People

Jennifer Carey, MD

Member-at-Large

University of Mass Chan Medical School

I graduated from New York Medical College and completed residency at Brown University followed by Toxicology Fellowship at UMass. I am currently an Associate Professor at UMass Chan and Division Director of Undergraduate Medical Education. My roles include developing curriculum and teaching in the pre-clinical and clinical setting, clerkship director and education fellowship director. Since residency, I have been involved in SAEM and CDEM in several areas, including Program Committee, Education Committee, Curriculum and Assessment Committee and co-chair of the Career Development and Mentorship Committee. As a CDEM board member, my aim is to continue to recruit new junior faculty members, improve resource sharing, mentorship and foster collaboration among members.

Alejandro Palma, MD

Treasurer

University of Chicago

I am honored to present my candidacy for my second term as treasurer on the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) executive committee. This past year, I was able to lead budgetary efficiencies, which allowed us to increase our SAEMF/CDEM Innovations in Undergraduate Emergency Medicine Education Grant from $5,000 to $8,000 for the upcoming academic year.

In my role as an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Chicago, where I serve as the emergency medicine (EM) clerkship director and contribute to various leadership roles, I bring a robust background in medical education. I am proud to have been recognized as a premier educator, receiving multiple teaching awards, and securing grant funding for curriculum development from the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators. Additionally, my prior experience in investment banking has augmented my role as CDEM treasurer.

My commitment to medical education extends beyond my institution. Currently, I serve as the SAEM education subcommittee co-lead, focusing on creating best practices for clinician educators and developing curricula for educating both novice and experienced learners. Further, as part of CDEM, I was the editor for the Acute Pain module in the M3 curriculum on the SAEM website.

I seek re-election as treasurer on the CDEM executive committee with a vision to continue our substantial impact on the CDEM community, particularly in the crucial area of student advising. Recognizing the decline in student interest in emergency medicine, attributed in part to post-COVID perceptions and the 2030 EM Workforce projections, I am driven to address these concerns head-on.

As part of the executive committee, I envision a continued dynamic and responsive CDEM that adapts to the needs of its members each year. Together, we will revitalize student interest in EM, viewing the recent decline as a call to action. If entrusted to continue with my role as treasurer, I am committed to helping lead this charge, providing our members with the necessary tools to shape a positive narrative about EM and foster a thriving community.

Thank you for considering my candidacy, and I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the continued success of CDEM.

Bradley S. Hernandez, MD

President-Elect

Regions Hospital

My name is Bradley S. Hernandez, MD and I am running to be president of the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) executive committee. I have been a CDEM executive committee member-at-large and secretary for the last 3 years. I am a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1994) and the University of Iowa College of Medicine (1998). I completed my residency at Regions Hospital (2001). My current position, which I have held since 2013, is as APD/CD at Regions Hospital/Healthpartners Institute in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Together with HCMC, Regions is one of the 2 University of Minnesota Medical School affiliated programs that comprise the Department of Emergency Medicine at the university. I currently hold the title of assistant professor of emergency medicine (EM) and am working towards an associate professor appointment.

At Regions, I have been an APD/CD for 11 years. During that time my experience has focused on recruitment and the residency match. I personally write all of the SLOEs each year (usually around 50), review all of our the ERAS applications (usually around 700) and formulate the rank list for the program (with input from many). As clerkship director I have worked collaboratively with the University of Minnesota to make EM a required rotation, helped develop innovative educational conferences and provided advising to hundreds of EM applicants.

My work with CDEM has involved writing a chapter for the CDEM M4 pediatric curriculum (Child Abuse) and participating in the NCAT development workgroup (led by Matt Tews). Regions Hospital was involved in the NCAT validation study and one of the first institutions to adopt the NCAT, which is now used by the University of Minnesota for all students rotating in EM at any of our sites. In 2019, I co-hosted a CORD connects titled, "Session 19: The interview season (screening applications, SLOEs, interviews, creating a rank list." I presented at the CORD academic assembly in 2013-15.

Amy Cutright, MD

President-Elect

University of Nebraska

I have served on the CDEM Executive Board for several years as both secretary and treasurer. My hope is to continue to serve the interest of emergency medicine student educators further as president elect.

