical about its
utility, the listserv gradually became a part of my
daily routine. The overall feeling was that “You are
not all alone; but along with a group of people who
would help you bring about that much talked about
change.” I am overwhelmed with the support I have
received and deeply indebted to the people who
made things possible.
Most of the curricular interventions that have
happened at my institution, Melaka Manipal
Medical College (MMMC), had FAIMER support. It
was partly because of
a well-informed and
consistent leadership
and the large
contingent of FAIMER
Fellows (n=8) who
are now a part of my
institution.
As one of the initial
Fellows selected for
CMCL-FRI, my role
was to study the effect
of problem-based
learning (PBL) in our
curriculum. Based on
this study, recommendations were made to make
PBL practice a more effective educational strategy
at MMMC. The projects taken up by FAIMER
Fellows at my medical school had a lot to do with
our curriculum. They focused on vital elements of
teaching, learning, and assessment and studied
aspects like clinical correlation of basic sciences,
educational environment, standard setting,
mentored student projects, and outcome-based
education.
The impact of CMCL-FRI on me takes the form of
a biological cascade (coagulation or complement
pathway) where the preceding components act as
catalysts for succeeding events:
I was selected to CMCL-FRI.
Impact: I realized that learning is a life-long process
(though I used to preach about this earlier).
Impact: I did fairly well in
my Regional Institute.
FA I M E R Fa c t s | Websites
The FAIMER on-line family includes seven websites:
Brazil-FAIMER Regional Institute:
CMCL-FAIMER Regional Institute:
FAIMER Home Site:
GSMC-FAIMER Regional Institute:
PSG-FAIMER Regional Institute:
Southern Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute:
FAIMER Regional Initiative in Latin America:
66
Impact: I was selected for the 2010 FAIMER
Institute.
brasil.faimerfri.org
cmcl.faimerfri.org
faimer.org
gsmc.faimerfri.org
psg.faimerfri.org
safri.faimerfri.org
frila.faimerfri.org
Impact: I was selected as
faculty at the Regional
Institute.
Impact: This gave me
more chances to interact
and more avenues to
experiment.
Impact: I started
communicating my stories
and started working with
new people and new
projects.
In addition, I have learned lessons in effective
time management. Now I use the program theory
and modified logic model in most of my projects
(even in projects not related to education). I am
well aware about conflict management strategies
and try to manage conflicts in the
best possible manner. I am more
serious about medical education
research, trying to analyze and
understand the intricacies
involved with educational
interventions.
I pledge to remain updated in the field of medical
education and medical education research. I plan
to regularly communicate with other medical
educators through publications and presentations.
I also intend to learn more about academic and
organizational leadership.
As the Secretary of our Medical
Education Department I am
responsible for organizing faculty
development workshops for
health educators at my university.
These workshops will provide
me a platform to disseminate the
knowledge and skills that I have
gained from FAIMER.
Feroze Kaliyadan
R
“
esearch in medical
education? Duh?
…What IS that? And
why you?!” This was
one of the tiresomely
repetitive comments I
received (and continue
to receive, albeit a wee
bit less frequently)
when I started out on
my FAIMER fellowship.
My background was
basically clinical and academic dermatology. Though
I was teaching (and loved to teach) medical students
and interns virtually every day, the process itself
was kind of secondary to other “more important”
things like clinical activities and related research. I
started the FAIMER journey because I was doing a
project that combined two things I had a passion for,
teaching and computers, and honestly at the outset I
was more concerned about just finishing my project.
Anything I learned from FAIMER I thought would
just be a bit of a bonus. However, some journeys
create profound changes on the traveler, and may
India
change the course of their larger journey in life.
This happened to me. From a point at which all my
research was based on pure dermatology, I have
shifted to giving an equal focus to medical education,
and more importantly, I am enjoying that change.
Toward the end of my fellowship period, I was
offered a job in a different medical school, and one
of the deciding factors that made me opt to take it
was the emphasis this school was giving to medical
education. At present, in my new station, I am
working on a study on a modified problem-based
learning (PBL) module in dermatology, among other
medical education-related projects and activities.
