Nicki just returned from a month in West Africa where she was setting up an emergency ward in a rural hospital in Ghana. Working for a program called sidHARTe, Nicki was a part of a rotating team of residents and fellows introducing the concept of triage and life-saving interventions to a district hospital with extremely limited resources. If successful, the program will be a model for the country of Ghana and be implemented at all the district hospitals. It was an experience that not only expanded her knowledge of tropical medicine, but also exposed her to the complexities of emergency medicine systems development.

Originally from Chicago, Nicki started on the career path of a bioengineer with a BS from Arizona State University. She then spent two years living in West Africa as a high school teacher for the Peace Corps before completing her MD with Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine. Nicki is currently a chief resident and will complete her residency with Emory's Emergency Medicine program in June 2010. She enjoys rock climbing, yoga, and exploring Atlanta's smaller, more eclectic side in her free time.