Kellie LeVine, MD

Resident Member

Emory University

My name is Kellie LeVine, and I am a PGY-2 at Emory. My undergraduate education was at Duke University, where I graduated in 2017 with a major in Biology and minors in Chemistry and French. I worked as a genetics researcher at Duke prior to starting medical school at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, graduating in 2022 with Honors with Distinction in research and as an SAEM award recipient. My experience with SAEM, and more broadly, academic and national Emergency Medicine, includes involvement with SAEM and ACEP throughout medical school. In addition to presenting abstracts at Midwest Regional SAEM in 2020 and the ACEP Research Forum in 2021, I have also been a Medical Student Ambassador with both groups. I was an ACEP Medical Student Scholar in 2021 and an SAEM Medical Student Ambassador in both 2020 and 2021; I was selected as a Lead Ambassador both years. Though the event was cancelled in 2020, I was able to experience SAEM virtually in 2021 as well, and received the 2022 SAEM award upon graduating. I have additional experience in board membership and directorships through multiple groups; most notably, I just finished a tenure as a Co-Director of Social Media for the national educational organization, Foundations of Emergency Medicine (FoEM).

I am running to be the resident member of AWAEM because I want the opportunity to serve the EM community on a national level, and in particular, be a representative and voice for women in the field. I hope to bring energy and enthusiasm to the resident member position of this board and focus my attention on issues facing female and female-identifying physicians and patients alike. I hope that through this role and my own practice I can promote evidence-based, quality women’s healthcare in the ED in our current and continuously changing social and political climates.

Diana Bongiorno, MD, MPH

Resident Member

Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency (MGH/BWH)

I am a PGY-3 resident in the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency (HAEMR) program at the Massachusetts General and Brigham & Women’s Hospitals. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where I graduated from the Life Sciences and Management dual-degree program between the College and Wharton schools. I then graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and received an MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where I was a TL1 Trainee in the Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program. I am passionate about health equity and working to address social determinants of health in the ED.

I also have a strong interest in the promotion of women in EM. I have been fortunate at each stage of my training to be able to learn from exceptional female mentors. I also currently serve as one of the co-leads of the women’s group within my residency program and have found it fulfilling to plan programming aimed at supporting female residents and fostering community within our residency. Through AWAEM, I am grateful to have had opportunities to collaborate with and learn from women in EM beyond my own institution, and I have particularly enjoyed contributing to the AWAEM Research Committee this year. I would be honored to serve as Resident Member on the AWAEM Executive Committee and work towards increased resident involvement with AWAEM.

Neha Jia Ahmad, MD

Resident Member

Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency

I moved to the US from Pakistan when I was five, and grew up in the Midwest. I studied Anthropology and Philosophy at Columbia University, and afterwards worked on criminal justice reform for the ACLU. While there I decided to pursue medicine as a career, for which I pursued a pre-med post-baccalaureate certificate at Johns Hopkins. I obtained my MD from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and my MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and am now an emergency medicine resident in the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency (HAEMR) at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

My interest in this position stems from my passion for addressing gender disparities within EM. Since starting residency I have been struck by the challenges facing women and other gender minorities within our field: from experiencing gendered bias from patients and colleagues on an everyday basis to the structural challenges that decimate female retention in leadership and academics. During residency I have channeled this passion through the HAEMR Women’s Initiative; as co-chair, I have focused on establishing formal and informal peer mentorship opportunities so that junior residents have opportunities to learn strategies for resilience and success from those with more experience. I would love the opportunity to translate this to the national scale by collaborating on individual mentorship programs and collective networking opportunities for women in EM at different stages in their careers, as I believe that strengthening our relationships and peer support as gender minorities is crucial to our collective success.

I am currently the co-chair of the HAEMR Women’s Initiative, my residency’s internal program dedicated to supporting residents who are gender minorities. During medical school, I served for two years as advocacy chair of my school’s chapter of the Student National Medical Association. In that role I engaged students across multiple health related professions in a series of town halls to identify opportunities to improve the University’s policies and practices on diversity and inclusion and served as a liaison to the administration to identify opportunities for actionable change.

Lauren Walter, MD, MSPH

Vice-President of Communications

University of Alabama at Birmingham

I've been fortunate to be able to serve Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) as the Vice-President of Communications as a fill-in since May, 2024, and would be honored to be officially considered for this role for a full term.

In the past 4-5 months, I have greatly appreciated being a part of the AWAEM executive team and would be eager to continue this work on behalf of all AWAEM members. With a career-long passion for elevating the voices of women in emergency medicine and a deep understanding of the unique challenges they face, I am confident in my ability to enhance AWAEM’s communication strategies.

As the current Vice-President of Communications, along with our current president, I have had the opportunity to engage and collaborate with several committee leaders on successful initiatives involving the didactic committee, multiple communications initiatives (including on the AWAEM microsite and social media), and coordinating with AWAEM member across the nation to submit AWAEM pieces for the SAEM Pulse.

