People

Adam Nicholson, MD

Kendra P. Parekh, MD, MPHE

Vanderbilt University

I am a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (2005) and completed my residency in emergency medicine at Vanderbilt (2008) where I had the privilege of being chief resident (2008-2009). I completed the American College of Emergency Physicians Teaching Fellowship (2014) and a Master of Health Professions Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago (2021). Currently, I am an associate professor of emergency medicine and serve as the director of undergraduate medical education in the department of emergency medicine (EM) and as the assistant dean for undergraduate medical education at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

I have been a member of CDEM since 2015 and it has been instrumental in my career development. I have participated on the CDEM Curriculum and Assessment Committee, served as CDEM track chair at CORD, and presented at SAEM and CORD as well as other national and international education meetings. Within undergraduate medical education, I oversee our department’s undergraduate medical education courses and advising programs. I have directed and developed multiple medical student courses, including a course that integrates the foundational sciences of emergency care into clinical care and developed an EM resident-student mentoring program. I have served as core faculty and as a member of the clinical competency committee. For our EM residents, I developed and implemented a resident teaching elective and a longitudinal Residents as Educators curriculum. I also co-developed Women in Academic Emergency Medicine, a support system for female EM physicians.

I have experience as both a committee chair and member (locally and nationally) and have advocated for medical educators and contributed to medical education scholarship as a peer-reviewer and associate consulting editor. Perhaps most importantly, I will bring my dedication and passion to the position to further grow CDEM and its support of medical educators. Serving as a member of the CDEM’s Executive Committee will allow me to provide service to the medical education community which has been essential in my career. Through the position, I would hope to build an EM clerkship director community of practice by providing space for discussion and reflection, inviting participation in deep and meaningful conversation, and fostering connection to allow each member to feel recognized and supported and empowered.

Initially, I would seek a deeper understanding of the needs of the CDEM membership, particularly as we navigate a post-COVID landscape and process the impact of COVID on ourselves, our learners, and the broader medical education system. By understanding the needs of the membership, CDEM could develop high quality, innovative initiatives that target the membership’s areas of need and interest. This would allow CDEM to grow and nurture a diverse body of medical educators poised to lead and address the challenges inherent in emergency medicine medical education.

Christian Arbelaez, MD, MPH

Member-at-Large

Boston University/Boston Medical Center

I am currently the Chair in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine. Before joining BMC, I was the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs at at Brown Emergency Medicine and a physician leader at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. I received my MD degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and completed residency training at Brown Emergency Medicine. After residency, I was accepted into the Commonwealth Fund Minority Health Policy Fellowship and earned an MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. As a physician leader at BWH/HMS, I completed the Executive Education program as part of 1st cohort in the Harvard Business School Brigham Physician Leadership program at Harvard Business School. During my mid-career, I was accepted into the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) Mid-Career Executive Leadership Fellowship at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service Leadership Center.

With more than 20 years of senior leadership experience, I have a track record of mentoring and collaborating and built my academic career by helping to create academic programs and projects with multiple academic universities and international organizations. Over the span of my professional career, my passion and “Ikigai” has been focused on vulnerable populations in the US and abroad. I am interested in joining the SAEM Board of Directors because we are in a critical inflection point for the specialty and I want to be a part of the strategic planning to determine our future areas of opportunity for growth, innovation, equity, integration, and collaboration with partners.As a new chair, I believe that I can bring a depth and breadth of experience and perspectives that will help the SAEM Board understand the current state and needs while also preparing for a future state. If elected, I hope to help advance our strategic goals in the areas of workforce development and Professional Development and Support.

Michael Prats, MD

The Ohio State University

Dr. Prats is currently Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Assistant Ultrasound Director and Director of Ultrasound Research in the Division of Ultrasound in the Department of Emergency Medicine at The Ohio State University. He is the founder and co-host of the Ultrasound G.E.L. podcast. His academic interests include evidence based sonology, social media, and medical education.

Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD

Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency