People

Member-at-Large

Windsor University School of Medicine

I am a fourth-year medical student at Windsor University School of Medicine with aspirations of becoming an Emergency Medicine Physician. I was born and raised in New York and received my Bachelor’s degree from Howard University in Washington, DC. I worked for five years as a Nationally Registered EMT for the New York City 911 system. I became a certified American Heart Association CPR and First Aid instructor and started my own successful training business. I am passionate about improving representation in medicine and combatting health disparities. My commitment to medicine and serving my community led me to create my own organization dedicated to providing resources, health education, and health screening to domestic violence and homeless shelters throughout New York City and presently expanding to Chicago. My experience includes creating and running the first free COVID-19 testing site for Loretto Hospital in Chicago at the height of the pandemic and working as an ACLS certified ER technician for the trauma level one hospital, The University of Chicago. Currently, I am the Board Secretary for MedCEEP, a non-profit organization that is a pipeline program for high school students that live in Chicago communities most affected by gun violence and health disparities. I am also the Vice Chair for AAEM’s Cabinet of Delegates, Head Liaison for SNMA's EM interest group, and am actively pursuing her master's degree in health care management. I am presently completing a year long Leadership Program through the organization SNMA. I am on SAEM's Academy for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Medicine Committee, Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine Committee, Social Emergency Medicine and Population Health Committee, Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) Committee, and the Evidence-Based Healthcare and Implementation Committee. I would love to use my platform with RAMS to help create programming that would encourage and advance diversity and inclusion for members that can identify as underrepresented in medicine. There are many issues that are unique to physicians of color and I would love to create resources to help our members navigate those issues while providing them with the support they need.

Member-at-Large

Yale University

I am running because I would like to help the RAMS board connect residents and students interested in public health policy to research projects, methods, and ideas that they might not know about. When I was a medical student, I knew that I was interested in gathering evidence to change health policy -- the problem is that it’s challenging for the untrained person to understand how health policy research even works. Now -- after much practice, education, and coaching -- I happily conduct my own so-called “health services research” with strong mentorship across three institutions. But I deeply enjoy communicating about health policy research to anyone interested in the US health care system, especially because there is a disconnect separating us students and trainees who are interested in it and understanding how to perform research on it. I hope to re-engage this aspect of health policy education with the RAMS Board.

Resident Member

Massachusetts General Hospital

I was initially drawn to emergency medicine because of its multifaceted, evolving, and dynamic nature. It is a specialty where uncertainty is seen as a catalyst for coordinated care, critical thinking, and innovation. As emergency medicine providers, we meet people where they are—managing not only acute conditions but also addressing the complex social dynamics and nuances driving their care. This passion for emergency medicine began long before my formal training—it was driven by my desire to serve others, bridge gaps in healthcare, and provide compassionate care regardless of available resources. Somewhere along the way, as a medical student, I was fortunate to come across SAEM, and was immediately captivated by its mission to advance academic emergency medicine through education, research, and professional development. SAEM’s core vision aligned perfectly with my own desire to make a broader impact, beyond the four walls of an emergency department.

My initial exposure to SAEM began as a medical student ambassador in 2022, a role that opened the door to my involvement with SAEM at the national level. Since then, I have had the privilege of serving as a former RAMS Board Member at Large and as resident liaison to the Education Committee. I currently serve as a resident reviewer for the SAEM Grants Committee and as a resident member of AWAEM and ADIEM. These roles have enabled me to contribute to important projects and advocate for the needs of residents and medical students at a national level while allowing me to expand my understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within our specialty. I have led in the development of educational roadmaps for trainees, revision of our RAMS Board strategic plan, organization of webinars for residents and medical students, and review of didactics and grants proposals. Beyond my work with SAEM, I chair the Center for Diversity and Inclusion Resident and Fellow Committee at Massachusetts General Hospital, and lead a grant-funded community outreach project for at-risk youth in Boston.

