Danette McKinley, Ph.D., Director of Research and Data Resources for the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER®), and Anna Iacone, Director of Global Education in Medicine Services at the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®), recently published an abstract in Annals of Global Health on the importance of cultivating multilateral partnerships and developing mutually acceptable processes to facilitate international medical education exchange. Titled “Facilitating student exchanges in health professions education through institutional partnerships,” the abstract represents an overview of the rationale and methodology behind the development of GEMx, and is a summary of the authors’ poster presentation at the Fifth Annual Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Conference, held in May 2014. To view the abstract, please click on the link below.
News
GEMxSM Invites You to Participate in FAIMER’s 2014 International Medical Education Day, October 22, 2014
Filed under: General
GEMx is proud to sponsor the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research’s (FAIMER’s) International Medical Education (IME) Day on October 22, 2014. Each year, FAIMER devotes IME Day to the exploration of a particular topic in health professions education through an intensive face-to-face and virtual workshop. This year’s topic is “Global Student Exchanges: How Can They Work for Everyone?” The workshop will be led by guest speaker Dr. Jon Dowell, General Practitioner and medical educator from Dundee, Scotland, and is expected to last four hours.
We encourage you and your colleagues to participate in this innovative workshop virtually. Group participation is highly recommended and will provide a more enriching experience, so please gather other interested colleagues in the room with you if possible. A group size of four to six people is ideal. All virtual participants will be given access to the live streamed session, and moderators will incorporate virtual participants’ input into plenary discussions. There is no fee associated with this workshop.
To learn more about IME Day and to register for this event, click here.
We hope you join us for this exciting and informative session!
ECFMG® Names Dr. Ravi Mamtani to Key Post in Developing Its Global Education in Medicine Exchange Program
Filed under: Advisory Committee General
ECFMG has named Ravinder Mamtani, MBBS, MD, MSc, as Chair of the Advisory Committee for its developing initiative, Global Education in Medicine Exchange (GEMxSM). Currently in pilot phase, GEMx will facilitate and promote international exchange in medical education. GEMx will serve medical schools around the world that offer international exchange opportunities as well as their students who choose to undertake such an exchange as part of their undergraduate medical education. Dr. Mamtani will chair the GEMx Advisory Committee for a two-year term, which began in January 2014.
Dr. Mamtani is an accomplished leader in global and public health, student affairs, curriculum development, and international medical education. He is Professor of Public Health and Associate Dean for Global and Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, where he also serves as Associate Dean of Admissions. Dr. Mamtani is a Diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine both in Occupational Medicine and in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine. He also is a Fellow both of the American College of Preventive Medicine and of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Dr. Mamtani has served on many government, hospital, and medical school committees.
In appointing Dr. Mamtani, ECFMG’s President & Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel G. Cassimatis, MD, said, “The Advisory Committee plays a critical role in the ultimate success of GEMx. Dr. Mamtani brings the expertise, leadership, and vision needed to guide this important endeavor and to ensure that GEMx meets the needs of medical schools and students engaged in educational exchange around the world.”
Click here to download a PDF of this announcement.
First Phase of GEMxSM Pilot Underway
Filed under: General The GEMx System
On September 9, 2013, the first phase of the GEMx pilot began. GEMx Partner Schools participating in the pilot can now upload information to GEMx that describes and promotes their medical education exchange electives to students, including program requirements, travel information, contact information, and images related to the school and its electives. Feedback so far from the schools on using the GEMx system has been very positive.
The second phase of the GEMx pilot, which will allow eligible students of GEMx Partner Schools to use GEMx to search and apply for electives, is expected to launch in November.
The GEMx pilot is expected to run for approximately one year following the launch of the second phase. During this time ECFMG will assess the system’s functionality to ensure that GEMx will meet the real-world needs of medical schools and students.
GEMxSM Representatives Conduct Workshop on International Exchange at 2013 AMEE Conference
Filed under: General
On Tuesday, August 27, 2013, GEMx representatives conducted a workshop on international exchange at the annual conference of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) held in Prague, Czech Republic. Titled “The future of international student exchanges in health professions education: Identifying weaknesses and sharing strengths,” the workshop included a presentation by a panel of GEMx Advisory Committee members and a representative from the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), followed by interactive, small-group discussions facilitated by panel members.
The workshop sought to identify innovative logistical approaches and resources to help facilitate global student exchange, and to consider some of the challenges and possible solutions facing global student exchange.
Suggestions for resources and logistical support of global student exchange offered at the workshop include the following:
- Housing should be offered in close proximity to hospital/work environment to increase time for participation in elective and to reduce time spent commuting.
- Elective experiences must allow students to participate actively and include practical training. It is important that they are more than observerships.
- Social support and interaction between students will be critical to help students navigate cultural and language barriers. Access to this support could be facilitated through the creation of student networks or group student housing.
- Systems for exchange should provide students with information on electives and tools for finding and applying to electives.
Challenges and corresponding solutions for global student exchange identified at the workshop include the following:
- Controlling expenses. Students taking electives often encounter expenses in addition to school fees, such as expenses related to travel. To help control these expenses, schools could offer programs to help defray the cost of accommodations and provide access to low-cost language courses.
- Ensuring a unique learning experience. Curriculum that is different from what is offered by a student’s home school is of high value to students. To ensure a unique learning experience, expectations of learning outcomes should be established before the elective and formal evaluations should be completed afterward.
- Patient safety. To ensure the safety of patients, host schools must be clear with incoming students about what they can and cannot do in any activity involving patients.
- Reciprocity of credit. Both the home school and the host school need to agree on what is expected of a student participating in an exchange and how that student will be assessed.
GEMx representatives described participation in the 2013 AMEE Conference as a success. In addition to building awareness about global exchange in medical education, the conference provided them with an excellent opportunity to gain insights that will help inform the ongoing development of GEMx.