Reflections on Alumni Weekend 2024

I recently had the honor of serving as a panelist on the “Breaking Barriers: Navigating Equity and Inclusion Across Medical School Eras” panel of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine alumni on Friday, April 19, as part of Feinberg’s Alumni Weekend agenda. My co-panelists Dr. John Franklin, Dr. Alison Kessler and Dr. Jamie Terry, shared their experiences overcoming adversity, achievement of personal and professional success, and passion for teaching and mentorship, which I found to be incredibly awe inspiring. These experiences reiterated for me the importance of the work we do. Whether it be continuing to build an inclusive and welcoming culture for all of our students, particularly those whose distance traveled is farther than most, or identifying and dismantling the myriad of physical, social, economic and/or political barriers students of different backgrounds endure, bearing witness to the powerful storytelling that my co-panelists engaged in brought into sharp focus the experiences that many of today’s medical students continue to face. We have, as both an institution and a society, made tremendous strides in embracing students from all walks of life into the halls of academia, policy making and clinical practice. But we also still have so much work left to do to ensure that all students feel that they belong, all students thrive, and all students realize their full potential. The struggles and challenges my co-panelists have faced in their academic and professional trajectory can serve as inspiration and provide valuable lessons for contemporary medical students navigating similar issues and challenges. I am grateful for basking in their wisdom that day, and I’m hopeful that their valuable lessons are shared with and absorbed by our students and trainees. But most importantly, I am hopeful that these experiences serve as a catalyst to foster continued dialogue and engagement with our Feinberg alumni. I hope that it allows us to build community not just amongst our current students, faculty and staff, but with those who came before us, so that we may all be ready to welcome those who will come tomorrow.    

I am incredibly grateful to the alumni who graced us with their experiences and perspectives on Alumni Weekend. They have helped advance the practice of medicine, the cause of scholarship, and the pursuit of improving the human condition.