UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego Pediatrics Diversity Collaborative

Mission Statement

mural art in Barrio Logan The UCSD Pediatric Residency Program is dedicated to fostering a diverse workforce and advancing a culture of antiracism and inclusion within the medical field. Our commitment drives us to recruit trainees from diverse and traditionally underrepresented backgrounds who are deeply engaged with health equity, advocacy, and social justice. By addressing racial health disparities, equipping residents to combat medical injustices, and enhancing patient care in San Diego’s communities, we strive to make a meaningful impact.

Our resident-led Diversity Collaborative, working closely with Dr. Natalie Laub (Associate Program Director for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion), is pivotal in achieving this mission. This Collaborative comprises individuals who identify as URiM (Underrepresented in Medicine) and allies, all united in their efforts to embed principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the residency program. From recruitment to education to shaping program culture, their work ensures that these principles are woven into every facet of the residency experience. Our residents inspired and empowered by these efforts, graduate well-prepared to tackle health disparities and lead the way in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within pediatrics.

Goals of the Diversity Collaborative

Promote and model diversity and inclusion within our program – one that is explicitly antiracist at its foundation.
Empower trainees and faculty to address health disparities, accelerate health equity, and mitigate the health impacts of structural racism in the communities we serve.
Recruit residents that reflect the diversity of our patient population and share the values of the Diversity Collaborative.
Provide wellness resources, peer support and mentorship to residents who identify as URiM or are from other underrepresented backgrounds.
Form community ties and advocate for our patients at the hospital, community, and national levels.

What We Do

Group photo in front of presentation: "Health Disparities in Chronic Illness: A Type 1 Diabetes Example"

Recruitment

The Collaborative actively participates in all stages of resident recruitment. During the interview season, we prioritize including DEI in every interview day and social event. We are dedicated to recruiting individuals of diverse races, ethnicities, nationalities, gender identities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds, and lived experiences.

Education

In addition to the structured DEI education built into the residency curriculum, the Collaborative provides additional educational opportunities throughout the year, including:

Health Equity Grand Rounds

Residents of the Diversity Collaborative lead Health Equity Rounds, an annual case-based grand rounds lecture. Alongside an interdisciplinary team including faculty, nurses, and social workers, residents present to the entire Department of Pediatrics and bring health equity discourse to the academic setting. The Health Equity Rounds curriculum aims to provide trainees and faculty with the tools to recognize, confront, and mitigate the implicit and institutional biases within the healthcare system. Past topics have included:

Clinical Outcomes in Sickle Cell Disease Viewed Through a Racial Equity Lens
Influences on the Immigrant Health Experience at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego
Health Disparities in Chronic Illness: A Type 1 Diabetes Example

Journal Club

Our journal clubs are an ongoing group discussion series led by Diversity Collaborative residents and hosted by faculty members in their homes. The discussions center around articles that highlight specific issues of racial, social, and economic health inequity. These events create a space for residents and faculty to discuss the impact of racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other biases on our clinical practice, and learn evidence-based interventions to oppose these biases.

Pediatric Anti-Racism (PARC)

Held during noon conferences throughout the year, these are discussion-based learning sessions that highlight racism in medicine and its impact on the patient experience, as well as how we can address these issues as members of the medical community.

Advocacy

Our residents are active in advocacy spaces and are passionate about relevant issues in pediatric health, such as: gun violence, nutritional health, and reproductive health. Many residents participate in local demonstrations dedicated to these issues. Residents are also involved in the local AAP chapter and work closely with the office of government relations at Rady Children’s to promote progressive pediatric public health policies. All pediatric residents complete a Community Pediatrics rotation which includes an advocacy curriculum and exposure to community resources, and there are additional opportunities to build advocacy into the formal residency curriculum for those who are interested.

Promoting Wellness, Community, & Mentorship

The Diversity Collaborative serves as a space for residents to build community and find support throughout residency. The Collaborative hosts a welcome social at the beginning of the academic year for all new interns, where we have the pleasure of meeting and bonding with our co-residents.

Diversity Collaborative Residents

Below is a list of all the Diversity Collaborative residents, both past and present. Please email us if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

Natalie Laub, MD, MSHP

Associate Program Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Hometown: Nebraska
Medical School: University of Nebraska
Email address: nclaub@health.ucsd.edu
Uju Nwosu, MD (PGY3)

Hometown: Calgary, AB, Canada and Abuja, Nigeria
Undergrad: Harvard University
Medical School: Keck USC School of Medicine
Interests within the Collab: Underserved medicine, medical education, recruitment, mentorship
Hobbies: Cooking/baking/dining out, game nights, live music, being a plant mom
Email: snwosu@health.ucsd.edu
Melissa Campbell, DO (PGY3)

Hometown: Hesperia, CA
Undergrad: California State University, Long Beach
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Interests within the Collab: Pediatric Anti-Racism Curriculum, Journal Club; Equal access and delivery of healthcare to racial/ ethnic minority groups and in medically underserved areas
Hobbies: Going to local breweries/wineries with live music and traveling with my husband and our border collie, Mazzy.
Email: m2campbell@health.ucsd.edu
Annie Kaufman, MD (PGY3)