Most importantly, FAIMER has given me the
confidence that, as far as medical teaching in my
institute goes, I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! So
now, when I am re-bombarded with the question I
started with, I give the questioner a brief overview of
my FAIMER journey, and by the time I am finished,
the response, more often than not, is a variation of:
“Research in medical education. Wow! That IS great!
And lucky you!”
67
Naranchimeg Sodovsuren
Mongolia
B
Committee for health workers under the Ministry of
Health. In addition, I initiated the opening of a new
non-governmental organization called the Problem
Based Center.
efore becoming a FAIMER Fellow, I made a lot
of mistakes in my life, but FAIMER changed me
and changed my life. In Mongolia, many changes
happened over the last 20 years following the
democratic revolution, and it was a difficult period
for honest and principled people. My father was
a famous lawyer, so honest and so principled. I
copied all the characteristics from my dad and tried
to change situations at my school. Unfortunately it
didn’t work, and in 2001 I was fired from my job for
working honestly.
One day in 2005, Dr. Togoo Altantsetseg (PHIL
2001), Head of the Department of Medical Education
at Health Sciences University of Mongolia (the new
school where I worked), made an announcement
about the FAIMER training program to the heads of
faculty departments. After the meeting, I found the
website about FAIMER and felt that I had a chance of
studying in the USA again. But my application wasn’t
accepted that year. The next year I again received
information from FAIMER. My husband supported
me a lot and suggested that I should apply again,
because I had been doing a lot of things in nursing
education in Mongolia. I will never forget that day
when I received the invitation letter for studying in
the USA from FAIMER.
I had been on my way to much success and
happiness. Or so I thought. But after practicing
medical education for a few years, I realized I
wasn’t happy at all. Sure, there were some things
I liked about being a medical educator, but most
teachers didn’t like to listen to me nor did they wish
68
to understand me. After completing my two-year
FAIMER program, I realized that my work must focus
on the younger generation and helping them change
by themselves.
I was fascinated and excited to begin learning how
medical education and research work determine the
quality of a health care system. In 2008, I was invited
to open a problem-based learning (PBL) tutor
program for all faculty members. PBL in my medical
school was introduced in 1998, but although most
teachers knew the mechanics of using PBL in their
class, nobody understood the meaning and spirit
of it. Better health care delivery starts with better
medical education, better medical education reform
starts with PBL, and better PBL approach starts with
proper attitudes. Materials and discussions on the
FAIMER listserv helped me prepare for this
course. After these PBL tutor courses, all teachers
who participated in this course could change by
themselves. At the end of this course, all teachers
understood that future doctors’ competence
depended on faculty role modeling. I was proud of
myself, because I could change future generations in
a positive way.
In 2009, I introduced my FAIMER project to the
Minister of Health, and he supported me to establish
the Professional Attitude and Communication Skills
During the last several years at our university, a lot
of good changes have happened, but we also have
made a lot of mistakes by incorrectly translating
some English words into Mongolian. For example:
objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)
was implemented at my medical school in 1998, but
we couldn’t translate the word “objective” right and
the meaning of this exam was not achieved. Due
to educational law and policy, the word “attitude”
was not included. Instead, this word was translated
into Mongolian as “practice.” I subsequently
wrote a Medical and Nursing English-Mongolian,
Mongolian-English dictionary in 2010 to correct
these mistakes.
Thank you very much FAIMER family for your
supportive guidance, the knowledge you have
bestowed upon me, your enthusiastic support of
my work, and for the code of ethics you taught me.
Thank you also to the faculty members of FAIMER
who have given so generously of their knowledge and
experience, and who have helped me to develop my
skills as a speaker and writer.
69
Jose Cueto
I
learned about the FAIMER fellowships from a
letter sent to our medical school. The Dean asked
me if I was interested, since I was the Chairman
of the Curriculum Committee during that time,
and I readily agreed to apply. I felt confident that I
would be given a chance, because during that time I
was leading the change of our curriculum from the
traditional to the integrated system. So it was right
timing on my part. I was accepted as one of the 2002
Fellows.
