Almost immediately after he joined the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), DaShawn Hickman knew he wanted to help lead it.
Four years later, he’s getting that opportunity. In January, the dual MD-PhD biomedical engineering student was named the national chair of SNMA, and he’ll officially take on that role next month. With more than 7,000 members, SNMA is the largest student medical organization in the country focused on supporting underrepresented minorities—both as medical students and as patients.
“Together we can all combat the systems that are in place perpetuating these health disparities and keeping the number of underrepresented minorities physicians low,” Hickman said.
The organization recognizes the challenges of being a minority and aims to put resources in place to correct them. Members of SNMA have an ever-growing system to support them in test preparation, advice on the everyday challenges of medical school, access to free leadership conferences, and constant mentorship.
“It's hard just being ‘the only,’” he said. “When no looks like you, acts like you or relates to where you've come from, it's hard to feel like you fit in, in addition to all of the other factors that are at play.”
It’s for this reason, among many, that Hickman, a South Carolina native, wanted to be a part of SNMA.
After graduating from Yale University, Hickman immediately got involved with the organization at ϳԹ. He steadily built his presence in the group, filling the role of chapter president for a year and then regional director for two years. When he takes over as chair next month, he will oversee the day-to-day operations of the organization and ensure that it will continue to thrive for years to come.
Though this may sound like a full-time job, remember: Hickman also is a full-time student earning two doctoral degrees, while also being active in the ϳԹ community. He’s a past director of the student-run variety show, "Doc Opera," which raises about $20,000 for the Student-Run Free Clinic every year. As a student interviewer, he gives tours of the medical school. He’s mentored high school students who planned to enter the medical field and been the treasurer for the School of Medicine’s Committee of Student Representatives. He also helped found QGrad, the graduate and professional student LGBTA association, of which he is treasurer.
Plus, he’s doing research with Erin Lavik, the Elmer Lincoln Lindseth Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering, creating nanoparticles with hopes of using them to stop internal bleeding in patients who have experienced trauma.
In the future, Hickman, who is obtaining a doctorate in biomedical engineering along with his medical degree, hopes to work in translational research, similar to what he is doing in Lavik’s lab.
“Being able to see something from the beginning to the end is very gratifying,” he said. “You know you’re doing some sort of good. You can see the impact.”
Seeing that positive impact is what drives Hickman, whether in his medical career or as a leader of the SNMA. Find out what else drives him—and much more—in this week’s five questions.
