Psychiatry Residents Diversity Alliance

Who we are

We are a collective of psychiatry residents from diverse backgrounds at Columbia Medical Center. Our definition of diversity includes ethnicity, race, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, historic tradition, age, religion, socioeconomic background and more. Our group serves as a community to promote and support each other in being leaders in mental health. Through both individual and collaborative work, our members work to strengthen care for patients with many initiatives specifically focusing on minority, marginalized and underrepresented groups. These works vary from doing scholarship and research in race and equity education, community outreach prison mental health care reform, and the implementation of equitable psychiatric care. In order to best support and advocate for our residents, PRDA also directly works with the department on programming for the residency and the department.    

Highlighted Programs/Events

  1. PRDA Welcome Event: An event where new and old PRDA members are able to meet each other and kick off the year! 
  2. PRDA Mentorship Program: All PRDA members are matched with Columbia Faculty members. We are strongly aware of the importance of both mentorship and scholarship.
  3. PRDA Medical Student Event: PRDA works with the medical school in various events with topics ranging from:
    • What it is like to be an underrepresented minority (URM) during clinical years
    • How to promote work on race and equity 
    • Applying to residency as a URM. 
  4. The June Jackson Christmas (JJC) Medical Student First Year program: This program was initially started by the founder of the PRDA, Dr. Patrice Malone. It serves to expose first year medical students to psychiatry at Columbia. For more information and application, please visit: https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/dr-june-jackson-christmas-medical-student-program
  5. The June Jackson Christmas (JJC) Fourth Year Medical Student Selective: This program was started by Dr. Nicole Pacheco, former Co-Chair of PRDA and now an attending in the department, as an extension to the original JJC program. It serves to provide 4th year medical students interested in psychiatry the opportunity to have a funded clinical experience at Columbia. For more information and application please visit: https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/dr-june-jackson-christmas-medical-student-fourth-year-elective

How to contact us 

All inquiries can be sent to Osama.El-Gabalawy@nyspi.columbia.edu, Chiemeka.Ezie@nyspi.columbia.edu, or Natalie.Ramsey@nyspi.columbia.edu.