UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego Pediatrics Diversity Collaborative
Mission Statement
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
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!
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Natalie Laub, MD, MSHP Hometown: Nebraska |
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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
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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
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Annie Kaufman, MD (PGY3)
Undergrad: Stanford
Medical School: UC San Diego Email: aekaufma@health.ucsd.edu
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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
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Lee Serpas, MD, PhD (PGY2)Undergrad: Drexel University |
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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
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Gina Richardson, MD (PGY2)Hometown: Portland, OR |
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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
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Haley Moss, MD (PGY2)Hometown: San Diego, CA |
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Kayla Schmittau, MD (PGY2)Undergrad: Georgetown University |
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Cara Cusi, MD (PGY2)Hometown: Temecula, CA |
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Katrina Lambeth, MD (PGY2)Hometown: Acton, MA |
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Laura Gilligan, MD (PGY2)Hometown: Great Falls, MT |
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Brooke Saunders, DO (PGY1)Hometown: Newark, Delaware |
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Katie Raja, MD (PGY1)Hometown: Dublin, CA |
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Ola Sobiborowicz-Sadowska, MD PhD (PGY1)Medical School: University of Warsaw |
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Lauren Aronson, MD (PGY1)Hometown: Parkland, FL |
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Owen Henry, MD (PGY1)Hometown: Kingwood, NJ |
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Audrey Pham, MD (PGY1)Undergrad: St. Louis University |
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Nikki Sun, MD (PGY1)Hometown: San Jose, CA |
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Kayla Imms, MD (PGY1)Undergrad: Oakland University |
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Jamie Klapp, MD (PGY1)Undergrad: Loyola Maymount University |
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Mila Shymkiv, DO (PGY1)Undergrad: Seton Hall University |
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Program Alumni
Jed Bell, MD (Class of 2024)Primary Care Pediatrician |
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Heriberto "Eddie" Martinez, MD (Class of 2024)Pediatric Hospital Medicine |
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Kelly Robinson, MD (Class of 2024)Allergy Immunology Fellowship |
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Natalie Rodriguez, MD (Class of 2024)Gastro Fellowship
Children's Hospital-Los Angeles
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Mandeep Bajwa, MD (Class of 2023)Gastro Fellowship |
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Stephanie "Steph" Schmitt, MD (Class of 2022)Palliative Care |
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Marisela Cardenas, MD (Class of 2022)Primary Care Pediatrician |
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| Eileen Chen (Class of 2022)
Primary Care Pediatrician |
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Emily Georges (Class of 2022)Child Abuse Fellow |
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| Varsha Gupta (Class of 2022)
Primary Care Pediatrician |
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Ashley Hamel (Class of 2022)Primary Care Pediatrician |
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Pooja Jaeel (Class of 2021) |
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Hannah Oppenheim (Class of 2021)Child Neurology ResidentUniversity of California, San Diego |
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Anthony Proia (Class of 2021)Primary Care Pediatrician and Urgent-ologist
Kaiser Permanente in San Diego
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Kimmy Vuong (Class of 2021)Pediatric Nephrology FellowBaylor Texas Children's Hospital |
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Maggie Kozman (Class of 2020, Co-Founder)Med/Peds Hospitalist at Harbor-UCLAAssistant Clinical Professor David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA |
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Crystal Doan Stephens (Class of 2019, Co-Founder)Primary Care PediatricianSan Diego Family Care Mid City Pediatrics |
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David Balyozian (Class of 2020)PsychiatryUniversity of Southern California in Los Angeles |
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Aimee Anselm (Class of 2019)Primary Care Pediatrician and Urgent-ologistKaiser Permanente in San Diego |
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