Our medical community stretches far and wide, with experts that wear many hats. One prevalent group making an impact on the future of childhood medicine is our pediatric trainees. In 1989, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) founded the Section on Pediatric Trainees with a goal to empower and enable pediatric trainees to be strong leaders and advocates for the health and well-being of children. This group aims to be the central source of information, education, and networking for their peers. With over 16,000 members to date, medical students, residents, and fellowship trainees are learning to make a difference in the lives of each child they work with. We recorded this episode at the 2023 AAP National Conference and Exhibition, which couldn’t have served as a more perfect place to discuss this topic. “For the medical students listening out there, if you have any interest or if you think you know what specialty you’re interested in, just going to these conferences and getting plugged in with these organizations really opens your eyes to a lot of networking opportunities,” Amundam Mancho, MD, MPH, says.

Today we are joined by Dr. Mancho, a resident physician at Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center. She also leads the Section on Pediatric Trainees as the executive coordinator on equity, diversity, and inclusion, or DEI. DEI work is central to her advocacy, and she hopes to expand opportunities for other students making their way through their medical education. “We want trainees to feel like even though that representative isn’t necessarily there, that people feel empowered they feel culturally competent and also have that understanding to recognize differences that our patients bring to the space,” Dr. Mancho says.

Some highlights from this episode include:  

• How DEI plays a role within the Section on Pediatric Trainees 
• Exposing medical students and residents to advocacy opportunities within pediatrics 
• The benefits organizations like AAP can provide for medical students

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