Resident Spotlight: Elora Friar

This month we want to introduce you to Dr. Elora Friar, Internal Medicine PGY-1. She is from Lakeland, Florida, and went to Florida State University for both her undergraduate and medical degrees, spending two of her four years of medical school at FSU’s Sarasota campus. Throughout medical school, she was active in several areas, including extensive involvement in the American Medical Association (AMA)/Florida Medical Association (FMA); helping kickstart what is now a 100+ person global health research organization in partnership with a wonderful team in Honduras; serving as a Teaching Assistant; and serving on FSU’s medical school admission committee, among other things.  

When it came time for residency, USF was always on her radar given its proximity to both her and her partner’s family in Sarasota. What really caught her eye and ‘sealed the deal’ for her, though, was the sense of camaraderie, the ease with which the recruitment committee residents engaged with one another, and how happy people seemed. She encourages medical students going through this process to pay attention to whether the people they meet along the interview trail look genuinely happy (albeit tired) when thinking about where to be for the next three to seven years for residency. The training will be grueling, and being very tired at times comes with it, but surrounding yourself with people who make a 12-hour shift fun will make the difference in being a happy resident rather than a miserable one.  

Dr. Friar knew she wanted to become involved in organized medicine early into her medical school career; she jumped at a chance to become FSU’s Vice President of their AMA/FMA student chapter. This set off a series of opportunities that allowed her to excel through various leadership roles at the national level within the AMA’s Medical Student Section (MSS). She was Chair of the MSS Southeastern region, served as one of over 600 voting delegates in the AMA’s House of Delegates, learned how to write testimony and resolutions, lobbied in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the AMA-MSS, and so much more! 

She routinely reminds students she never felt prepared or qualified for these roles. She encourages them to take these challenges head-on as many opportunities do not cross our paths twice. Waiting for a time when she felt comfortable would have meant that many of these opportunities would have passed her by.  Capitalizing on that approach, she jumped at the chance to apply for the American College of Physicians’ Council of Resident and Fellow Members (ACP-CRFM), knowing that this would be one of those “if you miss this opportunity, it may not be there later” moments. She will serve a two-year term allowing her to leverage change in medical training for residents and fellows, contribute to ACP’s robust policy compendium, advocate in Washington, D.C., for structural changes to our healthcare system, aid in pathways to trainee unionization, and more.      

In addition to serving as a general ACP-CRFM council member, she  will serve as the CRFM representative on the ACP Professional Development and Fulfillment Committee for the 2024-25 term. The goals of this committee include advising ACP staff on strategies to promote internal medicine physicians’ professional development and fulfillment and guide the creation of high-quality programs, resources and opportunities to support ACP members throughout their careers.      

When asked how she manages all the extracurricular activities she has embraced, both in medical school and residency, she simply says, “I like to be busy!” No doubt her commitment to organized medicine and her experience at this early stage in her career will lead to even greater opportunities that will likely have a profound impact on not only her career, but her colleagues’ careers as well.