Fostering Collaboration and Innovation in Medical Education

By: Laura Castro | November 07, 2023 | 5 min. read |

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine played a significant role in discussing inclusive medical education, AI bias, and more at the Association of American Medical Colleges 2023 annual meeting.

The halls of the Seattle Convention Center were abuzz with excitement as more than 4,600 faculty, students, trainees, and staff from academic health centers and medical schools across the nation gathered at Learn Serve Lead 2023: The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Annual Meeting.

Amidst the assembly, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine teams emerged as leaders, fostering collaboration and innovation, showcasing advancements in medical education, and sharing research and outreach that will transform the future of health care.

Medical Students Showcase Leading-Edge Research

A group of talented Miller School medical students made their mark by sharing research at several poster receptions.

Miller School medical student Michelle Blake flashing the "U" hand sign while standing in front of her poster presentation at the AAMC 2023 meeting. — *Miller School medical student Melissa Blake at Lead Serve Learn 2023.*

Thirteen posters and abstracts covered topics ranging from exploring the effective use of social media by medical students to successfully integrating Step 1 and Step 2 examinations within a single year.

Additionally, they addressed the critical issue of implicit bias in artificial intelligence, shedding light on potential risks associated with the technology.

These presentations not only demonstrated the students’ dedication to advancing medical knowledge but also highlighted the Miller School’s commitment to nurturing future leaders in health care.

Inclusive Medical Education

One of the conference’s pivotal sessions was a panel discussion led by Joan St. Onge, M.D., M.P.H., senior associate dean for graduate medical education and faculty affairs and the outgoing chair of the AAMC Group on Resident Affairs.

Dr. Joan St. Onge speaks from a podium at Learn Serve Lead — *Joan St. Onge, M.D., M.P.H., led an AAMC panel discussion on the importance of disability-specific competencies in medical education.*

Dr. St. Onge delved into the paucity of curricula in undergraduate and graduate medical education that addresses caring for patients with disabilities and the imperative need for medical education to evolve.

“Nearly a quarter of all American adults have a disability, but they are often left out of the conversation,” said Dr. St. Onge, also professor of clinical medicine and internal medicine at the Miller School. “Our goal today is to give you tools to start embedding disability-focused content into your graduate and undergraduate medical education programs.”

The discussion centered around incorporating disability-specific competencies to advance care for all patients and the importance of input from patients and their families in the development of learning opportunities in graduate medical education. The session sparked thoughtful conversations and inspired attendees to rethink the way medical education addresses diverse patient needs.

Establishing Programs with a Medical Mission

Latha Chandran, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., executive dean for education and policy and founding chair of the Department of Medical Education at the Miller School, participated in a panel that evaluated best practices for schools contemplating new departments of medical education.

Dr. Latha Chandran speaks from a podium at Learn Serve Lead 2023. — *Latha Chandran, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., participated in an AAMC panel that discussed the best approaches to starting new departments of medical education.*

Her insightful contributions and wealth of experience provided invaluable guidance to institutions seeking to enhance their medical education programs.

“We have to make sure the educational mission continues to remain top of mind for those guiding our educational institutions,” said Dr. Chandran, also the Bernard J. Fogel Chair in Medical Education. “Whether you have a department or office of medical education or not, there are critical functions we need to advance. As leaders, we need to create a thriving community for our educators and give them a place to be heard and recognized for their invaluable contributions.”

Yvette Perry, Ph.D., speaking at the AAMC 2023 meeting. — *Yvette Perry, Ph.D., used her AAMC platform to advocate for using data to bolster medical school admissions diversity.*

Yvette Perry, Ph.D., associate dean for admissions in the Miller School’s Department of Medical Education, joined a panel that discussed using the AAMC’s Learning Lab as a collaborative platform to integrate data into admissions processes and enhance the diversity of medical classes.

High MCAT scores and GPAs alone do not guarantee student success in medical school, and Dr. Perry and others shared ways to identify students who will thrive and better serve diverse patient communities.

The discussion also highlighted the shared challenges faced by the panelists and the audience, emphasizing the need to define more meaningful criteria for student selection.

Other Miller School team members sharing their work at Learn Serve Lead included:

Miami Spice Draws Largest Crowd to Date

A true highlight of Learn Serve Lead was Miami Spice, the Miller School’s reception that attracted more than 475 conference attendees, alumni and friends of the school to celebrate the institution’s recent accomplishments, groundbreaking discoveries, collaboration and community engagement.

Hosted by Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School, chair of the AAMC Council of Deans and member of the AAMC board of directors, the event was a testament to the school’s vibrant community and national reach.

Attendees left inspired by the University’s initiatives and eagerly anticipating the transformative changes edicated Miller School faculty, students and trainees will bring to the future of medicine.