Who We Are
FAIMER is a non-profit foundation committed to improving world health through education.
FAIMER was established in 2000 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®). In partnership with ECFMG, FAIMER promotes excellence in international health professions education through programmatic and research activities.
History
The idea of establishing a separate foundation developed from ECFMG’s long-standing commitment to promoting excellence in international medical education. This commitment began with ECFMG’s first faculty exchange program in 1983. In the years that followed, ECFMG increased resources for exchange programs, introduced consultation services, and considered a number of research initiatives related to international medical schools and their graduates. However, ECFMG’s Board of Trustees believed that more could be accomplished by a separate organization with dedicated resources focused on the international health professions community. Discussions began in early 2000, and, in July of that year, the ECFMG Board of Trustees approved a resolution to establish an ECFMG foundation.
The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) was incorporated as a nonprofit foundation of ECFMG in September 2000, and FAIMER’s Board of Directors held its first organizational meeting in December 2000. An executive search initiated at the end of 2001 resulted in recruitment of the Foundation’s first President and Chief Executive Officer, John J. Norcini, Ph.D., who joined FAIMER in May 2002. Throughout the period from 2001 through 2003, the membership of the Foundation’s Board expanded with the election of Directors-at-Large. By the end of 2003, all positions had been filled, and, in April 2004, the Board held its first meeting with full membership.
Beginning in 2001, FAIMER’s Directors initiated strategic planning to define the Foundation’s focus and priorities. These planning sessions culminated, in 2004, in the adoption of a formal strategic plan that identifies the Foundation’s areas of thematic and geographic focus, as well as short- and long-term goals for each area of activity. A number of key staff appointments and reorganization of FAIMER’s Board, both accomplished in 2004, ensure the expertise and oversight required to support the activities outlined in the plan.
According to FAIMER’s strategic plan, the Foundation will concentrate its efforts in three thematic areas: creating educational opportunities for health professions educators, discovering patterns and disseminating knowledge, and developing data resources. In approaching these activities, the Foundation will maximize its impact by concentrating its efforts and resources in specific, geographical areas: developing regions in South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The strategic plan also calls for FAIMER to identify and collaborate with appropriate partners to leverage resources and maximize impact.
Results have been achieved in each of FAIMER’s three areas of activity. In keeping with its goal of developing resources on medical education worldwide, FAIMER introduced the International Medical Education Directory (IMED) in 2002 and enhanced access to IMED in 2003 with the introduction of the IMED Subscription Service. In 2004, development of two new directories was approved: the Directory of Organizations that Recognize/Accredit Medical Schools and the Postgraduate Medical Education (PME) Project. With respect to its commitment to create resources for health professions educators, the transition of ECFMG’s educational programs for the international health professions community, which began in 2001, has been completed, and the Foundation established a new fellowship program, the FAIMER Institute, in 2001. FAIMER has aligned these programs to create a pathway for educational leadership for international health professions educators. In the realm of research, FAIMER staff have identified important questions regarding international medical graduates and medical education and have engaged with the data resources and organizational partners that will enable meaningful research on these issues.