As I reflect on my involvement with SAEM and my experiences in emergency medicine, I recognize that the challenges facing our field are evolving. It has grown increasingly more difficult to develop clinical competence in high-stakes, low-frequency clinical scenarios, while managing the cognitive overload that prevails in a demanding, fast-paced specialty. These challenges require strategic action, including balancing procedural proficiency with meaningful patient connections, navigating the increasing demands of patient volume and staffing shortages, and addressing the challenge of providing primary care services amidst unprecedented ED volumes. Yet, despite these challenges, the field is poised for transformative growth with advancements in AI, digital health tools, the expansion of telemedicine, and greater collaboration across specialties.

I am running for a position on the SAEM Board of Directors because I see both the challenges and the immense opportunities ahead, and I believe my background, perspective, and skills align with SAEM's strategic direction. I am committed to being a voice for all residents and medical students, and I will work to make sure that the perspectives of our RAMS members are addressed through strategic, goal-driven efforts. I am committed to integrating emerging technologies into medical education, advocating for mental health support for both providers and patients, and fostering cross-institutional collaborations centered on health equity. I will support initiatives that promote sustainable workforce practices and advocate for better training opportunities and support systems for residents. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the growth and future of emergency medicine, and I am confident that by working together, we can leverage these opportunities to strengthen our specialty.

Member-at-Large

Virginia Commonwealth University

Laura Barrera, MD, Capt., USAF earned her Bachelors of Science in Women's Studies at Old Dominion University. She then completed a post-baccalaureate at George Mason University in Biology and went on to attend medical school at The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Barrer has recently earned her wings with the Air Force, making her a certified Flight Surgeon.

Dr. Barrera's is an active member on the SAEM Program (Didactics) Committee. Additionally, she is also part of the leadership with the Emergency Medicine Resident's Association Government Services, where she served as Chair for the Women in Medicine National Committee with the American Medical Associaton. Currently, Dr. Barrera will serve as a RAMS Board Member-at-Large and RAMS Board liaison to the Workforce Committee.

Member-at-Large

New York Presbyterian Cornell Columbia

I am running to continue my position on the SAEM RAMS board to foster open communication, collaboration, and continuous improvement in medical education. My primary goal is to support learners throughout their medical careers, not just during medical school and residency. I aim to help SAEM compile its outstanding resources into a user-friendly platform where medical students and residents can easily access webinars, guidebooks, and articles on topics ranging from research and grant funding to medical education and mental health support. By continually enhancing this repository, I aspire to develop tools and references that adapt with us throughout all stages of our careers, ultimately enriching our learning environment and elevating the specialty of emergency medicine.

Before entering medical school, I taught 6th-grade math and science in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, teaching 120 students. This experience ignited my passion for education and inspired me to give back during my gap year. I quickly learned that a communication gap often exists between educators and learners. Many of my students assumed I understood their feelings and needs, yet few voiced their concerns. To best support them, I actively encouraged open dialogue, deepening my understanding of their challenges as learners and individuals.

Transitioning back to being a learner (in medical school) just a month after completing my teaching role, I noticed my medical school classmates frequently expressed frustrations regarding faculty and administrative decisions. When I inquired whether they communicated their concerns, the typical response was, “No, but I’m sure they know.” This disconnect further illuminated the frustration and dissatisfaction prevalent on both sides.

Two months into my journey at New York Medical College, I was elected to the school’s curriculum committee as a liaison between students and faculty. In this role, I advocated for student concerns and facilitated communication of faculty expertise back to my peers. During my tenure on the committee, I witnessed firsthand how eager professors were to assist once they received feedback. On the committee, we designed and implemented a new systems-based, shortened preclinical curriculum. We also established open feedback surveys and monthly town halls to facilitate ongoing dialogue between students and faculty.

