Building professional relationships across academic medicine, community organizations, and health systems.
As an Aequitas fellow, you're already part of a national network of medical students, physicians, and faculty advisors who share your commitment to patients. That's a starting point — not the finish line.
Building a professional network in health equity means connecting with three groups: peers (other fellows and medical students), mentors (faculty, practicing physicians), and community partners (organizations and leaders in the communities you serve).
The National Aequitas Health Conference is your best networking venue. Here's how to make the most of it:
Before the conference: Review the speaker list and fellow presentations. Identify 2-3 people whose work overlaps with yours. Prepare one specific question for each.
During presentations: Ask questions during Q&A. Mention your project briefly if relevant — "I'm working on something similar in [region]" opens doors.
After sessions: Follow up with speakers and fellow presenters. A brief message — "I appreciated your presentation on [topic]. I'm working on [your project] and would love to connect" — is enough.
After the conference: Send LinkedIn connection requests within 48 hours with a personalized note referencing the conference. Memory fades fast.
Your community partner is the most important relationship in your fellowship — more important than any conference contact. Invest accordingly.
Show up consistently. Community partners have seen medical students come and go. Reliability is the foundation of trust.
Listen more than you plan. Your community partner knows their community better than you do. Your role is to bring medical knowledge and project capacity — not to diagnose the community's problems.
Give credit generously. In presentations, publications, and conversations, name your community partner and describe their contribution. They're not a backdrop — they're a collaborator.
These organizations are focused on direct patient care, clinical improvement, and research in communities where access to care is limited:
National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) — represents over 1,400 community health centers serving 30+ million patients.
HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce — federal programs supporting health professionals in underserved areas, including the National Health Service Corps.
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) — health equity research and medical education initiatives.
American Medical Association (AMA) Center for Health Equity — data, research, and physician engagement resources.
CDC Office of Health Equity — national health disparities data and community health resources.
These are nonpartisan organizations focused on health outcomes — appropriate for any professional profile.
Return to the full resource library, conference presentations, and grant information.