Earlier this year, Lynchburg alumna Nita Gombakomba ’16 was elected president of the Student National Medical Association. The announcement was made at the April 2022 SNMA Annual Medical Education Conference, the largest national gathering of underrepresented and minority medical students.
“Being elected president of the SNMA is the highest honor and responsibility I have held to date,” said the Harare, Zimbabwe, native, who came to Lynchburg as a transfer student and graduated with a BS in biomedical science.
“I first encountered the SNMA during the interview season for medical school, and the organization has been a blessing to me ever since. … To lead an organization whose mission aligns so well with my own personal mission is truly a privilege.”
Before enrolling at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Gombakomba conducted malaria research at Uniformed Services University. She is currently an MD candidate at UMSOM and an MBA candidate at the Sellinger School of Business at Loyola University Maryland.
Gombakomba sees her role at SNMA as “an opportunity to contribute my experiences and skills to help diversify the medical field, and serve those most in need on a national scale. It also means expanding my community and meeting many wonderful individuals whose own experiences add to my fund of knowledge.”
Her time at Lynchburg, she added, prepared her well for her work with SNMA and at medical school.
“Lynchburg helped prepare me by giving me a tight-knit community in which I could learn and grow, a rigorous biomedical science curriculum that gave me the critical thinking and analytical skills I use daily, and the multiple leadership opportunities that helped nurture my leadership skills,” Gombakomba said.
“As challenging as my work can be, my career will ultimately benefit from the expanded skillset I now have, and the growing community of excellent Black and brown professionals of which I am now a part.”
Gombakomba has served as president of the UMSOM SNMA Chapter, member of the UMSOM Student Diversity Council, and associate director of SNMA Region VI.
