The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence is a collaborative program designed to develop a cadre of leaders who can drive implementation of national strategies to raise awareness of diagnosis in medicine, support diagnostic excellence, and reduce diagnostic errors.
The program supports participation of up to 11 scholars in a one-year, part-time remote experience that enhances their knowledge and skills in diagnostic quality and safety, and accelerates their career development as national leaders in the field. Awardees benefit from a structured online curriculum, cohort learning activities, professional networking and mentorship opportunities, and a $35,000 grant with an additional $5,000 domestic travel funds.
Now in its fourth year, NAM Scholars have presented at national meetings, received academic promotions, and other grants in diagnostic quality and safety.
2026 Call for Applications
Call for Applications Opens
Applicant Info Session #1
Applicant Info Session #2
Applicant Info Session #3
Applicant Q&A Session
Applications Due
Finalists Notification
Scholars Notification
Audience:
This program supports individuals with a focus on diagnosis-related work, including but not limited to:
- Physicians and advanced practice clinicians
- Quality experts, informaticians, and researchers
Strong preference is given to candidates whose proposed program objectives advance specific recommendations of the 2015 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus report, Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, when applicable.
Value:
Investing in national diagnostic leaders increases the integrity and visibility of diagnostic excellence, and helps to build future diagnostic programs, faculty, and mentors. The program is a part of CMSS’ commitment to career development of emerging leaders, and to shared learning and collaboration among specialty societies.
Acknowledgement
This program is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. With additional support from the John A. Hartford Foundation, an 11th scholar with a focus on advancing diagnostic excellence for older adults may be selected.
Contact
Julia Peterson, CMSS COO
This is an incredible program hosted by a wonderful community of brilliant people, and both the curriculum and networking opportunities offered by the program are built with deep intentionality towards helping you grow the impact of your work.
I can’t endorse this program strongly enough; if you have an interest in diagnostic excellence, you should absolutely apply.
Staff Ophthalmologist, Veterans Affairs VISN 23 Clinical Resource Hub
2025 NAM Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence
Emily Abdoler, MD, MAEd
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School/Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor“REFLECT: Reflective Exercises for Learning diagnosis while Engaged in Clinical Training”Bubu A. Banini, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale School of Medicine/Yale New Haven Health System, New Haven, Conn“Improving Diagnosis of Steatotic Liver Diseases through an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Based Practical and Scalable Approach”Andrea Bradford, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston“Implementing Strategies for Achieving Diagnostic Excellence in Mental Health”Nina Gold, MD, MBI
Director of Prenatal Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston“Identification of Undiagnosed Adults at Risk for Treatable Genetic Disorders”Katherine E. Goodman, JD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore“Unlocking’ Patient Symptoms with Generative AI to Promote Diagnostic Excellence”Snigdha Jain, MD, MHS*
Assistant Professor, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn“Improving Diagnostic Decision-Making for Weaning Sedation and Ventilator Support in Critically Ill Older Adults: An Electronic-Health Record Based Approach”Aparna Kulkarni, MBBS, MSc
Director of Quality Improvement and Outcomes, Heart Center at Cohen Children’s Medical Center at Northwell Health; and associate professor of pediatrics, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, N.Y.“Comprehensive Needs Identification and Enhanced Care Coordination to Support Access and Achieve Diagnostic Excellence in Echocardiogram Assessments of Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease”Freddy T. Nguyen, MD, PhD
Director of MIT Catalyst Scholars Program, Office of Innovation and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge“Developing a Patient-Centered Framework to Guide Medical Diagnostic Technology Development”Claire O’Hanlon, PhD, MPP
Policy Researcher, Department of Behavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND Corp., Santa Monica, Calif.“Understanding Patient Delays in Cancer Diagnosis”Lauren M. Shapiro, MD, MS
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco“Minimizing Diagnostic and Treatment Delays in Wrist Fracture Care: A Multicenter Mixed-Methods Approach”R. Andrew Taylor, MD, MHS
Vice Chair for Research and Innovation, and Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville“Bringing Diagnostic Quality Evaluation in the Emergency Department to Scale Through Artificial Intelligence”
Additional Information
Our partnership with NAM enables CMSS to annually support a remarkable cohort of scholars in diagnostic excellence across a wide range of specialties.
– Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, MACPCMSS Chief Executive Officer