My vision for this role includes leveraging AWAEM's innovative platforms and committees to engage members, amplify AWAEM’s mission and voice, and continue to foster collaboration among women in academic emergency medicine. As Vice-President of Communications, I would prioritize inclusivity, transparency, and advocacy in all communication efforts. I am dedicated to ensuring that AWAEM continues to be a beacon for women in our field, providing them with the resources, support and community they need to thrive.

Thank you for considering my candidacy. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to AWAEM’s continued success and growth.

Mia L. Karamatsu, MD

Treasurer

Stanford University

I am an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. I have been a faculty member at Stanford University since 2020. Previously, I was at Loma Linda University for 2 years and worked in the community for 10 years. I was at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) pediatric emergency department in Oakland and California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco. I graduated from John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. I completed my pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellowship at Loma Linda University.

Since joining SAEM 3 years ago, I have benefited from the support of its members, especially the women of SAEM AWAEM. I currently serve as the co-chair for the AWAEM Wellness Committee. I am also an active member of the SAEM Wellness Committee and SAEM Equity and Inclusion Committee. Within my institution, I serve as the Physician Wellness Champion for my department’s PEM physician group. I am an advocate for physician wellness and strongly believe in supporting and elevating the careers of female physicians. I would love this opportunity to work with other executive team members to continue the mission of AWAEM, which is to recruit, promote, and retain women in academic emergency medicine. If elected, I will continue the work of my predecessors in maintaining a balanced budget to support the mission of this academy. It would be an honor to serve this community. Thank you for this opportunity.

Amy Hildreth, MD, MHPE

Treasurer

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

I would love to continue serving as Treasurer of the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) because I am deeply committed to advancing women in our field and supporting our mission of recruitment, promotion and retention of women in academic emergency medicine. Over the past year I have found fulfillment in managing the group finances, ensuring transparency and maintaining a balanced budget that supports our goals. I care deeply about fairness and inclusivity, and I am dedicated to ensuring our academy's funds are used responsibly and equitably to serve all members. It would be an honor to continue serving in this organization.

Laura Walker, MD, MBA

Secretary

Mayo Clinic

I have had the honor or serving as Secretary of AWAEM this year and enjoyed the engagement with the other members of the Executive Committee and the opportunity to benefit our membership. So far during my term we have worked on re-vamping how we organize our information to allow easier access to the membership as well as a system to pass along to subsequent Executive Committees. I believe that by continuing to serve as Secretary for another term I can help solidify a new system and prevent future re-work on the same issue.

AWAEM has been an influential force in my career over the last few years, and there is nothing I enjoy more than being able to pay that back to the organization. In my role as Secretary I have enjoyed being able to support AWAEM in a more tangible way and look forward to continuing my engagement with this Academy.

Ynhi Thomas, MD, MPH, MSc

Vice President of Corporate Development

Baylor College of Medicine

I am excited to run for the AWAEM Vice President (VP) of Corporate Development position. My motivation for running stems from a deep-seated desire to extend AWAEM's influence beyond the confines of SAEM. I envision robust collaborations not only with external organizations but also within our broader community. The prospect of redefining the VP of Corporate Development role to emphasize community engagement resonates with my vision of fostering meaningful connections and creating diverse opportunities for our members.

My background is uniquely aligned with the expectations of this role. In the past two years, I have contributed significantly as the Vice President of Education at SAEM, where I assisted with creating novel ideas for didactics and workshops for the SAEM Annual Meetings. My tenure as the Co-Chair of the AWAEM Awards Committee saw a remarkable increase in engagement and nominations. Additionally, my roles at Baylor College of Medicine, as the Assistant Medical Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives and the Assistant Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, have refined my skills in initiating, communicating, and driving forward impactful changes with a wide array of stakeholders.

These experiences have been instrumental in developing my ability to build effective teams and to inspire change toward a common goal. These skills are important for the VP of Corporate Development role. If elected, my primary focus will be to not only fortify our relationships with corporate entities to enhance support but also to engage proactively with various community organizations. This dual approach will open new avenues for our members to contribute and benefit, reinforcing AWAEM's commitment to serving and giving back to the community.

My vision for AWAEM under this role is expansive and inclusive. I aim to drive impactful changes that will not only strengthen our corporate partnerships but also establish deeper connections with our community. This, I believe, is key to building a more dynamic, responsive, and inclusive AWAEM. I am deeply committed to redefining and elevating the role of VP of Corporate Development to achieve these objectives.

My candidacy for the AWAEM VP of Corporate Development is underpinned by a proven track record of leadership, innovation, and a profound commitment to community engagement. I am eager to leverage my experience and skills to contribute to AWAEM's growth and success. I look forward to the opportunity to serve our members and community through this vital role.

