Dr. Linda Barry of UConn School of Medicine delivered the keynote address to the youth of Connecticut in attendance at the second annual Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit on Nov. 8.

The inspirational event, hosted once again in Waterbury by Saint Mary’s Hospital, Trinity Health Of New England, was attended by Connecticut boys and girls in the third grade through college, along with parents, educators, health care professionals, and community leaders.

The annual Summit aims to strengthen the future health care workforce by exposing children and young adults to medicine through engaging activities and talks from inspiring physicians, nurses and health care leaders.

The interactive event drew nearly 1,300 participants, including 578 students and 388 parents. Students had the hands-on opportunity to learn clinical care skills including resuscitation, how to stop bleeding, and train how to use handheld ultrasound. Other hands-on activities included learning about intubation, suturing/surgical knot tying, phlebotomy and a pathology demonstration. Plus, a virtual reality medical simulation station showcased for younger students what it’s like to be immersed in a medical environment and to be a part of a medical team.

“Parents are an integral part of the journey to medicine. Inspiring and empowering the parents to know that the path is able to be traversed allows even more encouragement to be there for the students,” shared Dr. Husnain Kermalli, chief medical officer for Saint Mary’s Hospital. “As we build students, we must also make sure that their parents are educated about the struggles their children will face.  As such, from an educational perspective, we developed the “build your portfolio” session.  Mental health is a key component in the journey, and so we wanted to maintain that focus. “Day in the life” allows parents to have a glimpse of what the journey looks like from the eyes of a resident currently on the road. And finally, “how to raise a doctor – from crayons to cadavers” allows other parents on the journey to give their perspective.”

“We need more Black boys and girls to explore careers in medicine. We need your intellect, compassion, and creativity. And while our mission emphasizes Black children, it extends to all children—our goal is to inspire and empower the next generation of medical professionals,” shared Dr. Dale Okorodudu (Dr. Dale), founder of Black Men In White Coats which has held events at over 20 sites nationwide.

Barry of UConn School of Medicine, the largest producer of the state’s health care workforce, was invited to deliver the special keynote with N. Chineye Anako, MPH, CHES Vice President, Health Equity and Human Impact for Trinity Health serving as the fireside chat moderator.

“One of the reasons I went into medicine was to be an advocate for those who could not advocate for themselves,” Barry shared at the Summit.

Barry is nationally renowned for her leadership in academic medicine and mentorship. At UConn, Barry is a professor in the Departments of Surgery and Public Health Sciences; associate director of the UConn Health Disparities Institute; and associate dean of the Office of Multicultural and Community Affairs.

At the start of 2025, Barry was prestigiously the recipient of the nation’s highest honor that mentors can receive. The White House awarded her the National Science Foundation Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.

For over 15 years, Barry has taught and mentored students at UConn and has created several successful programs including the Visting Externship for Underrepresented Students Program, the UConn Women in Surgery Interest Group, and the Health Equity Advocacy Research Fellowship. Over three decades, she has encouraged more than 400 students to pursue science careers and mentored numerous women medical students interested in surgical careers.

“I can give you the pearls, tools, and knowledge — but it is the mentee’s responsibility to keep the momentum going,” stressed Barry as she highlighted the key aspects of successful mentorship during her inspiring keynote address to Connecticut’s youth at the Summit.

Nationally, Barry is currently chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) and co-chairs the AAMC’s Disability and Accessibility Task Force.

As a board-certified liver and pancreas surgeon with a background in clinical and basic science research, Barry’s advice shared with the next generation of the health care workforce in Connecticut dreaming of pursuing careers in medicine someday was to be fearless.

“You can’t go into the OR and be afraid of anything,” Barry concluded. “Your fears or presumptions of fear should not define you nor limit you.”

Thank you to Barry, and the other UConn School of Medicine faculty, trainees and alumni for sharing their time and love of medicine to attend the Summit and mentor Connecticut’s youth, such as current Internal Medicine resident Dr. Oluwakorede T. Akele, OB/GYN residency alum Dr. Iyanna Liles, residency alum and UConn dermatology assistant professor Dr. Janelle Mallett, and graduate of UConn orthopedic surgery residency and its former chief resident Dr. Samuel Laurencin.

A thank you to UConn Waterbury for also providing their venue and ensuring that various hands-on activities were organized and facilitated, especially the nursing demonstrations for high school and college students, along with the virtual reality session for the youngest elementary school students in grades third thru sixth, in conjunction with the Northwest Regional Workforce and Investment Board.

“Our goal is to continue to grow not only the summit but also programs for between summit events,” concludes Kermalli of Saint Mary’s Hospital such as opportunities for students to shadow and visiting schools and continuing to connect with students where they are. “We appreciate the partnership with institutions across the state. This work transcends systems and while we are proud of hosting, the success of the program will be reliant on all hands coming together to support the effort.”

The third-annual Black Men In White Coats Youth Summit is planned for 2026.