Right from the start, I knew that it would be a
great learning experience for me, because we had
excellent faculty, and very knowledgeable and expert
participants from different parts of the world. The
first session on getting to know each other was
very enlightening and we connected with others
immediately. All sessions were professionally
conducted, were very challenging, and brought out
the best in us. Group work made us more familiar
with each other and we had to focus on our goal,
that is, to learn the skills to implement the needed
changes in our own medical schools. Although I
had been extensively exposed to the different topics
during my master’s course in Health Professions
Education, I found the different perspectives
utilized by the faculty and provided by my co-Fellows
very interesting. They reinforced and added to my
knowledge and understanding. The fact that we came
from different disciplines contributed a lot to our
interactions. I gained a lot from the reports we made,
the poster sessions, the games we played, and all of
the well-planned activities.
I also gained a lot from the educational visits we
participated in, like the Program for Integrated
Learning of Drexel University, the visit to the
medical school in New Jersey, and the observation
tour we had during the United States Medical
Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) at the offices of
ECFMG in Philadelphia. Of course, we also enjoyed
the journeys we made to the city on our own by riding
the train. There was also one weekend when my
uncle, who was a retired physician, fetched me and
drove me to see Atlantic City and New York. I also
took advantage of the time I was in Philadelphia by
becoming an official observer of the American Board
of Surgery Oral Exams after we ended our sessions.
Southern Africa-FAIMER Regional Institute 2008
South Africa
nce I started, I realized there is no need
for a destination because the ride is so
extraordinary—fun and filled with personal and
professional learning moments that are constantly
challenging me to become a better educator, leader,
researcher, teacher, and student. I am most grateful
that, not only does the fellowship create learning
experiences, but it also exposes one to wonderful
professionals who share, teach, role model, and
champion you along to achieve your learning
outcomes and deal with challenges as you progress
with your research.
Becoming a
SAFRI Fellow
has changed
me in that
I learned
more about
myself, my
weaknesses,
my strengths,
and my
responsibilities as a health science educator. Sharing
the journey with my class of 16 and then Fellows from
the following year, and continuing to do so,
sets this journey apart from other similar
programs. The fellowship is structured
in such a way that we act as each other’s
students and teachers as we constantly grow
and learn personally and professionally
together.
O
I have to admit that we had excellent food served
all throughout the fellowship periods. Breakfasts,
lunch, and dinners brought us closer together, and
we got to talk about our families, our countries,
and about our schools. We also got to converse with
our faculty, especially with Page and Bill. We also
appreciated the dinner we had at Bill’s house, and
that we had a singing and jamming session with
Gerry. I also will not forget the songs we had as a
group with Rima teaching us a number of songs from
Georgia, and our performances before the faculty
with myself providing the guitar accompaniment.
I am very satisfied with all my experiences, especially
since the project that I had was fully accepted by
my institution, and the integrated curriculum
that I proposed as the primary proponent is still
being used up to this day. I also am pleased to have
participated in writing our article on accreditation
practices that was published in Education for Health
in 2006. That really involved a lot of work among the
Fellows.
I envy the Fellows from other regions who have put
up and established their own FAIMER Regional
Institutes because they have put to actual use the
leadership skills that we extensively discussed
during our stay there.
I thank ECFMG and FAIMER for establishing this
fellowship program, and for supporting the network
where we can communicate with each other. I thank
the dedicated faculty members who took care of us,
and who continue giving advice to all of us. More
power to all of you!
70
Veena Singaram
Philippines
Although the effect of FAIMER as a catalyst
for change is not yet evident in my school,
I believe in time that the seed sown will
germinate, because change is inevitable,
especially as the body of Fellows in my
institution increases and our desire
for higher educational and leadership
standards increases.
Efosa Oviasu
I
first heard about FAIMER in October 2004 from
a colleague who was travelling on the same flight
with me from London to New York. The discussion
we had about FAIMER led me to develop immense
interest in the foundation, culminating in my
being admitted into the 2006 class. I must say that
being a member of the FAIMER family has really
taught me a lot about life in general, particularly
as it relates to carrying along other peers in what
I passionately believe is worthy of execution.
Unlike many colleagues in my class, I was virtually
naïve in terms of pedagogical factual knowledge
in medical education as a distinct discipline, but I
was able to learn fast, thanks to the most conducive
environment created by both FAIMER Fellows and
faculty. Again, thanks to FAIMER, I am now regarded
Nigeria
back home
as a “medical
education
expert.”