2008 Board of Directors
ECFMG |
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James A. Hallock, M.D. Chair, Board of Directors FAIMER Philadelphia, Pennsylvania President and Chief Executive Officer ECFMG Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ms. Suzanne T. Anderson Senior Vice President, CFO & CIO Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, Washington Robert K. Crone, M.D. Managing Director Huron Consulting Group Boston, Massachusetts Lynn D. Fleisher, Ph.D., J.D. Counsel Sidley Austin, LLP Chicago, Illinois |
Ian D. Krantz, M.D. Associate Professor of Pediatrics Division of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Steven E. Minnick, M.D. Department of Medical Education St. John Hospital and Medical Center Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan Elizabeth O. Ofili, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C. Professor of Medicine Chief, Section of Cardiology Director, Clinical Research Center and Associate Dean of Clinical Research Morehouse School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia Mr. Richard J. Schmid Vice President for Finance/CFO Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Directors-at-Large |
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Sandra T. Barnes, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Anthropology University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Arthur Kaufman, M.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Family and Community Medicine Vice President for Community Health University of New Mexico School of Medicine Albuquerque, New Mexico Donald O. Nutter, M.D. Professor of Medicine Emeritus Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University Chicago, Illinois |
Barbara Stilwell, Ph.D. Senior Advisor, Health Workforce Development Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health The Capacity Project Chapel Hill, North Carolina Jamsheer Talati, M.B., B.S., F.R.C.S. Habiba Subjali Jiwa Professor of Surgery Section of Urology The Aga Khan University Karachi, Pakistan Sharon Wood-Dauphinee, Ph.D. Professor of Medicine McGill University School of Physical and Occupational Therapy Montreal, Quebec |
FAIMER |
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John J. Norcini, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive Officer FAIMER Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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Staff
Program Administration
John J. Norcini, Ph.D.
Dr. Norcini became FAIMER’s first President and Chief Executive Officer in May 2002. Prior to joining FAIMER, for the previous 25 years, Dr. Norcini worked at the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) where he worked his way up from a data analyst and associate in psychometrics to Director of Psychometrics. He held two senior positions at ABIM from 1988 to 1997 and from 1997 until 2002.
Dr. Norcini’s principal academic interest is in the area of the assessment of physician performance. He is on the editorial Boards of five peer-reviewed journals in measurement and medical education and has published extensively. Current major research interests include methods for setting standards, assessing practice performance, and testing professional competence.
Since joining FAIMER, Dr. Norcini has been instrumental in identifying the Foundation’s areas of thematic focus. He was also instrumental in the Board’s adoption of a strategic plan and selection of regional emphases. Dr. Norcini also reorganized FAIMER and made a number of key staff appointments to ensure academic and educational support as its activities continue to develop.
Under Dr. Norcini’s leadership, FAIMER has created a niche, an identity, and credibility of its own and has done critical work in the areas of research, data resources, and education. Although it is still linked to ECFMG, FAIMER has emerged as a significant entity in international health professions education. The areas that produce the greatest interest internationally are the International Medical Education Directory (IMED) and the fellowship programs; FAIMER’s research agenda is recognized nationally.
Shirley R. Williams
As FAIMER’s Manager, Ms. Williams provides administrative oversight of the Foundation’s day-to-day operations and coordination across FAIMER’s three areas of activity.
Prior to joining FAIMER, Ms. Williams held several positions at ECFMG, where she was employed for more than 20 years, including key roles in the administration of fellowship programs for health professions educators. As a Staff Assistant, she administered the former Foreign Faculty Fellowship Program in the Basic Medical Sciences (FFFP) and the former International Medical Scholars Program (IMSP). In 2001, she became Manager of the International Fellowship in Medical Education (IFME) and Short-Term Exchange Fellowships (STEF) programs. In 2002, she and the IFME and STEF programs transitioned to FAIMER.
Ms. Williams holds a B.B.A. in Accounting and Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Senior Scholars
W. Dale Dauphinee, M.D.
As FAIMER Senior Scholar, W. Dale Dauphinee, M.D., provides input and advice on areas relevant to the FAIMER research agenda and the FAIMER education program, advice on strategic directions for FAIMER’s growth and development, and mentoring to FAIMER Fellows by working directly with them on their education innovation projects.
In addition to his work with FAIMER, Dr. Dauphinee is Interim Director of the Toronto Network for Excellence in Simulation Learning and Teaching and a member of the Clinical Health Informatics Research Group in the Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine at McGill University. His current research activities include research on physician support systems for better prescribing and monitoring against actual practice outcomes and conducting practice outcomes studies of physicians in relation to their performance during pre-licensure assessment. He is also active in analyzing medical workforce policies and migration patterns.
