JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION SECTION
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Section’s 2024 Medical Student Scholarship Awardee Highlight Salma Yusuf, MS4, Cortlyn Brown, MD, and Jordan Vaughn, MD
T
he Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) section of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) aims to actively support underrepresented minorities and culture champions at various stages of education, training, and career, through mentorships, education and scholarships. In an effort to increase diversity (including but not limited to ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and ability) throughout the practice of emergency medicine, we created the JEDI-AAEM Medical Student Scholarship to support URiM students as they apply into emergency medicine.
Student Doctor Amera Hassan
Hometown: Blaine, MN and Cairo, Egypt Plans for next year: I’ll be starting my EM residency at UChicago and continuing my work on a new podcast, The Doldrums, about medicine, literature, and philosophy (find me on Spotify or Instagram @ TheDoldrumsPodcast) Interest(s) within EM: I’ve always wanted to go back to my homeland of Egypt someday and serve those communities that I came from. My interest in global medicine is also more potent than ever given the horrific violence being committed in Gaza and Palestine over the past several months (and 75 years). Fun fact: I’ve been to 16 countries, a few of them multiple times, and seven as a solo traveler. One of my favorite places I’ve ever been to is Vietnam! What does JEDI in EM mean to you: JEDI means having a workforce that reflects the population we serve, in regards to our backgrounds, ideologies, values, and humanity. Student Doctor Amina Ibrahim
Hometown: Borama, Somalia/Ottawa, ON, Canada Plans for next year: EM residency PGY1 Interest(s) within EM: Global Health Fun fact: I’ve never experienced a brain freeze. What does JEDI in EM mean to you? Inclusion
Perhaps no specialty treats such a broad range of patients spanning across cultures, ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity as emergency medicine. Through JEDI, we are creating a pathway to not just diversify EM but also help medical students and residents develop into future leaders. We had a competitive applicant pool this year with stellar applicants. This year, we had the honor of awarding eight URiM medical students with $500 to help offset the often prohibitive cost of residency applications, interviews, etc. Each of these students has exemplified true leadership, compassion, and commitment to our core mission. It is our pleasure to highlight our eight medical student winners. Student Doctor Donovan A. Inniss
Hometown: Nassau, The Bahamas Plans for next year: PGY1 at HAEMR - MassGen Brigham Interest(s) within EM: Disaster Medicine, Space Medicine, and Wilderness Medicine! Fun fact: I will rarely swim in a lake; seawater is superior! What does JEDI in EM mean to you: Opportunity to improve emergency medicine practices and policies by supporting the representation of those from communities often facing health disparities and socioeconomic marginalization. Student Doctor Kelsey Newbold (she/ her/hers)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona Plans for next year: Starting EM residency at Creighton of Phoenix Arizona/Maricopa County! Interests within EM: Social EM, Ultrasound, MedEd, Undersea medicine Fun fact: I’m certified as an advanced scuba diver and have been diving in five different countries! What does JEDI in EM mean to you: To me, JEDI in EM means having the opportunity to be my authentic self while representing the 3-4% of physicians in the U.S. that identify as LGBTQ+ and advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusive healthcare for my future patients. Continued on page 49 >>
COMMON SENSE MAY/JUNE 2024
45