Derek R. Soled, MD ’22 (Class of 2021), MBA ’22, MSc
Health care is in a period of transition. New technology like artificial intelligence, political climates and divides, and medical corporatization are all transforming the role of the physician. At its core, however, the physician’s fundamental ethos has not changed: to do right by the patient. Remembering that guiding principle, however, is becoming increasingly complex in today’s environment, as physicians are tasked with responsibilities that extend beyond the bedside into fields of law, business, and research. Recent graduates like me are forced to quickly navigate these sometimes complementary and sometimes contradictory spheres with little to no guidance.
The Harvard Medical School Alumni Council functions as a golden thread between generations of students who have walked through the doors of Gordon Hall. Through the Council, alumni can share their experiences in medicine with friends and colleagues, as well as their journeys and knowledge with current students preparing to tackle today’s ever-pressing challenges. As class president, I remember attending Alumni Council meetings and being awestruck at the ways alumni–leaders in every part of the health care ecosystem – brought everything back to the central mantra: how can we as a school prepare the next generation to always do right by the patient?
Serving on the Alumni Council would allow me to serve as a member of the bridge between HMS and its graduates. I can think of no better way to give back to the institution that launched my career and continues to inspire and propel me in times of uncertainty and transition. In a health care landscape that is constantly evolving, I would be honored to serve on the council and help ensure that we are preparing the next generation while also preserving the medical school’s core principles, thus allowing HMS physician-leaders to flourish for years to come.
Derek R. Soled, MD ’22 (Class of 2021), MBA ’22, MSc, is the chief resident of the Harvard Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Boston Medical Center. He is currently applying to pulmonary and critical care subspecialty fellowships because of his interest in caring for adult patients with childhood-onset respiratory illnesses. Soled aspires to have a career that combines clinical practice and public service, using his experience and expertise to reform the healthcare system to become more accessible, equitable, and affordable.
Soled’s background and research interests focus on the intersection of clinical medicine, business, and policy, as well as the medical humanities. As a resident physician, he has secured grant funding through the Mass General Brigham Centers of Expertise to conduct research on biomedical ethics and behavioral economics. He has also presented his work at international conferences and grand rounds at various academic medical centers. While at Harvard, Soled received the Henry K. Beecher Prize, the Richard C. Cabot Prize, and the Leon Eisenberg Prize for his research on society and medicine. He has authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles on these topics in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open, the American Journal of Bioethics, Pediatrics, and Academic Medicine.
In terms of service, Soled is committed to creating an equitable health system and a more inclusive and diverse medical community. In the summer of 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as an advisor to the New York City Health Commissioner, Dave A. Chokshi, MD, helping orchestrate the campaign to vaccinate over 6 million New Yorkers. He also led the COVID-19 Medical Student Response Team, which helped coordinate volunteer efforts in Boston and developed a pandemic curriculum used internationally in medical education and policy. During medical school, Soled co-founded Medicine in Motion, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to address medical burnout through fitness, philanthropy, and interdisciplinary community building. The group has raised over $100,000, organized countless community events at home and abroad, and now has over 50 chapters worldwide. For his commitments to service, Soled has received the U.S. Public Health Service’s Excellence in Public Health Award, and Harvard Medical School’s Equity, Social Justice, and Advocacy Award, as well as its Dean’s Community Service Award.
Soled graduated with his medical degree magna cum laude from HMS, where he also served as class president all four years, and his Master of Business Administration with High Distinction as a George Baker Scholar from Harvard Business School. Prior to medical school, he received his Master of Science in medical anthropology from the University of Oxford as a Walter Byers Scholar, the NCAA’s highest academic honor awarded to the country’s best overall male and female student-athlete. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude in molecular biology and sociology, as well as Phi Beta Kappa honors, from Yale University.