“We have gone through so much together as a class – from the lows of the anatomy lab to the highs of seeing our first patients in the hospital. I am so proud of the positivity and flexibility my class has exemplified in adapting to virtual residency interviews and a completely changed fourth year schedule. Not only that, but they have jumped at every opportunity to serve our community and fight injustices at a local and national level. I am so excited to see what the match holds for them and what incredible things they go on to accomplish in their careers.”
Lauren Pinion, 2021 MD candidate, Emory School of Medicine, was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up in Alpharetta, Ga. She attended Furman University in Greenville, S.C., where she played soccer and studied physics. Her parents instilled a strong curiosity and love of science and math. Optic fiber research in her sophomore year of college made her consider medical school. Her research had a medical application in radiation therapy. She realized she wanted to be the one talking with patients and delivering the technology rather than doing research behind the scenes. “Having grown up in the Atlanta area, I knew how respected the Emory name was in health care and the importance of Grady Hospital to the city of Atlanta. I was lucky enough to get into my dream school of Emory and ended up going straight into medical school after graduating from undergrad,” says Lauren.
Lauren applied to internal medicine (IM) residency programs with the plan of pursuing a career in academic hospital medicine. “I am thankful to have had the chance to interview at many wonderful residency programs and meet some amazing faculty and program directors along the way. I would be excited to match at any of them, but my top choices include Duke, UT Southwestern, Northwestern and staying at Emory,” says Lauren. She matched in internal medicine at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
She has experienced firsthand the high-level investment Emory faculty give while teaching residents. The unique diversity of training environments stood out, between the public safety-net hospital of Grady and the Atlanta VA Medical Center, Emory Midtown Hospital, and Emory University Hospital. “Dr. Karen Law (of the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency Program in Emory’s Department of Medicine) is an outstanding program director who truly cares about the well-being and professional development of residents. I also believe the Emory IM program does not just espouse diversity and inclusion as values, but puts them into practice through their leadership and what they focus on in didactic sessions,” says Lauren.
Lauren was elected class president at the beginning of her M1 year and says she is extremely humbled to have served and trained alongside this bright and talented group. Her peers have left a lasting impression. “We have gone through so much together as a class – from the lows of the anatomy lab to the highs of seeing our first patients in the hospital. I am so proud of the positivity and flexibility my class has exemplified in adapting to virtual residency interviews and a completely changed fourth-year schedule. Not only that, but they have jumped at every opportunity to serve our community and fight injustices at a local and national level. I am so excited to see what the match holds for them and what incredible things they go on to accomplish in their careers,” says Lauren.