Biography
Amy Clithero-Eridon, PhD, MBA, AFAMEE, is Principal Lecturer III in the Department of Family & Community Medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, where she has served on faculty since 2009 following more than a decade in health system administration and community health program leadership, including roles as interim CEO of four rural New Mexico hospitals. She earned her PhD in Family Medicine from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and her MBA with a concentration in health care systems from the University of New Mexico, and is an Associate Fellow of the International Association for Health Professions Education (AMEE). A nationally and internationally recognized leader in social accountability in medical education, she directs Health Policy & Advocacy for medical education in Family & Community Medicine, serves as Course Director for the Family Medicine Clerkship health policy block, and Block Chair of Medicine in New Mexico, and co-directs UNM’s WHO/PAHO Collaborating Center. Her research focuses on socially accountable health professions education, physician workforce development and retention in underserved communities, health policy education, and professionalism in medicine — work supported in part by a $2.4M Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council partnership grant on which she serves as Co-PI and Research Co-Chair. She is a board member of The Network Towards Unity for Health, an AMEE ASPIRE Academy Leader for both international collaboration and social accountability, and has mentored an average of fifteen medical student researchers annually since 2016. Her scholarship includes numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and invited presentations across five continents.
Areas of Specialty
Specialization #1: Social accountability in medical education
Specialization #2: Health policy and healthcare systems
Specialization #3: Social determinants of health
Certifications
Certification #1: Achievement in Medical Education Certification
Certification #2: Medical Education Research Certification
Certification #3: Advanced Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Certification #4: Professional Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Certification #5: Mastery Level Certification, Medical Education
Certification #6: Health Care Administration, School of Public Administration
Key Publications
Journal Article
Han, Heeyoung, Clithero-Eridon, Amy, Costa, Manuel , 2021 On Pandemics and Pivots: A COVID Reflection on Envisioning the Future of Medical Education Korean Journal of Medical Education, vol. 33, Issue 4, 393-404
Journal Article
De Maeseneer, J, Clithero-Eridon, Amy, DeKempeneer, A, Kaufman, Arthur, Bor, D, Cameron, I, Woollard, R, Strasser, R, Burdick, W, Torres, N, 2019 A network of networks: 40 years of uniting global agendas toward universal health and equitable care. Education for health (Abingdon, England), vol. 32, Issue 1, 36-40
Journal Article
Clithero-Eridon, Amy, Albright, Danielle, Ross, A, 2020 Conceptualising social accountability as an attribute of medical education. African journal of primary health care & family medicine, vol. 12, Issue 1, e1-e8
Journal Article
Clithero-Eridon, Amy, Fleg, Anthony, Harris, Jaryse, Markham, Ray, Shore, Xin, Myers, Orrin, Woollard, Robert, 2021 Pandemic Positives: A Mixed Methods Exploration of Global Perspectives International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, vol. 1, Issue 1 http://www.columbuspublishers.com/journal/international-journal-of-community-medicine-public-health?submenu=article-in-press
Journal Article
Woolley, Torres, Clithero-Eridon, Amy, Elsanousi, Salwa, Othman, Abu-Bakr, 2019 Does a socially-accountable curriculum transform health professional students into competent, work-ready graduates? A cross-sectional study of three medical schools across three countries Medical Teacher, vol. 41, Issue 12, 1427-1433
Gender
Female
Languages
- English
Courses Taught
Medical Student Courses
1st year students:
-Health of New Mexico small group facilitator
3rd year students:
- Health Policy and Advocacy
4th year students:
- Block Chair, Medicine in New Mexico
Research and Scholarship
Clithero A, Ballejos MP, Bouquin E, et al. The Role of Social Accountability in Re-envisioning Medical Education for the Twenty-First Century. In: Abdalla ME, Taha MH, Boelen C, eds. Social Accountability of Medical Schools: Empowering the Future of Medical Education and Healthcare Systems. Springer Nature Switzerland; August 2025:155-177. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-94435-2_9
Clithero-Eridon A, Alter, H, Favela-Hernandez M, Smith D, Crandall C, and Bouquin E. Training Curriculum Gaps in Family Medicine Education Across the Americas. Education for Health. March 2026. 2026;39:95-106.
Soliz I, Clithero-Eridon A, Esquibel J, Albright D. I’m Recruited. Why should I stay? A case study of physician retention in an underserved area. Submitted to Education for Health. March 2026.
2026;39:49-59
Shukla A, Clithero-Eridon A, Crandall C, Chartash D, Mahan R, Albright D. A Snapshot of Family Medicine Physician Engagement with State Policy: Findings from the 2023 CERA Survey. J Am Board Fam Med. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2024.240414R1
Clithero-Eridon A, Sameshima P, Cameron E, Allison J, Martinez J, Orasi T, Hu C, Strasser R. Stories & Deepening Understandings of Social Accountability using the Arts and Storytelling. Education for Health. May 2024. DOI: 10.62694/efh.2024.30.