Over the course of a weekend in mid-September, Geisel School of Medicine hosted for the first time the National Leadership Institute (NLI)—a triannual meeting of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and its National Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS)— to foster community through networking and workshops.
Peggy-ita Obeng-Nyarkoh MED’27, MS, Geisel’s SNMA chapter president, says of the importance of this gathering, “When people think about a medical student or a doctor, they don’t usually think of Black people. Similarly, they don’t think about Dartmouth or New Hampshire. Having NLI here was our way of working towards changing that narrative.”
For many Black students, Obeng-Nyarkoh says, SNMA and MAPS were among the first places they heard yes to their career aspirations rather than hearing they would never be good enough, smart enough, or talented enough to call themselves medical students, or doctors. SNMA became a haven, a support system, a mentorship network, and a cheerleading squad.
“To have the opportunity to gather in community and be empowered by those around us all weekend was extraordinary. To do so in a place like New Hampshire—where less than two percent of the population is Black—was historical.”
One of Obeng-Nyarkoh’s goals as chapter president is to strengthen community and existing networks among Black pre-medical students, medical students, and practicing physicians in the Upper Valley region. “It is my hope that the bonds that we forged will sustain us through our careers while also serving as a beacon to others like us—letting them know that there is a place for them at Dartmouth and within medicine.”
She is also grateful for Geisel’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement for their partnership in making the NLI meeting a reality, “it would not have been possible without the contribution of everyone in that office.”
SNMA is committed to serving current and future underrepresented minority medical students by equipping them to address the needs of underserved communities, and to increase the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent, and socially conscious physicians.
By hosting the NLI, Dartmouth was able to join in that commitment.
