In this episode of Inspiring Women at the WBL Summit, Laurie McGraw speaks with Dr. Veronica Mallett, a physician, educator, and trailblazer with four decades of experience advancing health equity and workforce representation in American medicine.

Dr. Mallett is Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the More in Common Alliance, a 10-year, $100 million partnership between Morehouse School of Medicine and CommonSpirit Health created to expand representation in medicine and close the physician shortage in underserved communities.

Dr. Mallett shares the story behind her drive, growing up in Detroit as the daughter of two educators and civil rights leaders, who taught her that education was “the great leveler” and that having a principle means being prepared to stand alone. She talks about deciding at age 9 to become a doctor, navigating Barnard College and medical training as one of the very few women of color in the room, and learning to turn individual setbacks into collective action.