I know of
no other
group with
a bond as
strong and
as altruistic
as you find
among
FAIMER
Fellows. I am really so proud to be part of the
FAIMER family.
71
Elena Barragán
Argentina
T
wo coincidences led me to FAIMER. First, when
I was attending a medical education conference
in Temuco, Chile, in January 2003, I heard a 2001
Fellow, Carlos Carvajal Hafemann, speaking about
his extraordinary experience in Philadelphia
and recommending
application to the
FAIMER Institute for
the opportunity to learn
about medical education
internationally. I
remember him showing
wonderful pictures of the
Sugarloaf Conference
Center in Chestnut Hill,
Philadelphia, where the
Institute was held at that
time.
The second coincidence
was the suggestion of
the bioethics professor
at my school; he saw the
FAIMER advertisement
somewhere and told me
about the opportunity,
knowing that I was
designing a project to
integrate the Biomedical
Department disciplines
in a module.
After being a Philadelphia Fellow, I became a Faculty
Advisor, a Faculty Discussant, and I am currently
part of the faculty team at Brazil-FRI. Every time I
participate as faculty at Brazil-FRI, I learn more and
more, not only as a teacher, but also as a student by
attending the other faculty members’ activities and
interactive lectures. It is a real community of practice
and learning. Brazil-FRI also has particular features,
like the large number of participants (50) every year,
and the number and variety of projects. It is a big
challenge for the faculty, but also provides a richness
of experiences, especially in community-based
teaching, supported by the Brazilian health system,
which provides funding for curricular innovations.
I think every Regional Institute has a particular
flavor and characteristics that distinguish it from
the others. There are emergent properties of every
particular group, so peculiar and unique, that make
the experience special. The teaching experience in a
different country, with a different language, is a very
72
rich one also.
You learn not only the teaching content but also the
particular contextual strategies that provide you with
a color palette of strategies to use everywhere, and
you learn to be flexible
enough to be able to
teach different subjects
to different audiences. It
gave me self-confidence
to manage different
cultural backgrounds
and preferences. It
is a wonderful way to
continue my scholarship
in medical education. It
produces opportunities
for collaboration,
publications, and
development that would
not be available without
this experience. I hope
the relationship between
the FAIMER Regional
Initiative in Latin America
(FRILA) and BrazilFRI builds on regional
integration.
I am also applying, as a teacher in my courses, the
student assessment methods and books I got at
FAIMER, to assess the students in my course and
to teach assessment in the faculty development
program. The degrees and experience acquired
Every time I participate as faculty at BrazilFRI, I learn more and more, not only as a
teacher, but also as a student by attending
the other faculty members’ activities and
interactive lectures. It is a real community of
practice and learning.
in the field of medical education allowed me to be
included in the list of Expert Peer Reviewers of the
National Accreditation Committee for Schools of
Medicine in Argentina and to participate in several
national accreditation processes. I also participated
in the construction of a pilot of the National Global
Examination (ACCEDE) for the end of the medical
career at the national level.
We developed strong friendships with our classmates
at FAIMER. We now collaborate on studies and
projects, and are planning to publish together and
do some research together. As is apparent from
this, the on-site community building at the Institute
works very well and makes a difference in
network- and community-building between the
Fellows. I would like to highlight that the faceto-face session is essential to create this sense
of belonging in the group. This feeling is very
difficult to create between people who do not
know each other or have never met in person.
All this background helped me to change
the path of my career and to be now in a
leadership position where I am able to design
health professions in an innovative way, and
where I can apply all the knowledge acquired
through my FAIMER experience. This is a very
important opportunity in my career, because
I am in a position now where I can produce a
sustainable change where I work, as well as at the
public universities in neighbor states, Neuquén
and Río Negro, where I have two careers in health
professions education, one at a medical school and
one at a dental school.
Since 2005, I have been a
director of a communitybased faculty development
program for young medical student teachers.
In this program, the student teachers conduct
workshops on healthy nutrition with secondary
school teenagers at their institutions. The final
number of teenagers participating in the program
is 1,000, and the number of medical students is
20. This is an extracurricular program (classified
as an action-research in-service program). In this
project, I am applying many instruments I learned
at FAIMER, such as the logic model, the Gantt chart,
the conflict management tools, the Myers-Briggs
personality types, micro teaching, PowerPoint tips,
on-line communication, and positive deviance.
