Celebrity MD: 4 Rising Residents Impacting Medicine

Residents rarely gain recognition within the larger medical community. They are often forgotten in the shadows, often balancing long, difficult schedules with little acknowledgment. But recently, more residents are speaking out on social media and within their residency programs about their struggles, and some are even demanding that hospitals, lawmakers, and medical leadership pay attention to them and recognize their essential role in medicine.

MDlinx is spotlighting some stand-out residents who are breaking through barriers, helping others, and already reshaping the face of medicine. Our editors and medical advisory board worked together to identify stand-out residents, proving that even trainees can leave a mark on the medical landscape. 

Tamia Potter, MD

Founded more than 150 years ago, Vanderbilt University Medical Center has a Black woman in the neurosurgery program for the first time ever. Dr. Tamia Potter, originally from Crawfordville, FL, comes from a family of nurses and found her love for medicine while in high school when she worked as a nursing assistant. Currently, only 33 Black female neurosurgeons are in the US, making Dr. Potter’s achievement even more noteworthy. Dr. Potter told MDLinx it was “ surreal” to learn she had broken such a critical glass ceiling. “When you have a passion for something, working and contributing doesn’t feel like work. Then one day you reach a milestone that (is) the beginning you never knew was even possible,” says Dr. Potter.

Dr. Potter also hopes her success will ultimately translate to better patient care. “You are never just treating patients from one specific demographic or cultural background. Having a diverse clinical staff with backgrounds from all walks of life does help with treating patients holistically and gives them a sense of social safety that their provider does understand them,” she says

Dr. Potter recognizes the many advisors that helped her get to where she is today and recognizes the need for diverse teachers in medicine. “From the academic perspective, having mentors and teachers from a diversity background helps with different methods of teaching, creativity, and inspiration for students to want to achieve more knowing they have people who look like them to aspire to.”

Sarah Brown, MD

Residents often work grueling schedules and unforgiving hours, leaving some calling for better treatment. One resident making the plea a reality is Dr. Sarah Brown, a first-year Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) resident specializing in internal medicine. She helped organize a vote to unionize the residents at MGH. 

 In a first-person article by Dr. Brown, she called into question the mounting debt and harsh schedule that many residents at MGH deal with and how residents often have trouble addressing their grievances through established channels. MGH has about 2,500 residents and fellows across 300 departments.  

Last month, 71% of the total residents and fellows decided to cast their vote. The Housestaff United won the union election with 1,215 votes in favor and 412 votes against.

Dr. Brown told the Harvard Crimson that “The amount of people that showed up to the polls is incredible. We talked to our friends ⁠— our colleagues — we encouraged them to go to the polls. I don’t think any of us imagined that 1600 people would go to the polls.”

Maren Betterman, MD and Grace Chabal, MD

Recently, following other states, Iowa passed House File 732, which would make abortion, in most cases, illegal after cardiac activity is detected, which can occur as early as six weeks. This bill has made some residents question if they want to continue their medical training in the state, including two residents enrolled in the obstetrics and gynecology program at the University of Iowa. 

Dr. Maren Betterman and Dr. Grace Chabal both spoke out against the bill during a Senate subcommittee meeting before the bill passed. Dr. Betterman is interested in treating patients in rural settings, called the bill's impact a crisis, and mentioned she would not practice in Iowa if the bill passed. Dr. Betterman is not alone; in one survey of 2,000 physicians, 76% of physicians said they would not practice or train in a state with abortion restrictions.