Elections

Executive Board Elections 2022

Are you interested in shaping the future of LMSA-Northeast? No better time to start than today! The application for our upcoming election – held in conjunction with our conference March 4th -6th, 2022 – is now open.

Apply for one of our open positions here.

For more information about board duties, visit our Board Responsibilities page.

Candidates

Director-Elect
CFO-Elect
Policy
Mentorship
CDO
Service
CIO
PR
Fundraising

Steven Garvier, M2, Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine

Serving as one of the NE conference chairs this past year has been a most memorable and rewarding experience. Planning and executing the 2022 LMSA National Conference has been a highly complex endeavor. One that gave me the space to grow as a person and a leader. This year I've mastered many skills, notably becoming a more effective communicator and delegator when working as a team member and leader. I can proudly say I transformed from being a person who stayed in the background to becoming the meeting leader that keeps the conversation centered and productive. Working with many NE board members along this journey has fueled my passion for advocating for the Latinx community. As a NE co-director elect, I am confident that I will put to good use all the lessons and skills I've acquired to grow and strengthen the NE region and the overall LMSA familia.

Emily Rodriguez, M1, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

I grew up in the inner-city of Cleveland, Ohio in a predominately Black and Hispanic neighborhood. From a young age, I simultaneously learned the critical importance of community, education, and bringing up those behind you, which are values that have been constants throughout my life. During my time at The Ohio State University, I served as a mentor for minorities pursuing STEM degrees through the LSAMP and Morrill Scholar programs. Coming into medical school, I wanted to use the opportunity I was blessed with to increase the Latino representation within our school and the field of medicine via hosting workshops for local Hispanic grade-school kids to raise awareness about the importance of health and increase contact with health profession education. These experiences and values have motivated me to increase my ability to lift-up the next generation of Latino health professionals through serving on the NE LMSA Executive Board.

Malek Maddah, M2, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple

My name is Malek Maddah and I’m a third-year medical student at the LKSOM- Temple University. I’m of Syrian descent but was born and raised in Venezuela. Nine years ago, my family and I fled Venezuela’s worsening sociopolitical situation and began a new journey in the U.S., where we faced feelings of alienation, poverty, and a language barrier. The goal? A better future.

Today, I’m extremely blessed to be on the path of becoming a doctor, alongside people who share my story. In fact, that is why I’m running for Co-Director Elect. LMSA reminds me of home. It is an organization that allows us to unite, elevate and inspire each other as well as the very same communities we come from. Being LKSOM’s LMSA President and a lead planner for the National Conference has prepared me immensely. Accountability, empathy and communication will reign should you elect me as Co-Director Elect.

Edeline Sanchez, M2, Drexel University College of Medicine

I joined LMSA my first year of medical school because it was important to me to immerse myself in spaces in which I felt comfortable and valued as an Afro-Latina. As Co-President of my chapter, I found ways to use my passion for health disparities to spark important conversations such as anti-blackness, medical mistrust, and vaccine hesitancy in Latinx communities. This year I have had the pleasure to work alongside the Dean of Diversity as an ambassador where I am able to continue these conversations and think through strategies on how to increase admission rates for persons of color and ways to make our curriculum more inclusive. I want to have a position on the National LMSA board because even though I am beginning my clinical clerkships, I do not want to stop being in these spaces and leading these crucial conversations.

Jeff Shipley, M1, George Washington University School of Medicine

As I lived in Mexico for 2 years and later completed my degree in Spanish, I developed a strong desire to deepen my investment in the Spanish speaking community that surrounded me, in order to give back to a community that was instrumental in helping me become the person I am today. Now as a GW student, I seek to make a positive, inclusive impact on the Spanish speaking medical students in the Northeastern US, as we seek to improve our medical schools and communities.

Serving in a significant capacity at the regional level would not be a new experience for me. In 2020, I was appointed as a Regional Lead for the Utah/Nevada chapter of the Red Cross over disaster preparation programs. As the CFO elect, I will set measurable goals and develop plans to achieve them to better serve the greater Spanish speaking community and its medical students.