Taylor Stavely, MD

Vice President of Membership

Emory University School of Medicine

I am an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, which is also where I completed residency training in 2021. At Emory, I am thrilled to mentor medical students as the EMIG Faculty Advisor and also lead as faculty co-chair of our women in EM group. My research focuses on the relationship between gender identity and professional development. AWAEM has been instrumental in my early career, and I hope to continue a history of service to this organization. I currently serve as AWAEM's VP of Membership, and I would be honored to serve another term. I have also served as AWAEM's Executive Committee resident member as well as the AWAEM Didactic Committee Co-chair. In 2022, I was honored as the recipient of AWAEM's Momentum Award to recognize my efforts in furthering AWAEM's mission. In my current VP Membership term, I identified and empowered new leaders for AWAEM's Wellness Committee and lead our new task force in the development of a toolkit to combat gender bias in letters of recommendation. If re-elected, I hope to continue to strengthen the relationship between AWAEM's Global Health Committee and GEMA, and find ways to continue to support global health scholarship at SAEM.

Katja Goldflam, MD

Vice President of Membership

Yale University School of Medicine

I am excited to apply for the position of VP of Membership after working as co-chair of the AWAEM Membership Committee for the last three years.

I have been part of AWAEM for almost a decade now and believe it is one of the most impactful academies in SAEM. There is a palpable difference I feel when participating in the meetings, of women collaborating and strategizing to effect real change while supporting each other in their various personal and professional pursuits in academic EM.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my own work with AWAEM as the Membership Committee co-chair. As such, I believe recruiting new members at the faculty, as well as resident and medical student level, is critical to furthering the mission of AWAEM: I initially heard about AWAEM through word of mouth from a colleague and while this remains an important way for all of us to spread the word, I believe further promotion of our group through various avenues, including a greater presence on social media, in the Pulse newsletter, and at the SAEM annual meeting, will help encourage new members to learn about all the resources and community we have to offer.

Thank you for your consideration and I am looking forward to future in-person opportunities for membership interaction and recruitment in the coming year.

Alina Tsyrulnik, MD

Vice President of Education

Yale University Department of Emergency Medicine

As a member of AWAEM, I have found this organization to be invaluable as a resource for networking and mentorship. At every meeting I attend, I am delighted by the atmosphere of collaboration, inclusivity, openness, and support through interactions and networking opportunities as well as the organic mentorship that it fosters for its members.

As first an Assistant and then an Associate Program Director at Yale University Department of Emergency Medicine, I have significant experience (over a decade) in graduate medical education (GME). As a course direct for the Yale School of Medicine, I also have ample experience in undergraduate medical education (UGME). Furthermore, I currently serve as the Chair for Council of Residency Directors (CORD) APD Community of Practice as well as the liaison for AWAEM to CORD. Thus, I believe that my prior knowledge of both GME and UGME coupled with leadership and involvement experiences would align with what is needed to be an effective AWAEM Vice President of Education.

I feel it is time for me to step up and continue AWAEM’s tradition of being an invaluable resource for EM Educators. I believe I have the experience in both Leadership and Education to serve as the AWAEM Vice President of Education. I want to give back to the AWAEM community by continuing to promote and foster the very reasons I have continued to be a member: collaboration, mentorship, and leadership in Emergency Medicine Education.

Jennifer Love, MD

Vice President of Education

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

I have been part of the AWAEM team since 2020 as co-chair of the didactic committee and research committee. In these positions, I helped the committees expand their initiatives, through increasing didactic submissions, helping didactic authors align with other collaborators in and outside of AWAEM, assisting junior members with research projects and launching a research writing group. In this work, I have also helped bring new members to AWAEM and provide mentorship to others.

As VP of Education, I hope to bring my organizational, writing and research skills to the AWAEM Executive Board. My past experience with the didactics and research committees, which have strong educational missions, will help inform my role in this position. As VP, I will work with the membership and executive board to review and define annual educational goals both at SAEM and continuously throughout the year. I will also liaise with other SAEM committees to bring additional expertise to annual educational goals. As the VP of Education, I also envision my VP role to promote and sponsor SAEM educational events that may be relevant to members to promote professional development. Finally, I hope to shape AWAEM's strategic educational mission and goals for the future. In this role, I can support AWAEM work to better understand educational gaps in membership needs and design strategic initiatives to fill these gaps.

