Stephanie Czajkowski, COM ’20
joined the Peace Core from 2009-2011. Stationed in a small village in Africa, she saw firsthand the stark difference in access to medicine for people in developing countries. She says of her experience, “There was no specific moment when I knew I wanted to be a doctor, but something had shifted after my time there… I liked how medicine was both people-oriented and challenging.”
Once she returned to the U.S., she started working in research at Fenway Health in Boston, MA. After a time, she moved into the role of project coordinator, and although she loved the opportunity to work with HIV positive and transgender patients at Fenway Health, she eventually found that she desired more of a challenge. She started looking into medical programs; DO programs in particular. Of her first exposure to the osteopathic tenets, she recalls, “the ideology of the DO really spoke to me. I liked the holistic care, taking other aspects, such as spirituality, into account.” The philosophy aligned with her own idea of what she hoped medical school would be, so much so that she decided not to apply to any MD programs. “I loved UNE COM,” she says. “It felt like a family. During my interview, a random professor said, ‘good luck’ to me, and it was that sense of community that really drew me. I was also really impressed by the Anatomy program, which is what [UNE COM] is known for.”
During her time as a first-year student, Steph was active in several clubs and organizations. In her second year,
she was elected Vice President of the Student
Government Association (SGA), and served as Co-President of the Health Equality Alliance (HEAl) and Curriculum Coordinator for White Coats for Black Lives (WC4BL). Her VP role in the SGA incorporated her into the general council of the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP), comprised of two representatives from every osteopathic medical school (and satellite sites). During those meetings, they covered a wide range of topics including mental health, branding, scholarships, and global health funding.
Her involvement in various capacities at UNE COM ignited her mind aglow. Like a slow, subtle burn, an idea began to take shape that was multi-dimensional, multi-faceted, and interdisciplinary. Her experience, values and vision drove her to pursue something that would benefit her school and every medical student. With the enlisted administrative support of Associate Dean Pat Kelley, Steph spearheaded the formation of the Equity Diversity Advancement Committee (EDAC) at UNE COM.
EDAC Gets In Formation
EDAC was designed as a student-run committee to promote diversity and equity at UNE COM. Steph attracted the help of, at the time, first-year student, Jenna Wozer, COM ’21, and together met with other clubs and organizations, whose missions included aspects of diversity and inclusion, to recruit other students to join the committee. Initially, over ten students became involved in EDAC, including some students in their third year. With Dean Kelley as their advisor, the group initially struggled with their sense of purpose and the direction they wanted to move in. Diversity and inclusion is a massive topic with many layers, and to be effective, the group had to determine what their objectives were and if they were attainable. The committee drafted a well-researched proposal that listed their three focus areas: faculty education and recruitment; advocacy for students through curriculum development, support and education; and recruitment initiatives to help diversify the student body. According to Hwyda Arafat, MD, PhD, co-chair of the Committee on Faculty Affairs and Development, “One of the areas they have been working on is introducing important changes in the curricula for first and second year. They worked on this with our wonderful faculty who made it possible for them to successfully introduce changes throughout this school year.”