As a resident at NYP Cornell and Columbia, I contribute to our residency recruitment board, developed peer-to-peer evaluations during shifts, and volunteer for college outreach programs. I also mentor current medical students and remain passionate about medical education.

As a member of the SAEM Wellness Committee this year, I have contributed to initiatives supporting the well-being of residents and medical students, including developing articles on suicide prevention and creating resources for the Stop the Stigma Campaign. Additionally, I have organized webinars teaching medical students and residents how to apply for grants and secure funding for research.

Through my continued work on the RAMS board, I hope to bridge the gap between learners and educators. By focusing on well-being, constructive feedback, and accessible resources, I believe we can cultivate an enriching learning environment that empowers all members of our community. I look forward to the opportunity to continue serving on the SAEM RAMS board and contribute to our collective growth and success in emergency medicine.

Member-at-Large

Washington University in St. Louis

Jennifer Reyes Lin, MD, MPH is a third-year Emergency Medicine resident at Washington University in St Louis. Dr. Reyes-Lin's interests include community-based participatory and qualitative research, social emergency medicine and palliative care. Currently, she will serve as a RAMS Board Member-at-Large and RAMS Board liaison to the Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Member-at-Large

University of Florida - Jacksonville

Hello! My name is Jeanne Rabalais and I am a PGY-2 at the University of Florida – Jacksonville. I am a proud alumnus of Tulane University where I majored in Psychology. Prior to medical school, I completed my Master’s Degree in Health Administration and completed a one-year Administrative Residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. I then completed medical school at the same institution before moving to Florida for residency. I have the qualifications and experience to help ensure the successful future of academic emergency medicine through this organization. During my Administrative Residency, I had the opportunity to serve on several boards throughout the hospital, develop departmental budgets, and advance strategic plans hospital-wide. In medical school, I served as Vice President of our Associated Student Government and as a member of the Academic House Leadership Council. But most notably, I was the Executive Director of 12th Street Health and Wellness Center, a student-run interprofessional free clinic. I have continued my leadership efforts through residency serving on our program’s evaluation committee, and wellness committee, and leading our recruitment and social media committee. I am also the current Chair of the EMRA Leadership Academy and our program’s FCEP representative. I have been an SAEM member since deciding on emergency medicine in medical school. I continued my membership in residency and have recently applied to join committees since confirming I want to practice academic medicine. I have recently become more involved in AWAEM and will be aiding their social media committee. As our specialty is at a pivotal place in its evolution, I believe this organization is uniquely positioned to direct its path and I am running for office to be a more impactful voice in this evolution. If elected, I will advance the RAMS strategic plan while instituting new goals and objectives in light of the changing landscape of academic emergency medicine, with a specific focus on professional development and medical student and resident advocacy. I commit to ensuring the medical student and resident voice is heard and elevated and that the future of academic emergency medicine is fully cultivated. I appreciate your support of my candidacy.

Member-at-Large

Mass General Hospital

Giovanni Rodriguez, MD, is a first-generation Mexican American who obtained her BS in biology at Uuniversity of Wisconsin-Madison. Additionally, she obtained her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Rodriguez is a current emergency medicine resident at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency at Mass General Hospital /Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Dr. Rodriguez was the student member of the Indiana University GME Board of Executives for 2 years. Currently, she serves as a resident member for Mass General Brigham Education Committee, and serves on the Mass General Hospital Center for Diversity and Inclusion Resident and Fellow Committee (RFC) , which is an inter-departmental board for underrepresented in medicine (URM) trainees at Mass General. As the Vice Chair, Dr. Rodriguez assists trainees in getting involved in the larger Harvard and Boston communities, residency recruitment, and social and networking events for trainees.

Dr. Rodriguez's SAEM experience includes, former AWAEM Newsletter Committee member and Resident Member for the AWAEM Executive Committee. Currently, Dr. Rodriguez will serve as a RAMS Board Member-at-Large and RAMS Board liaison to the ED Administration and Clinical Operations Committee.

