August 15, 2003

MGH Multicultural Affairs Office grooms future leaders

The MGH Multicultural Affairs Office (MAO) is a valuable resource for minority physicians, residents, medical students and researchers. The office works to facilitate and promote the career advancement of underrepresented minorities at the MGH. As one of the many resources available to employees, the MAO developed a series of seminars for residents and fellows that offers guidance for advancement in their careers.

Last summer, the MAO held a seminar about fellowship programs designed to shape future leaders in health care policy. Because of popular demand, MAO held a similar seminar again this year and offered an update on the status of past attendees. Four of the 15 residents who attended last year's seminar applied for fellowships and were accepted to distinguished programs. One of the new fellows is Garth Graham, MD, a resident in MGH Medicine, who was accepted to the White House Fellows program – making him the first resident in MGH history to be selected during training for this highly competitive program. The three other MGH residents were accepted to the Commonwealth Fund program and the Robert Wood Johnson Fellowship program.

"It is so gratifying to see the immediate impact these seminars have," says Elena Olson, administrative director of the MAO. "We hold these seminars to guide trainees down career pathways they may not have chosen on their own." Following the success of the first fellowship seminar, the MAO plans to continue the seminar series in the future.

"These seminars have a positive effect on everyone – the fellows, the individual departments and the hospital itself. We hope to see these physicians come back to the MGH as future health policy leaders," says Olson.