Linda Suleiman, MD, a fourth-year resident in Orthopaedic Surgery, has been awarded the 2015 Marco Ellis Legacy Award for her outstanding leadership and commitment to diversity.
“I am truly honored to have received this prestigious award,” Dr. Suleiman said. “Marco Ellis has truly paved the way, and I look forward to continuing his legacy and working towards enriching Northwestern’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.”
Dr. Suleiman previously served as president of the Northwestern McGaw Underrepresented Resident and Fellow Forum (NMURFF), an interdepartmental group for trainees at McGaw that carries out mentoring, career development, outreach and collaboration. In this role, she started a pipeline program to mentor and prepare medical students for residency and future careers.
The award, presented annually by the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University and the Office of Diversity, honors former resident Marco Ellis, MD, ’12 GME, health system clinician in Plastic Surgery, and his efforts in recruiting underrepresented residents and his commitment to housestaff diversity and inclusion.
“Linda has taken the foundation that Marco helped us start, and has really expanded it tremendously, far beyond anyone’s expectations,” said Robert Christopher, executive director of McGaw Medical Center and chair of the Diversity Council of McGaw. “She is a resource, not only for me and our Diversity Council, but also for all of the housestaff, students, residency program directors, coordinators and faculty. She is very deserving of this award.”
Diane Wayne, ’91 MD, vice dean for Education, thanked Dr. Suleiman for her leadership and recognized Terrance Peabody, MD, chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, for his commitment towards diversity.
“Diversity is something that we strive for,” Dr. Wayne said. “A strong team is a diverse team. I want to acknowledge Dr. Peabody and his department for embracing and understanding the importance of diversity within orthopaedics and surgical subspecialties.”