Dr. Kelly Quesnelle, professor and Chair of Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, was recently an invited presenter at the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) conference in Lyon, France. 

The 50th annual AMEE conference convened over 2,500 leaders in medical education from dozens of countries around the globe on Aug. 27 to 31. Dr. Quesnelle was part of a panel presenting on a multi-institutional research project examining the professional identity formation of scientists in basic sciences who choose careers in medical education. This qualitative study, sponsored by the International Association of Medical Science Educators, is a collaboration between the Schools of Medicine from The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University, the University of California San Francisco, Kansas University, Mercer University, and Virginia Tech Carillion. Dr. Quesnelle presented with several co-authors on the study, speaking about her own experience training as a medical educator and the institutional support she receives in her role as a medical educator from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. The authors hope that their work sheds light on the importance of training, mentoring, continuing education, and communities of practice for the scientists who teach our medical students. “Our learners at SOMG deserve basic science instruction of the highest quality, so studying how we train and continue to develop faculty in this area, as well as how we support those faculty here at SOMG, is a huge priority for me,” said Quesnelle. Dr. Quesnelle was recruited to join the Department of Biomedical Sciences as Clinical Professor and Chair in 2021.