Best Practices for Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Residency Program: Recruitment and Retention of Women in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM Sponsored)

Authors
  • Pierce - 2022 - Ava Pierce

    Ava Pierce, MD

    Member-at-Large

    UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas

    Ava E. Pierce, MD is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, the Associate Vice Chair of Outreach and Engagement 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 improve excellence in health care, thus strengthening a workforce that will provide quality medical care to all. She serves as a member of 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. Her research interests include medical education, health equity, 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. She has served as the Development Officer for the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM), President - Elect for ADIEM for 2017-2018, ADIEM’s President 2018 – 2019 and ADIEM’s Immediate Past President 2019 - 2020. She was awarded the 2016 Outstanding Academician Award by ADIEM in recognition of her impact on the academic success of students and residents underrepresented in medicine. 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 2020-2023 and 2023 - 2026 Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). She is also a member of the National Medical Association, the AAMC Group on Diversity and Inclusion, and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. In 2022, she was appointed as holder of the Michael P. Wainscott, M.D. Professorship in Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

  • 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.

  • 190214_JeffreyDruck_high-res - Jeff Druck

    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

  • Caitlin Ryus, MD, MPH

    Yale University School of Medicine

    Dr. Caitlin Ryus MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine at Yale University and a Drug use, Addiction, and HIV prevention Research Scholar (DAHRS). Dr. Ryus’s current research combines the disciplines of community-engaged research with health services research and political epidemiology to evaluate the evidence bases for health and social policies. In their work, they examine health outcomes and service utilization among patients experiencing homelessness. Dr. Ryus leads the Yale ED Homelessness Task Force– an interdisciplinary team of community organizations, government representatives, street medics, social workers, and people with lived experience of homelessness dedicated to improving ED care among New Haven’s homeless population.  Additionally, Dr. Ryus serves as the Co-Director of the Yale Emergency Scholars Program, a five-year combined residency and research fellowship. Their research also encompasses diversity, equity, and inclusion in the healthcare workforce, addressing the importance of representation and inclusivity in medicine as a means towards achieving health equity.

  • Abbie Saccary, MD

  • Joell Moll, MD

    Vice Chair of Education, Associate Professor

    Virginia Commonwealth University

    Joel Moll is Professor and Vice Chair of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. He previously served as Residency Program Director, Medical Education Fellowship Director, and Chair of the GME Executive Committee at VCU. Dr Moll was also Associate Residency Program Director at the University of Michigan, and Assistant Residency 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 participated in the 2022 EM Model of Clinical Practice and the All EM Organization DEI Working Group. He is past recipient of the VCU Health Leadership in Medical Education Residency Director of the year, and the VCU School of Medicine Leonard Tow Humanism Awards. Interests include graduate medical education, curriculum development, diversity and inclusion, LGBTQIA+ health and education, 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

  • Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS

    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.
  • Boatright headshot

    Dowin Boatright, MD, MBA, MHS

    Vice Chair, Research, Dept of Emergency Medicine/Associate Professor

    NYU Langone