Social Emergency Medicine
and Population Health Advanced Mentorship

The Stanford Social Emergency Medicine and Population Health Advanced Mentorship is a two-year program with an option for applicants to obtain a Masters in Public Health or other related Master's degree.

Emergency departments are the healthcare system’s 24/7 safety nets, providing care for all, regardless of insurance. EM providers navigate complex social needs, making the ED a vital hub for outreach, partnerships, and research that can shape population health and policy.

Goals
Our program trains physician-researchers and educators to address health inequities and social factors that contribute to disease, using the emergency department’s role as a medical and social safety net to reduce disparities for vulnerable populations.

• Educate: Promote the integration of social context into emergency medicine through curriculum design and initiatives at all training levels.

• Advocate: Shape and critique policies affecting marginalized patients in the emergency department.

• Research: Develop, evaluate, and share community-driven interventions that improve population health and integrate social determinants into bedside care.

Fellows combine clinical shifts in an academic teaching hospital with didactics. 

• Fellows are required to work 8 shifts per month (approximately 15 hours per week) as Attending Physician in the emergency department (ED) at Stanford University Hospital, with an academic appointment of Clinical Instructor in the Clinician Educator Line at Stanford University. 
• While attending in the ED, fellows supervise residents and medical students. 
• Clinical time is spent at Stanford University Hospital which is a world-renowned medical center.  It is a Level 1 Adult and Pediatric trauma center with aero-medical transport. The diverse and high acuity patient population provides an excellent opportunity to continue to master clinical skills.  
• All fellows must be ABEM board certified/eligible.

Dr. Mahmoud-Werthmann was the 2021-2023 Stanford Social Emergency Medicine Advanced Mentee (fellow) 2021-2023. She has since joined the faculty of the Stanford Department of Emergency Medicine. This interview is from 2022. 

Describe a specific area of your research. What do you hope to impact through your research?

I am passionate about finding innovative, technology-driven solutions to the chronic underrepresentation, underrecognition, and undercompensation of groups that have been historically excluded from medicine.

One of the primary contributors to these issues is the disparate access to mentorship. Although the benefits of mentorship are well-described, some physicians are less likely to have mentors which harms their career and training experience. Telementorship has the potential to close this mentorship gap.

I am developing an accessible, equitable, and intersectionality-informed virtual mentorship platform that maximizes the opportunity for mentees to find mentors with shared lived experiences.

My current research focuses on evaluating the impact of an automated mentorship matching algorithm on resident wellness and career satisfaction. The algorithm considers the many components that make up our social identities, preferences for demographic concordance, and shared personal and professional interests. 

Why did you choose Stanford for your fellowship?

Stanford is an excellent place to start a career in academic emergency medicine. Not only does Stanford provide physicians with a world-class training experience, but the community here is built on a culture of collaboration, respect, and professionalism. This collective energy strives to ensure that our patients receive high-quality, equitable care and that all learners receive outstanding training experiences. 

Given that my interests span multiple disciplines, including social emergency medicine, clinical operations, and medical education, it made sense for me to pursue fellowship at Stanford.

Some of my recent projects involve:

• working with our pharmacists and substance use navigators to develop an ED-based MAT protocol for patients with alcohol use disorder;
• championing Stanford Health Care’s We Ask Because We Care initiative in the Adult ED in an effort to collect accurate patient demographic data and provide more holistic and patient-centered care; and
• working with our clinical ops faculty to integrate community resources for patients into the after visit summary

I am excited to continue my career in academic emergency medicine and focus my efforts on centering health equity and diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of emergency care and medical education.  

How can people learn more about your work?

Emergency rooms need clear guidelines about how to handle law enforcement

Shift from Metabolize-to-Freedom to Medication-Assisted Treatment

Proceedings from the 2021 SAEM Consensus Conference: Research Priorities for Interventions to Address Social Risks and Needs Identified in Emergency Department Patients

An Affirmative Action Ban Would Be Devastating to Patient Care (Opinion)

Eligibility

• Board-eligible or board-certified emergency medicine physician from 4 year ACGME-accredited emergency medicine residency programs or 3 year ACGME EM programs with minimum 1 year post-graduate experience
• Prior to starting, the applicant must be licensed to practice medicine in the State of California.
• Applicants with a strong clinical background and a demonstrated interest in teaching and in research in population health or ED-based social determinant interventions will be given preference.

To Apply

Interested candidates should contact Dr. Ayesha Khan at akhanx@stanford.edu Director, prior to submitting an application.

Submit by September 30:

• A personal letter outlining your goals and objectives for the fellowship
• Current Curriculum Vitae
• 3 letters of reference (including one from your Residency Director and one from your current Departmental Chair)