Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
The Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (NURF) began its mission of community outreach, mentorship, recruitment and retention, 14 years ago. This diverse resident-run group has consistently been a safe harbor community for many of our residents and fellows. I am very proud to sponsor this group with Office of Healthcare Equity. This month I have invited Dr. Ivonne Beltran Lara to be the guest writer for the DIO blog.
Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Official
Ivonne Beltran Lara, MD
When I was searching for a residency program, I was looking for a program supportive of individuals underrepresented in medicine and with diverse identities and backgrounds – an institution that fosters diversity and values the integrity of hard work, as well as healthcare equity and inclusion of those who are historically disenfranchised. In 2020, deciphering which institution truly upheld this mission was especially difficult as we were faced with Zoom screens and the lack of human connection. It was the first year that residency interviews went virtual, and applicants would have to rank a list of programs based only on virtual encounters.
Humanity was facing a worldwide pandemic that was wreaking havoc in all communities especially in Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) communities. The reality of the atrocious effects of inequities and structural racism in our society was on the forefront of every media outlet and in the conversations of everyone. This made it even more important for me to find a residency that would help me thrive and celebrate the various identities I hold: I am a woman, a person of color, a first-generation physician, an immigrant, and a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient. These identities made me the courageous and tenacious person I am today, and yet they are also vulnerabilities in environments where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are not supported or celebrated.
During the process of my residency interviews, I was introduced to the Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (NURF) at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Through NURF, I met residents and fellows who were part of the different training programs and who identified as underrepresented individuals in medicine (URiM).
I attended the first ever NURF Diversity Town Hall led by Drs. Ashley Eaves (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation) and Joseph Nelson (Family Medicine), NURF’s 2020-2021 President and Vice President, respectively. I was impacted by the leaders who were at the forefront of DEI work and the community that it brought together. The community I met during this town hall surged my interest in UW. NURF would be the organization and platform through which I could continue DEI work. It would shepherd and strengthen a community I could depend on when presented with challenges that underrepresented physicians experience in a historically exclusionary field.
As a resident, I became an active participant in NURF. For the 2023-2024 academic year, I have the privilege of serving as president of NURF. Dr. Jessica Sher (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, VP of NURF) and I partnered to lead this year’s Diversity Town Hall. We were grateful to have the support of Graduate Medical Education (GME) and the Office of Healthcare Equity (OHCE) once again.
During our town hall, we presented our commitment to anti-racism, healthcare equity, and diversity efforts. We introduced NURF as a community for residency applicants who identify as underrepresented in medicine and their allies. Our purpose is to ensure applicants know that NURF is committed to supporting medical trainees who need a safe space and who are looking for a community they can count on. We are also committed to holding our faculty leaders and the institution accountable to the dire need to recruit and retain diverse trainees and faculty. My hope is that via this Diversity Town Hall, we reassure future URiM residents that we are a network committed to the efforts that allow underrepresented groups in medicine to thrive and will advocate for their success.
Thanks to those who continue their work to support NURF and make this town hall an annual reality. I am continuously proud and inspired by the work my colleagues and past NURF members do to make sure our community continues to be a palpable presence.
Ivonne Beltran Lara, MD
R3, Family Medicine
NURF President 2023-2024
The UW Medicine Huddle recently featured an article on NURF’s 2023 Diversity Town Hall: NURF Hosts Diversity Town Hall.