Outside of medicine, Dr. Lauren Diercks’ passion is coaching 10-year-olds in youth soccer. Surprisingly, she has found that practicing medicine and soccer go hand in hand when it comes to leadership, investing in learners, and staying calm in chaotic environments.

Lauren Diercks, M.D.

What this award means: I am honored to receive this award. I have been involved on the Residents and Medical Students (RAMS) Board through the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) for the past two years and will continue as a resident member next year. The board has taught me about leadership, teamwork, and the national environment of emergency medicine.

Mentor comment: Lauren was selected for the award due to her ongoing dedication to the SAEM organization through her involvement in RAMS as well as her contributions to Emergency Medicine (EM) research. She has diverse interests and has consistently chosen activities to further her goals and become a well-rounded and excellently trained EM physician. We look forward to seeing her future contributions to the field. – Mary C. McHugh, M.D., Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Clerkship Director

Background and family: I am from Sacramento, California, and have one sister who is a second-year medical student at UTSW. My parents live in Dallas and have been very supportive through medical school. Our family likes to ski, do CrossFit, and eat cheese.

What led to your career path: My mom, dad, aunt, and grandpa were ski patrollers when I was growing up. I loved skiing with them and watching them help people who got hurt skiing. That was a factor in my choosing to become a doctor. In college, I wanted to learn more about business so that I could take on leadership roles, so I studied marketing. To me, marketing is the most creative part of business, and I have found that it helps me understand patient experiences in the hospital.

College: I graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. I am also a graduate of the Business Leadership Program and University Honors Program at the University of Kansas.

UTSW activities: I served as Emergency Medicine Interest Group President, as a member of the UTSW Parking Citation Appeals Committee, and as a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Surprising fact: I have been coaching youth soccer for the past three years with my dad as my assistant coach. Our team made it to the league championship twice. Coaching has been the most influential part of medical school for my character development and overall wellness.

Future plans: Next year I will be an emergency medicine resident at Stanford Health Care in California and a resident member-at-large on the RAMS Board. I plan to focus on administration and operations.

About the award: The SAEM Award is given annually to a senior medical student for demonstrating excellence and commitment to emergency medicine.