Louis Pangaro Lauded with AAMC Award for Excellence in Medical Education

September 18, 2024 by Sharon Holland

Dr. Louis N. Pangaro, professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University, has been named the recipient of the 2024 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Award for Excellence in Medical Education. This prestigious award is the AAMC's highest honor, recognizing individuals whose contributions have had a profound impact on advancing medical education. Pangaro's work, spanning decades, has shaped modern medical education both nationally and internationally.

A founding member of the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) and the Alliance for Clinical Education (ACE), Pangaro has been a driving force in transforming medical education by advocating for fairness, transparency, and feedback in the evaluation of trainees. His belief that "evaluation equals professionalism" has informed countless assessment practices across medical schools in the U.S. and beyond. Through his leadership, CDIM and ACE have served as important forums for advancing clinical education and training, ensuring clarity and fairness in the development of future physicians.

Pangaro's innovative Reporter-Interpreter-Manager-Educator (RIME) framework is perhaps his most notable contribution. Developed in the 1990s, RIME provides a developmental framework for assessing competence in clinical settings. By evaluating trainees based on their roles as reporters, interpreters, managers, and educators, RIME offered a synthetic assessment approach that has since been embraced internationally across various health professions. This framework laid the groundwork for other key educational innovations, such as entrustable professional activities and clinical milestones.

As co-director of the Harvard Macy Institute's "A Systems Approach to Assessment in Health Professions Education" program, Pangaro has influenced more than 600 education leaders across the globe. His work in systematic faculty training and assessment methodologies has left a lasting imprint on how medical professionals are evaluated and developed.

Pangaro has received numerous awards for his contributions to medical education, including the prestigious NBME Hubbard Award and the Alpha Omega Alpha Distinguished Teacher Award. Additionally, the ACE named its educator award after him -- the Louis N. Pangaro Medical Educator Award -- which recognizes advances in clinical education.

At USU, Pangaro has also made significant strides, leading the creation of the Center for Health Professions Education and personally training more than 1,000 faculty members in clinical teaching. As a mentor, he is revered for his ability to challenge and inspire his mentees, with many going on to hold leadership positions across various medical education and certification bodies.

"I am very grateful to the AAMC for recognizing the work that's been done over the last thirty years to support the career development of educational leaders," says Pangaro, "and I am most grateful to USU for allowing me to have so many roles here in working with students, faculty and our own educational leaders."