From 1993 to 2006, Dr. Dauphinee was the Executive Director of the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) in Ottawa. During this time he also held a number of other senior leadership roles, including Trustee of the American Board of Internal Medicine, member of the Executive Board of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Co-chair of the Canadian Task Force of the Licensure of International Medical Graduates, President of the Medical Identification Number of Canada Corporation, and President of the Physician Credential Registry of Canada.
Prior to joining MCC, Dr. Dauphinee held a number of positions at McGill University including professor in the Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
Dr. Dauphinee received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Dalhousie University. He completed residency in Internal Medicine at Dalhousie and McGill Universities, and was a Visiting Fellow of the Johns Hopkins Clinical Scholars Program. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.
Frank A. Simon, M.D.
As FAIMER Senior Scholar, Dr. Simon works with staff individually and in joint projects to advance all three of FAIMER’s main program areas. Dr. Simon came to FAIMER with extensive experience as an author, educator, administrator, and physician. He has held several positions at the American Medical Association (AMA) including Director of the Division of Undergraduate Medical Education Policy and Standards, Director of the Division of Graduate Medical Education, and Secretary to the Council on Medical Education. He also served as Co-Secretary of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), sponsored by the AMA and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
Prior to joining the AMA, Dr. Simon served as Vice Dean and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where he was responsible for all academic operations. He has also served in positions with the AAMC Northeast Group on Educational Affairs and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), and is Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Dr. Simon received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. Following his residency in Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital, he served two years as Chief of Pediatrics at Craig Air Force Base.
Development Activities
Deborah Diserens, M.A., M.Phil.
In her role as FAIMER’s Director of Development and Program Evaluation, Ms. Diserens identifies partners and support for FAIMER’s activities, in addition to being a member of the FAIMER Education staff, overseeing the ongoing education program evaluation activities, and serving as a faculty member in the FAIMER Institute and FAIMER Regional Institutes.
Prior to joining FAIMER, Ms. Diserens served as Director of Development for the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women at Drexel University College of Medicine, Director of Foundation Relations for the National Academies in Washington, D.C., and Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences. She has also served as a member of the health sciences faculty at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, where she taught research methods, statistics, and epidemiology, and was involved in curriculum development, program evaluation, and research in medical education.
Ms. Diserens is a graduate of Wellesley College and has graduate degrees in Psychology with a specialization in psychometrics from Columbia University.
Education
William P. Burdick, M.D., M.S.Ed.
Co-Director, FAIMER Institute
As FAIMER’s Associate Vice President for Education, Dr. Burdick oversees the Foundation’s efforts to create educational opportunities for international health professions educators. Dr. Burdick has been a Co-Director of the FAIMER Institute since its inception in 2001. He also serves as ECFMG’s Assistant Vice President of Assessment Services, a position he has held since 1999.
Dr. Burdick is Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine, where he is also an Associate Director for the Program for Integrated Learning (a problem-based curriculum). Dr. Burdick has been recognized for teaching excellence with the Lindback Award and the Trustees’ Award.
A graduate of Oberlin College, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and Cornell University Weill School of Medicine, Dr. Burdick completed training in Internal Medicine at Boston City Hospital and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Emergency Medicine.
Page S. Morahan, Ph.D.
Page S. Morahan, Ph.D., is Co-Director of the FAIMER Institute. At the Drexel University College of Medicine, she is Co-Director of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women and tenured professor in microbiology and immunology, serving as a part-time faculty member. She has a consulting practice and conducts research in design, implementation, and evaluation of leadership development programs; strategic career planning; faculty affairs; and advancement of women.
Dr. Morahan is the Founding Director of the National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine, former Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, and served as Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology for ten years at the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She was the first woman President of the Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs in 1990. Her current research interests include expanding the definition of faculty scholarship, faculty career development, and leadership development. Dr. Morahan was an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow in 1992-93, and has participated in Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s Management Development Program, as well as receiving certification in several organizational and personnel developmental processes.
