Since October 2023, Heersink School of Medicine’s Department of Medical Education has hosted several faculty training sessions in partnership with the Global Ultrasound Institute (GUSI). GUSI aims to equip medical professionals with skills to effectively use Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) devices.

The Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion hosted the annual Women in Medicine and Science Promotion Reception April 11, which recognized women faculty promoted at the end of 2023. The honorees and their guests were greeted by Heersink leadership to celebrate their remarkable achievements.

On April 9, 2024, an AAMC-sponsored briefing was held in a U.S. Congressional session to examine the impact of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA, 2021). UAB’s Craig Hoesley, M.D., senior associate dean for Medical Education, participated as one of three panelists representing health systems and hospitals that have benefited from the legislation.

The UAB Graduate Medical Education office is now offering its residents, fellows, and faculty a new training opportunity through the American Medical Association (AMA). The piloting of the AMA GME Competency Software in September 2023 was made possible by medical education funding through a HRSA grant.

UAB medical students gathered with family, friends, and Heersink School of Medicine faculty and staff on Friday, March 15, 2024, to celebrate this year’s Match Day. At 11 a.m., the 2024 graduating class learned the institutions where they will complete their residencies.

Medical Education is in the process of re-surveying medical students as part of an LCME accreditation requirement. The survey is in response to findings from the LCME during the school’s most recent reaccreditation process in 2022, which Medical Education has made strides toward improving.

Adam Agee has been named director of Information Technology for the Heersink School of Medicine, effective December 1, 2023. Agee has served as interim director since June 2023 after the passing of longtime director John Taylor. In this role, Agee will strategize the vision and guide the direction of the Medical Education Information Services (MEIS) team moving forward.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) hosted its annual Learn Serve Lead conference Nov. 3-7, 2023. More than 4,500 individuals from across a multitude of medical professions and communities attended the conference in Seattle, Washington. Among these attendees were a cohort of UAB Heersink School of Medicine faculty, staff, and students.

On Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, students from Heersink School of Medicine gathered to celebrate faculty, courses, and course directors at the annual Argus Awards Ceremony.

As part of Heersink School of Medicine’s commitment to providing an excellent experience for its medical students, renovations have been completed on the 4th and 5th floors of Volker Hall on the Birmingham Campus. The construction on these floors, which began earlier this summer, installed two relaxation spaces, including individual and group seating, tables, and a full kitchen.

On Nov. 15, 2023, UAB’s Heersink School of Medicine, Department of Medical Education, and Medical Alumni Association hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Heersink Family Active Learning Center. The brand-new center in Volker Hall represents a milestone in UAB’s cutting-edge medical education curriculum. The construction of this space was made possible by a generous donation from the Heersink Family Foundation.

Jason Noah, who began working in Medical Student Services (MSS) in 2013, reflects on how he has seen the department grow substantially in that time. In his goal to foster connections between student and Medical Education leadership, he sees himself as one small part of a larger mission to develop student leaders and commit to their lifelong success.

On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, the Healthcare Educators Academy (HEA) at UAB gathered to celebrate the program’s outgoing and incoming cohort of mentors and mentees. The reception was held at the UAB National Alumni Society House and included faculty and dean participation from across the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Optometry, Health Professions, and Public Health.

Nine Heersink staff members were honored at the 2023 Dean’s Excellence Awards for Staff reception. Recipients, guests, and Heersink leaders gathered in the Wallace Tumor Institute Lobby on Sept. 14 to celebrate the inaugural group of honorees. Read about this year's honorees and see photos from the reception.

Jason Noah, director of Student Success Programs in the Department of Medical Education, has been selected as a recipient of the inaugural Dean’s Excellence Awards for Staff.

In 2023, second-year medical students Cody Grier and Henry Haken completed their summer research opportunity in an inaugural program with the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). In partnership with the Heersink School of Medicine Montgomery Regional Campus, the ADPH provided guidance to Grier and Haken as they developed projects centered around health literacy.

Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce nine staff members have been selected as the inaugural Dean’s Excellence Awards for Staff winners.

As part of Heersink School of Medicine’s Medical Student Services, the Academic Success Program provides personal, professional, and educational support to UAB medical students. Each semester, the Academic Success team invites students to participate in the variety of tutoring and learning services they offer. Students have access to the program all four years of medical school.

On August 13, 2023, members from the UAB Heersink School of Medicine incoming MS1 class gathered with friends, family, faculty, and staff to celebrate the White Coat Ceremony.

In April 2023, Alejandra Colón-López, Ph.D., the Department of Medical Education’s first postdoctoral scholar in its history, received a MERIT award from NIH/NIGMS. The Mentored Experiences in Research, Instruction, and Teaching (MERIT) Program is an Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award (K12) that aims to allow postdoctoral scholars opportunity for research and teaching experiences.