Best Practices for Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Residency Program: ACGME and Diversity Prepping for the New CPR (ADIEM Sponsored)
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SAEM Member-at-Large
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
Ava E. Pierce, MD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, the Associate Chair of Diversity and Inclusion for the Department of Emergency Medicine, the Director of the Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program, a Co-Director of the Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP) at UT Southwestern and works clinically at Parkland Health and Hospital Systems. She obtained her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine at Shreveport and completed an emergency medicine residency at Emory University School of Medicine.
Dr. Pierce completed the Medical Education Research Certificate (MERC) Program and the AAMC Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program and is committed to making innovative changes that will enhance diversity and inclusion and improve excellence in health care, thus strengthening a diverse workforce that will provide culturally competent quality medical care to all. She serves as a member UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Medical School Admissions Committee and is a faculty liaison for Housestaff Emerging Academy of Leaders (HEAL), which focuses on professional development and mentoring for residents and fellows from under-represented groups. Her research interests include medical education, diversity and inclusion, and cardiac resuscitation.
Dr. Pierce has built a steadfast academic career with involvement in numerous capacities at SAEM. She has been actively involved in the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM) since it was founded and has served as ADIEM’s development officer and president. She was awarded ADIEM’s Outstanding Academician Award in recognition of her impact on the academic success of students and residents from underrepresented minority groups. She has also been a member of SAEM’s Membership Committee, SAEM’s Ethics Committee and SAEM’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. She is an elected 2020-2021 member-at Large of the Board of Directors of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). She is member of the National Medical Association, the AAMC Group on Diversity and Inclusion, and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
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Marquita Norman Hicks, MD
Marquita S. Norman, MD, MBA is an Associate Professor and serves as the Associate Vice-Chair of Health Equity, Quality and Safety in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She currently serves as chair of the SAEM Finance Committee and a member of the SAEMF Board of Trustees. She is a past chair of the Equity and Inclusion Committee and past president of the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine. She completed her internship at Howard University and residency training at the University of Michigan. She completed her MBA from the Collat School of Business at UAB. Her work has been centered around healthcare workforce diversity and inclusion efforts involving K-16 pathways programs and development of opportunities for undergraduate and graduate medical education. Dr. Norman’s professional and community interests include health equity, health care workforce diversity, medical education, and communication skills.
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Jeffrey P. Druck, MD
Member-at-Large
University of Utah School of Medicine
Jeff Druck, MD, is the Vice Chair for Faculty Advancement, DEI and Wellbeing of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine, as well as being a Professor within the Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Druck grew up in Houston, Texas, went to Rice University for his undergraduate degree, received his MD degree from Baylor College of Medicine, and he completed his residency at the Denver Health Residency Program in Emergency Medicine. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine and has served as an oral examiner for ABEM for the past 14 years.
Dr. Druck is an expert in emergency medicine education and in DEI, having served as the chair of his department’s DEI committee, an associate residency director, President of the school’s faculty senate, Student Affairs Dean, and Co-Director of the Office of Professional Excellence at the University of Colorado prior to his move to Utah.
In addition to serving on the SAEM Board of Directors, Dr. Druck has served as President of the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM) as well as Co-Chair of the SAEM Consensus conference on Racism in Emergency Medicine. He has served on SAEM’s Awards committee, Program Committee, Consultation Committee, the Faculty Development Committee, and previously directed the Chief Resident Forum. He can be found on LinkedIn at @JeffDruck
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Caitlin Ryus, MD, MPH
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Abbie Saccary, MD
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Residency Program Director, Associate Professor
Virginia Commonwealth University
Joel Moll is residency Program Director and Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. He previously served as Associate Program Director at the University of Michigan, and Assistant Program Director and Administration Fellowship Director at Emory University. Although always interested in education, Dr. Moll started his career in operations, and was medical director at Cleveland Clinic Florida and the University of Florida Gainesville prior to joining residency leadership. He has published multiple peer reviewed articles and textbook chapters, presents internationally and nationally, and has served on many national committees. He is Past President of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine’s Academy of Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine, and an oral boards examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He was recently honored to be named the VCU Health Leadership in Medical Education Residency Director of the year, and the recipient of the VCU School of Medicine Leonard Tow Humanism Award. Interests include graduate medical education, curriculum development, diversity and inclusion, and evidence-based medicine. -
Pooja Agrawal, MD, MPH
Member-at-Large
Yale Department of Emergency Medicine
It is an honor to be considered for re-election to the SAEM Board of Directors. Working with such an inspiring and driven membership, as well as a dedicated and innovative staff for the past three years has shown me how much can be accomplished by individuals who truly care about the future of Emergency Medicine. I have seen the career development of so many academic emergency physicians supported and accelerated by the opportunities for networking, mentorship, and leadership within SAEM. Serving on the Board of Directors is my way of paying it forward and translating my experience and ideas into a brighter future for academic emergency medicine.
I am an Associate Professor at the Yale Department of Emergency Medicine where I serve as the Director of Global Health Education. I completed residency at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency, an MPH at the Harvard School of Public Health and a Global Health Fellowship at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. I have been involved with many aspects of SAEM since residency and can say without hesitation that SAEM has not only shaped but launched my career. After holding various leadership roles with the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM), I served as President. Through that role, I created new programs, celebrated many successes, and came to recognize the potential for the greater SAEM organization to accomplish even more. I am particularly proud of the AWAEM Internal Funding Award, a program that in only four years has supported over 20 PIs with funding for their research. I have also been actively engaged with the Academy for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM), the Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA), the SAEM Equity and Inclusion Committee, the Wellness Committee, as well as several other interest groups. In 2018, I was awarded the AWAEM Momentum Award and in 2023 the AWAEM Social Advocacy in Medicine Award.
We are at an inflection point in Emergency Medicine. Given world events, an important national social conversation, and threats to our workforce, we are compelled to examine and thoughtfully reflect on the work that SAEM does. We must concurrently consider the composition of our membership and leadership to ensure that we are appropriately supporting our diversity while building a community for the next generation of emergency physicians. Actively creating a more inclusive membership and leadership requires being deliberate, strategic, and creative in the development of SAEM programs and initiatives for academic emergency physicians of all types: researchers, educators, administrators, and clinicians. The challenges we face in academic emergency medicine may be substantial, but they are not insurmountable. I would like to continue leading that charge for the greater SAEM membership. -
Jennifer Tsai, MEd
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Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion; Associate Dean for Diversity and Community Engagement
Thomas Jefferson University
Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, is Professor and Executive Vice Chair in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. He received his Doctorate in Medicine from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College in 1986. He completed a residency training program in Emergency Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in 1989. Since 2013, Dr. Lopez has served as the Associate Dean for Diversity and Community Engagement in the medical school, providing oversight of diversity and inclusion initiatives for faculty, graduate medical education and medical students. In January 2017, he added the title of Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion at Thomas Jefferson University, providing oversight and guidance for the ten colleges that make up the university. -
Dowin Boatright, MD, MBA, MHS
Vice Chair, Research, Dept of Emergency Medicine/Associate Professor
NYU Langone