The appreciative leadership, adult learning
principles, faculty development strategies, and
program evaluation tools are very important for the
management of my project and for all aspects of my
job. These features have been incorporated not only
in my work, but in my way of living and personality
traits, and have really changed my view of life!
73
Jyoti Mahantesh Nagmoti
M
y journey of FAIMER fellowship has been
adventurous, smooth, and highly productive.
I joined the “FAIMERly” with slight hesitation in
view of its demanding academic commitment and
with my Ph.D. examination coming up! But, having
shouldered the responsibility of Secretary of our
Medical Education Department, my strong sense
of commitment to the field of medical education
would not let me forego this venture. Once I was
into the course, I enjoyed the whole process of
learning, which was rather fun! Although I had
prior experience—having completed a short-term
fellowship in medical education and having been a
resource person for faculty development workshops
—I learned a lot more from FAIMER.
Valdes R. Bollela
India
My success story includes
Best Teacher Award,
completion of my Ph.D.
in medical microbiology,
and presentation of many
educational workshops
organized by my university’s
Department of Education
for Health Professionals.
Soon after that I was
appointed Director of this
department.
I have organized and conducted more than 45
educational workshops in the past several years. I
was the organizing secretary for a national workshop
on “Strengthening Medical Education through
Information Technology,” and delivered guest
lectures on “Microteaching” and “How to Train Our
Doctors for Tomorrow’s Needs” for the Medical
Council of India (MCI). I was an abstract reviewer
for the National Conference on Health Professionals’
Education, held December 2009 in Pune.
Recently our university has been accredited
with Grade “A” by the National Assessment and
Accreditation Committee (NAAC), the only
private, Deemed university in India to receive this
accreditation.
After successful completion of the FAIMER
fellowship, I was selected as FAIMER faculty and had
the opportunity to conduct a session as a resource
person in April 2009 at PSG-FRI.
The FAIMER fellowship has added spice to my
professional career. It has enabled me with certain
fine professional skills, which have groomed me into
a committed person and a popular teacher.
I
n 2004, I was
appointed dean of my
school and suddenly
realized that I needed
much more knowledge
about medical education
than I had at that time to
face all the challenges of
the position. I went to
FAIMER to learn about
medical education,
and I got much more than that. I learned about
life, diversity, management, leadership, and
limitations (our own and those of others) and
about how to deal with and respect people.
Once, I heard from my colleague Eliana Amaral
(PHIL 2003, Co-Director of the Brazil-FAIMER
Regional Institute) that her life as an educator
could be divided into two moments: before and
after the FAIMER experience. It happened to
me, too. It’s impossible to describe.
in the workplace and in our personal lives. After
Session 1 (October 2006), I had a terrible problem
in my institution and decided to leave the school
and look for another place to work. The university
that accepted me and my FAIMER project has seen
it implemented, and the story of the project written
in a book. I have also had some publications in
medical education journals about our curriculum.
The scholarship module of the FAIMER Institute was
decisive in helping me to achieve that.
The FAIMER experience had (and still has) a
huge impact on my way of dealing with all the
demands and challenges we face every day
Bachi T. Hathiram
I
had just been promoted to the post of Professor
and Head of the ENT Department of my institution
(Topiwala National Medical College and Nair
Hospital) a few months earlier when my Dean Dr.
Sanjay Oak called me and said he wanted me to be
a part of this prestigious course. Until then, I had
no clue of what it was all about. I was more into
academics and surgeries: writing publications,
chapters for textbooks and several whole textbooks,
as well as honing my surgical skills. I enjoyed
teaching but did not think beyond that. I soon was
selected for the 2007 batch at the GSMC-FAIMER
Regional Institute and from then onwards life has
not been the
same!
I was not
apprehensive
as I love to
meet people
and learn
new things.
74
Brazil
India
I love to interact. But FAIMER was this and much
more. It was like having a brand new family of people
who had decided to love you and help you even
before they met you! Debby, Bill, Ray, Avinash, and
the rest of the faculty at the GSMC-FAIMER Regional
Institute are probably the best of the best. So very
kind, patient, and encouraging. They never laughed
at the silliest of queries, but helped us all along.
