UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital Pediatrics Diversity Collaborative

Mission Statement

The UCSD Pediatric Residency Program is committed to recruiting a diverse workforce and to promoting a culture of antiracism and inclusion. Through these efforts, our goal is to enhance resident training and to improve the care of our patients, their families, and the community we serve. Our resident-led Diversity Collaborative is dedicated to recruiting individuals who identify as underrepresented in medicine and who more closely reflect our diverse patient population in San Diego, California. We are committed to building a community of individuals of diverse races, ethnicities, nationalities, gender identities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds, and lived experiences. We aim to recruit residents who are passionate about social justice and advocacy. Our residents are equipped to become leaders in Pediatrics, who are committed to addressing health disparities in our communities. 

Visiting Elective Program

Offers financial support for fourth-year students who are underrepresented in medicine and/or from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Diversity Book Club

Offers an opportunity for allies to read helpful literature about diversity and racism written by authors of color and participate in thoughtful discussion

Goals of the Diversity Collaborative

• Promote an antiracist culture within our residency program that values inclusivity, advocacy, and social justice
• Recruitment of URiM individuals who share the values and interests of the Diversity Collaborative
• Education on topics such as implicit bias, antiracism, and disparities in health education
• Community outreach and service

What We Do

• We have 4 subcommittees: Recruitment, Education, Community Outreach/Engagement, Program Culture
• Assist in all stages of resident recruitment 
• Participate in protests and National Days of Action (AAP)
• Noon Conference Lectures & Resident School Sessions
• Resident Support and Community
• Antiracism Book Club
  
• Happy Hours & Resident Mixers 
• Attend national and regional conferences that host URiM students in order to build connections with interested students
• Advocacy and Community Outreach (including collaborating with medical school organizations such as LMSA & SNMA)
  

Diversity Collaborative Residents

Our residents are excited to hear from applicants with similar interests! Please feel free to reach out to any of us by email if you would like more information or just to chat about some of the wonderful initiatives we are working on!

​Marisela Cardenas (Co-Executive Director, PGY2) Hometown: San Jose, CA College: UC Berkeley Medical School: UC San Diego Interests: public health, health equity, mentoring, cooking, hiking Email address: m9cardenas@health.ucsd.edu	​
​Eileen Chen (Education Committee Leader, PGY2) Hometown: Encinitas, CA College: Pomona College Medical School: Washington University in St. Louis Interests: Pool time, the crossword, Asian foods, reproductive health, gender affirming care, racism in medicine Email address: eic002@health.ucsd.edu	​
​Jessica Erlich (Member, PGY1) Hometown: Hillsborough, CA College: Washington University in St. Louis Medical School: University of California San Diego Interests: fitness, gardening/indoor plantkeeping, longboarding, skating, and painting Email address: jerlich@health.ucsd.edu	​
​Emily Georges (Recruitment Committee Leader, PGY2) Hometown: Hingham, MA College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst Medical School: Dartmouth Interests: Health equity, social justice, education reform, asylum/refugee health, LGBT health and advocacy, writing, surfing, art, and hiking  Email address: egeorges@health.ucsd.edu	​
​Ashley Hamel (Co-Executive Director, PGY2) Hometown: Saratoga Springs, NY College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst Medical School: Dartmouth Interests: Social justice, healthcare disparities, underrepresented in medicine, first generation college, adolescent and LGBTQ health. I enjoy playing soccer, hiking, running, camping, SUP/Kayak, collecting plants! Email address: aehamel@health.ucsd.edu	​
​Pooja Jaeel (Med-Peds Chief, PGY4) Hometown: Pleasanton, CA College: UC Berkley Medical School: Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California Interests: Hospitalist medicine/primary care, DEI and podcasting, advocacy at the local and national level, quality improvement specifically to improve patient education Email address: pajaeel@health.ucsd.edu	​
​Michelle Keyser (Education Committee Leader, Med-Peds PGY2) Hometown: Danville, CA College: UC Berkeley Medical School: UC San Diego Interests: tennis, Formula 1, gardening, hiking/camping Email address: mkeyser@health.ucsd.edu	​
​Hannah Oppenheim (Program Culture Committee Leader, Child Neuro PGY2) Hometown: Saint Louis, MO College: UC Berkeley (Go Bears!) Medical School: UC San Diego Interests: Rock Climbing, Hiking, Camping, Improv Comedy, Neuropsychiatry and Neurodevelopmental disabilities, Disability rights, URiM Email address: hoppenhe@health.ucsd.edu	​
​Anthony Proia (Community Outreach & Advocacy Committee Leader, PGY3) Hometown: Westborough, MA College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst Medical School: Tufts University, Boston, MA Interests: Cooking, surfing, finance/investing, hanging with my dog Oliver, Boston sports Email address: aproia@health.ucsd.edu	​
​Kimmy Vuong (Pediatric Chief Resident) Hometown: Charlotte, NC College: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Medical School: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Interests: critical care nephrology, public health, health services research, baking, learning to make noodles, puzzles Email address: kivuong@health.ucsd.edu	​

Alumni Section

Aimee Anselm (Class of 2019) Primary Care Pediatrician and Urgent-ologist Kaiser Permanente in San Diego	​
David Balyozian (Class of 2020) PGY2 Psychiatry University of Southern California in Los Angeles	​
​ Crystal Doan Stephens (Class of 2019, Co-Founder) Primary Care Pediatrician San Diego Family Care Mid City Pediatrics	​
​ Maggie Kozman (Class of 2020, Co-Founder) Med/Peds Hospitalist at Harbor-UCLA Assistant Clinical Professor at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA	​