PHILADELPHIA, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NBME has elected four new at-large members to its board of directors, each bringing valuable expertise and a commitment to advancing the assessment of health care professionals to achieve optimal care for all.
The board of directors is responsible for directing NBME’s policy and strategy, and appointing the president and CEO, as well as reviewing and approving the organization’s budget.
The following new members will guide the organization’s efforts in 2025 and beyond.
Karen Hauer, MD, PhD – at-large member
Dr. Karen Hauer serves as vice dean for education and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In this role, she is responsible for overseeing a comprehensive range of educational programs across UCSF’s clinical training sites and campuses, encompassing pre-medical, undergraduate, graduate and continuing education.
Dr. Hauer is an active researcher in health professions education, focusing on competency-based medical education, learner assessment, equity in assessment, artificial intelligence, coaching and remediation. Her contributions were recognized with the 2024 Hubbard Award, a prestigious medical education research award.
She previously held the position of associate dean for competency assessment and professional standards at UCSF. In this role, she designed and implemented a program of assessment within the UCSF School of Medicine’s curriculum and developed and directed the school’s medical student coaching program. This work earned her team the ASPIRE international award for excellence in student assessment.
Dr. Hauer also serves as president-elect of the International Competency Based Medical Education Collaborative and has held leadership positions with NBME, the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, the journal “Medical Education” and the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine national organization.
Sorabh Khandelwal, MD – at-large member
Dr. Sorabh Khandelwal is the Samuel J. Kiehl III, MD chair in emergency medicine, a professor of emergency medicine and program director for the Ohio State University Emergency Medicine Residency Program.
Dr. Khandelwal previously served as an assistant dean in the Ohio State University College of Medicine. A dedicated educator, he has received numerous local and national teaching awards, including the American College of Emergency Physicians National Faculty Teaching Award, the Ohio State College of Medicine Distinguished Educator Award and the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine Distinguished Educator of the Year Award. He was also recently honored as a master teacher at Ohio State.
Dr. Khandelwal has been actively involved in medical assessment and licensing, serving as both an item writer and oral examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He has contributed to multiple United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) committees since 2009. Dr. Khandelwal currently serves as vice chair of the USMLE Management Committee and co-chair of the USMLE Step 3 Computer-based Case Simulations Scoring Test Material Development Committee. He has also been a member of the NBME Council since 2018.
“I’m humbled and grateful to join the NBME board of directors, building on the tremendous efforts of the dedicated individuals who ensure that rigorous, meaningful assessments help health care professionals provide optimal care for every patient,” Dr. Khandelwal said. “I look forward to fostering innovation, collaboration and excellence to help shape a more diverse and compassionate health care workforce.”
Vicki W. Girard, JD – at-large member
Vicki Girard, Esq., is the faculty director of the Health Justice Alliance at Georgetown University and a professor at the Georgetown Law Center. In her role, she focuses on training the next generation of physicians, nurses and lawyers to work collaboratively to advance health equity.
Girard is a dedicated advocate for health equity and brings extensive experience in health law and policy. She spent over a decade representing companies in Food and Drug Administration-related regulatory and policy matters. This experience provided her with a valuable understanding of the legal and regulatory landscape surrounding health care, which she leverages to educate and empower future health care professionals.
Girard is a published expert on academic medical legal partnerships and their role in helping to reduce health disparities. Her commitment to community health is further demonstrated by her involvement with the Community Advisory Council for the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center/Georgetown Office of Minority Health and her membership on the steering committee for MedStar Health’s Safe Babies Safe Moms initiative in Washington, D.C.
Wilma Larsen, MD – at-large member
Dr. Wilma Larsen is a field surveyor for The Joint Commission and brings a distinguished career in obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN), along with extensive leadership experience in military and civilian health care settings.
Dr. Larsen served in the military for 24 years, retiring as a colonel in 2010. Her military leadership roles include serving as chief of the OB-GYN clinic at Walter Reed Medical Center, department chair at Tripler Army Medical Center and chief medical officer at Darnall Army Medical Center. She also deployed to Iraq in 2009 as the chief of clinical operations, earning the Bronze Star and Legion of Merit awards for her service. Beyond her military achievements, Dr. Larsen was the vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Baylor Scott & White Memorial Hospital.
Her commitment to advancing the field is evident through her work with the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), from which she has received numerous accolades, including the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Award and the ACOG Mentor Award.
Returning board members continue to provide leadership and guidance in service of NBME’s mission: Reena Karani, MD, MHPE, second-term chair; Patricia King, MD, PhD, first-term vice chair; David Milling, MD, second-term treasurer; Alfred Tallia, MD, MPH, past chair; Peter J. Katsufrakis, MD, MBA, NBME President and CEO; Joshua Nosanchuk, MD, at-large second term member; José Miguel Pêgo, MD, PhD, at-large second-term member; and Jon Thomas, MD, MBA, at-large second-term member.
The organization also acknowledges the contributions of departing members Marie Foley, PhD, RN, CNL; Maya Hammoud, MD, MBA; Danny M. Takanishi Jr., MD; and Zach Weismann, MPA. Their service has played a vital role in shaping NBME’s work.
About NBME
NBME offers a versatile selection of high-quality assessments and educational services for students, professionals, educators and institutions dedicated to the evolving needs of medical education and health care. To serve these communities, we collaborate with a comprehensive array of professionals including test developers, academic researchers, scoring experts, practicing physicians, medical educators, state medical board members and public representatives.
Together with the Federation of State Medical Boards, NBME develops and manages the United States Medical Licensing Examination®. In addition, we are committed to meeting the needs of educators and learners globally with assessment products and expert services such as Subject Examinations, Customized Assessment Services, NBME® Self-Assessments, the International Foundations of Medicine® Program and Item-Writing Workshops.
We also provide medical education funding and mentorship through the Latin America Grants Program, Stemmler Grants and the Strategic Educators Enhancement Fellowship, which serve to advance assessment at educators’ and health professionals’ own institutions. Learn more about NBME at NBME.org.
