Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference (APMEC) 2023

Published: 31 May 2023

---

Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference (APMEC) 2023
Celebrating Excellence in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Trends. Issues. Priorities.Strategies

Monday 22 to Sunday 28 May 2023

2023 marks the 20^th anniversary of the Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference (APMEC). The Centre for Medical Education (CenMED), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, organised the event, held from Monday 22 to Sunday 28 May 2023. This was the first time that the conference was organised in a hybrid format. Over the 7-day period, close to 1,000 medical and healthcare professionals from 40 countries attended the conference in person as well as virtually.

Over the past twenty years, APMEC has endeavoured to build a community of like-minded scholars in education for the medical and health professions. This year’s conference theme, “Celebrating Excellence in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – Trends.Issues Priorities.Strategies” highlights exactly the focus of APMEC.

Prof Tan Eng Chye, NUS President, was the Guest-of-Honour for APMEC 2023.  In his address, Professor Tan shared that, “NUS has introduced a new common curriculum for Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry and Pharmacy students, who will read the courses together. The common curriculum seeks to cultivate empathy, impart workplace-based communication skills and foster interprofessional teamwork for collaborative care.  Important broad-based 21^st century skills in data and digital literacy and design thinking, as well as interdisciplinary experiential learning, are also embedded in the common curriculum.”

Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, delivered the Dean’s Address and shared his thoughts on the direction of NUS Medicine for the next 20 years. NUS Medicine will focus efforts on 3 priority areas: Sustainable Healthcare, Digital Medicine and Healthy Longevity.

At the opening ceremony, three special awards were presented to deserving leaders and scholars of distinction as well as an administrator in medical and health professions education.

The APMEC Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Emeritus Professor Ronald M Harden, Medical Education, University of Dundee, United Kingdom, Editor of Medical Teacher and former General Secretary and Treasurer of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE). his award was given in recognition to visionary and creative-thinking leaders who have provided outstanding contributions and steadfast commitment to promote excellence in medical and health professions education.

There were four recipients for the Mentoring Innovation and Leadership in Educational Scholarship (MILES) Award. They are Adjunct Associate Professor Tay Sook Muay, former Associate Dean, NUS Yong Loo Lin of Medicine at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Professor Hooi Shing Chuan, former Vice-Dean (Education) and former Head, Department of Physiology, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, Professor Indika Karunathilake, Head, WHO Collaborating Centre for Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and Professor Neil Osheroff, Department of Biochemistry and Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States of America. This award recognises international and local scholars of distinction in medical and health professions education.

The inaugural Commendation Award was presented this year, to  Ms Patricia Lilley, for outstanding contributions to promote medical and health professions education.

140 international, regional and local experts shared their experiences, expertise and wisdom over 30 workshops 2 special courses, 2 keynote lectures, 6 plenaries, 14 symposia and 8 panel discussion sessions.

To promote mental health and well-being, several social activities were incorporated into the programme, including tai-chi, yoga and mindfulness sessions. Participants also had the chance to visit the NUS Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and NUS Medicine Centre for Healthcare Simulation.

83 Free Communication and 116 Short Communication presenters shared their scholarly work during the virtual oral presentation sessions. 12 Free Communication sessions presenters were shortlisted to compete in the finale during the main conference. Dr Nigel Fong, Senior Resident, Department of Renal Medicine, Division of Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore and Ms Eugenie Yien, Trainer, Medical Simulations and Technologies Department, Medical Simulation Training Centre, Life Support Training Wing, SAF Medical Training Institute (SMTI), Singapore emerged as the Winner and Runner-up for the Young Scholar category respectively. Dr Mataroria Lyndon, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Medical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand and Dr Sinead Kado, PhD candidate, Health Professions Education, School of Allied Health, University of Western Australia, Australia emerged as the Winner and Runner-up the Free Communications category respectively.

APMEC 2023 concluded with a short video trailer on the next APMEC which will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka together with the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo from 17 to 21 January 2024. The theme for APMEC 2024 is “Artificial Intelligence in Health Professions Education –Trends.Issues.Priorities.Strategies”.