NBME Announces New Officers and Members Elected to Its Board of Directors

On Jan. 27, 2023, NBME’s Board of Directors elected new officers and members. Positions elected include chair, vice chair, and treasurer, along with seven at-large members. This election was a historic moment for NBME, with Dr. Reena Karani elected as the first woman of color to serve as chair in the organization’s 108-year history.

The board of directors is comprised of health care professionals and other leaders from both domestic and global institutions. This group directs NBME’s policy and strategy; ensures advancement of the organization’s commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion; appoints NBME’s president and CEO; and reviews and approves NBME’s budget.

“NBME has the great fortune to draw from our nation’s brightest leaders who bring their diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to our work, enriching and furthering the mission and impact of our volunteers and employees,” NBME President and CEO Peter J. Katsufrakis, MD, MBA, said. “In their service to NBME, our board of directors provides unwavering support and invaluable guidance and vision.”

The following individuals will bring their unique backgrounds and strengths to guide NBME’s work in 2023 and beyond.

Officers

Reena Karani, MD, MHPE – Chair

Dr. Karani was elected as chair, having previously served as treasurer. She is director of the Institute for Medical Education and a professor of medicine, medical education, and geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Karani is a founding co-director of the Harvard Macy Program for Postgraduate Trainees. She served as a member of council and chair of the Education Committee for the Society of General Internal Medicine, and she is on the board of directors of the American Geriatrics Society. At NBME, she currently serves on the USMLE Composite Committee, the NBME Finance & Audit Committees, and the Step 3 Computer Case Simulation Test Material Development Committee. Dr. Karani also chairs the USMLE Patient Characteristics Advisory Panel, focused on ensuring exam content, practices, and review processes consider patient characteristics in a manner that mitigates bias and is consistent with contemporary scientific knowledge and understanding.

Dr. Karani received a Bachelor of Science from Brown University and a Doctor of Medicine from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed her residency and chief residency in Primary Care Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed her fellowship, chief fellowship, and medical education research fellowship in Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Mount Sinai. She also received a Master of Health Professions Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Karani’s commitment to equity and justice is evident in her work. Her current scholarship is focused on reducing stereotyping and bias in assessment and explores the socialization and learning experiences in the clinical learning environment of students historically excluded from medicine. Dr. Karani’s work also explores how dominant values and beliefs that underpin the clinical workplace environment influence the experiences and professional identity of these vulnerable learners.

“It is a privilege to serve as chair of NBME. NBME’s mission is to protect the health of the public through state-of-the-art assessment, and I am personally committed to ensuring safe, compassionate, patient-centered, unbiased, and evidence-based care of patients. Our patients and communities deserve to be protected this way, and I am grateful to be part of an organization that has this as its noble vision,” Dr. Karani said. “As the first woman of color to be elected chair in NBME’s history, I stand on the shoulders of so many who came before me. I hope to center their tireless commitment to equity and justice in all we do as an organization.”

Marie Foley, PhD, RN – Vice Chair

Dr. Foley was elected as vice chair, having previously served as an at-large member of NBME’s Board of Directors. She is a professor and the dean of the College of Nursing at Seton Hall University and an adjunct professor of pediatrics at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University. Dr. Foley has been engaged in nursing practice and education for more than 35 years. She is a pediatric nurse and has taught students at all levels of their education, including undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. She is a member of and holds leadership positions in various nursing organizations and serves on the executive board of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.

Dr. Foley received a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She received a Master of Science in nursing education and a Doctor of Philosophy in theory development and research in nursing from New York University.

“It is an honor to be a member of NBME and contribute in a small way to the excellent work we do to protect the public,” Dr. Foley said.

