A memorial service for Kathy Skhal will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 20, in the Sahai Auditorium of the Medical Education and Research Facility (MERF).

Skhal, 32, died suddenly on June 16. 

She was a clinical education librarian at the Hardin Library for Health Sciences who was highly regarded for her expertise in critical appraisal and evaluation, for her leadership in the library’s teaching activities and its Simulation Center, and for her work as a reference librarian.

At the Carver College of Medicine, Skhal facilitated Case-Based Learning, a small-group experience for M1 students, and she was active across the curriculum — teaching students, residents, and small-group facilitators about search strategies to use when researching medical conditions and patient diagnoses, and how to conduct critical appraisals of medical literature. To that end, Skhal was involved with the clinical clerkships in helping design literature-appraisal exercises and teaching these skills to students during their clinical years. She also played a key role in initiating and designing the ICON research pages for courses and clerkships. 

Skhal also worked on the regional level of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in the Central Group on Educational Affairs, organizing the clinical librarian group. In addition, she served as a tutor for a course offered by McMaster University. The course was an international workshop for medical educators on teaching evidence-based clinical practice with a focus on quality improvement and assurance.

Online condolences for Skhal can be made at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service.

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