"Speaker, we have an election."
These were the words that rang over the Representative Council in Denver, Colorado, in October as the EMRA Program Representatives chose their new Board of Directors. These representatives were impartial, often with no ties to the candidates, who judged candidates based on their curriculum vitae and their speeches alone. The practice of representatives voting in their Board rather than the current Board of Directors picking their new candidates is an intentional practice by EMRA. It's an effort to remove personal preference or bias from the current standing Board and to encourage an ongoing and diverse representation that is more merit-based over nepotism.
This year the EMRA Program Representatives, who are an extension and represent residents across the United States, picked new Board members for the following positions:
- President-Elect
- Vice Speaker of the Council
- Secretary/Editor of EM Resident
- Director of Education
- Director of Technology
As a medical student trying to figure out which specialty appealed the most to me, I happened to stumble upon the Emergency Medicine Residents' Association organization. I still vividly remember, as a second-year medical student, my attending gushing over EMRA and its resources being a benefit not only to medical students interested in emergency medicine, but also to medical students interested in any specialty. That was my hook into EM. It started with EMRA.
I began to learn more about the organization and was very impressed with its influence, resources, and efficiency. I could find no other resident group with the national stage and impact that EMRA seemed to possess, which it consistently used to empower residents and medical students. A resident-run organization that provided resources and benefits that were clear and tangible to everyone from pharmacists to medical students must be doing something right, I thought. And I knew one day I would like to be involved in this organization.
Fast forward to today: I am honored to have been elected as your Secretary/Editor, and it's a privilege I do not take lightly. I am thankful for my predecessor, Dr. Tommy Eales, and the excellent staff who have continuously worked to change and improve this platform. We, as your Board of Directors, are here to serve you. We function to steward mission and resources, set strategy, provide oversight and governance to help EMRA grow and evolve as an organization.
One of the pillars EM Resident stands on is its article submissions from medical students, residents, fellows, and attendings. We have always had so many valuable contributors who help advance our specialty's collective knowledge. As a medical student, it is where I started my medical publications. We are always looking for relevant content, so if you have ideas for publication or a compelling case you would like to share - email us at emresidenteditor@emra.org.
When I ran for the Board, I ran on a platform to not only maintain our quality educational content of EM Resident, but to also increase collaboration across the United States for emergency medicine residents and medical students. I want us to have discussions about parental leave, pumping on shift for new mothers, leadership diversity issues in our residencies, work-place harassment, and much more.
I am very excited for the upcoming 2-year journey with the Board, growing as a leader, and helping increase our value to our members - who are the real reason EMRA is as strong as it currently stands.
If you have ideas in the avenues I have mentioned above, please email me anytime: emresidenteditor@emra.org.
Looking forward to the next 2 years with you all! And it’s my pleasure to introduce our new Board of Directors in the next few pages.