The Southern Medical Association (SMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ishika Patel, MS, to SMA’s Physician-in-Training (PIT) Committee. 

Ishika, who will serve on the PIT Committee's Outreach Subcommittee, is a third-year medical students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Heersink School of Medicine. She holds a Masters in Multidisciplinary Biomedical Sciences and a Bachelors in Neuroscience from UAB. During medical school, Ishika developed a strong interest in dermatologic diseases, epidemiology, and nutrition, leading her to pursue research topics focused on various aspect of these interrelated fields.

Ishika was inspired to serve within the Committee after attending the 2025 PIT Leadership Conference, where she says, “The welcoming environment cultivated by the committee provided me with the confidence to present my work and encouraged me to continue my engagement with research.” She hopes to help foster that same supportive environment for others while gaining experience in organizing impactful educational opportunities. “I believe joining the PIT Committee would allow me to pay forward the guidance I have received by designing structured events focused on educating and inspiring others at various stages in their career journey.”

The duties of the Physicians-in-Training Committee are to participate in the development and evaluation of educational activities and programming of the Association aimed at pre‐medical students, medical students, interns, residents, and fellows. The Physicians‐in‐Training Committee will assist the Association in building the Association’s Foundational Pillar that recognizes that physicians in training have importance, special needs, and concerns, and will support their growth and development in their future healthcare careers.