Dan Foster-Syddall

Our ongoing project in Africa has been a journey of incredible impact, collaboration, and learning. Thanks to the generous support of Pfizer, we’ve been able to take significant strides in expanding Continuing Professional Development (CPD) capacity across multiple countries. What started nearly six years ago with a regional CPD systems assessment has now blossomed into a multi-phase initiative that is empowering healthcare professionals across the continent. A Collaborative Beginning The journey began with a regional CPD systems assessment in four world regions, laying the foundation for understanding the needs and challenges within Africa ([Sherman et al., 2024a; Sherman et al., 2024b; Sherman et al., 2024c; Sherman et al., 2024d]). Once the needs assessments were published, we moved to the second stage—developing a six-module CPD course tailored to the specific requirements of African healthcare professionals. Rolling Out the CPD Course The third stage of the project focused on implementing the course in Kenya, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, and Rwanda. It was during this phase that we saw the real impact of our work, witnessing first-hand how healthcare professionals embraced the opportunity to build their skills, enhance their careers, and ultimately improve patient care in their communities. A Transformational Visit to Africa AMEE CEO Anne Lloyd recently travelled to Africa alongside Lawrence Sherman (President, Meducate Global LLC), our partner in this initiative, to engage with those who have been part of this transformative programme. Johannesburg: Gathering Feedback and Strengthening Communities In Johannesburg, we met with the five country leads—Lintle (Mamphafi) Matete (Lesotho), Mmoloki Molwantwa (Botswana), Geldine Chironda (Malawi), Priscah Mosol (Kenya), and Claudine Muraraneza (Rwanda)—who provided invaluable insights into how the course has been received by their respective cohorts. Their feedback was instrumental in identifying ways to further contextualise the course to meet the unique needs of each country. What stood out most was the confirmation that the programme has made a tangible difference. In an upcoming blog, we will be sharing testimonials from course participants, allowing you to hear first-hand how this initiative has shaped their professional journeys. Eldoret: Expanding the Reach of CPD in Kenya From Johannesburg, we travelled to Eldoret, Kenya, where we engaged with 30 professionals from multiple counties—some who had already completed the course and others eager to join the next cohort. This meeting reinforced the enthusiasm for capacity building and interprofessional education within the African healthcare sector. During the session, I had the opportunity to share more about AMEE’s vision, guiding principles, and resources, while Lawrence facilitated a discussion on interprofessional education. Notably, many attendees came from nursing and medical administration backgrounds, highlighting the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of this initiative. A truly heartwarming moment followed when we were presented with a Maasai fleece blanket, a Kenyan scarf, and beautifully beaded Kenyan jewellery—accompanied by a joyous display of singing and dancing! It was a powerful reminder of the deep connections formed through this project. A Culinary and Academic Experience to Remember Our trip concluded with a memorable meal at Sunjeel Palace, a restaurant that left both Lawrence and me convinced that African cuisine rivals anything we’ve tasted in the UK or US! We were honoured to be joined by esteemed academics, including Professor Robert Kuremu Tenge (Principal, College of Health Sciences), Professor Dinah Chelagat (Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery), and Dr. Priscah Mosol (Kenya Country Lead and Chair of the Department of Nursing Education, Leadership, Management, and Research, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Moi University). The Future: Expansion and Impact With such a successful rollout in these five countries, we are more committed than ever to expanding the programme to more countries across Africa. Our vision is to see every cohort develop their own Community of Practice, fostering long-term professional growth and regional collaboration. We look forward to sharing more success stories and continuing to build capacity, empower professionals, and enhance healthcare education across the continent. Stay tuned for upcoming testimonials from those who have experienced this transformation first-hand! References Sherman L, Leon-Borquez R, Lopez M, Chappell K. An Overview of Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Professional Development Systems in Latin America: A Mixed Methods Assessment. J CME. 2024 Nov 25;13(1):2427765. doi: 10.1080/28338073.2024.2427765. PMID: 39600304; PMCID: PMC11590182. Sherman, L., Aboulsoud, S., & Chappell, K. (2024). An Overview of Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Professional Development Systems in the Middle East and North Africa: A Mixed Methods Assessment. Journal of CME, 13(1).  Sherman, L., Halila, H., & Chappell, K. (2024). An Overview of Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Professional Development Systems in Europe: A Mixed Methods Assessment. Journal of CME, 13(1).  Sherman L, Aboulsoud S, Leon-Borquez R, Ming K, Yang DD, Chappell K. An overview of global CME/CPD systems. Med Teach. 2024 Nov;46(11):1428-1440. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2024.2373879. Epub 2024 Jul 16. PMID: 39012047.