Washington University in St Louis

Dr. Ly Cloessner is a current PGY-3 at Washington University in Saint Louis. Dr. Cloessner's path to emergency medicine (EM) began with a career in public health and public service, driven by a deep-seated commitment to giving back to the community. This ethos naturally led her to the field of EM, where practitioners care for anyone, regardless of condition or time of day. Her dedication to serving others has also guided her involvement with the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), where she seeks to make a positive impact within the EM community.

Dr. Cloessner attended her first SAEM meeting as a first-year resident (PGY-1), where she discovered a wealth of mentorship, networking opportunities, education, and career guidance. These resources have been instrumental in her residency journey and as she prepares for fellowship. She earned her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed her undergraduate studies at the College of Charleston. Her academic interests include POCUS, development of emergency medicine systems in resource-limited settings, and public health, particulary infectious disease management.

Member-at-Large

Mercy Health - St. Rita's Medical Center Emergency Medicine Residency Program

Hello! My name is Dhriti Sooryakumar and I am a recent graduate from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. I am currently completing my emergency medicine residency training at Mercy Health - St. Rita’s Medical Center. I completed my undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, my Master of Science Degree in Biotechnology/Drug Development also from Johns Hopkins, and am completing my Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. 

Prior to medical school, I was recipient of the National Institutes of Health/Johns Hopkins University Molecular Target and Drug Discovery Fellowship and worked at the National Cancer Institute developing novel anticancer drugs. I also served as Medical Program Advisor for the International Medical Organization, Global Brigades, in Honduras and served on their International Advisory Committee.

I have been dedicated to SAEM over the past years and its incredible mission and vision to serve emergency medicine physicians and learners both nationally and internationally. I sincerely hope I may have the honor to continue serving you, my peers, as a Resident Representative on the RAMS Board of Directors.

I had the privilege to serve as Medical Student Representative on the RAMS Board of Directors from 2020-2021 and am thrilled with the great progress and novel initiatives I was able to create and implement for our Medical Student and Resident Members. 

During my time on the RAMs Board, I was able to: 

• Conceptualize the National Virtual Residency Fair first held in July 2020.

• Create $500 Underrepresented Minority Medical Education Scholarships which I successfully matched by our National Academies for the costs of national licensing exam costs and preparatory materials.

• Create multiple novel webinar series in tandem with SAEM leadership and faculty advising medical students, including one which guided medical students through the first Covid19 Residency Application Season, and another highlighting Women in Academic Emergency Medicine. 

I have remained dedicated to the Board over the past years and have been working the past year and a half on the creation, planning, and implementation of large-scale national medical education initiatives geared towards 3rd and 4th year medical students for integration into the SAEM annual meetings.

If re-elected, I would like to continue to represent the interests of my resident and medical student colleagues nationally, and serve as the voice and bridge for resident and medical student needs with the national organization. I believe my past years of dedicated service to my medical student and resident peers on the RAMS Board of Directors, as well as my previous career experiences in leadership have prepared me well for this role. 

If re-elected to the RAMS Board of Directors, I would like to:

• Continue to develop and expand national medical education and scholarship opportunities for our medical student and resident members. 

• Create further national mentorship opportunities, especially for women, underrepresented minorities, students, and residents. 

• Continue to work with the Board of Directors to create novel national clinical skills workshops, webinars, and educational series to enhance Emergency Medicine Medical Education and ease the residency application process/transition into residency and faculty positions.

• Work to expand Emergency Medicine niche and fellowship opportunities (for example Ultrasound, Critical Care, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Social Emergency Medicine to name a few) for medical students and residents. 

• Create career-bolstering and professional development opportunities (for example: negotiation skills workshops, CV building, and networking opportunities) for medical students and residents nationally, including those geared towards under-represented minorities and students at orphan programs lacking traditionally-strong EM programs.