Claudia Tang, M2, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine - Harlem

Hello, my name is Claudia Tang from TouroCOM - Harlem and I would like to be considered for the Chief Information Officer and the Service Chair positions. Struggling to adapt during my first year of medical school, LMSA blossomed into the most important community and support system for me. By the end of my first semester, I had founded TouroCOM’s second food pantry by establishing a partnership with a local Harlem church and was elected the first Community Service Chair at my chapter. I was shortly inducted as President for the 2021-2022 school year. As President, I strengthened the relationship we had with the Latinx community in Harlem by working through our affiliation with the pantry by organizing Spanish health education pamphlets, hosting food drives, and fundraising over $400 through a white coat pin sale for the weekly food budget. For our annual health fair, I organized for the Committee of Hispanic Children & Families to advertise their social resources and vocational opportunities for underserved families. I worked with my all-female E-board to host cultural and academic Spanish events throughout the year including creating a medical Spanish terminology pocketbook for students to take to rotations and hosting a Spanish HPI event. If not considered for Service Chair, I would like to continue being involved in LMSA, and hope to be considered for the Chief Information Officer as my year as President has taught me that good communication and book-keeping is crucial to an organization’s success. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to sharing my experiences at HOD with the other LMSA chapters.

Fabiola Plaza, M2, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

In my view, health policy is about identifying issues in the current system and working to fix them. At my own medical school, I served as Executive Council President, where I advocated for, planned out, and successfully executed new programming and resources for First-Generation Low-Income (FGLI) students, which will serve all future FGLI students. Additionally, I have planned and hosted events through my role as session facilitator with my school's Committee for Allyship and Anti-Racism (CARA) with topics ranging from instituting a curriculum that educates students on the tools for resistance, healthcare for the imprisoned population, and raced-based bias in the medical profession. I believe that physicians should be advocates for the betterment of healthcare in their community and beyond, and, as Policy Chair, I would work on bringing to light issues that are affecting Latinx people all across the country in order to create an enriching National Policy Summit.

Eduardo Herrera, M1, Albany Medical College

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I managed the San Francisco Department of Public Health's Vaccine Call Center, where I advocated in executive meetings with physicians and directors to keep our evening team intact. I knew that in order to better reach the Latinx community, and achieve higher vaccination rates, we needed to provide non-working hour accommodations and retain the culturally sensitive members on my team to better cater to the members of our community. Through this experience, I came to realize that the policies we mandate have the capacity to provide equitable support for those that need it most. Whether we were in person at the vaccination sites or connecting over phone, the resounding appreciation from those we helped lights a fire in me. A fire that I intend to channel into my work if elected policy chair.

Edgar Tello-Ruiz, M1, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Hola a todos, my name is Edgar Tello-Ruiz and I am currently an M1 at Temple. I was born in Ecuador and grew up in New Jersey in a town where the majority of individuals are from Central and South America. Because of my upbringing, the latinx community has always been part of my identity, and this is why when I began my medical school journey I immediately sought ways to become involved with the latinx student body and looked to serve our community in Philadelphia. Fortunately, I have been able to serve as co-president of our LMSA chapter, and throughout this experience I have been able to work together with our eboard to work on social, mentoring and community service initiatives. These events included collaborating with another organization to support M2s of underrepresented backgrounds as they headed off for their dedicated STEP study time; We improved our connection with Temple’s LMSA+ chapter and expanded the mentoring program. Also, we collaborated with Zion Baptist Church, a local organization that organizes Covid-19 vaccination drives for our local community in North Philadelphia. On a personal level, this experience has allowed me to improve my communication, organizational, and collaborative skills, and I hope to continue to expand them as a leader in the LMSA NE eboard.

