Michelle Noelck, MD
Doernbecher Children's Hospital at OHSU

I am honored and delighted to be considered for selection to the Nomination and Awards Committee. Being a member of COMSEP has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling activities in my academic career, and it would give me great joy to have the opportunity to highlight the achievements of the wonderful people in this thriving and diverse community of educators. I am a Pediatric Hospitalist at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), and the OHSU Pediatric Core Clerkship Director. I have an active role in residency specialty advising in our department, and previously served for five years as a Colleges Coach in the OHSU school of medicine, supporting the longitudinal growth, wellness and professional identity development of students over the duration of their medical student careers.

Since joining COMSEP in 2016 I have served on the Curriculum Revision Action Team, working to update, revise, and restructure the COMSEP Core Clerkship Curriculum. Following this I participated in the NBME pediatrics subject exam item writing group, working alongside others from COMSEP to refine pediatric subject exam questions to more closely align with the revised curriculum. Currently I am a member of the Core Clerkship Collaborative, and with this group am working to create new instructional methodologies that map to the objectives in the revised COMSEP curriculum.

I am so grateful for what COMSEP has given to me- an academic home, a welcoming community, a wonderful network of colleagues and friends- and I desire the opportunity to give back.  Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. The last two years have been immeasurably hard, and finding joy in our work feels more difficult than ever, however, I believe we can harness the gratitude that abounds within COMSEP, and spread joy through recognizing and honoring one other’s achievements.  As a member of the Nomination and Awards Committee I will seek to honor and highlight the experiences, achievements and contributions of our diverse COMSEP community.

Megan Rashid, MD
Golisano Children's Hospital

My name is Megan Rashid, and I am honored to have been nominated to the Nominations and Awards Committee. I am a pediatric nephrologist at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, NY.  My other roles include being the Associate Director for the Pediatrics Clerkship, the Medical Director of 7S (a general inpatient unit), and the Director of Pediatric Ambulatory Quality here at the University of Rochester Medical Center.  My academic interests include creating an optimal learning environment, effective teaching and promoting anti-racism efforts in medicine.  In addition, I am involved in a number of efforts to promote joy in work through improved interprofessional communication, policy changes, career counseling, positive psychology and leadership training.

I currently am one of the collaborative leaders for the COMSEP Wellness Collaborative.  In addition, I am a member of the Workshop Selection Committee.  At upcoming conference, I am an instructor for workshops on the topics of Joy in Work, Equity Pause, and Pathways to Medicine.

COMSEP has been an integral part of my professional and personal development.  I have been inspired by the people I meet and by the tools I have acquired.  They have been critical in helping me to grow into an academic position in which I can take advantage of my strengths while maintaining balance in my life.  Through future efforts I hope to be able to contribute to others having a similar experience.

As a member of the Nominations and Awards Committee, I would like to encourage members from a variety of lived experiences to be involved in leadership and in scholarly work.  This will enable COMSEP to continue its journey in creating an inclusive, supportive environment in which all members feel that their voices are heard and valued.