• Create initiatives to increase the emphasis on wellness within residency programs. This would include working to foster the culture of resident wellness on a national level as well as within individual progams, while creating novel national and regional wellness events for medical students and residents to attend.

I am very open to hearing from our resident and medical student members, and really hope to continue representing and serving your needs as a Resident Representative on the RAMS Board of Directors! Thank you for your consideration.

President

University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine

My name is Daniel Artiga, and I am a PGY-3 at the University of Cincinnati. I received my medical degree from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and attended Harvard University for college. I am honored to have served on the RAMS Board the past three years as Secretary-Treasurer and Member-at-Large. I will enthusiastically continue my efforts on the board as President.

I received most of my healthcare as a child in the emergency department. As a first-generation Latino, I am personally invested in emergency medicine’s role at the frontline of healthcare especially in resource-limited communities. That’s why I believe we must advocate for our specialty and residents. SAEM-RAMS is the premiere academic organization to meet these challenges. As RAMS President, my focus will be supporting our members with educational resources and forums to navigate training opportunities, fellowship, and their early years as attendings. 

This past year alone, our board has worked with ABEM to determine how the new Certifying Exam requirements will change and impact residents. We are updating our RAMS Roadmaps which provide a breadth of instruction to optimize your application for fellowship. As President,  I will continue these efforts but will additionally highlight the resources, projects, and scholarship opportunities our Academies, Committees, and Interest Groups put out for RAMS members. I want to make it easier to connect you to the players involved in projects that will advance your career. Further, I plan to develop mentorship pathways for those underrepresented in medicine to help make our specialty a stronger and more diverse workforce.

Previously, I worked with the RAMS Resident Labor Task Force where we developed a didactic to inform members of the historical aspects of resident labor rights and its impact on unionization efforts today. In the online space, I served as liaison to the Virtual Presence committee and assisted in launching our Instagram. I hosted the Ask-a-Chair podcast and  developed projects to streamline our educational podcasts series. I have participated in several Strategic Planning sessions where I put your interests first.

Member-at-Large

Louisiana State University

My name is Amanda, and I’m currently a second-year resident in the internal medicine / emergency medicine program at Louisiana State University. I’m from a city in northern Alberta, Canada and initially received my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alberta. I worked as a Registered Nurse for several years, mostly in the Intensive Care Unit before obtaining my medical degree from Saint James School of Medicine. While at medical school, I founded and was the president of the school’s EMIG and continue to mentor the group. I also went back to working as an RN in the COVID ICU back in Canada while going through the match process. I am very passionate about wellness and my involvement in SAEM started with serving on the wellness committee, where I have continued to work for the past 3 years. My goal if elected would be to continue to develop wellness programming and resources for residents and medical students, with a focus on #selfcompassion, moral injury, debriefing strategies, and how to tackle imposter syndrome. I would also like to increase awareness of International Medical Graduates as strong candidates for residency in emergency medicine and develop a system to help support them through their journey. 

Secretary

University of Kansas

Rams Board/Secretary-Treasurer

Yale University

Mitchell Blenden, MD, is the first-year Administration and Operations Fellow at Yale University. He completed his residency at Northwestern University in Chicago. During his residency, Dr. Blenden served as the Secretary/Treasurer for SAEM RAMS and contributed to multiple SAEM committees, including the Administration and Observation Committee, the Workforce Committee, and the Awards Committee. His academic interests include observation medicine, emergency department throughput, and patient satisfaction in the emergency department.

