Learner Story: From school bus to white coat
For almost 25 years the Summer Science Academy at Emory School of Medicine has been bringing Atlanta-area high school students from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine onto campus to open their eyes to the wonders of science. Now, a former participant from the 2011 group named Daeja Hamm is a second-year medical student at Emory. And through her campus leadership and professional aspirations, she is committed to paying it forward and supporting black women in medicine today and in years to come.
Growing up watching medicine
When Daeja was a child growing up outside of Atlanta in Union City, she had a unique proximity to the medical field.
“My mom was a single mom. When she went to work at the hospital, if she couldn't find someone to watch me, she would bring me along with her,” said Daeja. “I got used to being in the hospital very early in my life.”
Though she was interested in science as a child, she says she couldn’t really see herself as a doctor - maybe she would become a lab researcher, she thought. One day, when Daeja was a teenager her mom told her about a program called the Summer Science Academy at the Emory School of Medicine. The following summer, Daeja enjoyed a “fun and intense” learning experience in the program and emerged with a new outlook.
“One of the medical students there as a mentor told me: ‘You could go here - you could be a medical student,’” said Daeja “After I left, I thought that maybe I should actually consider it.”
A new aspiration
After that summer, Daeja showed new interest in medicine, asking to shadow her mother’s colleagues at the hospital, then pursuing a chemistry major at Kennesaw State University, and later starting work as a medical scribe in Emory’s emergency department during college. When she heard about Emory’s new initiatives to increase diversity, she began to envision herself as a student at Emory.
Support from a mentor
When she interviewed at Emory, she encountered a familiar face: Dr. Robert Lee, former Associate Dean of Multicultural Affairs, who she had met almost a decade before when he directed the Summer Science Academy. Dr. Lee encouraged Daeja to call or text him throughout the entirety of the application process, and ended up being a significant presence for her as he has been for many other students of color at the School of Medicine.
From dream to reality
In 2018, Daeja became the first student from the Summer Science Academy to enroll at Emory School of Medicine. Now in her second year, Daeja is beginning clinical rotations and hopes to pursue a career in OB-GYN medicine.
At first Daeja found it difficult to grasp the fact that she was a student at Emory School of Medicine. “I kept thinking that this was all a dream, it wasn’t real. But this is real, and I can do things to make sure other people have the opportunity to do what I’m doing,” she said.
Paving the road
As the outgoing president of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), an organization serving students who are underrepresented in medicine, Daeja has found SNMA to be a crucial community on campus, in both its formal and informal roles.
“Whenever we feel that the curriculum isn’t matching up to how we want to be represented, we’ll start a conversation with faculty” said Daeja. “We are able to sit down with faculty or deans and have a productive conversation and that is what I feel sets Emory School of Medicine apart.”
Daeja added that support from the Dean’s Office allows the SNMA to host events such as Kwanzaa, the largest event of the year. The SNMA also helps the Office of Multicultural Affairs in their recruitment efforts and focuses on building relationships with applicants early on.
“One of my favorite parts of SNMA is that we also try to build a community within a community so that when things get a little bit more rough for this specific crowd, people who understand your background are at least available to help you,” said Daeja.
Moving toward progress
For Daeja, working with SNMA and collaborating with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Dean’s Office has been a rewarding part of her medical school experience.
“You can really see that they’re genuinely interested in having people from diverse backgrounds here, they're not just trying to check off boxes,” said Daeja. “Everyone is really interested in making Emory reflect at least Atlanta or the country as a whole. They’re like, ‘We as an institution need to do better about making sure we hear the voices of our black and brown students and our LGBT+ students.’”
Daeja encourages staff and faculty to keep listening to underrepresented medical students inside the classroom and out:
“When people from marginalized backgrounds speak up, it’s because they’ve mustered up the courage to do so,” said Daeja. “If we continue to listen to each other, then we will all be better for it.”
Supporting tomorrow’s black female physicians
Daeja hopes to continue to work to support younger black women in medicine.
“I really do want for people - especially young black girls, to see that there are people who have done this before,” said Daeja. “There are people doing the work to make sure that they can do it too, and it’s not going to be as scary.’”
Dr. Yolanda Hood, Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, echoed this commitment to paying it forward that she sees in Daeja.
“Daeja has consistently been involved in community service and service-oriented projects in her time at Emory. She understands the importance of giving back, and that’s apparent in her engagement not only within the School of Medicine but also within the Atlanta community.”
Full-circle
This past summer, at the closing ceremony of the Summer Science Academy, Daeja presented an award to Dr. Lee, commemorating his many years of service to the program. A scholarship in his name to support first-generation students in the Atlanta area, was also unveiled.
“If you would have told me then that I was going to present an award to Dr Lee as a medical student, I would have called you crazy,” said Daeja.
A long way
In 1995, Dr. Lee ran a science program for high schoolers focused on inquiry and discovery. With only eight students, it was a small group that went behind the Carlos Museum to take the bark off rotting logs and learn about insects and decomposition. Almost twenty-five years later, the program has developed into Summer Science Academy (SSA), a two-week science enrichment program that has seen over 3,000 student participants over the years.
While the SSA has grown in scale, Dr. Lee’s vision for a hands-on and exciting learning environment hasn’t faltered.
“We don’t expect them to leave our summer program earning the Nobel Prize,” said Dr. Lee. “But if we can excite them about learning, the life lessons they take away may have nothing to do with science or medicine.”
Retirement but not departure
Though Dr. Lee retired last year, he is still embedded in the Emory community, not to mention the lives of many students who passed through the halls during his tenure.
“I never forgot my role as dean. But I also recognize that I can be influential in their lives serving as a confidante, serving as a sounding board, and a listening ear,” said Dr. Lee.
“He’s been a very integral part of the School Of Medicine especially for underrepresented medical students, we are definitely going to miss him” said Daeja.
Building networks of support
After launching the Summer Science Academy, the Office of Multicultural Affairs has continued to grow a robust series of pipeline mentorship and educational programs for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The programs range from Emory Pipeline Collaborative’s (EPiC) three-year continuum of learning program for high schoolers to Health Professions Readiness Education Program (HealthPREP), a program for undergraduates interested in healthcare professions.
Since 2010, over 1,500 high school students have participated in these pipeline programs. And for the EPiC program, since 2010, 100% of program participants have been accepted to a 2 or 4 year college.
“These programs increase access to educational opportunities for students and give them a sense of belonging,” said Dr. Hood. “We tell them, ‘you are part of the Emory community,’ from day one.”
Daeja sees almost three times as many students of color in her class year than in the year above her, as well as increased representation in the year below.
Dr. Hood notices more alums of the Summer Science Academy beginning to apply to the School of Medicine following Daeja’s example.
“Now that more and more students of color are enrolling at Emory, it’s a time to celebrate,” said Dr. Lee.