Leslie Wimsatt, Ph.D., FNAOME, associate dean for academic assessment, quality and development in the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences, has been awarded the Curriculum Leader Award through the Association of American Medical Colleges. This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional service to advancing curriculum planning and development across U.S. medical schools.

Wimsatt, who has been part of the AAMC Curriculum Committee for the past two academic years, has significantly contributed to health professions curriculum in the D.O. field on a national level. The AAMC Curriculum Committee provides direct input to the AAMC on advancement of curricular programs through its data collection/analysis and reporting efforts as well as through the provision of resources to support evidence-based decision-making in curriculum planning and development. The committee is made up of faculty and staff from AAMC and AACOM member institutions and other partner organizations who bring specialized expertise in accreditation, curriculum design, evaluation/assessment and educational research.

"Receiving this award rejuvenates my enthusiasm for advocacy and leadership work going forward with the aim of enhancing and diversifying the delivery of medical education at the national level, as well as here on campus and regionally," Wimsatt says. "I truly appreciate that both AAMC and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine continue to invite my engagement in support of advancing curriculum development and assessment in support of health sciences education."

"Dr. Wimsatt has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in advancing medical education, both at DMU and nationally," says David Connett, D.O., FACOFP (dist.), dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at DMU. "Her contributions to the curriculum committee have not only enhanced the learning experience for our students but also set new benchmarks for curriculum development and implementation."

Connett says that Wimsatt's leadership has had a transformative impact on DMU faculty, staff and students, fostering collaboration and innovation that directly benefits the academic community.

"At DMU, we are very fortunate to have a highly engaged learning community made up of administrators, faculty and staff. It takes a team effort to continuously integrate student feedback and robust data into curricular decision-making in alignment with these national directions," Wimsatt says.

In addition to serving on the AAMC Curriculum Committee, Wimsatt is a member of the AAMC Curriculum SCOPE Survey Subcommittee and the AAMC Educational Methods Working Group. Before these positions, Wimsatt served as the AACOM osteopathic school representative to the AAMC Curriculum Inventory Committee from 2020-2023.