Southwest
Regional
Elections

Seema Policepatil, MD, MBA, FACP

Bio-sketch

Dr. Seema Policepatil is a physician leader, educator, and innovator focused on health equity, quality improvement, mentorship, and organizational leadership. She has held leadership roles in professional and clinical settings, advancing initiatives that support physician development and inclusive leadership. Dr. Policepatil is recognized for her collaborative approach and commitment to strengthening the physician workforce across diverse communities.

Personal Statement

I am honored to submit my nomination for the position of Southwest Regional President-Elect. I seek this role with a deep commitment to physician leadership, equity, mentorship, and regional collaboration, and with a clear vision for strengthening our organization’s impact across the Southwest.

As a physician leader, I have consistently worked at the intersection of clinical care, education, and advocacy. My leadership experiences have focused on advancing health equity, supporting professional development, and building systems that empower physicians—particularly women and those from historically underrepresented backgrounds—to lead with confidence and purpose. These experiences have prepared me to serve the Southwest Region with both strategic focus and collaborative leadership.

The Southwest is a uniquely diverse region, encompassing wide geographic variation, complex patient needs, and a dynamic physician workforce. Our region faces ongoing challenges related to access to care, workforce sustainability, and persistent health disparities. At the same time, it also offers tremendous opportunity for innovation, mentorship, and shared leadership. As President-Elect, my priorities would include strengthening engagement across southwest region, expanding mentorship and leadership development opportunities, and creating intentional pathways for early-career physicians and trainees to become active regional leaders.

My leadership style is grounded in transparency, active listening, and accountability. I value collaboration and believe that strong regions are built through relationships, clear communication, and consistent follow-through. I bring experience in strategic planning, organizational governance, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, along with a commitment to translating ideas into sustainable action. As a treasurer/ secretary, I have learnt the value that SGIM brings to physicians and trainees.

If elected, I would work closely with regional and national leadership to ensure continuity while preparing to lead with clarity and integrity. I am grateful for the opportunity to be considered and would be honored to serve the Southwest Region and advance the mission of our organization.

Jeremy Snyder, MD

Bio-sketch

I am a dual-boarded Internal Medicine and Pediatrics clinician-educator with specialized training in HIV care, adolescent and young adult medicine, gender-affirming care, and addiction medicine. My scholarship and teaching focus on HIV treatment and prevention (PrEP/PEP), youth transitions in care, implementation of long-acting injectable therapy, and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), with a track record of national presentations and guideline development.

Personal Statement

I joined Society of General Internal Medicine as a third-year Internal Medicine-Pediatrics resident. Although I was initially skeptical of the benefits of joining a professional organization, I quickly came to appreciate the mentorship, educational resources, and national advocacy SGIM offers. This value has only grown as an early-career clinician educator, and I now call SGIM my professional home.

Stepping into a leadership role within the Southwest Region seems the natural next step as I attempt to give back to the community that has supported me. As region secretary, I aim to further support SGIM’s outreach and impact across our area. Whether helping plan a successful regional meeting or collaborating with leaders of other regional organizations, I hope to highlight SGIM’s relevance to internists throughout the region—just as others once did for me.

Varalakshmi Niranjan, MD, MBA, DABOM, DABLM

Bio-sketch

I am a board-certified Internal Medicine physician with additional board certifications in Obesity Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, currently serving as Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. My career integrates primary care, cardiometabolic disease prevention, obesity management, and lifestyle medicine with a strong emphasis on education, mentorship, health equity, and community engagement. I lead the SMILES program at Stanford, a multidisciplinary initiative that brings together physicians, dietitians, pharmacists, and health coaches to improve outcomes in obesity, diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction–associated liver disease through culturally responsive, evidence-based lifestyle interventions.

A defining component of my professional trajectory has been sustained engagement in academic medicine and professional societies, particularly the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM). My leadership experience includes serving as Membership Chair for the SGIM New England Region (2020–2022), scientific abstract reviewer at national and regional meetings, clinical vignette reviewer, and session moderator. These roles strengthened my skills in member engagement, mentorship of trainees and early-career physicians, cross-institutional collaboration, and organizational planning.

