I am honored and humbled to serve our medical school admissions community as the AAMC Chair of the Recruitment, Admissions, Selection, and Enrollment Committee (RAiSE). I previously served as a regional representative on the Committee on Admissions (COA; the committee preceding RAiSE) for the Western and Southern regions for six years. I served as COA Chair from 2023 – 2026. I have been involved in medical school admissions my entire career, since 2002 across three public medical schools in two states and in an admissions leadership role of director and above since 2008. Finally, I am a first-generation Latina from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Throughout my career, I have continually advocated for breaking down barriers for all aspiring doctors.
RAiSE is one of five standing committees of the AAMC Learner Access, Support, Opportunity, and Retention Group; together, we engage in an advisory capacity to the Learner Access, Support, Opportunity, and Retention Group Steering Committee and other applicable AAMC committees and working groups. RAiSE is comprised of the chair, eight members who have expertise in areas across admissions including mission-aligned selection, pathway programs, enrollment management, and dual degree knowledge. RAiSE also includes liaisons from the Student Opportunity, Access, and Retentional Committee (SOAR) and Financial Aid as well as an appointed representative from the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP).
With the launch of Learner Access, Support, Opportunity, and Retention Group, RAiSE is well-positioned to serve and lead our admissions community of practice as it continues to evolve amidst an evolving legal landscape, applicant needs and challenges, and a continued desire to support all those who wish to pursue medical school. Our admissions community swiftly adjusted to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 SCOTUS decision related to the consideration of race/ethnicity in admissions. We are a strong, resilient, highly collaborative, and supportive community. We will continue on this path, strong still, with the launch of RAiSE to develop resources and initiatives to continue to support admissions offices and pre-health advisors in our support of applicants and prospective applicants.
We welcome our constituents to reach out when there is something you want us to discuss that is impacting or will impact the admissions community of practice, applicants, and/or pre-health advisors. We want to better understand challenges and ideas you have. As members of the RAiSE committee, we look forward to continuing to serve you!
Thank you,
Leila E. Harrison, PhD, MEd, MA
RAiSE Committee Chair