Celebrating Black History Month 2024
Every February, the United States honors the contributions, sacrifices, and accomplishments of Black Americans who have helped shaped the nation. Black History Month was founded by Carter G. Woodson in 1926. He created the celebration of Black Accomplishment and he choose February as the month because Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas were both born in February. In 1976, President Gerald Ford nationally recognized Black History Month in a speech. That day, he challenged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout history”. Congress passed the “National Black History Month” into law in 1986. In celebration, the Diversity SIG would like to highlight leaders who exemplify excellence and the promotion of equity and inclusion in their medical practices.
An Interview with Adam Milam, MD, PhD
An Interview with Iyabo Muse, MD, FASA
An Interview with Meron Selassie, MD
An Interview with Adam Milam, MD, PhD, and Uchenna Umeh, MD
Adam Milam, MD, PhD, is an associate professor and cardiac anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, AZ. He received his medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, after obtaining a PhD in mental health from the Johns Hopkins
School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD. His research focus includes opioid use/misuse and harm reduction strategies and methods to improve workforce diversity to name a few. Dr. Milam currently serves as the medical director of the Office of Health
Equity and Inclusion.
An Interview with Iyabo Muse, MD, FASA, and Uchenna Umeh, MD
Dr. Umeh: Can you tell us your name, where you work and your current roles at your home institution, and other societies or organizations?
Dr. Muse: I am an anesthesiologist at the University of Virginia Health System where I currently serve as the Division Chief of Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine.
Dr. Umeh: How do you celebrate Black History Month?
Dr. Muse: I celebrate Black History Month by educating myself on the accomplishments of prominent as well as not so well-known African Americans in history.
Dr. Umeh: Why do you think Black History Month is important to recognize?
Dr. Muse: Black History Month is important to recognize because it provides the opportunity to educate the public on the achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout the history of our great nation. We all need to celebrate those contributions.
Dr. Umeh: Who has served as an inspiration in your life? Who inspired you to be a leader and why?
Dr. Muse: I have had various inspirational people in my life from my mother, my aunt, and to my many mentors and sponsors. As for my academic leadership aspirations, I would like to highlight two of my mentors, Tracey Straker, MD, MS, MPH, CBA, FASA,
and Vilma Joseph, MD, MPH, FASA, who encouraged me to be actively involved in both the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA) and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) as a resident and through their support and direction I was
able to move up through the leadership chain to become NYSSA District 3 Alternate Director. In addition, Dr. Straker and Dr. Joseph are one of the few African American women professors of anesthesiology in medicine.
Dr. Umeh: What motivated you to step up and become a leader within your institution?
Dr. Muse: I was motivated to leadership because I had the desire to effect change to improve patient care and safety, as well as provide equitable care to all members of the community.
Dr. Umeh: What factors impact one’s ability to lead others?
Dr. Muse: Factors such as effective communication, developing emotional intelligence, ability to create Buy-in from others, and the willingness of others to accept change are important for leadership.
Dr. Umeh: What challenges have you faced so far as a physician and anesthesiologist? How did you overcome them?
Dr. Muse: As a woman of color in medicine, I have faced microaggressions in the workplace, from mischaracterization of my job title to undermining of my medical practice. Some of the keys to overcoming these challenges is having support from leadership within my organization and having mentors whom I can seek advice from. It also doesn’t hurt to have self-belief and strong family support.
Dr. Umeh: Many institutions have made great strides in diversity and inclusion over the years, why is diversity and inclusion important in medicine and specifically in pain medicine?
Dr. Muse: Diversity and inclusion are important in medicine to improve patient outcomes and expand healthcare access to marginalized communities. Studies have shown that patients tend to be more compliant with medical advice if it comes from a provider
that looks like them or one with similar culture. In pain medicine, this also stands true. Patients of color tend to accept the offer of peripheral nerve blocks and parturient of color tend to accept the offer of epidural anesthesia for labor pain.
Dr. Umeh: What career accomplishment makes you most proud?
Dr. Muse: I am proud of being a mentor to several residents. It is always nice running into former residents and seeing how they have flourished in their own careers as young faculty and the appreciation they have for the education and clinical exposure
in training that have shaped their own professional growth.
Dr. Umeh: What advice would you give to young physicians as they navigate their careers?
Dr. Muse: I would advise young physicians to: Be open, don’t be afraid to ask for help in the workplace. It is okay to not know everything. Seek mentors within your department and outside your department. Your mentor does not have to be someone
that looks like you.
Dr. Umeh: Is there anything else you would like to note?
Dr. Muse: Self-care is important. Find something you enjoy doing outside of work because those things are what will be your escape when you have a bad day at work.
An Interview with Meron Selassie, MD, and Uchenna Umeh, MD
Dr. Umeh: Can you tell us your name, where you work and your current roles at your home institution, and other societies or organizations?
Dr. Selassie: My name is Meron Selassie, and I’m an assistant professor in the department of anesthesia at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, SC. I serve as the chronic pain fellowship director at MUSC and serve on the Board of Directors for the Pain Society of the Carolinas.
Dr. Umeh: How do you celebrate Black History Month?
