Home

The GSMC-FAIMER Regional Institute (GSMC-FRI), based at the Seth G.S. Medical College in Mumbai, India, is a two-year fellowship program for health professions faculty who have the potential to improve medical education at their schools. Approximately 16 fellowships are offered each year. The fellowship is designed to teach education methods, scholarship, and leadership skills, and to develop an active, supportive professional network among educators.

It consists of two residential sessions, which take place at Seth G S Medical College, Mumbai, and two 11-month distance learning sessions, one following the first residential session and one following the second residential session. The first and second residential sessions consist, respectively, of six days and three days of highly interactive educational activities. Curriculum topics include student assessment, good teaching practices, program evaluation, distance learning, change management, project planning, conflict management, educational research and scholarship, and qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.

The distance learning sessions focus on the mentoring of Fellows, network building, and the exchange of ideas through participation in an internet discussion group. During the distance learning sessions, Fellows also implement an education innovation project at their home institution. A summary of the project and results are presented during the second residential session.

The fellowship course fees is funded by FAIMER. However, Fellows (or their institutions) are responsible for the expenses of travel and stay. Similarly the costs involved in carrying out the project are also not covered. It is highly recommended that Fellows have access to a Wi-Fi capable laptop computer for use during residential sessions.

Education Innovation Project

A major goal of the fellowship program is the completion of an education innovation project, proposed by Fellows in their initial application to the Institute, and then implemented at their home institution. Projects with the potential to improve the health of the community, region, or country of the applicant’s institution are given higher priority in the fellowship selection process.

To encourage the development of knowledge and skills in health professions education scholarship (research, evaluation, and publishing), Fellows prepare a poster and an abstract based on their project after one year of project implementation. Ongoing support from faculty and Fellows throughout the program also fosters scholarship based on project activities.

Project proposals typically involve, but are not limited to, one or more of the following areas: student assessment, educational application of information technology, health systems integration, community-based health professions education, problem-based learning, clinical skills development, professionalism and ethics, critical thinking, program evaluation, faculty development, curriculum revision and/or integration, student affairs, interactive teaching methods, development of medical education units, and distance learning.

Fellows

Building regional communities of practice of health professions educators is another major goal of the GSMC-FRI fellowship. Throughout the two-year program, each Fellow interacts closely with up to 60 other Fellows. Community building is fostered by a period of overlap in the residential sessions for first- and second-year participants, providing opportunities for interaction among Fellows who are beginning their education innovation projects and those who have worked on their projects for a year. On-line discussion during the distance learning sessions provides an additional forum for group work on research and projects, and for the sharing of resources and experience among current Fellows and Institute graduates. Fellows are encouraged to continue their participation in the larger FAIMER community after completion of the fellowship.

GSMC-FRI is sponsored by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER^®). By working to advance health professions education in India, GSMC-FRI supports FAIMER’s mission of improving global health by improving education.

To apply to GSMC-FRI, please click here.

To request more information on the program via e-mail, please click here.