Trainee Talk: Reflections From the Young Leadership Council Emerging Leaders Forum

Submitted by: Chineze Nwebube, MD, MSc

On April 26, I had the opportunity to attend the annual AANEM Emerging Leaders Forum as part of the Young Leadership Council (YLC). This was my first meeting, having just joined the council in the fall of 2024. The day began with our council meeting, where we discussed current initiatives and ways to support fellow trainees. The rest of the day featured inspiring sessions designed to help us grow as future leaders in NM medicine—offering practical tools for career development and space to reflect on the kind of leadership we hope to embody and how we can contribute to the field’s evolving needs.

One discussion I was particularly involved in centered on refining the “Beers for Fears” session in the AANEM Annual Meeting. The YLC aimed to make the event more engaging and relevant for today’s early-career physicians by reducing redundancy, diversifying faculty representation, and updating topics to reflect current challenges, including career transitions and balancing work with parenthood. We also explored ways to improve Young Ambassador engagement, including plans for a new orientation session to help incoming members feel welcomed and prepared. Another key initiative involves thoroughly reviewing the Trainee Portal’s educational content. We are assessing what is currently available and working to revise and expand the materials so they stay current, accurate, and relevant to the evolving needs of today’s trainees.

Following the YLC meeting, we participated in a series of faculty-led sessions covering everything from grant writing with Zainab Al-Lawati, MD, and clinical trials with Hani Kushlaf, MD, Dianna Quan, MD, and Faye Tan, MD, to contract negotiations with Bilal Saulat, MD, and Bonnie Weigert, MD, and an engaging EMG case review by Mike Skolka, MD. One session that especially resonated with me was Zach London, MD's talk on academic promotion. Rather than focusing solely on benchmarks for advancement, he encouraged us to think critically about aligning our professional choices with our values and interests. His perspective on recognizing which opportunities support our long-term goals—and understanding when it is okay to say no—was both refreshing and empowering. It served as a reminder that leadership isn’t only about achievement but also about sustainability, self-awareness, and preserving the sense of purpose that drew us to this field in the first place.

I left the forum with a renewed sense of community and commitment to helping shape a more inclusive, thoughtful future for the next generation of NM leaders. I am grateful to AANEM for creating space for these important conversations and for investing in those of us just beginning our journey.