June 2025

For many healthcare professionals, the transition into health professions education is sparked by a desire to teach and inspire the next generation. With the right support and opportunities, that interest can grow into a meaningful and rewarding career. Dr Mikio Hayashi’s journey demonstrates how the Essential Skills in Medical Education (ESME) courses offered by AMEE played a key role in his development as an educator, researcher, and leader in the field.   ESME’s impact in action ‘I had been working as a general physician for over ten years when I became interested in health professions education through my experience of teaching in clinical settings. This is the reason why I decided to join AMEE ten years ago. I participated in six ESME courses between 2016 and 2022, including the Essential Skills Course led by Professor Harden, and gained a solid foundation in various areas of health professions education. One of the key features of this course was not merely acquiring theoretical knowledge from instructors but also deepening understanding through discussions among participants. Although I am a non-native speaker, I felt that the courses were designed in a way which provided a safe and welcoming environment for all participants from different backgrounds. This experience undoubtedly contributed to my receiving the AMEE 2022 Research Paper Award. After obtaining a PhD in health professions education from the University of Tokyo and an MHPE from Harvard Medical School, I am currently working as an associate professor in the field of health professions education at a private medical university in Japan. The theories I learned at ESME are useful not only in the classes I teach at the university but also in curriculum design and evaluation. Additionally, the research theories I learned at RESME have contributed to my research publications on health professions education which have appeared in many journals. As an associate editor of Medical Education Online, I am also applying the knowledge gained from this course in this role. Based on my own experiences, I strongly recommend the ESME courses to individuals from diverse backgrounds who are interested in health professions education. As a member of the AMEE Research Committee and one of the facilitators of the RESME course, I am committed to supporting all participants in their endeavours.’ Mikio Hayashi, MD, MHPE, Ph.D., FACP Has ESME shaped your journey? Share your story with us. Has ESME played a part in your development as a health professions educator? We’d love to hear your story to help mark 20 years of ESME. Sharing your experience can inspire others and showcase the many paths into this growing and vital field. Share your story by recording a video testimonial and help us highlight the voices shaping the future of health professions education.

As CEO of AMEE, I have the immense privilege of meeting our members, partners and delegates around the world. These meetings provide insight and inspiration that the AMEE team use to continually improve and develop our organisation. Every year, we are proud to welcome a large number of delegates from Thailand to our annual conference and we value deeply the enthusiastic participation and ongoing engagement from the Thai health professions education community. So, you can imagine how delighted I was to have the opportunity recently to visit Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and meet some of the inspiring people who work there. I was fascinated to learn directly about the work of the university from faculty and students and hear about some of the initiatives being developed. I was also delighted to be able to express our gratitude to them in person, for their ongoing support and engagement to AMEE. As part of my visit, I also delivered a keynote presentation titled “Connect, Grow and Inspire: Leadership Insights from AMEE.” The session was very well-attended and generated thoughtful questions and lively discussion, reflecting the shared passion for advancing healthcare professions education. I believe that truly engaging with our global membership and partners is critical to our work supporting individuals and institutions in shaping the future of healthcare professions education. Therefore, connecting with our international community, and learning from them, through meetings such as this is central to achieving AMEE’s vision and mission and I am looking forward to continuing these important meetings in the future. I would like to thank everyone at Chulalongkorn University for their generous welcome, in particular: Associate Professor Nantana Sirisup, Secretary General, Consortium of Thai Medical Schools Associate Professor Chanchai Sittipunt, Dean, Faculty of Medicine Associate Professor Saknan Manotaya, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Assistant Professor Danai Wangsaturaka, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs Associate Professor Naricha Chirakalwasan, Associate Dean for International Affairs Associate Professor Parit Mekaroonkamol, Assistant Dean for International Affairs Mr. Kongpapon Jirathumthanakul, President, Medical Students Union