In addition to SGIM, I have held leadership and committee roles across multiple national professional organizations, academic institutions, and hospital systems, focusing on curriculum development, diversity and inclusion, population health, quality improvement, and advocacy. My combined experience in clinical practice, academic leadership, educational innovation, and organizational service positions me to contribute meaningfully to initiatives that foster community building, scholarly growth, and excellence in general internal medicine and lifestyle-focused care.

Personal Statement

I am a board-certified Internal Medicine physician with additional board certifications in Obesity Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, currently serving as Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. My career integrates primary care, cardiometabolic disease prevention, obesity management, and lifestyle medicine with a strong emphasis on education, mentorship, health equity, and community engagement. I lead the SMILES program at Stanford, a multidisciplinary initiative that brings together physicians, dietitians, pharmacists, and health coaches to improve outcomes in obesity, diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction–associated liver disease through culturally responsive, evidence-based lifestyle interventions.

A defining component of my professional trajectory has been sustained engagement in academic medicine and professional societies, particularly the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM). My leadership experience includes serving as Membership Chair for the SGIM New England Region (2020–2022), scientific abstract reviewer at national and regional meetings, clinical vignette reviewer, and session moderator. These roles strengthened my skills in member engagement, mentorship of trainees and early-career physicians, cross-institutional collaboration, and organizational planning.

In addition to SGIM, I have held leadership and committee roles across multiple national professional organizations, academic institutions, and hospital systems, focusing on curriculum development, diversity and inclusion, population health, quality improvement, and advocacy. My combined experience in clinical practice, academic leadership, educational innovation, and organizational service positions me to contribute meaningfully to initiatives that foster community building, scholarly growth, and excellence in general internal medicine and lifestyle-focused care.

Jeanette Schnierle, MD, MPH

Bio-sketch

Dr. Jeanette Schnierle is currently a primary care physician in General Internal Medicine and Academic General Pediatrics at the University of California in San Diego. She is a recent graduate from the Med/Peds residency program at Ohio State University/ Nationwide Children’s Hospital and was Chief Resident of education for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Ohio State University. Although she has lived in the Midwest most of her life, she was born in Mexico and has a strong connection to her roots; her background motivated her deep interest in working with Spanish-speaking, underserved and historically marginalized communities. She graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in Neurobiology and a minor in Ethnic Studies and then worked at the University of Michigan researching the influences of childhood stress on obesity. She obtained a Master of Public Health degree at The Harvard School of Public Health with a focus on racial and ethnic disparities.

As a resident and chief resident, Dr. Schnierle developed a longitudinal diversity/health equity curriculum for the IM residency program, led multiple workshops (both at locally and nationally) on microaggressions, and worked hard to cultivate an inclusive space for trainees of underrepresented backgrounds. She has first authored a review article on implicit bias for pediatricians and has been honored with multiple awards for her skills as a medical educator and champion for diversity, equity and inclusion. She is currently continuing her work in health equity and medical education as a new faculty member at UCSD.

Personal Statement

Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts has been integral to my identity as a primary care physician and clinician educator. While I am new to the Southwest region, I have experience in community building, curriculum development, and education that I believe are readily transferrable to the skills required for a DEI Chair position. At UCSD, I am currently involved in providing brief DEI and social justice educational topics to fellow GIM faculty and will be involved in the development and leadership of refugee and immigrant health electives for both internal medicine and pediatric trainees. I have a longstanding commitment to supporting trainees from diverse backgrounds and implementing new DEI initiatives. I am very passionate about my commitment as a “lifelong learner” in medicine and enjoy both supporting and learning from medical professionals at all stages in their careers. I am committed to working with other SGIM members in this region to ensure we are advocating for and supporting our patients and colleagues to promote social justice and health equity. I am honored to be nominated for this 2-year position and appreciate your time and consideration!