President

Henry Ford Hospital

Emergency Medicine has always been my calling – four years as a special operations soldier, five as a street paramedic and now my third year of residency – I knew I wanted to do EM and continue operating on the frontlines of medicine even before starting undergrad. As such, it has been my pleasure to serve on the RAMS Board the past few years. It enabled me to be involved in a multitude of projects from starting an online residency fair in response to COVID travel restrictions to advocating for better understanding of and guidelines for Advance Practice Providers in Emergency Departments. However, the challenges facing the specialty continue to grow: an uncertain future job market, unchecked growth of residency training slots, prolonged boarding, diminishing psychiatric resources and continued midlevel encroachment. All factors which certainly contributed to the precipitous drop in EM applicants over the past two years. Yet, these challenges are not insurmountable. I am running for President of RAMS because I believe we need to do more in the face of these challenges. Historically, the RAMS Board has focused its time and efforts contributing to committee objectives and individual projects instead of planning, advocacy and leadership. With the avalanche of challenges facing the profession, I think it more important than ever that the elected leaders of RAMS focus their efforts on meeting the needs of its members with strategic efforts and goal driven advocacy. As President, I will ensure our members have a spot at the table where decisions regarding their future are being made and ensure solutions incorporate our input. I will continue to advocate for limits on midlevel encroachment, stricter guidelines on residency program growth and against the further corporatization of medicine. Most important, I will ensure RAMS continues to meet its members where they are – providing resources, opportunities and advocacy in line with our members’ needs.

President

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

My name is Ryan Pappal, and it is a pleasure to be running for RAMS Board President. Here is some brief background on myself as a candidate:

Current PGY-1 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Three years experience on the RAMS Board as Medical Student Representative & Resident Member-at-Large, where I established the Resident Labor Task Force to advocate for our members’ working & training conditions - Academically-minded and focused on advancing the specialty of Emergency Medicine - Fierce defender of Medical Student and Resident interests in academic Emergency Medicine

Since getting involved in SAEM RAMS over 4 years ago, my experience has been a key highlight of my medical training. One of the first things that struck me was the warmth and connectedness of our members. When we work together as part of RAMS, I consistently see how strong of a voice we have as part of SAEM. Indeed, RAMS members are the future leaders in academic Emergency Medicine, and our input continues to grow in importance. As President, I would seek to elevate RAMS to new levels of recognition, engagement, and presence with medical students and residents in Emergency Medicine.

I, like many of you, have concerns about the future of academic Emergency Medicine, our specialty as a whole, and the health & functioning of trainees in our education system. Between workforce reports, concerns over declining EM applications, trainee burnout, challenging educational debts and other problems, academically-minded Emergency Medicine trainees deserve to have a strong, defining role in solving the problems facing us. To that end, as President I would commit to continuing and expanding my special focus on promoting RAMS members’ voices on critical issues facing Emergency Medicine and its trainees. Thank you very much for your time and consideration of my statement. It would be a pleasure to receive your vote for President of the RAMS Board!

SAEM Bylaws Committee member

Columbia University

I have been a member of SAEM since before I started residency, and have spent many of those years on the SAEM Ethics Committee, 5 of them as Chair. My interest in Ethics stems from my general interest in philosophy, in which I have PhD from NYU (where I also received my MD and my residency training. I am running for the Bylaws Committee because I would like to expand my involvement in, and contribution to, SAEM. On the bylaws committee, I hope to use my skills at carefully reading and interpreting texts to assuring that the bylaws are as clear and useful as possible, and that they continue to meets SAEM's constantly changing needs.

SAEM Bylaws Committee member

Medical College of Wisconsin

I am an Emergency Physician with twenty years of clinical experience. My career has been devoted to serving the communities in which I practice, teaching undergraduate medical students and residents about our great specialty. Moreover, I have always striven to contribute to the academic mission of the hospitals in which I have worked by engaging in research and scholarship. SAEM is the premier organization that represents physicians who continuously work towards advancing the specialty of Emergency Medicine. As such, I have been active in SAEM since I was a resident. Since joining, I have served as a member of several interest groups and academies over the years. My experience as a clinician, researcher, educator, and administrator will provide a solid background for consideration as a member of the Bylaws committee. My knowledge of the practice of academic Emergency Medicine allows me to provide expertise in issues which the Bylaws committee will likely deliberate upon. I pride myself on being able to consider innovative solutions to problems frequently encountered in our specialty. If there is an area in which I do not have a sufficient fund of knowledge, I will study the problem and simultaneously call upon my extensive network of colleagues to seek the expertise needed to help guide our SAEM board.

