2014 Accomplishments

Dr. Elam, Professor of Behavioral Science, serves as Associate Dean for Admissions and Institutional Advancement and Director of Medical Education Research. She is responsible for the coordination of the recruitment activities for prospective students, student premedical counseling from the college, and the implementation of the admissions process at the College of Medicine (UKCOM). Ongoing activities include participation in UK and You recruitment evenings with the undergraduate admissions program, premedical presentations at colleges and universities across Kentucky and at selected schools in contiguous states, participation in the UKCOM accepted student recruiting event, the White Coat Ceremony, the Rural Physician Leadership Boot Camp, and UKMED, a student-led recruitment program for future applicants who are underrepresented in medicine. Continued outreach efforts to aid in the recruitment of prospective students and contribute to the culture of learning in the college include the Student National Medical Association annual conference and the annual Leaving a Legacy celebration. Dr. Elam’s primary admissions efforts in 2017 have focused on the development of admissions recruiting procedures and implementation of enrollment management strategies at the UKCOM-Bowling Green (UKCOM-BG) campus.  She chaired the Admissions Work Group at Bowling Green, building a coalition with the UKCOM, The Medical Center, Western Kentucky University (WKU), the Gatton Academy, and South Central Area Health Education Center.  A new Early Assurance Program was launched that established recruiting and admissions partnership agreements between UKCOM-BG and WKU, Murray State University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Lindsey Wilson College, and Campbellsville University. At UKCOM, Dr Elam also served as Chair of the Scholarship Committee, and as a member of both the Academic and Learning Environment committee for the LCME preparation as well as the Willard Award Selection Committee.  Dr. Elam and Dr. Schumacher of the Department of Behavioral Science presented a Medical Education Research seminar to new faculty in the Department of Neurology. During 2017, Elam gave 5 platform talks/workshops and presented 2 posters at regional, national, and international meetings. She was an invited visiting professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, giving a presentation to the Women in Medicine group on career development. She participates in several national initiatives of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), serving as a member of the Group on Student Affairs Steering Committee for the GSA Professional Development Initiative and as the Chair of the Medical Education Review Committee. Through a national peer evaluation process, the latter role coordinates selection of educational programming presented at the AAMC Annual Meeting, Learn Serve Lead. Dr. Elam was recently tapped to serve as the Chair-Elect of the AAMC’s Group on Educational Affairs (GEA). The GEA is the largest of the AAMC’s professional development constituent groups.  The GEA role is a five-year term of service.