UNMC vice chancellor, Rubens Pamies, M.D., appointed to national medical examiners board executive committee

The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) has named Rubens Pamies, M.D., vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNMC, to their nine-member executive committee of the governing board of the NBME.

Dr. Pamies, who also serves as dean for graduate studies and professor of internal medicine at UNMC, has been involved with NBME activities since 1999.

In addition to his executive committee post, Dr. Pamies serves on the Interdisciplinary Review Committee for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) -- a three-step exam that provides a common evaluation system for applicants for initial licensure to practice medicine in the United States.

Recently, Dr. Pamies also was selected to represent the NBME on its finance committee for a three-year term.

"It is such an honor to be selected to serve the NBME organization in these additional roles," Dr. Pamies said. "As we continue to examine medical education assessment, the executive board will work to improve assessment tools for students and as well consider developing standardized licensures for health care providers in other countries."

Dr. Pamies, who joined UNMC in 2003, is nationally known for his significant work on the issue of health disparities.

He joined former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher to co-author what is considered the first medical textbook on the subject, "Multi-cultural Medicine and Health Disparities."

The NBME examinations and services also are widely used by the medical education system. In addition, the NBME provides testing, educational, consultative and research services to a number of medical specialty boards, societies and health care organizations in the United States and internationally.

"The ultimate goal of the NMBE is to protect the public," Dr. Pamies said. "The organization's purpose is to make sure that all licensed practitioners are thoroughly assessed to ensure that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to provide high quality health care."

UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country's leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,600 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC's physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site atwww.unmc.edu.