Indrani Guzmán Das, MD
Member-at-Large Stanford University
Candidate Statement
I am passionate about making healthcare cheaper and more accessible to lower-resource and underrepresented patients. I believe that the emergency department is where systemic health inequities meet the frontline and the best place to help the most vulnerable people in my community. As a RAMS Member at large, I will create opportunities for emergency medicine physicians to build their medical competencies and provide support to high-need patients.
I am a PGY-1 at Stanford Healthcare in California and a graduate of Weill Cornell Medical College and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. As a resident, I serve on Stanford’s program evaluation committee to identify improvement areas for the residency, on the recruitment committee, and I am a mentor in programs that expand opportunities for underrepresented students, including LMSA, HPREP, and SEO Scholars.
By way of background, I am a first-generation American whose parents became medical practitioners after arriving in the United States as refugees. Before attending medical school, I worked as a management consultant at Bain & Company where I helped S&P 500 corporations and international nonprofits define their strategic goals and improve their finances and operations. I subsequently worked at the International Rescue Committee on their global refugee resettlement program and public-private partnerships to deliver nutrition supplements to rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
While in medical school, I supported multiple health equity projects in the US and abroad. As a medical practitioner, I served in the Weill Cornell Community Clinic to provide care to uninsured, non-English speaking patients in New York City, as well as in the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights to provide medical forensic exams to asylum seekers hoping to receive sanctuary in the US. From a research perspective, I partnered with Johns Hopkins and the Associated Press to report on hospitals that utilized predatory billing practices, conducted field investigations through the Harvard Chan School of Public Health on progressive insurance programs in the Chilean healthcare system, and collaborated with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Partners in Health to identify opportunities to expand access to emergency care in Western Africa.
As a RAMS board member, I would leverage my background in strategy consulting to expand educational resources to members. RAMS has a massive archive of data and educational material, such as the Residency/Fellowship Maps and overviews on how to perform uncommon procedures that are currently difficult to access. By improving the website navigation and organization of these resources, residents and medical students can make informed decisions in their training and career paths.
I would also implement a structured mentorship program at our annual meeting to match faculty, residents, and medical students with shared interests. Emergency Medicine is full of unique challenges and exciting opportunities - we can best serve our patients and enjoy the experience when we can rely on and learn from our diverse experiences.
Financial literacy is another critical area I plan to address. With over 40% of emergency departments now managed by private equity organizations, residents must be equipped with the knowledge to navigate various hospital structures effectively. Having worked with private equity, nonprofit, and publicly-funded hospitals, I will help RAMS members understand how their careers may be impacted by the organization structures that they join.
Ultimately, I am committed to expanding RAMS as a vibrant, engaging, and resourceful community where every member feels supported and empowered to thrive in their careers. By prioritizing education, mentorship, and health equity, I hope that RAMS meets the needs of our current members and attracts future generations of emergency medicine professionals.
Thank you for considering my candidacy for the RAMS Member-at-Large position. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with you and enhance our community in emergency medicine. As you make your voting decision, please reach out if you would like to discuss any of the ideas that I’ve shared.
I am a PGY-1 at Stanford Healthcare in California and a graduate of Weill Cornell Medical College and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. As a resident, I serve on Stanford’s program evaluation committee to identify improvement areas for the residency, on the recruitment committee, and I am a mentor in programs that expand opportunities for underrepresented students, including LMSA, HPREP, and SEO Scholars.
By way of background, I am a first-generation American whose parents became medical practitioners after arriving in the United States as refugees. Before attending medical school, I worked as a management consultant at Bain & Company where I helped S&P 500 corporations and international nonprofits define their strategic goals and improve their finances and operations. I subsequently worked at the International Rescue Committee on their global refugee resettlement program and public-private partnerships to deliver nutrition supplements to rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
While in medical school, I supported multiple health equity projects in the US and abroad. As a medical practitioner, I served in the Weill Cornell Community Clinic to provide care to uninsured, non-English speaking patients in New York City, as well as in the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights to provide medical forensic exams to asylum seekers hoping to receive sanctuary in the US. From a research perspective, I partnered with Johns Hopkins and the Associated Press to report on hospitals that utilized predatory billing practices, conducted field investigations through the Harvard Chan School of Public Health on progressive insurance programs in the Chilean healthcare system, and collaborated with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Partners in Health to identify opportunities to expand access to emergency care in Western Africa.
As a RAMS board member, I would leverage my background in strategy consulting to expand educational resources to members. RAMS has a massive archive of data and educational material, such as the Residency/Fellowship Maps and overviews on how to perform uncommon procedures that are currently difficult to access. By improving the website navigation and organization of these resources, residents and medical students can make informed decisions in their training and career paths.
I would also implement a structured mentorship program at our annual meeting to match faculty, residents, and medical students with shared interests. Emergency Medicine is full of unique challenges and exciting opportunities - we can best serve our patients and enjoy the experience when we can rely on and learn from our diverse experiences.
Financial literacy is another critical area I plan to address. With over 40% of emergency departments now managed by private equity organizations, residents must be equipped with the knowledge to navigate various hospital structures effectively. Having worked with private equity, nonprofit, and publicly-funded hospitals, I will help RAMS members understand how their careers may be impacted by the organization structures that they join.
Ultimately, I am committed to expanding RAMS as a vibrant, engaging, and resourceful community where every member feels supported and empowered to thrive in their careers. By prioritizing education, mentorship, and health equity, I hope that RAMS meets the needs of our current members and attracts future generations of emergency medicine professionals.
Thank you for considering my candidacy for the RAMS Member-at-Large position. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with you and enhance our community in emergency medicine. As you make your voting decision, please reach out if you would like to discuss any of the ideas that I’ve shared.
