Traditionally, all medical faculties in the Netherlands have been represented here. One of the goals of the NVMO is to broaden the membership base. The new chairwoman wants to commit to this during her term of office.
Kusurkar: ''The world of the medical professional is changing rapidly, interprofessional learning and working is becoming increasingly important. The membership base of an association for healthcare education should reflect this. This ambition was started a number of years ago and as a board we want to expand this further, for example by inviting all healthcare professionals to various committees. We hope to create an offer aimed at a broad group of trainers in healthcare education. The next NVMO conference will therefore be organized by employees of the Arnhem Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences (HAN). And the two medical students on the board also actively look for students from other healthcare courses. In addition to broadening the membership base, further professionalizing the organization is also an ambition. Rashmi wants to encourage researchers and teachers to publish more often and seek out an international platform. Her board role at the international variant of the NVMO: AMEE - An international Association for Health Professions Education is useful in this regard.
The NVMO conference is one of the annual highlights of the association, which has 1,400 members. This year's theme is: Equal opportunities in healthcare education. What are you most looking forward to? Rashmi Kusurkar: 'After all, the theme is close to my heart. As chairwoman I can take care of the opening and that is quite exciting because this theme is very current and can also be uncomfortable for conference visitors. It is the first time that I have told my story on a stage in front of so many people (last year there were 1100 participants). I took Dutch lessons again last year with a personal trainer, so if this works, it will be a personal victory," she says, laughing. 'That will certainly not go smoothly; That is my most important message: it is okay to make mistakes.'
NB Rashmi Kusurkar is also one of the 150 participants in the role model campaign Equals 2024 and has her own billboard in Amsterdam