Opening New Doors in Global Health Professions Education This month, AMEE reached an exciting milestone: our first-ever Spanish-language webinar, El futuro de la Educación Médica Continua usando Inteligencia Artificial Generativa, was a resounding success. With over 200 engaged participants, countless questions, and simultaneously translated captions, it marked the beginning of a new era for AMEE, one that embraces multilingual education as a way to connect with and support our diverse global community. This event was the first in a series of Spanish-language activities leading up to AMEE 2025 in Barcelona and the launch of a broader multilingual initiative. Read on for an inside look at how we planned this event, what we learned, and what’s coming next. And if you’re considering organising a multilingual event yourself, make sure to check out our top tips at the end! The Inspiration: Turning Conversations into Action The idea for this webinar was born from a conversation at AMEE 2024 about how to make our resources more accessible to educators worldwide. AMEE’s commitment to inclusivity is strong—we support health professions educators at all career stages, across all disciplines, and in all regions. However, language remains a significant barrier. With members in over 130 countries speaking more than 69 languages, we recognised that we had both the need and the opportunity to expand our reach by offering events in multiple languages. Starting Small, Thinking Big We decided to start with Spanish-language content linked to our upcoming conference in Barcelona. Generative AI was a natural choice for our first webinar. It’s a hot topic, ensuring strong interest, and we were fortunate to have AMEE CPD Committee members Álvaro Margolis and Sofía Valanci volunteer as hosts. To fully commit to our hispanohablante audience, we promoted the event exclusively in Spanish. We were prepared for a small turnout, understanding that the greater impact might come from the recorded session being added to our content bank. However, the response exceeded our expectations. A Record-Breaking Response Our average webinar registration ranges between 200-300, with 25-50% attending live, a strong engagement rate compared to the typical 10-15% for free webinars. As we promoted the event, registrations trickled in at first, then surged as our outreach reached communities across Latin America and Spain. The final count? A record-breaking 495 registrations! Over 90% came from Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and the Dominican Republic, with additional attendees from Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Andorra. This overwhelming response confirmed what we had suspected, there is a significant demand for content in languages other than English. The Power of Multilingual Engagement sharing insights in their native language, leading to more meaningful conversations. As one participant noted: “Me encantó que fuera en español, en ocasiones la limitante del idioma obstaculiza el uso correcto de las herramientas tecnológicas.” (“I loved that it was in Spanish. Sometimes, language limitations hinder the proper use of technological tools.”) By embracing multilingual education, AMEE is not only broadening its reach but also enhancing the quality of its interactions with the global medical education community. What’s Next? Expanding AMEE’s Multilingual Offerings This webinar was just the beginning. The success of our Spanish-language event has opened the door to more multilingual opportunities: Upcoming Spanish Webinar in May: “AI Agents: The Revolution in Health Professions Education” Global Conversation for Spanish-speaking Members: A networking space for deeper discussions Spanish-language Track at AMEE 2025 in Barcelona: A dedicated space for Spanish-language presentations and discussions Expanding to Other Languages in 2025-2026: We hope to offer webinars in multiple languages- interested in presenting? Let us know! We also successfully trialled simultaneously translated captions, which worked seamlessly and hold the potential to foster cross-cultural exchange and collaboration. Want to Get Involved? We’re excited about this new chapter for AMEE and would love your input. If you have ideas for future multilingual webinars or would like to present in a language other than English, we want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] to propose a session. Sign up for our mailing list to stay updated on upcoming multilingual events- visit the footer of our website to subscribe! Share your language-learning journey! Have you navigated language barriers in medical education? Tell us your story in the comments or on social media under this post! Together, we can build a truly global, inclusive, and accessible AMEE community. We can’t wait to see where this journey takes us next!

Standing on stage at APMEC in Singapore, surrounded by some of the brightest minds in healthcare education, I was reminded of AMEE’s vital role in shaping holistic practitioners around the globe. My recent trip to the Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference (APMEC) and the First Affiliated Hospital – Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou was filled with inspiring moments, strategic meetings, and exciting opportunities for collaboration—all with the goal of advancing AMEE’s mission. APMEC 2025: Highlighting AMEE’s Role On 18 January 2025, I travelled from the UK to Singapore to attend APMEC, organised by the National University of Singapore and had the privilege of speaking at a symposium titled: “Non-Governmental Sector’s Role in Developing a Holistic Practitioner” It was an incredible opportunity to highlight AMEE’s work, and the talk was well-received, offering great visibility for our organisation. Guangzhou: Strengthening Partnerships with SYSU From Singapore, I travelled to Guangzhou to meet with the President of the First Affiliated Hospital at Sun Yat-sen University (FAH-SYSU), Professor Haipeng Xiao and his colleagues, where AMEE’s China Office and International Networking Centre (INC) has been based for the past decade. This partnership has been transformative: up till now, there are 1120 persons trained through our ESME courses, 493 faculty with one or more ESME certificates, 45 clinical faculty awarded the Associate Fellowship of AMEE and 2 Honorary Fellowship of AMEE, 32 enrolled in the Master’s Program for Health Professions Education, all of which translated into a torrent of advancements in teaching and learning, in curriculum design, in faculty development, in educational scholarship, and in academic influence both locally and beyond. This fruitful partnership culminated in the ASPIRE-to-Excellence Award (International Collaboration in Health Professions Education track) for AMEE and FAH-SYSU in 2023. During this visit, our main goal was to discuss their transition to becoming AMEE’s first Regional Centre of Excellence (RCE). Professor Xiao’s visionary leadership and strong commitment to education are inspiring. During my visit, I toured their impressive campus, which includes two mobile medical units—a mobile MRI scanner and a mobile ICU and I also had the opportunity to deliver a talk to their faculty which had fantastic engagement and interaction. Cultural Highlights Of course, no trip to China would be complete without exploring the local cuisine. I sampled a variety of dishes, from chicken claw soup to goose liver, snow crab, and deep-sea garoupa. The signature pineapple bun was a standout favourite, though I had to draw the line at jellyfish! Reflections and Next Steps This trip has been a resounding success for AMEE from a strategic perspective. Developing our institutional strategy to expand our International Networking Centres and launch our first Regional Centre of Excellence is a key priority, and the progress made during this journey feels deeply inspiring. The partnerships we’re building in Asia-Pacific and China are driving AMEE’s mission forward, ensuring we continue to connect, grow, and inspire healthcare educators worldwide. I wanted to share these experiences with you to highlight where AMEE is focusing and to keep our community informed. I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to comment and share your perspectives!