Unbelievable to see such team spirit in this day and
age of cut-throat competitiveness!
I learned that teaching does not only mean
explaining, but also evaluation to make sure what
has been taught has been understood (or not) and
to what extent. There are various modes of teaching
the same thing more effectively. And most important
was the FAIMER project, which helped not only
my resident doctors and colleagues, but also my
patients. It is still in use in my department.
I am indeed lucky to have come into contact with this
elite group.
75
Waithira Mirie
Shyamal Bhattacharya
Kenya
T
he FAIMER experience provided me with
knowledge and skills important in curricular
improvements in medical education. As a
nutritionist lecturer, under the Community
Health thematic section of my school, I enhanced
my understanding from the FAIMER experience
of a multidisciplinary and integrated approach
to teaching in medical schools. A medical
curriculum that is country-specific and employs a
multidisciplinary approach can have a far-reaching
effect that can lead to improved health care delivery
to the people. The FAIMER experience facilitated
meeting and interacting with other international
faculty from various institutions. Although the
medical institutions were separated by geography,
I realized the goals of providing better health care
were the same and the challenges of producing
competent medical personnel are the same.
The FAIMER experience emphasized teaching
methodologies, assessment tools, personal and
professional development, leadership, and program
planning, which are all essential components for
successful, dynamic medical institutions. Team
building was emphasized as an essential element
for aligning personal and institutional goals. A
positive approach toward problem solving as well as
inclusiveness was emphasized.
The FAIMER
fellowship
experience also
facilitated my
desire to achieve
a higher degree
as an on-line
student. With
the FAIMER
on-line learning
experience of two
years, I became
convinced that
on-line learning
can be achieved
successfully.
The FAIMER project strengthened my ability to
include other faculty members in planning my
project. The project was discussed at various
committees and also with medical students. I am
in the process of trying to publish the outcome of
that project. The recommendations made can still
be implemented to complement what is already in
the nutrition curriculum. I have been away from my
institution since the FAIMER experience and have
just come back. My knowledge and skills obtained
from the experience will help me going forward.
Nepal
among the stakeholders for change. I feel more
confident in carrying out the assignments entrusted
to me. The FAIMER training has given me rich and
multi-faceted experience in dealing with the many
challenges that one faces on a daily basis. I try to
support the students’ reflective process by fostering
critical thinking skills, highlighting the importance
of the affective domain, and providing feedback to
them. I think that because of my FAIMER exposure I
was able to do justice in conducting a preconference
workshop on program evaluation at The Network:
Towards Unity for Heath conference in November
2010.
I
remember most the first encounter with the
group, telling our personal story and discussing
our past, present, and future. We developed a very
deep sense of appreciation for each other. I went
to the FAIMER Institute with a project related to
portfolio learning and came back to my Institute with
another project on “Integrated Learning and Student
Perception.” In the end, I presented a poster to the
Institute titled “Critical Appraisal of Undergraduate
Medical Curriculum,” and I was allowed to do that by
the faculty without any fuss. And, in my opinion, that
is the big picture of our esteemed FAIMER Institute.
Every Fellow was given customized feedback as well
as “feed-forward” to improve further and move to
the next level. I have not experienced before the
type of teaching-learning activities blended with
professionalism and a humanistic touch such as that
offered by faculty members of the FAIMER Institute.
The emphasis of the FAIMER Institute is not only
on medical education but also on leadership skills
and the development of the right kind of
attitude. I must commend the work culture
and commitment of FAIMER faculty
members to the Fellows, to our learning
and our psychosocial well-being, and for
paying special attention to our cultural
differences. The fostering of personal and
professional development of the Fellows by
FAIMER faculty members through guided
feedback immensely helped all of us. I love
to quote “Appreciate what is good in this
world.”