George Hernandez, M3, Frank H. Netter School of Medicine

My name is George Hernandez, a current M3 at the Frank H. Netter MD SOM. I am interested in the Mentorship Chair position for LMSA Northeast executive board. I have had the pleasure of serving on the Northeast board as CIO this past year, as well as my chapter’s executive board my first 2 years of medical school as M1 Liaison and last year’s chapter president. My experience over the past 3 years has given me the opportunity to better understand various aspects of this organization. I have I worked closely with board members, to coordinate meetings, organize events, disseminate information, and maintain records. This has required me to hone my attention to detail, organizational skills, and time management. LMSA gives me the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from passionate students and physicians. If elected as Mentorship Chair I will collaborate with other board members to keep our region of LMSA organized and running smoothly so that we can continue to uphold our mission and inspire the next generation of Latinx physicians. For these reasons I am asking for your support and the privilege to serve on the regional executive board. Thank you.

Natalia Torres, M2, Boston University School of Medicine

As one of the leaders for the Boston University LMSA chapter, I have found my medical school experience has been enriched by service and mentorship. In collaboration with Yanet, our current LMSA NE Service Chair, we have identified a Boston-based initiative where members across the NE can be involved remotely in reaching out to Latinx patients experiencing homelessness and connect them to resources. We are in the process of onboarding volunteers. Additionally, I have worked with BU’s Diversity and Inclusion Office to lead new outreach efforts towards historically excluded pre-medical students. Our group of volunteers contacted over 60 Latinx students. When meeting with students, we reflected on our experiences as Latinx medical students at BUSM in a transparent manner that helped guide student matriculation decisions. I maintain a mentorship connection with some of these students (including those not attending BUSM), in addition to students from the LMSA mentorship program and other BUSM mentorship initiatives.

Maria Vera Alvarez, M2, University of Maryland School of Medicine

I was on the executive board of LMSA Southeast region as an undergraduate student. I really loved my position helping with recruitment of undergraduate students and connecting them with LMSA chapters locally. I feel a strength of mine is knowing how LMSA runs monthly meetings and yearly conferences. I am also on the board of my school’s LMSA chapter as our education chair. I really enjoy leadership positions that allow me to work efficiently with diverse team members and host events connecting and bringing people together.

Fabiola Plaza, M2, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

I believe mentorship is crucial in uplifting Latinx voices. In my undergraduate years, I served in many mentor/mentor-like positions, ranging from working as a Resident Advisor, a camp counselor, programming and executing a Teen Leadership Program for a camp for kid's whose parents have been affected by cancer, and also a mentor for first-generation low-income minority college students. Currently, I have 5 different mentees through Project SHORT, a national mentorship program that pairs graduate students with those applying to graduate institutions. Besides that, I aided in the establishment of Zucker's first pre-health mentorship, where we have partnered with minority pre-health students at Hofstra and students part of the Zucker Pipeline Program (which has students from across the country). Through these experiences, I would love to solidify and expand the current mentorship structure LMSA NE has, as well as create more opportunities for mentors and mentees to interact.

Alexander Tejeda, M3, Howard University College of Medicine

I am a Latino male that grew up in Boston Massachusetts. I am motivated to run for the mentorship chair position, because mentorship is something that is extremely important to me, especially helping other students with similar backgrounds as me thrive in medicine or in a career in the health sciences. I am keenly aware that I would not be a medical student had it not been for the various mentors I have had and this position will allow me to impact many students like me. I have served as a mentor in various programs since I was in college. I helped form the big sib little program for the La Alianza Latina while in College. As a member of Howard’s LMSA I have participated in mentorship programs and served as the SNMA Region 6 Pipeline coordinator for the past 2.5 years coordinating national and regional programs.

Bianca Bustamante, M2, University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

My experience as a mentor during medical school has highlighted the importance of leadership and educational guidance on my path to becoming a physician. I am passionate about mentorship because I believe this a direct path to increasing diversity in medicine, empowering minority patients, and addressing important minority health disparities. I continued to fuel this passion by becoming the UNECOM LMSA Chapter President to preach the importance of mentorship and by joining UCR’s LMSA Plus Medical Student Mentorship Program as a mentor. I believe that it is my responsibility as a first-generation minority college graduate, to help decrease the number of obstacles for underrepresented students by helping to pave a smoother path to higher education. As LMSA-NE Executive Board Mentorship Chair, I hope to create and expand upon existing mentorship opportunities within the LMSA community and beyond.

