Carlie Stein Somerville, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Medicine's Division of General Internal Medicine, is the junior faculty winner of the Dean's Excellence Award in Diversity Enhancement.
Dr. Somerville received her doctorate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2013. She completed her Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency and served as chief resident in 2018.
As the UAB Med-Peds Program Director, Somerville implemented a holistic review of applicants, increasing the program's Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) recruitment from 0 percent of residents to 25 percent of residents in two years. She created structured support, sponsorships, and paired mentorships for URiM residents. Somerville implemented a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion curriculum, including panels for patients and healthcare workers to share experiences with racism, macroaggressions, and LGBTQIA+ care.
Somerville was invited to join the Advisory Board of the "Presence 5 National Community" to develop innovative approaches for communicating issues on racial justice. Somerville and the team created materials aimed at improving healthcare communication with Black patients. The results have been disseminated nationally in meetings and journals.
Somerville co-chaired a community educational conference in partnership with a local non-profit for patients, caregivers, and healthcare workers to learn about the medical and social resources that could improve their healthcare as adults with disabilities, drawing over 100 participants from all over the state. Somerville has also led curricular development on disability inclusion care and healthcare transition of adults with Spina Bifida and other diseases.
Somerville also serves as the Jewish Medical Student Association Faculty Advisor. She currently serves as the administrative vice president of the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, with plans to become board president of the school for the 2023-2024 academic year.
“I support Dr. Somerville with the utmost enthusiasm,” said Carlos Estrada, M.D., M.S., professor of Medicine and director of UAB General Internal Medicine. “Not only is she recognized nationally for diversity enhancement and advocacy for Med-Peds residents and patients with disabilities, but she also serves as a core member of our Jewish community.”