Lauren Coaxum, MD, entered the Duke Emergency Medicine (Duke EM) Residency Program in 2020 with a goal to professionally grow in a robust learning environment filled with both clinical and research opportunities.
Growing up, Dr. Coaxum knew that she would become a physician when she was inspired by her pediatrician, a Black woman like herself, and believed that she too could also become a doctor. With a supportive family, Dr. Coaxum later went to Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University for medical school where her interest in emergency medicine (EM) began.
“My interest in emergency medicine came about during medical school through shadowing experiences and lectures by EM attendings,” says Dr. Coaxum. “Once I was finally able to rotate in the emergency department, I loved it as much as I thought I would, and I was incredibly excited that I found such a good fit. Duke EM really stood out to me when I was interviewing for residency. I really liked the feeling of arriving in Durham and meeting with a bunch of kind people who were representing the program so well.”
Since becoming a Duke EM resident, Dr. Coaxum has discovered her interest in research and academic emergency medicine. This led Dr. Coaxum to become a Resident Research Fellow in her Chief Residency. As a Resident Research Fellow, Dr. Coaxum will stay in the Duke EM Residency Program for an extra year to complete her research and clinical training where she has been involved in global health cardiovascular disparities research with her mentor Julian Hertz, MD, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Coaxum’s research fellowship has brought her countless opportunities to grow within the EM field. One such opportunity was taking part in the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine’s Advanced Research Methodology Evaluation and Design course where Dr. Coaxum met with EM physicians, of various levels within their careers, from all over the country to learn about their research. Dr. Coaxum’s passion for research has led her to contribute as a co-author for several published research papers with more awaiting publication.
“I am proud to be a woman in EM and I’m so thankful that I have the opportunity to train here at Duke,” says Dr. Coaxum on this year’s Women’s History Month theme of ‘Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.’
“We have incredible women in our department who serve as role models for me, and I strive to be like them when I graduate from this residency program,” she continues. “We have incredible women from my faculty mentor Dr. Cathleen Bury, to Dr. Catherine Staton’s incredible research accomplishments, Dr. Sreeja Natesan’s strong commitment to being a national leader in medical education, Dr. Lauren Siewny’s work in administration as our Medical Director, and Dr. Erica Peethumnongsin’s ultrasound knowledge and helpful clinical advice to name a few. There are so many others who have made an impact on our program and my training.”