Edgar Tello-Ruiz, M1, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Hola a todos, my name is Edgar Tello-Ruiz and I am currently an M1 at Temple. I was born in Ecuador and grew up in New Jersey in a town where the majority of individuals are from Central and South America. Because of my upbringing, the latinx community has always been part of my identity, and this is why when I began my medical school journey I immediately sought ways to become involved with the latinx student body and looked to serve our community in Philadelphia. Fortunately, I have been able to serve as co-president of our LMSA chapter, and throughout this experience I have been able to work together with our eboard to work on social, mentoring and community service initiatives. These events included collaborating with another organization to support M2s of underrepresented backgrounds as they headed off for their dedicated STEP study time; We improved our connection with Temple’s LMSA+ chapter and expanded the mentoring program. Also, we collaborated with Zion Baptist Church, a local organization that organizes Covid-19 vaccination drives for our local community in North Philadelphia. On a personal level, this experience has allowed me to improve my communication, organizational, and collaborative skills, and I hope to continue to expand them as a leader in the LMSA NE eboard.

Alejandro Chiodo Ortiz, M2, Albany Medical College

I am running for reelection as NE mentorship chair. I first joined LMSA as the Community Service Chair and have since been involved in the National Mentorship Task Force and Northeast Mentorship Chair. I have always been passionate about mentorship, obtaining mentor roles since my first experiences as a big brother, tutor, and coach. Mentors have had a tremendous impact on not only my path into medicine, but my life in general. I am motivated to run for mentorship chair so that I may help underrepresented students form these life-changing connections. The path into medicine is hard. When only 6% of the workforce looks like you, it is almost impossible to succeed without the guidance of a mentor. As mentorship chair this past year, I made it my mission to create as many formative relationships as possible. In just 5 months I recruited 95 mentors and formed 89 meaningful connections across 18 states and 2 countries. I connected pre-meds, medical students, and physicians with mentors and mentees. I also established connections with 8 LMSA+ chapters and helped form 2 new LMSA+ chapters at the undergraduate level. If reelected, I would expand on our work with the mentor registry but also implement initiatives to host more events like panels, webinars, in-person meetups, mock interviews, and more. I want to form more connections between individual LMSA chapters, regionals, and nationals to effect change on the largest scale possible. I am very grateful for the opportunity to run for mentorship chair, thank you!

Natalie Calderon, M2, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

My goal of becoming a physician stems from a desire to increase health and educational advocacy for the Latinx/URM population. As a first-generation Latina medical student, I have used my experiences to help pave an easier path for the Latinx students who come after me, including over ten years of mentoring and tutoring other first-generation students. Coming from a humble Bolivian background, I know the importance of being able to identify culturally with your medical providers. As part of the RowanSOM COVID-19 Student Task Force, I used my position to establish a Spanish language outreach and health literacy program addressing COVID-19. The process of putting together recruitment events, creating informational videos/flyers, working with community leaders to recruit Latinos, and staffing the clinic with Spanish-speaking volunteers, has been one of my most memorable leadership experiences to date.

Dianne Mancheno, M3, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

My name is Dianne Mancheno and I am running for the chief development officer position. I serve as the current LMSA Northeast chief development officer and would like to hold this position for another term. During this past term, I have had the opportunity to meet many of the LMSA leaders across our region through events I organized such as the “How to Strengthen Your Chapter” event held in September. I also helped organize the “Philly Area Chapter Meet-Up” event and have been working on an LMSA Alumni directory. Previously, I served as the president of the LMSA chapter at PCOM and helped create a medical Spanish course on campus that has now been approved as an elective. I hope to continue working with the Northeast executive board and keep chapters connected through various events during this next term. I am very passionate about working with the Latinx community and will continue to support the LMSA Northeast mission.