FAIMER has served as a catalyst for change in my
institution and beyond. My institution has realized
the importance of medical education in a more
formal way, has strengthened the department, and
has given us FAIMER Fellows the responsibility to
advance the cause of medical education. Most of
the faculty members and the administrators have
developed a deeper understanding of the medical
curriculum and the need for curriculum review and
evaluation, which is frequently avoided in this part
of the world. In my opinion, the FAIMER training
may have compelled the administration to assign
me additional responsibility as Academic Dean in
January 2010. The administrators agreed, principally
on the basis of my FAIMER project findings, to hold
a curriculum review workshop (after a gap of 16
years), which is one of the intermediate outcomes in
the logic model of my FAIMER project.
I am fortunate to be a FAIMER Fellow.
The FAIMER training changed me, as
I became a good listener and came to
appreciate the good work of my students,
colleagues, and the people around me. I
do realize the significance of consensus
76
77
Edwin Nwobodo
International Fellowship in Medical Education 2000 & 2007
Nigeria
I
learned of FAIMER
following from my
International Fellowship
in Medical Education
(IFME) of 2000-2001
at Dartmouth College. I
was not quite sure what
the FAIMER experience
would entail. I did not
even know what medical
education really meant,
though I had been
involved in medical
school teaching for well over 10 years. Once in
Philadelphia and following the first two days of the
residential session, it became clear how many things
I could do much better, and these got even bigger
as my experience in Philly grew. There were things
I had wanted to do in my institution, but was not
sure how to begin or even what to call the process. I
conveyed my intentions in Philly and the FAIMER
Institute converted the intentions to definitive and
feasible plans with clear guidance of how to proceed.
My project was on horizontally integrated
neuroscience for preclinical students. I had gone
ahead to complete and approve the curriculum.
I learned things about leadership, management,
and planning at FAIMER. Once I was back in my
institution, I was challenged to share my experience
by facilitating the first residential out-of-station,
faculty-wide medical education workshop. I had
to lean solely on my newly acquired FAIMER skills
to lead this process from program development
78
to evaluation. My FAIMER guides were on hand to
support me, especially in program development.
My interpersonal communication has been changed
forever from saying “wrong” to saying “even
better!” My leadership style has been changed to
an appreciative approach. Many colleagues wanted
to know what medical education was all about. I
had enough materials from Philly to share, and my
new standing and skills saw me into the position
of chair or as a member of many committees of
importance in the college, including Curriculum,
ICT, and Protocol, as well as the college orator. For
once, the college started to review curriculums. I was
appointed as a Consultant to the UK’s Department
for International Development programs in Nigeria,
where appreciative inquiry became my powerful
tool of leading many of the consultancy tasks I
was assigned. I recorded the highest number of
consultancy days of all the national consultants in
Nigeria for the PATHS 1 program. I now deliver
lectures using a variety of teaching methods and
media, and my student assessments are a variety of
all that I learned through the FAIMER fellowship.
The visibility I acquired in my institution and
country accelerated my professorship and early
appointment as Dean of the Faculty.
S. Ayhan Caliskan
I
applied to the FAIMER fellowship program twice,
in 2007 and 2008. After my first application
was not accepted, I felt a little bit
disappointed and did not consider
applying again, but my former
Vice Dean, Professor Abdullah
Sayiner (PHIL 2001), encouraged
me to apply again. At that time, I
wasn’t aware of the warm, caring,
supportive, encouraging, informative,
and motivating atmosphere of the
FAIMER family. But now I am, and I
am very happy to have this privilege.
Now I cannot believe that I have
completed the on-site sessions of my
FAIMER education. Those days were like dreams for
me, which I happily would like to do several times
again. They were not only informative, but also full
Turkey
of fun. I think FAIMER has a special gift for finding
dedicated medical educators around the world.
Learning that different people from
different parts of the world are
trying/applying/teaching/learning/
experiencing almost exactly the
same problems/methods/concepts/
skills is both encouraging and
interesting.
From October 2008 to the present,
the FAIMER staff has done their
best to make me feel confident,
committed, and happy through
their extraordinary efforts. Now
I feel that I am a member of a big,
dedicated FAIMER MedEd family from which I
can have any support anytime I ask for it. Isn’t it
something special?
I hope to facilitate the development of a regional
institute in Nigeria, which is aligned to the FAIMER
Institute and hope that medical education training
can be a prerequisite for appointment into academic
positions in Nigerian medical schools.
79
80
81

Foundation for Advancement of International Medical

Transcription

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