She has served on various committees and taskforces of the National Board of Medical Examiners, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), National Institutes of Health, and American Society for Microbiology. Her honors include an NIH Research Career Development Award, Lindback Award for teaching excellence, AAMC Women in Medicine Leadership Development Award, The Network Annual Leadership Award from the ACE Office of Women in Higher Education; and membership in the American Academy of Microbiology and in the Forum of Executive Women. Dr. Morahan received her B.S., magna cum laude, from Agnes Scott College; M.A., from Hunter College; and Ph.D. in Microbiology from Marquette University.
Ralf Rundgren Graves
As Program Manager for Regional Institutes, Ms. Graves oversees FAIMER’s initiatives to provide advanced professional skills development opportunities for health professions educators in targeted regions of the developing world.
Before joining FAIMER in February of 2007, Ms. Graves was Founder and Principal of Astrion, a consultancy group primarily engaged in creating and implementing professional development training and exchange programs by working with organizations such as USAID, Open Society Institute, World Learning, AMIDEAST, Carelift International, Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania), Center for European Studies (Temple University), and others. Prior to that, she served as Executive Director of the International Professional Exchange in Philadelphia. Her more than twenty years experience in international education/training also includes a variety of work abroad, such as Lecturer in Communication Studies at the University of Malta, Executive Director of Young Enterprise Malta and training consultant to clients such as Transmanche Link (the Channel Tunnel consortium), the British Council, Central European University, and Air Malta.
Ms. Graves received her B.A. in Journalism/Broadcasting from Penn State University, where she subsequently served as Community Liaison Coordinator in the College of Human Development while pursuing a Masters degree in Education – Curriculum & Supervision.
Katherine Mason
As FAIMER Education Program Coordinator, Ms. Mason serves as the point person for all aspects of the International Fellowship in Medical Education (IFME) Masters program, and the FAIMER and Regional Institutes. She also maintains communication with FAIMER faculty, fellows, alumni, and applicants.
Prior to joining FAIMER in February 2006, she started at ECFMG in January 2003 as the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) Program. Over the course of time, she interacted with numerous internal and external people in a manner that projected a very positive image of ECFMG. Specializing in coordinating various projects and establishing excellent working relationships with key support staff, she has provided smooth operations for both routine and special activities.
Alberta Steans, M.S.
Alberta Steans began working with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) in July 1999 as a Receptionist for the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA). "As the receptionist I had the pleasure of being the first one to meet and greet the candidates with a warm, friendly smile each day," she said. She also cross-trained as a Control Room Operator, Proctor, and as a Staff Assistant, making her instrumental to the success of projects.
Ms. Steans joined FAIMER in 2001 as the Program Assistant for the International Fellowships in Medical Education (IFME) Program where she provided administrative support to IFME program fellows for issues such as visas and related regulatory requirements, travel arrangements, insurance coverage, change of venue, and arrangements for attendance at special meetings. The most rewarding part about my job, she said, "is getting to know the fellows from the application process to developing friendships, and sometimes meeting them face-to-face. Discovering the many things I have in common with peoples of different cultures was also rewarding."
From 2005 to 2008, Ms. Steans worked in the Administration section of FAIMER. She says of her experience there, "The greatest lesson I have learned working in FAIMER is that working with a diversified population does not limit our ability to gain a long lasting rapport with people."
In June 2008, Ms. Steans was promoted to Coordinator, FAIMER Regional Institutes. She holds a master’s degree in food science with a concentration in nutrition from Drexel University.
Research and Data Resources
John R. Boulet, Ph.D.
As FAIMER’s Associate Vice President for Research, Dr. Boulet implements the Foundation’s research agenda and guides its efforts to develop meaningful resources on medical education worldwide. Dr. Boulet also serves as ECFMG’s Assistant Vice President for Research and Evaluation, a position he has held since 2001, and as Chair of the ECFMG Internal Research and Data Review Committee.
Dr. Boulet joined ECFMG in 1996 as a Psychometrician for the ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) program. Later, he served as ECFMG’s Director of Test Development and Research for the CSA program. As Assistant Vice President for Research and Evaluation, ECFMG, he conducts and supervises research projects related to the employment and migration of international medical graduates, and serves as a consultant in the administration, scoring, and validation of clinical skills examinations.