Michael Lesgart, M1, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine

As the son of Argentine immigrants, my Latino culture is central to my identity. My parents instilled the values of hard work and integrity, and that carried with me throughout my undergraduate education at UCLA. I co-founded and led an organization dedicated towards volunteering for veteran’s causes and we created a crowdfunding campaign that raised over $1500 for veterans experiencing homelessness. I learned to work and communicate with several non-profit organizations to accomplish our goals, while maintaining an active presence on our social media. Currently, I serve as the Public Relations Chair of LKSOM’s LMSA chapter and volunteer as an interpreter in the Puentes de Salud clinic. I plan to utilize social media to recruit incoming Latin-American students to LMSA and will implement Instagram livestream Q&A’s for our newly accepted students. I am very familiar with all social media platforms as well as Photoshop, Canva, and video editing.

Emily Rodriguez, M1, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

I grew up in the inner-city of Cleveland, Ohio in a predominately Black and Hispanic neighborhood. From a young age, I simultaneously learned the critical importance of community, education, and bringing up those behind you, which are values that have been constants throughout my life. During my time at The Ohio State University, I served as a mentor for minorities pursuing STEM degrees through the LSAMP and Morrill Scholar programs. Coming into medical school, I wanted to use the opportunity I was blessed with to increase the Latino representation within our school and the field of medicine via hosting workshops for local Hispanic grade-school kids to raise awareness about the importance of health and increase contact with health profession education. These experiences and values have motivated me to increase my ability to lift-up the next generation of Latino health professionals through serving on the NE LMSA Executive Board.

Natalie Calderon, M2, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

My goal of becoming a physician stems from a desire to increase health and educational advocacy for the Latinx/URM population. As a first-generation Latina medical student, I have used my experiences to help pave an easier path for the Latinx students who come after me, including over ten years of mentoring and tutoring other first-generation students. Coming from a humble Bolivian background, I know the importance of being able to identify culturally with your medical providers. As part of the RowanSOM COVID-19 Student Task Force, I used my position to establish a Spanish language outreach and health literacy program addressing COVID-19. The process of putting together recruitment events, creating informational videos/flyers, working with community leaders to recruit Latinos, and staffing the clinic with Spanish-speaking volunteers, has been one of my most memorable leadership experiences to date.

Natalia Torres, M2, Boston University School of Medicine

As one of the leaders for the Boston University LMSA chapter, I have found my medical school experience has been enriched by service and mentorship. In collaboration with Yanet, our current LMSA NE Service Chair, we have identified a Boston-based initiative where members across the NE can be involved remotely in reaching out to Latinx patients experiencing homelessness and connect them to resources. We are in the process of onboarding volunteers. Additionally, I have worked with BU’s Diversity and Inclusion Office to lead new outreach efforts towards historically excluded pre-medical students. Our group of volunteers contacted over 60 Latinx students. When meeting with students, we reflected on our experiences as Latinx medical students at BUSM in a transparent manner that helped guide student matriculation decisions. I maintain a mentorship connection with some of these students (including those not attending BUSM), in addition to students from the LMSA mentorship program and other BUSM mentorship initiatives.

George Hernandez, M3, Frank H. Netter School of Medicine

My name is George Hernandez, a current M3 at the Frank H. Netter MD SOM. I am interested in the Chief Information Officer position for LMSA Northeast executive board. I have had the pleasure of serving on the Northeast board as CIO this past year, as well as my chapter’s executive board my first 2 years of medical school as M1 Liaison and last year’s chapter president. My experience over the past 3 years has given me the opportunity to better understand various aspects of this organization. I have I worked closely with board members, to coordinate meetings, organize events, disseminate information, and maintain records. This has required me to hone my attention to detail, organizational skills, and time management. LMSA gives me the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from passionate students and physicians. If re-elected as Chief Information Officer I will collaborate with other board members to keep our region of LMSA organized and running smoothly so that we can continue to uphold our mission and inspire the next generation of Latinx physicians. For these reasons I am asking for your support and the privilege to serve on the regional executive board. Thank you.

