Yale Psychiatry residents Nientara Anderson, MD, MHS, and Terrance Embry, MD, MSCI, were recently invited speakers at a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) dialogue session for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Anderson and Embry shared their insight and personal experiences, speaking specifically about the nuances of engaging in activism as medical trainees. They sought to demonstrate the role that trainees play in shaping a more inclusive and equitable academic medical community.
Regarding Anderson and Embry’s contribution, AAMC leadership wrote: “Your passion, expertise, and trainee perspective resonated deeply with our audience, igniting thought-provoking discussions and inspiring meaningful reflection … Your valuable insights and personal experiences, as trainees in the field, brought a vital and impactful perspective to the conversation, enhancing our understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this crucial area.”
Anderson’s research centers on race and racism in medical education and history of science and medicine. She is also a co-founder and director of RebPsych, a conference on the intersection of mental health and social justice, and a co-director of the History of Psychiatry curriculum for the Yale Psychiatry residency.
Embry’s work lies at the intersections of child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction, advocacy, Black identity, LGBTQIA+ identity, and ways in which racism, queerphobia, transphobia, and other systems of oppression cause harm to this patient population as well as trainees in medicine. As a 2023 SAMHSA-funded Reconizing and Elimating disparities in Addiction through Culturaly informed Healthcare (REACH) Scholar, Emplans to use research to advocate for changes in curriculum, policy, and federal law to improve the lives of Black, LGBTQIA+, and other minoritized communities.