David A. Milling, MD – Treasurer

Dr. Milling was elected as treasurer, having previously served as an at-large member of NBME’s Board of Directors. He is an associate professor of medicine at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo (UB), where he also serves as executive director of the Office of Medical Education and senior associate dean for Medical Education. Dr. Milling has responsibility for the Offices of Student and Academic Affairs, Medical Curriculum, and Medical Admissions. He oversees the development, delivery, and success of the medical educational program, including oversight of the school’s clinical competency and simulation centers. He is a two-time recipient of the Louis A. and Ruth Siegel Award for Teaching Excellence (1994 and 2000). As program director for the Jacobs School’s Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) and director of the Associated Medical Schools of New York’s Post-Baccalaureate Program, Dr. Milling is involved in improving the workforce numbers and the pipeline to medicine for underrepresented students in New York state.

Dr. Milling received a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Buffalo. He completed his residency in internal medicine at UB, serving as chief resident. Following residency, he completed a primary care faculty development fellowship at Michigan State University.

“I am honored to serve in this role,” Dr. Milling said. “NBME continues to expand its commitment by leading the development of competency-based assessments. This focus on high-quality assessments refined through an equity lens is critical as NBME remains committed to protecting the health of the public.”

At-Large Members

Maya Hammoud, MD, MBA

Dr. Hammoud was elected to a second term as an at-large member. She is the J. Robert Willson Research Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and professor of learning health sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School, as well as the chief of the women’s health division and associate chair for education. Dr. Hammoud has held many leadership roles in the past, including assistant and associate deans at Michigan and at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. Her current national leadership roles include serving as senior advisor for Medical Education Innovations at the American Medical Association (AMA) with a focus on health systems science and coaching. She is the immediate past president of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) and chaired NBME’s International Foundations of Medicine (IFOM) committee for many years. Dr. Hammoud is the current principal investigator on a $1.75 million Reimagining Residency grant from the AMA on transforming the UME to GME transition. Her research is in medical education with a special focus on the use of technology in education and the role of academic coaching in learners’ development.

Dr. Hammoud received a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan, where she also completed her residency training.

Patricia A. King, MD, PhD

Dr. King was elected as a first term at-large member. She is a primary care internal medicine physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center and a professor at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, where she has been active in teaching both medical students and residents in internal medicine. Dr. King previously served on the Vermont Board of Medical Practice and as chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB).

Dr. King received a Bachelor of Arts in zoology from Miami University and a Doctor of Philosophy in biology from Brown University. She went on to receive a Doctor of Medicine from The Robert Larner, MD College of Medicine at the University of Vermont and completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Vermont.

“It is such an honor to be elected to NBME’s board of directors!” Dr. King said. “My work with the Vermont Medical Board, the Federation of State Medical Boards, and numerous medical students and residents has emphasized to me the importance of NBME’s mission and work in public protection through state-of-the-art assessment. NBME’s mission is fundamental for public trust in the medical profession. I look forward to joining the board and working hard to meet the exciting opportunities and challenges ahead.”

Joshua D. Nosanchuk, MD

Dr. Nosanchuk was elected as a first term at-large member. He is the senior associate dean for medical education at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he also serves as a professor in the Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Medicine. His areas of research include medical education, assessment, fungal pathogenesis, host-pathogen biology, regenerative medicine, and innovative therapeutics.

Dr. Nosanchuk received a bachelor’s degree in history and a Doctor of Medicine from Cornell University. He completed his residency at New York Hospital-Cornell and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, followed by a fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

“Since 2005, I have been privileged to collaboratively work with and learn from NBME employees and leaders, as well as the diverse voluntary faculty from peer medical schools. Together, we aim to create bias-free examination content in fulfillment of NBME’s mission to protect the health of the public through state-of-the-art assessment,” Dr. Nosanchuk said. “As a new member of NBME’s board of directors, I am committed to being a steward for this impactful mission. In this role, I will strive to enhance NBME’s methods for learner assessment through the continued development of tools for creating effective assessments that are shared with health professionals worldwide.”

