WHY SHOULD I BE INVOLVED IN RAMS? REFLECTIONS FROM THE 2020-2021 RAMS BOARD By Aaron R. Kuzel, DO, MBA on behalf of the SAEM Membership Committee
Jeffrey Sakamoto, MD Stanford University RAMS Secretary-Treasurer I initially applied to the RAMS board to participate in shaping its multifaceted approach to improving the development and training of emergency medicine residents and medical students. Having Jeffrey Sakamoto served on the RAMS board for the past two years, first as a member at-large and now as the secretarytreasurer, I have had many impactful and valuable opportunities in education, leadership, and mentorship. Mentorship is the most important resource available to RAMS members. Interacting with thought leaders and influential members within academic emergency medicine on both the SAEM board and SAEM committees through RAMS has been highly educational. Through the SAEM wellness committee, I have been able to author articles, participate in groundbreaking research, and present on a national level. RAMS has also allowed me to create a network of extraordinary resident and medical student leaders around the country — an invaluable resource both now and after training. Through these connections, I have been able to participate in a coaching pilot project to better develop my leadership skills, present at the annual meeting, and most importantly develop friendships that will last throughout my career. My experience with RAMS has been essential to my development as an emergency physician and I encourage all residents and medical students to take advantage of the unique opportunities RAMS has to offer.
Adrian Cotarelo, MD, MHS St. John's Riverside Hospital RAMS Member-at-Large My work with SAEM/RAMS has been a defining part of my medical school, and now residency experience. I first became involved with SAEM as a Medical Student Ambassador and immediately Adrian Cotarelo became invested in the strong sense of community and resources available through the organization. Through RAMS, I have been able to network with people and institutions throughout the nation, from research projects, didactic submissions, and coordinating collaborative events with other professional EM organizations. I have had the opportunity to moderate several large-scale national events that had to be adapted into a virtual format such as the annual Cocktails with Chairs, webinars, medical students advising sessions, and the first virtual residency fair in the organization’s history. I was able to serve as a board liaison to the SAEM research committee, taking on a variety of projects with research faculty, residents, and medical students from across the country. These experiences I have been able to bring back to my own institution, where I have taken the role of director of resident research. These experiences have been invaluable in providing experience in leadership in the field of academic emergency medicine, alongside forming a closeknit group among the rest of the SAEM RAMS Board.
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Alexis del Vecchio, MD The Mayo Clinic RAMS Member-at-Large It's been an absolute joy and privilege to serve on the RAMS Board and represent the interests of our medical student and resident membership. I've seen what true leadership looks like through our RAMS Alexis del Vecchio president Andrew Starnes and SAEM CEO Megan Schagrin, and the ways in which they put every member of our board forward and really bring out the best in everyone so we can accomplish as much as possible for our members. I can only hope to emulate their facile and supportive way with people as I progress in emergency medicine. This position has given me the opportunity, too, to interface with leaders in academic emergency medicine, mentorships and relationships that I will continue to nurture for years. I've learned to develop the confidence to speak up in meetings with big names in emergency medicine, had the chance to moderate one of our RAMS webinars with some of the leading voices in our tight-knit community, and collaborate on numerous initiatives to give a voice to our members. And I'm grateful, perhaps most importantly, for the friendships I've developed with my fellow board members, even if our interactions have all been virtual due to that worldwide pandemic still going on!
Hamza Ijaz, MD University of Cincinnati RAMS Member-at-Large RAMS has been instrumental in increasing my exposure to organized academic emergency medicine. Getting involved with RAMS has allowed me to learn about national issues facing our specialty and Hamza Ijaz how to increase advocacy for our residents and medical students. Through RAMS, I have been fortunate to collaborate with some of the leaders within emergency medicine and have been supported by numerous mentors. RAMS has given me the opportunity to collaborate with individuals I wouldn't otherwise have met. The diverse group of board members that I've been fortunate enough to work with has continued to inspire me. Working alongside the rising leaders within our specialty has taught me numerous leadership skills that I am able to put into clinical practice. Without RAMS, it would have been very challenging to develop such a diverse network in such a short time.
Daniel Jourdan, MD Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University RAMS Member-at-Large My initial involvement with RAMS began as a student member of the education committee. There I had the privilege of working alongside national leaders Daniel Jourdan to publish a how-to guide for members interested in pursuing a career in medical education. This
