AHME has been so energizing for me in my professional career. Through the multiple leadership roles I have grown in my national leadership skills and learning to collaborate at a much larger level. This collaboration has allowed to me reach other GME leaders nationally both formally as well as informally as I continue in my DIO roles in my organization.
Membership Benefits
AHME is a national non-profit professional organization, which sponsors educational programs, offers communication vehicles, and facilitates networking through its interest groups and collaborations with other organizations. When you join AHME, you join with other medical education professionals from around the country who share your interests and concerns and who can help you fulfill your important responsibilities more effectively and more efficiently.
The benefits of AHME membership include the following.
Programs
- Institute – This annual three-day conference features presentations from policy makers and those who translate these policies into effective educational programs.
- Academy – This one-day conference is held several times each year in various locations to maximize the accessibility and affordability of the training.
- Webinars – These sessions are presented six times per year to provide members access to valuable content in the comfort of their own offices.
Communications
- AHME News – This newsletter is circulated to members and archived on the Website.
- Updates – These electronic communications highlight news from other organizations and include reminders about upcoming educational events.
- Message Board – This resource allows members to post questions and rapidly receive responses and resources from colleagues around the country.
- LinkedIn Group – This platform permits council chairs to regularly update their constituents and it allows members to share information with their colleagues.
- Twitter – This platform is another vehicle for AHME and its members to share medical education news.
- Job Postings – These alert members to opportunities for advancement and allow institutions to bring open positions to the attention of their target audience.
- Website – This is a portal for members to access items contributed to the Digital Resource Libraries by their colleagues, as well as the two books below, and for nonmembers to learn more about AHME and its activities.
- Guide to Medical Education in the Teaching Hospital (5th Edition) – This more than 650-page volume addresses topics of importance to those who administer medical education programs.
- Remediation of the Struggling Medical Learner (2nd Edition) – This book provides a framework for diagnosing learner difficulties and an approach to remediating these deficiencies.
- Remediation Case Studies: Helping Struggling Medical Learners – This book features 24 real-life cases of faculty helping students and residents overcome a variety of performance issues.
Councils
- The councils are interest groups for individuals with a similar professional role that represent a substantial portion of the membership of the Association. AHME currently sponsors four councils.
- COIL – Council of Institutional Leaders
- COPAC – Council of Program Administrators and Coordinators
- CPFD – Council on Professional and Faculty Development
- CTYPD – Council of Transitional Year Program Directors
Council members share advice and resources with one another both informally and through the Members Area of the AHME Website.
Collaborations
- Grants – AHME secured block grants in 2009, 2011, and 2013 to support performance-improvement activities in member institutions. AHME then reviewed proposals from members and made awards to support their individual projects.
- Tri-Group – In collaboration with Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions and the Society of Academic Continuing Medical Education, AHME publishes the peer-reviewed Journal for Continuing Education in the Health Professions.
Partnerships
- AMA GME Competency Education Program – The American Medical Association GME Competency Education Program is a highly effective way to educate residents about a whole host of critical topics and to efficiently track their completion of this curriculum. Through our partnership, AHME members will receive discounted pricing on the AMA GME Competency Education Program.
Value of Membership
Given the financial challenges hospitals face, it is important for AHME to demonstrate the value of membership and minimize member costs. The activities cited above are only the most notable and AHME is continually seeking new ways to support members. We also continue to network with other medical education organizations to monitor the environment and provide input on policies under development.
From a cost standpoint, AHME continues to hold the line on our membership dues, despite the fact that individual dues were last raised in 2002 and institutional dues were last raised in 2008. The pricing for programming is also competitive. The Institute is offered at an all-inclusive, affordable rate, especially for early registrants. Academy pricing has been reduced in recent years and our webinars are designed so a large group can benefit at a nominal fee. We also offer members an additional 25% discount on the already reduced member rate if our six webinars are purchased as a package.
Given what AHME offers and our attention to costs, it will come as no surprise that membership is at record levels and our educational events are booming. None of this would be possible, of course, without the vision and dedication of AHME’s elected leadership, the volunteerism of so many members, and the support of staff. As we look forward to the next year, we are confident that you will find great value in networking with your colleagues through the Association and you may rest assured that AHME will continue to remain in support of the important work you do.