Educator Community News

Dr. Cathy Pettepher, Professor of Cancer Biology and Medical Education and Administration, has recently been named Assistant Dean for Medical Student Affairs. Dr. Pettepher has multiple VUSM roles, but in her role as assistant dean she will primarily work with Dean Rodgers in providing academic counseling to medical students. For the past several years, as director of the Student Assistance Program, Dr.

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine has been notified by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) that it has been awarded Accreditation with Commendation for the period April 1, 2014 through March 31, 2020.  The decision was based a review of a self-study report, evidence of performance-in-practice, and an accreditation interview, conducted in October 2013.  Accreditation with commendation means that not only has Vanderbilt met the standard accreditation requirements it has also demonstrated engagement with the quality improvement enterprise in a wa

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been recognized by the Multi-Specialty Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) as a certified site for the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Portfolio Program.  The MOC Portfolio Program was established by ABMS to permit institutions like Vanderbilt to provide support to physicians who are pursuing the performance improvement project of their re-certification requirements.  Implementation plans are being developed and four pilots will begin around July 1.  The Vanderbilt MOC Portfolio Program is a collaborative effor

This program was developed to recognize AAMC member teaching hospitals and medical Schools that have successfully implemented programs to address clinical care innovations, including new delivery payment and training models, which integrate education and research to improve value and quality. Vanderbilt School of Medicine will be rewarded for his initiative titled Implementation of a Longitudinal Continuity Clinical Experience to Improve Quality, Safety and Patient Outcomes.

On January 18, 2014, Don Moore, PhD, professor of medical education and administration, director, office for continuous professional development, and director, UME curriculum evaluation, was interviewed as part of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions (ACEHP) inaugural Exemplar Interview at the Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida.  The ACEHP is the largest professional organization for individuals involved in the CEHP enterprise.

Congratulations to Consuelo H. Wilkins, M.D., Executive Director, Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, and the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance team on being selected as one of the "Challenge Award Winners" of the Learning Health System Challenge and Planning Awards. Winners were selected by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Don Moore, PhD, professor of medical education and administration, director of evaluation in the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education, and director of the Office for Continuous Professional Development presented at two conferences in Europe this summer.

Lynn Webb, PhD, has been invited to participate in a Communication Skills Task Force at the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). The purpose of the Task Force is to assist with a validity study of the current communication assessment tools used for ratings on the Step 2 Clinical Skills Examination. The task force will explore how teachers’ ratings of communication skills compare to observed communication scores on the Step 2 Clinical Skills Examination. The meeting will take place in November and December at the NBME headquarters in Philadelphia.

VUSM fourth year student, Michele Luhm Vigor, was selected for a 2013 AMA Physician of Tomorrow Award. One of 20 students nationally to win the honor this year, Luhm Vigor was selected based on academic excellence, leadership and financial need. The Physicians of Tomorrow Awards were created in 2004 to provide financial assistance to medical students facing spiraling medical school debt. 

A new Office of Educational Informatics and Technology has been created under the leadership of Anderson Spickard, III, MD, MS, who will become Assistant Dean for Educational Informatics and Technology. The office will lead in planning and implementing informatics and technology applications to support teachers, staff, and learners across the continuum of medical education. It will also collaborate with VUSM deans, faculty, staff, and students to determine the most suitable informatics and technology solutions to support the broad educational mission of the School of Medicine.