Thread by @melaninandmed

This is my dear friend, Nakita.

Nakita and I were medical school classmates and both interns in New York City. Nakita tragically took her own life on May 26.

She is such a beautiful soul. She was so fun to be around. She was intelligent, charismatic, and confident. (1/x)

She loved a good Afrobeats and Caribbean music party, and was even more excited when Haitian music got its time to shine 🇭🇹💃🏿. We danced, laughed, and learned together.

Nakita was also so earnest. She had the keen ability to really challenge you in deep conversation and (2/x)

ask those "hard" questions. That made it easy to open up to her, and I always admired her thoughts.

Nakita also was an advocate. She was an active member in SNMA during medical school and our GW White Coats for Black Lives. We protested together in 2020 in DC 📢🪧. (3/x)

She was a leader in the fight at her residency program for fairer pay and better working conditions for NYC residents, making this loss even harder to accept. 💔

Nakita, we love you. We will fight for you. We will remember you now and forever. (4/x)

Say her name. Share her story. Advocate for interns, residents, and fellows in the medical training system.

Nakita’s life matters. Intern lives matter. Doctors' lives matter. Black women's lives matter. #sayhername #residentwellness #MentalHealthAwareness (5/x)

This loss has been a harsh reminder that
"checking in on your strong friends" isn't enough.
We need systemic and institutional changes to support our medical trainees who are struggling.
We feel such a fire to continue to fight for change. To fight like Nakita fought...

I hope Nakita inspires you to fight, too.

Rest in Heaven, Dr. Nakita Mortimer.

#medicaltraining #harshreality