If selected for the Bylaws committee, I will strive to provide excellent, detailed, and thoughtful counsel to the board so that all of our communities receive evidence-based and equitable care.

SAEM Nominating Committee member

Boston Medical Center BU School of Medicine

I have dedicated my career to training residents and students, and researching gender-based violence and disparities in medicine. I have been a SAEM member for over 25 years, and have played an active role in many AWAEM committees. The relationships and connections that I have made through AWAEM have influenced my development as a leader. I have been a member of the SAEM Scientific Assembly Programming committee, and Co-Chair of the speed mentoring program. I was privileged to have the opportunity to attend the AACEM chair development program which helped me further develop leadership skills and confidence. Having co-authored many articles documenting disparities in women and minorities in EM leadership, I am acutely aware of the need to present a diverse slate of candidates for leadership. As a member of the nominating committee, I welcome the opportunity help our society in continued efforts to increase the slate of diverse leadership candidates. I believe this is one of the most visible ways to increase the number of women and under-represented minority role models in academic Emergency Medicine.

SAEM Nominating Committee Member

Stanford Emergency Medicine

My long-term interest is to study the intersection of Medical Education, Process Improvement (Quality and Clinical Operations), Representation (Diversity), and Well-being (Inclusion/Belonging) through human-centered design. My academic and professional experience has provided me with an excellent background in understanding the drivers for professional fulfillment in medicine and its interplay on efficiencies of care, the culture of wellness, and personal resilience, as highlighted by Stanford WellMD’s Professional Fulfillment Model. Specifically, my work investigates the role of self-compassion and resilience in promoting belongingness and overcoming isolation and loneliness in medicine exacerbated by experiences of medical harm, vicarious trauma, implicit bias, microaggressions, and imposter phenomenon.

I graduated from the faculty fellowship at the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, where I explored the role of mindfulness in resuscitations. Furthermore, I co-directed and organized the inaugural High-Performance Resuscitation Teams Summit in May 2022 in Chicago, IL, in collaboration with Mayo Clinic and the Mission Critical Teams Institute, to understand commonalities among high-performing teams in healthcare, aerospace, sports, military, special operations, and fire rescue.

As an attending EM physician, I served as the Assistant Medical Director on Quality Education and Clinical Operations at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Emergency Department (ED), the busiest ED in Northern California. This role offered me direct insight into drivers of burnout through inefficiencies in clinical practice and the need for a culture of wellness, especially in quality improvement and peer review. As an Associate Residency Program Director at the Stanford Emergency Medicine Residency Program (2015-2021), I led initiatives to enhance personal resilience while advocating for improving the clinical and learning environment to improve well-being and professional fulfillment.

Currently, I am the Director of Well-Being and co-chair of the Human Potential Team at Stanford Emergency Medicine. I also serve as the Stanford EM Physician Wellness Fellowship Director. As the chair of the Stanford WellMD Physician Wellness Forum, I lead monthly discussions to understand how better to optimize clinical practice environments to improve well-being and professional work-life balance.

As Chair of the SAEM Wellness Committee (2022- ), we are spearheading the “October is #StopTheStigmaEM month,” which has been the most extensive campaign for SAEM, mobilizing national organizations in EM and leveraging social media to increase awareness and support efforts to humanize physicians, prioritize mental health, and normalize receiving mental health support.

Given my disparate physician leadership and clinical experience, I offer a unique and valuable perspective in serving on the Nominations Committee. I aim to continue fostering collaboration, empowerment, and self-compassion in academic emergency medicine's learning and work environment. This includes finding ways to recognize the work of academic EM physicians and EM bound trainees.