Each month, IR Quarterly will feature an SIR member, sharing their IR story.
Ashley Medley is a fourth-year medical student at Howard University College of Medicine, applying to the 2025 season of the match cycle. She became a medical student member of SIR in 2023 and is actively involved as a member of the RFS Communications Committee and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advancement Coalition. We recently sat down with Ms. Medley to discuss the ways SIR is embracing diversity in its programs and how those programs have had a positive impact on her.
What drew you to medicine, and IR in particular?
Heaven Brown
Ashley Medley: I grew up in Jamaica. Back home, everybody tells you that if you're extremely smart, you should go to medical school. My parents are very big on volunteering, so I worked with a lot of underserved communities. At the time, I was confused as to whether I wanted to do medicine because everybody thought I was smart or because I actually wanted to contribute to improving healthcare literacy and healthcare outcomes for people in my community.
That community service aspect kept following me, so I found myself doing a lot of community service, working with organizations that helped underserved communities, even in the D.C. area. It was at that point when I thought to myself, “I think I'm running from something that I'm actually supposed to be doing.”
I decided to stay at Howard University for medical school because I liked that they’re very big on community service, and that was something that I wanted in my medical training.
Right now, the biggest thing driving me through my medical education that confirms I want to do this is when I interact with patients and see how grateful they are to have someone who acknowledges and listens to them. Whenever I'm with my patients, I always want them to know that this is a conversation between us. This isn't just me speaking to them and telling them what I think they should do. I want to hear their input. The other driving force for me is the global aspect. Because I am from a different country, I want to be able to provide for people on a global scale. Those two things have really continued to drive my passion to stay in this field.
What programs or opportunities have you been able to utilize that you feel have helped you, particularly as a woman of color?
Ashley Medley: One thing that I thought was very important, especially during this season of the match, was the ability to apply to the SIR Foundation Grants for Education of Medical Students (GEMS). That was something that I'd been waiting years to be able to apply for, because I saw colleagues who were medical students at Howard apply to that in previous years. Their experience really spoke to me. Some of the things that I found very interesting were the networking, community, techniques and procedures that applicants probably had never heard about, as well as the opportunity to practice abroad. Not only am I meeting attendings and residents, I'm also meeting students like myself who are interested and look like me. It's great to have that community and know that you're not alone. The fact that SIR Foundation has this opportunity for students who may not see that at their home institution is very beneficial.
How do you manage to balance your time in GEMS with your schoolwork and volunteering?
Ashley Medley: At the time that I was in the GEMS program, I was actually doing my rotations, which was a bit more challenging due to the time zone difference. I had to let my attendings know so they were able to give me time to participate in the program.
It was very important for me to show up for the program and let them know that I really appreciated the opportunity.
Outside of that, I will say time management has never been that much of an issue for me, because I'm one of those people who, when I sign up for something, already knows that I'm giving this everything I've got. I've already sectioned out how much time I'm going to afford for community service projects, gyms or school.
What made you want to share your story with SIR to help us acknowledge Black History Month?
Ashley Medley: It's so important to see people that look like you, and you want to see more people like you in the field. It’s important to show others that they have the opportunity to do this, and that this is another avenue for them.