Isabel A. Jarmel, M1, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Moving to New England has been a massive culture shock, coming from a Puerto Rican and Argentinian family and growing up in Miami. I am endlessly grateful for the LMSA community I am now a part of here at Dartmouth and am eager to give back to this organization. For the past four years, I worked at a homeless shelter clinic that served a large immigrant community in Downtown Miami. This experience fostered my passion for healthcare, allowing me to connect with Latinos who are severely underserved by the healthcare system. One of my primary roles at the clinic was to lead the planning, organization, and oversight of an annual health fair (which offers health care education, food and toiletries to the local homeless population) and report directly to the Chief Nursing Officer. In this capacity, I developed excellent organizational skills, which I hope to bring to the position of Chief Information Officer. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Edeline Sanchez, M2, Drexel University College of Medicine

I joined LMSA my first year of medical school because it was important to me to immerse myself in spaces in which I felt comfortable and valued as an Afro-Latina. As Co-President of my chapter, I found ways to use my passion for health disparities to spark important conversations such as anti-blackness, medical mistrust, and vaccine hesitancy in Latinx communities. This year I have had the pleasure to work alongside the Dean of Diversity as an ambassador where I am able to continue these conversations and think through strategies on how to increase admission rates for persons of color and ways to make our curriculum more inclusive. I want to have a position on the National LMSA board because even though I am beginning my clinical clerkships, I do not want to stop being in these spaces and leading these crucial conversations.

Claudia Tang, M2, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine - Harlem

Hello, my name is Claudia Tang from TouroCOM - Harlem and I would like to be considered for the Chief Information Officer and the Service Chair positions. Struggling to adapt during my first year of medical school, LMSA blossomed into the most important community and support system for me. By the end of my first semester, I had founded TouroCOM’s second food pantry by establishing a partnership with a local Harlem church and was elected the first Community Service Chair at my chapter. I was shortly inducted as President for the 2021-2022 school year. As President, I strengthened the relationship we had with the Latinx community in Harlem by working through our affiliation with the pantry by organizing Spanish health education pamphlets, hosting food drives, and fundraising over $400 through a white coat pin sale for the weekly food budget. For our annual health fair, I organized for the Committee of Hispanic Children & Families to advertise their social resources and vocational opportunities for underserved families. I worked with my all-female E-board to host cultural and academic Spanish events throughout the year including creating a medical Spanish terminology pocketbook for students to take to rotations and hosting a Spanish HPI event. I am interested in serving as the Service Chair to continue work similar to my passion project with the food pantry. In undergrad, I worked as a social services representative at a pediatric clinic and volunteered as a Spanish interpreter in a student-run free clinic. It was there that I grew passionate to work with Spanish-speaking clients to bridge the disparity gap driven by language and low socioeconomic barriers. In advocating for holistic health, I believe that one of the biggest impacts in determining long-lasting health is the social determinants in a patient’s life. If we can stabilize some factors, such as ensuring a warm, healthy meal, patients can better focus on their health and well-being. If not considered for SC, I would like to continue being involved in LMSA, and hope to be considered for the Chief Information Officer as my year as President has taught me that good communication and book-keeping is crucial to an organization’s success. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to sharing my experiences at HOD with the other LMSA chapters.

Maria Vera Alvarez, M2, University of Maryland School of Medicine

I was on the executive board of LMSA Southeast region as an undergraduate student. I really loved my position helping with recruitment of undergraduate students and connecting them with LMSA chapters locally. I feel a strength of mine is knowing how LMSA runs monthly meetings and yearly conferences. I am also on the board of my school’s LMSA chapter as our education chair. I really enjoy leadership positions that allow me to work efficiently with diverse team members and host events connecting and bringing people together.