Rebecca Barron, MD, MPH

Treasurer

UMass Chan Medical School - Baystate

The Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) has been a critical resource in my career thus far. I got involved in the organization as a resident (at the urging of one of my former chief residents, who is now a colleague also still involved in AWAEM) and then reinvolved once I reentered academic emergency medicine after a brief hiatus. Being part of AWAEM has allowed me to connect with and learn from inspirational women from all facets of academic emergency medicine. Additionally, I have been able to face personal and professional challenges with more resources and support. Recently, I was the recipient of an AWAEM research award, which allowed me to further pursue my interest in improving acute sexual assault care. In many respects, including in my role as the current regionals committee chair, AWAEM has allowed me to brainstorm ways and enact strategies to make our profession more fulfilling and sustainable. As AWAEM’s Treasurer, I hope to pay all this forward, harnessing my knowledge and experience to maintain and expand AWAEM’s offerings in support of other women on this journey.

Margaret Samuels-Kalow, MD, MPhil, MSHP

President-Elect

Massachusetts General Hospital

I am an EM/PEM physician and health services researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, where I also serve as Vice-Chair for Research. My research focuses on developing interventions to reduce disparities in emergency care, and using the emergency department visit to improve health equity, and has been supported by a wide variety of funders including SAEM and NIH (NICHD, NIDCR).

I have been an active AWAEM member since 2018, serving as co-chair of the AWAEM Research Committee from 2019-2022, during which time we developed the research consultation program for AWAEM members. I currently serve as AWAEM VP for Communications, working to help support the existing AWAEM committees, strengthen our connections within SAEM and making sure that the important work of the Academy is disseminated effectively. Locally, I have been part of the founding teams for both our departmental women in EM group, and the Harvard Medical School-wide women’s emergency medicine faculty consortium.

I have been fortunate to benefit from tremendous mentorship and collaboration within AWAEM, and hope to have the opportunity to help shape the ongoing work and future directions. In particular, in the setting of ongoing clinical and capacity challenges, AWAEM has the opportunity to help make academic life a little less hard, and more rewarding, for our members. We do this by building community—in networking groups, online gatherings and mentorship connections—and building the evidence for how to best support women in academic emergency medicine through research collaborations and administrative projects. I would like to help create more structured opportunities for AWAEM members to serve as mentors and sponsors for one another, expand the uptake of our existing AWAEM services, such as the research consultation service and the speakers’ bureau, and develop new programs to serve our members.

Erin Hunt

Medical Student Representative

The Ohio State University

My name is Erin Hunt, and I am a second-year medical student at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. I am seeking re-election as the medical student representative for AGEM due to my passion for Emergency Medicine and my commitment to improving care for vulnerable populations, such as geriatric patients. Over the past year in this role, I have gained valuable insights into leadership within Emergency Medicine and had the privilege of working alongside dedicated physicians who want to better care for our geriatric population. If re-elected, I would like to continue expanding AGEM’s social media presence, increasing our outreach, and highlighting the organization’s many opportunities, all while advancing awareness of the unique challenges faced by older adults in emergency care.

Lily Berlin, MD

Resident Representative

Alameda Health System- Highland Hospital

I am a second year resident at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2022. I have experience with AGEM, serving as Medical Student Representative for 2020-2021, as well as being the current Resident Representative for 2023-2024. I have also served on the AGEM Outreach and Membership Committee since 2020. In that time, I have continued the AGEM Author Spotlight series, worked to re-engage lapsed AGEM members, worked on the AGEM twitter account, and am working to plan the AGEM careers webinar for 2024.

I am running for AGEM Resident Representative to continue to work with the incredible community and mentors within AGEM. Improving geriatric emergency care is important to me and my career, and I want to continue to contribute to and learn from this community. One of my goals is to continue to grow AGEM with younger trainees at the medical student and resident level. I hope to increase engagement in all levels of training with structured mentorship, educational and career webinars, and providing more resources to members.

Another goal I have is to use the SAEM network and other interest groups and academies to increase AGEM’s exposure by doing partnered events via webinars and at the SAEM annual conference. We’ve had success in the past teaming up with ADIEM, and have ideas for future partnerships with AEUS regarding nerve blocks in the elderly, and the behavioral and psychological interest group to talk about isolation, loneliness and depression in our older population. Via these joint events, we can engage more EM providers who are not specifically interested in GEM and share our community, ideas, resources, and passion for geriatric emergency care.

In addition, I want to broaden AGEM’s reach to more under-resourced settings, like county hospitals and under-resourced institutions. As a resident at a county hospital, I have seen the need for improved geriatric emergency care with our most vulnerable older patients. I am already working with my program to improve geriatric education for my peers and to improve geriatric care for our patients. I hope to work within AGEM and the community to create a model for how under-resourced health care systems and hospitals can improve geriatric emergency care.