by Mohsina Yusuf

Sixteen medical students from all over the state of Georgia gathered in the School of Medicine on a misty Saturday morning to learn more about radiology. On February 23, students from Emory, Medical College of Georgia, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine gained insight about radiology from our very own physicians who were there to provide information, answer questions, and encourage students on their medical journey.

One of the first activities for attendees included writing down 5-7 of their characteristics.

This year’s Medical Symposium, “The Many Faces of Radiology” began with a keynote presentation from Soumaya Khalifa, the founder and current Executive Director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta. Khalifa has been invited to the White House, featured in the New York Times, and was awarded the Phoenix Award—the highest award given to a citizen by the Mayor of Atlanta. Her presentation, “The Muslim Face,” resonated with those in attendance, which included members of the Emory Radiology faculty and staff, because it focused on something we take pride in: diversity and inclusion.

“18% of culture is visible. 82% is invisible,” shared Khalifa. She went on to explain the distinction: Behavior is visible, while customs, beliefs, values, and assumptions are invisible. Throughout her keynote, she shared her experiences as a Muslim American of Egyptian descent, her career, and even helped the audience further understand what inclusion really means.

“[Real Inclusion is] To create an environment where a truly diverse group of people can: Be who they really are while respecting each other; speak freely, be heard, and truly listen to others; contribute fully to the success of their team and their organization; and be valued and rewarded for this contribution in the way they want to be,” read one of Khalifa’s PowerPoint slides. At the end of her presentation, she wanted everyone, especially the students in attendance, to know that regardless of what profession we are in, it is on us to be aware and respectful of different cultures, traditions, and religions.

After the keynote and the lunch that followed, students in attendance broke up into sections to either learn more about Interventional Radiology from Dr. Derek West or learn “Tips from the Experts” with Dr. Christopher Ho and reconvened back in the auditorium as one of our residents, Dr. Mohammed Elsayed, presented “Virtual and Augmented Reality in Radiology and Why Radiology Is Great for You.”

Dr. Derek West leading an informational session on interventional radiology.

Dr. Christopher Ho providing "Tips from the Experts."

The symposium wrapped up with a panel consisting of six members of our faculty who answered all sorts of questions (both funny and serious) to provide insight into radiology for the students in attendance.

(From left to right) Drs. Christopher Ho, Janice Newsome, Aarti Sekhar, Sadhna Nandwana, Nabile Safdar, and Derek West were the six panelists.

To view more pictures from the symposium, see some of the presentation slides, or read the questions and answers from the panel, click here.