Dr. Boulet holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Western Ontario. He is also a graduate of the University of Ottawa with an M.A. in Education and a Ph.D. in Education - Measurement and Evaluation.
Danette W. McKinley, Ph.D.
As Research Scientist for FAIMER, Dr. McKinley is responsible for ensuring the accurate and timely completion of research activities as well as the design, implementation, analysis, and publication of ongoing research studies. She also supports research activities related to the certification of graduates of international medical programs.
Prior to joining FAIMER, Dr. McKinley was the Associate Psychometrician for the ECFMG’s Clinical Skills Assessment. With over twenty years experience in licensure and certification testing, she now has a role in the development of a research agenda on international medical education and the migration of health care workers. Dr. McKinley holds a B.A. in Psychology from Williams College, an M.A. in Research Methodology from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Temple University.
Marta van Zanten
As Research Associate for FAIMER, Marta van Zanten is involved in various research projects related to international medical graduate issues, including doctor-patient relationships, cross-cultural communication skills, and accreditation processes of international medical schools. Additionally, Ms. van Zanten assists in the advancement of research activities related to the FAIMER goals of better understanding the educational experiences and migration patterns of international physicians and their impact on world heath. Prior to her appointment at FAIMER, Ms. van Zanten joined ECFMG in 1997 as a case development specialist for the Clinical Skills Assessment, and was involved in the development and implementation of the English language proficiency and interpersonal skills evaluation components of the exam. Ms. van Zanten is the recipient of the Outstanding Paper Award for her paper, The Influence of Ethnicity on Patient Satisfaction in a Standardized Patient Assessment. The award was presented at the RIME Invited Address session of the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Ms. van Zanten holds a B.A. from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and a M.Ed. from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is currently pursing a Ph.D. in Health Studies at Temple University.
Carole Bede
As Senior Research Analyst for the International Medical Education Directory (IMED), Ms. Bede coordinates all updates to IMED for existing schools, and conducts the necessary research and correspondence to add new medical schools to the Directory. She also participates in research projects for FAIMER.
Ms. Bede is also Senior Research Analyst for Registration and Credentials Services of ECFMG, and has been employed by ECFMG for eighteen years. Prior to joining the Credentials Department, she worked with the Exchange Visitor Sponsorship Program.
Ms. Bede holds a B.A. in Journalism from Temple University.
Amy Opalek
Amy Opalek joined FAIMER as a Data Resource Specialist in March 2007. In this role, Ms. Opalek applies her extensive experience with ECFMG and FAIMER data structures to identify important internal information sources and, where existing information is incomplete or inadequate, to plan and implement future data collection activities. Through her experience with database design and analysis, she not only provides much needed technical support for FAIMER research studies, but also manages the integration and standardization of all FAIMER data resources.
Ms. Opalek holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Asian Studies from Drew University. She is currently pursing a M.S. degree in Library and Information Science at Drexel University.
Patricia Eldridge
Ms. Eldridge began working for ECFMG in February 1990 as a File Processor in the Records Department. Her duties included maintaining and retrieving applicant files and mailing the Standard ECFMG Certificate to applicants who had completed ECFMG’s certification requirements. Ms. Eldridge notes that at that time most of ECFMG’s processes were paper-based.
After seven years, Ms. Eldridge was promoted to Junior Staff Assistant in ECFMG’s new Clinical Skills Assessment program. Shortly thereafter, Ms. Eldridge advanced to the position of Research Assistant in ECFMG’s Research and Development. In 2004, Ms. Eldridge transitioned to FAIMER’s Research and Data Resources section.
Ms. Eldridge has loved every minute of her employment at ECFMG and FAIMER but finds her current position most rewarding. "I have an opportunity to research different aspects of medical education throughout the world and have become more knowledgeable about different peoples and international medical education."