Dr. Selassie: Black History Month is a reminder to celebrate the achievements and impact black people have had in American life. I honor black history by supporting black-owned businesses in my city of Charleston. I make it a mission to educate myself on the lived experiences of black people in America. This year I plan to watch one of my favorite film makers, Ava Duvernay’s, movie entitled Origin and tour the newly opened International African American Museum in Charleston.
Dr. Umeh: Why do you think Black History Month is important to recognize?
Dr. Selassie: I’m a firm believer that black history is American history and should be acknowledged throughout the year. Black civil rights icons have long served as the moral compass for this nation, reminding America to live up to its founding principles that all people are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Though we have a lot of work ahead to achieve justice and opportunity for all, I am horrified to think where we’d be as a nation without Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and countless other American heroes. My favorite history teacher would often say “the past is prologue.” We cannot contextualize modern day events or address current and future societal challenges without truthfully acknowledging our past. Black History Month affords us this time of reflection.
Dr. Umeh: Who has served as an inspiration in your life? Who inspired you to be a leader and why?
Dr. Selassie: I was born in Ethiopia and immigrated to the United States at the age of four. My father has had the biggest impact on my life and career because of his unyielding belief in my potential even when I doubted myself. He pushed me to take chances and move out of my comfort zone. Most importantly, he led by his example as he climbed the ranks of academia despite the barriers in his path. In my career, Brooke Chidgey, Gabe Hillegass, and countless other friends and mentors have inspired me along this journey.
Dr. Umeh: What motivated you to step up and become a leader within your institution?
Dr. Selassie: As an introvert, I tend to shy away from the spotlight. I identify an unmet need and brainstorm ways to help. My colleagues and I had long talked about the scarcity of subspecialty chronic pain care in our state and the need to grow the pool of fellowship trained pain providers for the people of South Carolina. This catapulted our effort to establish the only multidisciplinary ACGME-accredited fellowship in our state. I was asked to head the fellowship and accepted the invitation.
Dr. Umeh: What factors impact one’s ability to lead others?
Dr. Selassie: I believe becoming a good leader is a skill that can be acquired through study and practice. Some of the leaders who inspire me are deeply empathic people who are active listeners and great communicators. They are accountable, resilient, and adaptable to meet the demands of the situation.
Dr. Umeh: What challenges have you faced so far as a physician and anesthesiologist? How did you overcome them?
Dr. Selassie: Like many physician moms, I have struggled to juggle both roles without feeling guilt or exhaustion or both. I am still actively working on this one but lean heavily on my tribe for support. I’m learning to give myself grace during my stumbles.
I have struggled with imposter syndrome at different points in my career which is doubly compounded for underrepresented in medicine females. Listening to Beyoncé and positive affirmations help me through it but it still rears its head from time to time.
Dr. Umeh: Many institutions have made great strides in diversity and inclusion over the years, why is diversity and inclusion important in medicine and specifically in pain medicine?
Dr. Selassie: Numerous studies in varied health care settings demonstrate undertreatment of pain for women and racial/ethnic minorities that have deep historical roots. We have known about this healthcare disparity for decades but have not made meaningful progress to remedy this. Diversity and inclusion efforts are important tools to redress these harms. Diverse teams are more productive, innovative, engaged, and tend to produce better results than teams lacking diversity. Inclusion in healthcare settings improves workplace culture leading to greater employee retention, engagement, and performance. Diversity and inclusion provide a means to deliver higher quality pain care to the patients we treat to optimize their quality of life and functioning.
Dr. Umeh: What career accomplishment makes you most proud?
Dr. Selassie: I am most proud of the mentoring relationships I’ve fostered in my career and witnessing the success of my mentees over the years. Other career highlights are creation of diversity, equity, and inclusion committee in the department of anesthesia and a multidisciplinary pain medicine fellowship at MUSC.
Dr. Umeh: What advice would you give to young physicians as they navigate their careers?
Dr. Selassie:
- Say yes to things. Don’t let perfectionism, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or anything else stop you from accepting opportunities that can open doors.
- Seek out different types of mentors to meet different needs. Though it is great to find URM faculty mentors, many institutions simply don’t have the numbers to support this. Find mentors and sponsors who believe in you and will support your career development.
- Frequently remind yourself about the “why” motivating your career aspirations. Keeping your inspirations/motivations at the forefront can help you persist throughout the journey.
Dr. Umeh: Is there anything else you would like to note?
Dr. Selassie: Thank you to Dr. Renuka George and Dr. Umeh for this invitation.
Meron Selassie, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician. She is a strong advocate of compassionate and comprehensive pain management to return patients to a higher level of function and to improve their quality of life. Dr. Selassie received her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, and continued her education in the university's four-year residency in the department of anesthesiology and critical care. Following eight years in Philadelphia, she completed a chronic pain management fellowship at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC. She worked in private practice for a year before returning to practice medicine in her home state of South Carolina. She is the program director for the pain medicine fellowship at MUSC.
Dr. Selassie serves on the board of directors of the Pain Society of the Carolinas and is a member of several regional and national anesthesiology and pain societies. She has published research articles in peer reviewed medical journals along with several book chapters and presentations on pain medicine topics. She is interested in diversity and inclusion in graduate medical education, neuromodulation and ablative therapies.