Undergrad: Stanford
Medical School: UC San Diego
Email: aekaufma@health.ucsd.edu
Gina Allyn, MD (PGY3)

Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
College: University of Utah
Medical School: University of Utah
Interests within the Collab: LGBTQ+ recruitment
Hobbies: Cello, hiking, biking, camping, quidditch, board games, cocktail making, converting colleagues into being Swifties
Email: gallyn@health.ucsd.edu
Lee Serpas, MD, PhD (PGY2)

Undergrad: Drexel University
Medical School: New York Univeristy
Email: lserpas@health.ucsd.edu
Shadi Shams, MD (PGY2)

Hometown: Sunnyvale, CA
College: UC Berkeley
Medical School: Rowan University
Interests within the Collab: Immigrant health
Hobbies: Playing tennis, Fostering Dogs, Listening to podcasts, Hiking, Traveling, Learning Piano
Email: shshams@health.ucsd.edu
Gina Richardson, MD (PGY2)

Hometown: Portland, OR
Undergrad: UCLA
Medical School: OHSU
Interests within the Collab: Border health, mentorship, disparities research
Hobbies: Hiking, cooking, water skiing
Email: gmrichardson@health.ucsd.edu
Lil Seeley (PGY2)

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
College: University of Michigan
Medical School: OUWB
Hobbies: Spending time in the sun (particularly at the beach), eating yummy food and trying new beers, watching and playing soccer
Email: eseeley@health.ucsd.edu
Haley Moss, MD (PGY2)

Hometown: San Diego, CA
Undergrad: Brown University
Medical School: UC San Diego School of Medicine
Interests within the Collab: Recruitment and community outreach
Hobbies: Dancing, skiing/snowboarding, traveling, live music
Email: hemoss@health.ucsd.edu
Kayla Schmittau, MD (PGY2)

Undergrad: Georgetown University
Medical School: Rush Medical College
Email: kschmittau@health.ucsd.edu
Cara Cusi, MD (PGY2)

Hometown: Temecula, CA
Undergrad: UC San Diego
Medical School: UC Riverside
Interests within the Collab: Health disparities among AAPI communities
Hobbies: Running occasionally, reading voraciously, and Taylor Swift devotedly
Email: cacusi@health.ucsd.edu
Katrina Lambeth, MD (PGY2)

Hometown: Acton, MA
Undergrad: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Medical School: University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan
Interests within the Collab: Disablity advocacy
Hobbies: Book club, running club, zoom, camping, swimming
Email: klambeth@health.ucsd.edu
Laura Gilligan, MD (PGY2)

Hometown: Great Falls, MT
Undergrad: Montana State University
Medical School: University of Washington
Interests within the Collab: LGBTQ+ issues and community
Hobbies: Hiking, tennis, listening to guidebooks, and hanging out at the beach!
Email: lgilligan@health.ucsd.edu
Brooke Saunders, DO (PGY1)

Hometown: Newark, Delaware
Undergrad: Marymount University
Medical School: A.T. Still University
Interests within the Collab: Addressing disparities in patient care, especially among traditionally minoritized populations
Hobbies: Biking, running, spending time at the beach with my husband, pup, and co-interns
Email: b1saunders@health.ucsd.edu
Katie Raja, MD (PGY1)

Hometown: Dublin, CA
Undergrad: John Hopkins University
Medical School: University of Maryland
Interests within the Collab: Addressing the health disparities affecting our local community
Hobbies: Beach volleyball, reading, exploring new restaurants and cafes in San Diego
Email: karaja@health.ucsd.edu
Ola Sobiborowicz-Sadowska, MD PhD (PGY1)

Medical School: University of Warsaw
Email: alsobiborowiczsadows@health.ucsd.edu
Lauren Aronson, MD (PGY1)

Hometown: Parkland, FL
Undergrad: Florida State University
Medical School: University of Central Florida
Interests within the Collab: Refugee/Asylum Seeker Healthcare
Hobbies: Running, hiking, rock climbing, board games
Email: laaronson@health.ucsd.edu
Owen Henry, MD (PGY1)

Hometown: Kingwood, NJ
Undergrad: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Medical School: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Interests within the Collab: Health equity research, community partnerships, music, and medicine
Hobbies: Surfing, piano, public art
Email: owhenry@health.ucsd.edu
Audrey Pham, MD (PGY1)

Undergrad: St. Louis University
Medical School: St. Louis University
Email: aup003@health.ucsd.edu
Nikki Sun, MD (PGY1)

Hometown: San Jose, CA
Undergrad: UC Santa Barbara
Medical School: UC San Diego
Interests within the Collab: Enhancing educational opportunities for residents and faculty, promoting refugee and immigrant health, and advocating for language equity
Hobbies: Running, tennis, reading, hanging with my dog, occasionally crafting as time permits
Email: n4sun@health.ucsd.edu
Kayla Imms, MD (PGY1)

Undergrad: Oakland University
Medical School: Florida International
Email: kimms@health.ucsd.edu
Jamie Klapp, MD (PGY1)

Undergrad: Loyola Maymount University
Medical School: OHSU
Email: jaklapp@health.ucsd.edu
Mila Shymkiv, DO (PGY1)

Undergrad: Seton Hall University
Medical School: University of Pikeville
Email: lshymkiv@health.ucsd.edu