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    Medical Education Senior Leaders

    The Medical Education Senior Leaders (MESL) is an AAMC-convened community whose focus is the continuing improvement of education in the nation's medical schools. As a forum for the senior member of the dean’s staff with oversight for education in medical schools, MESL identifies issues affecting the educational mission and develops strategies to support excellence. 

    Upcoming Events

    Learn Serve Lead 2024: The AAMC Annual Meeting
    November 8-12, 2024
    Atlanta, GA 

    2025 Medical Education Senior Leaders (MESL) Annual Meeting
    January 30-31, 2025
    AAMC Learning Center, Washington, DC
    Agenda, registration, and housing launching in October 

    About MESL  

    Established in 2019, MESL is an AAMC-convened community comprised of 175 members, uniquely positioned to address challenges within the medical education mission of academic medicine. The community’s goal is to create a collaborative and supportive space for those charged with leading the educational mission at medical schools and, in the process, work together to address issues of national importance, ultimately improving medical education regionally, nationally, and beyond. This group of medical education leaders provides the expertise essential to building a better future for healthcare.

    MESL was established to:

    • Provide a forum for networking about common challenges and imperatives;
    • Generate and serve as a resource for members about best practices in medical education;
    • Foster collaborative mentorship between and among members; and 
    • Work bidirectionally with AAMC staff to advance resources and information to members on these issues.

    Membership 

    Each MESL is appointed by their medical school dean, serving as the senior-most person responsible for medical education at every Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited (full, preliminary, and provisional) medical school in the United States and Canada.

    Resources 

    Peer Groups
    MESL members are encouraged to join a peer group. These groups meet once a month to talk informally about anything the group is interested in discussing at that time. These groups are refreshed each year. Contact mesl@aamc.org to join a peer group. 

    Virtual Community  
    Access the members-only MESL Virtual Community to engage with your colleagues. The AAMC Communities Network is a private, members-only space that connects you to other MESLs and the world of academic medicine.  

    Directory 
    Sign in to My Engagement to make changes to your contact information, update your affiliations, and discover colleagues in your MESL group directory. 

    Publications, Resources, and Tools
    Creating Action to Eliminate Racism in Medical Education: Medical Education Senior Leaders (MESL) Rapid Action Team to Combat Racism in Medical Education
    This publication provides medical schools’ educational leaders and their institutions with guidelines and action steps to dismantle racism in medical education. It is intended to provide the MESL community with action steps to eliminate racism across the continuum of medical education. It was created by MESL and is intended for the medical education community. This version reflects updates made in March 2022. All content reflects the views of MESL and does not reflect the official position or policy of the AAMC unless clearly specified. 

    Reproductive Health in a Post-Dobbs World Matters to All of Us
    This webinar series is a collaborative partnership between the Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) and the AAMC’s Medical Education Senior Leaders. All AAMC medical schools and teaching hospitals must now develop the knowledge, skills, and tools to navigate the multifaceted complexities the Dobbs decision has generated. The purpose of this webinar series is to support medical institutions, faculty, and trainees as they seek to preserve evidence-based practice and meaningful doctor-patient relationships that ensure our patients will have the ability and agency to make reproductive health decisions.
     
    Key Information and Resources for Academic Medicine Clinicians and Educators in Responding to Reproductive Health Care and Access Restrictions and Related Educational Challenges
    The information, resources, and links aggregated below are intended to support educational activities related to reproductive health care education and patient care. Many of these resources address education directly, while others are offered as supplemental resources to provide context and data in considering accreditation requirements, legislative developments, and regulatory changes. In addition to the AAMC, contributions come from the published literature, accreditation bodies, specialty societies, non-profit advocacy entities, government data sources, and AAMC constituents.
     

    Committees and Leadership

    All MESL members are encouraged to join the group's standing committees, task forces, and rapid action teams. Learn more about these committees and their leadership. 

    Meet the Staff

    Alison J. Whelan, MD 
    Chief Academic Officer
    AAMC

    Katherine S. McOwen, PhD, MSEd
    Senior Director, Educational and Student Affairs
    AAMC

    Alexandra Adsit 
    Director, Student and Educational Affairs 
    AAMC

    To reach a member of the MESL team, please contact mesl@aamc.org.