José Miguel Pêgo, MD, PhD

Dr. Pêgo was elected as a first term at-large member. He is the founder and CEO of iCognitus and an anesthesiologist and assistant professor of pharmacology, anesthesiology, and critical care at the School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. Dr. Pêgo is the coordinator of the “Lifelong Learning and Assessment in Health Professions” research team at Life and Health Science Research Institute. He is mainly interested in the effects of chronic stress on emotional behavior and understanding the underlying mechanisms. He is also interested in the cognitive skills assessment process. Dr. Pêgo completed the Fundamentals of Assessment in Medical Education (FAME) course conducted by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) and NBME, and he is a member of the European Board of Medical Assessors.

Dr. Pêgo received a Doctor of Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Porto and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Minho.

Danny M. Takanishi Jr., MD, FACS

Dr. Takanishi was elected to a second term as an at-large member. He is a tenured professor and associate chair for academic affairs of the Department of Surgery at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). Dr. Takanishi has served in a number of roles at JABSOM, including General Surgery Residency Program director for 13 years, chair of the department of surgery for 11 years, faculty senate president, and faculty accreditation lead for the medical school’s accreditation site visit in 2017. He has also served in several roles with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). In 2020, Dr. Takanishi served on NBME’s Hubbard Award Committee and International Oversight Committee. He also served on the USMLE Composite Committee, the USMLE Management Committee, and the Interdisciplinary Review Committee.

Dr. Takanishi received a Bachelor of Science in medical technology from the University of Hawai’i and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine.

“I am grateful and honored to have this wonderful opportunity to continue work with valued colleagues which advances the mission of an organization that has such an integral role in protecting the health of the public,” Dr. Takanishi said.

Jon V. Thomas, MD, MBA

Dr. Thomas was elected as a first term at-large member. He recently retired from clinical practice in St. Paul, Minnesota, to become an ENT medical director for UnitedHealthcare. Prior to his career shift, he spent 26 years in private practice, leading a group of 21 otolaryngologists as President and CEO for seven of those years. During that time, Dr. Thomas was active in the administration of United Hospital, the state capital’s largest hospital, where he held a variety of leadership positions, including chief of staff. He was also active in the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), serving on numerous committees and holding a variety of leadership roles, including chair. He served as chair of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC). Currently, Dr. Thomas is chair of the Committee for Individualized Review of the USMLE. He sits on the board of directors of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. In addition, he serves on the Editorial Committee for the American Association for Physician Leadership.

Dr. Thomas received a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College. He received a Doctor of Medicine at Mayo Medical School and completed his residency training at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery with a subspecialty interest in head and neck tumors. He received a Master of Business Administration in medical group management from the University of St. Thomas.

“I have always held the employees, volunteers, and leadership of NBME in highest regard. To me, they embody what it means to be a consummate, dedicated, ethical medical professional,” Dr. Thomas said. “I was both humbled and honored to have been chosen to join the Board of Directors.”

Zach Weismann, MPA

Mr. Weismann was elected to a second term as an at-large member. He serves as founder and CEO of The Impactful, a global community of leaders working in the areas of climate, health, education, and sustainability. Mr. Weismann has worked with some of the most influential organizations in the world in over 40 countries and six continents. In addition to founding The Impactful, he collaborated with the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to launch the first-ever pancreatic cancer multidisciplinary clinic. He serves on the Patient & Family Advisory Committee at UT Southwestern Cancer Center and on the Steering Committee at Temple Emanu-El Childhood Development Center.

Mr. Weismann received a Bachelor of Arts from Claremont McKenna College. He received master’s degrees from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.

“I'm humbled and honored to serve a second term on the Board of Directors,” Mr. Weismann said. “NBME's commitment to the medical learner, to protecting the public’s health, and to the advancement of assessment is of critical importance. The organization has led by example for the past 100 years and will continue to be a leading steward for the next 100. I’m excited for what's to come.”

NBME looks forward to the year ahead under the leadership of the newly elected officers and members of the board of directors as well as ex officio members Alfred F. Tallia, MD, MPH and Peter J. Katsufrakis, MD, MBA.