Nichole Smith, MD

I am an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania with a concurrent clinical appointment in the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. In this role, and in my previous roles as Resident and Ambulatory Chief Resident, I have participated in research focused broadly on health equity, with interests in chronic disease outcomes for survivors of community and police violence, transitions of care for vulnerable patient groups, and community engagement as a domain of medical education. As Core Faculty in the internal medicine residency program, I continue to educate medical students and residents on these topics and am developing an Urban Health Equity Track for highly motivated residents. I have developed research skill sets both in quantitative analysis and qualitative methods using trauma-informed approaches to developing focus group questions surrounding often sensitive topics in the realm of social determinants. My unpublished current work focuses on optimizing clinical workflow for transitions from the inpatient or community setting to the primary care clinic for individuals with limited access to healthcare resources, including newly insured patients, recently incarcerated patients, and patients with substance use disorders. I have also participated in prior medical education research projects regarding the development of sustainable, effective health equity curricula for medical students and resident physicians.