patient partners
Advancing Academic Medicine Through Partnership
As a Patients Included™ conference since 2024, the International Congress on Academic Medicine (ICAM) is committed to ensuring that patient, family, and caregiver voices help shape the future of medical education, healthcare innovation, and research.
We believe lived experience is expertise. By embedding patient perspectives throughout the conference, ICAM fosters meaningful collaboration and more inclusive conversations across academic medicine.
Patient Partner Engagement
Patient partners are active contributors to the ICAM conference experience. Their perspectives are integrated throughout the program, creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue and collaboration.
Patient partners contribute across ICAM through:
Patient Partner Scholarship Program
ICAM offers a Patient Partner Scholarship Program to support equitable participation in the conference.
The scholarship provides financial assistance to help patients, family members, and caregivers attend and engage in conference activities.
Applications open in late Fall 2027.
More information on eligibility and the application process will be available soon.
Patient Partner Spotlight
"Without the support provided through ICAM, attending the conference would not have been possible. Attending the conference not only meant a great deal to me personally but also contributed meaningfully to my growth as a patient partner and facilitator. I will carry this experience with me for a long time"
ICAM is proud to be recognized as a Patients Included™ conference, demonstrating our commitment to meaningful patient engagement.
This certification recognizes conferences that:
- Include patients in planning and delivery
- Support participation through financial assistance
- Accommodate accessibility needs
- Enable virtual participation and access, wherever possible
Growing Together
Patient partnership continues to be an important and growing part of ICAM. A recent highlight was the successful Patient Partner Luncheon at ICAM 2026, which brought together patient partners, faculty, and learners to share insights and strengthen collaboration.
We remain committed to ensuring patient voices are at the heart of academic medicine.
Join the Conversation
Patients, caregivers, educators, researchers, and healthcare professionals all have a role to play in shaping the future of academic medicine. We invite you to join us at ICAM as we continue to advance healthcare education, research, and innovation through meaningful partnership.