The Academies Collaborative

The Academies Collaborative (AC) was created in 2001 with the goals of sharing nationally new approaches to improving medical education and helping to create culture change in academic medicine that better fosters the recognition, support, and collaborative work of educators.

Representatives of the UCSF and Harvard academies convened that year during the annual meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Joined soon thereafter by members of the Society of Teaching Scholars at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Academy of Distinguished Educators at Baylor College of Medicine, the Collaborative has since grown to include dozens of universities with existing academies or plans to establish an academy.

The AC meets each fall in conjunction with the annual AAMC meeting to catch up on accomplishments and challenges and to tackle shared issues. The event typically features a keynote address, peer-reviewed podium presentations, and table discussions. By sharing experiences and discussing common issues, the institutions in the collaborative have learned much and strengthened the organizational change accompanying the creation of our respective academies.

Resources:

Collins JP, Gough IR. An academy of surgical educators: sustaining education-enhancing innovation and scholarship. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2010 Feb; 80(1-1): 13-17.

Searle NS, Thompson BM, Friedland JA, Lomax JW, Drutz JE, Coburn M, Nelson EA. The prevalence and practice of academies of medical educators: a survey of U.S. medical schools. Acad Med. 2010 Jan;85(1):48-56.

Irby DM, Cooke M, Lowenstein D, Richards B. The Academy Movement: A Structural Approach to Reinvigorating the Educational Mission. Acad Med. 2004 Aug;79(8):729-36.

Cooke M, Irby DM, Debas HT. The UCSF Academy of Medical Educators. Acad Med. 2003 Jul;78(7):666-72.

Dewey CM, Friedland JA, Richards BF, Lamki N, Kirkland RT. The emergence of academies of educational excellence: a survey of US medical schools. Acad Med. 2005 Apr;80(4):358-65.

Mumford DB. Clinical academies: innovative school-health services partnerships to deliver clinical education. Acad Med. 2007 May; 82(5):435-40.

Bligh J, Brice J. The Academy of Medical Educators: a professional home for medical educators in the UK. Med Educ. 2007 Jul;41(7):625-7.