AAMC

08/28/2026

Biomedical research is navigating increasing uncertainty — from shifting funding priorities to growing pressure on the research workforce. How leaders respond now will shape the future of discovery.

At Learn Serve Lead, the Biomedical Research and Discovery in Changing Times program track will bring together research leaders, faculty scientists, department chairs, program directors, and institutional administrators committed to sustaining the research mission.

Through emerging evidence, candid peer-to-peer dialogue, and practical frameworks, the track will explore how to:

🔹 Adapt research enterprise models to new funding realities
🔹 Support and retain the next generation of research talent
🔹 Lead with agility when the path forward is unclear
🔹 Advocate effectively for research communities and continued discovery

Explore the track and join us this Nov. 6-10 in Anaheim, CA for ! https://web.cvent.com/event/9443a1a2-69cc-43cb-9b3b-3fc59a277f84/websitePage:2589a57f-c7e2-4e02-9b96-118ff494c3e7

08/28/2026

For many aspiring physicians, the Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) is an important milestone on the path to medical school.

Registration for 2027 MCAT test dates will open Oct. 20-22, by testing center location. To help students prepare, the AAMC has published information about the registration process, including key dates, how registration works, steps students can take before opening day, and tips for navigating registration and scheduling. The resource also connects students to additional information about the upcoming testing year and what to expect throughout the registration process.

https://students-residents.aamc.org/register-mcat-exam/register-mcat-exam

Everything you need to know to register for the MCAT Exam

08/27/2026

The arts and STEMM are not in competition — they're complementary, each strengthening the other. UAB Heersink School of Medicine student Leopold Nkengbeza shows how, using illustration to learn anatomy and “translate complex procedures into clear visual representations.”

Born in Edéa, Cameroon, Nkengbeza spent his early childhood in a setting where access to care was limited. A serious illness at a young age shaped his understanding of medicine’s value and stayed with him long after his family moved to the United States.

08/27/2026

What happens when a hospital gets hit by a cyberattack in the middle of surgery?

At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, patient Wade Watts was in the operating room for a liver transplant when the hospital’s electronic system went down.

“Our staff, residents, nurses are all trained on how to handle down-times,” said Christopher Anderson, MD, the surgeon who led Watts's transplant. With the power out, nurses triple-checked medications by hand and lab results were posted manually. “It was pretty inspiring to me to see everyone rise to the occasion.”

Through it all, Watts recovered ahead of schedule, discharged six days after a surgery that was expected to keep him hospitalized for ten. It’s just one example of academic medical centers stepping up for patients in the face of adversity.

During a recent cyberattack that disrupted hospital systems, UMMC teams relied on training, teamwork and compassion to keep care moving forward. For liver transplant patient Wade Watts and his family, the experience showed that even when technology fails, the people behind it never do.

08/26/2026

“Are we truly doing enough to prepare these students for what’s to come?”

That’s the question that David Battinelli, MD, dean of the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, asks himself as he welcomes a new class of medical students each fall. With emerging technologies like shifting the health care landscape for both patients and physicians, those who design medical school curricula must cultivate “a capacity for anticipation,” writes Battinelli.

“We must think not only about what our students need to know today but what they will need to know — and do — a decade or two from now. It’s a bit like being asked to write a textbook for a field that hasn’t been invented yet.”

Hear more from Battinelli on how educators can meaningfully reshape the future of medical education with technological evolution in mind.

New technologies are allowing patients to be more empowered partners in their own care. A dean argues that medical education must evolve to embrace that change.

08/26/2026

Stacy Schiff will take the stage at the opening plenary of Learn Serve Lead 2026: The AAMC Annual Meeting. A Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, Schiff has illuminated the lives of historical figures including Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Cleopatra, as well as the accused in the Salem witch trials. As the AAMC marks its 150th anniversary and the United States commemorates its 250th, Schiff will draw on history’s turning points to explore how leaders can navigate uncertainty, rebuild trust, and shape what comes next. She will be joined by Mikhail Varshavski, DO, (“Doctor Mike”) a board-certified family medicine physician and influencer.

Join us Nov. 6–10 in Anaheim, California for ! https://bit.ly/4bJgc3q

08/25/2026

🍂 As fall begins to arrive, September brings fresh opportunities to learn, connect, and prepare for the academic year ahead. Among the AAMC webinars coming up next month are sessions focused on residency recruitment, curriculum improvement, and navigating the residency application process.

Here’s a preview of what’s coming up in September:

🩺 Navigating the PDWS to Drive Holistic Review – Sept. 10

📊 Using SCOPE Survey Data for Practical Curriculum CQI (Building Better Curriculum) – Sept. 21

📝 MyERAS Q&A Session for Applicants – Sept. 3

As you look ahead to September, these sessions offer opportunities to gain practical skills, leverage data to inform decision-making, and stay informed about tools and processes shaping medical education and residency recruitment.

View the full webinar schedule and register here:

This workshop is intended for individuals, medical educators, and clinician educators who want to learn how to effectively search the published medical education literature and to evaluate the value of those searches. After participating in this workshop, learners will be able to:

08/25/2026

Advancing medical research takes more than discovery. It requires strong partnerships, sustained investment, and a shared commitment to demonstrating the value of research to patients, communities, and policymakers.

That's why the AAMC is proud to support the latest United for Medical Research Annual Economic Report, a resource that helps illustrate the broad impact of NIH-funded research across the country. The report highlights how investments in biomedical research support innovation, strengthen communities, and contribute to the nation's economic vitality.

As a longstanding advocate for medical research, the AAMC works alongside partners across the research ecosystem to elevate evidence, inform policy conversations, and strengthen support for the scientific discoveries that improve health and save lives. Supporting efforts like this report is one way we help ensure the value and impact of research remain part of the national conversation.
https://www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/annual-economic-report/

In Fiscal Year 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded $36.58 billion in research grants to organizations in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

08/24/2026

For Neil Gupta of TAMU Medicine, receiving a white coat represents the beginning of a journey years in the making.

As a high school student, Neil's work with the national stem cell donation registry opened his eyes to disparities in health care, including barriers to access, medical mistrust, and misinformation affecting some communities more than others. Those experiences inspired him to pursue medicine and seek ways to make a difference.

As he begins medical school, Neil hopes to become the kind of physician who helps patients feel seen, heard, and empowered to make decisions about their own care.

Thank you, Neil, for sharing your story.

08/24/2026

In 2021, Aaron James survived a 7,200-volt electrical accident that left him without a nose, lips, chin, or left eye. Two years later, a 21-hour surgery at NYU Langone Health — involving more than 140 medical professionals — made him the world’s first recipient of a total-eye and partial-face transplant.

Today, he can eat, smell, and speak normally. The techniques developed for his surgery are already informing the next frontier: vision-restoring eye transplants for millions of patients worldwide.

This is what biomedical research makes possible. This is how academic medicine and for the patients, families, and communities that need it most.

A pioneering heart valve transplant for children. A device that helps a paralyzed patient speak. Check out these and other recent advancements in academic medicine that are changing patient care in dramatic ways.