At the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, more than 1,100 residents and fellows participate in graduate medical education through over 100 training programs—74 of which are exclusive to UAB in the state of Alabama. Representing the voices of these trainees is the House Staff Council (HSC), a body composed of residents and fellows from across all programs that serves as a vital bridge between learners and institutional leadership.
Meeting monthly with the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Office, the HSC raises concerns, proposes solutions, and collaborates on initiatives that promote the well-being and professional growth of clinical trainees. Its leadership operates on a rotating basis, ensuring a steady influx of fresh perspectives. As a new group steps into these leadership roles, several outgoing members reflect on their experiences and share their hopes for the council’s future impact.
House Staff Council Officer elections for the 2025-2026 academic year are currently open and will run through Monday, May 26, 2025.
Alexander Kofskey, M.D.
Resident, PGY-3 Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
2024-2025 HSC Position
President
How long have you been part of the HSC?
I joined the house staff council last year as a PGY-2/CA-1 anesthesia resident.
Why did you want to be involved?
I believe that the GME HSC serves as a unified body for giving residents and fellows a voice at the highest levels of leadership at UAB. Through the excellent leadership of Dr. Alice Goepfert and the amazing GME staff, the HSC is able to set forth and achieve some lofty goals to improve the lives of all residents and fellows.
What led you to become an HSC leader?
I saw the excellent work and huge impact that former president Stephanie Rakestraw was able to make in her time in leadership. With Stephanie's encouragement, I was happy to take on the challenge to build upon the excellent work she did during the 2023-2024 academic year.
What project during your HSC leadership are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the further development of the GME wellness center, with a fully functional fitness space being added for all residents and fellows to use at their discretion. Other huge accomplishments, thanks to Dr. Goepfert's tireless advocacy, to be thankful for would include getting all programs to approve a 4th week of vacation and significant salary raise for all residents and fellows starting with the 2025-2026 academic year.
What upcoming initiatives are you looking forward to, from your team and/or from future HSC leadership?
I am looking forward to seeing the continued advocacy from HSC for continual increase in resident and fellow benefits, with the biggest one hopefully being a 403 (b) retirement matching program. We have made great progress over the last few years, and I know the leadership team next year will continue this momentum!
Alizeh Abbas, M.D.
Resident, PGY-1 General Surgery
2024-2025 HSC Position
Secretary
How long have you been part of the HSC?
I have been part of the HSC for one year.
Why did you want to be involved?
I wanted to be involved with the Housestaff Council because I’m passionate about advocating for resident and fellow wellness. The HSC serves as an important platform to help address the challenges trainees face, and I wanted to work towards developing initiatives that promote trainee wellness and growth.
What led you to become an HSC leader?
I wanted to serve as the secretary to empower trainee voices, act as a liaison between trainees and GME leadership, and advocate for initiatives which improve the training experience and hospital workflow. The HSC are usually the first trainees to learn of new updates, including in IT, consults, wellness, education, etc., and I believe it is very important to disseminate this information in a timely and efficient manner to all house staff.
What project during your HSC leadership are you most proud of?
One project I am particularly proud of is an initiative I started called "Link It." As Secretary, in addition to summarizing discussions, I used the meeting minutes to include direct links or attachments to relevant presentations, opportunities, wellness resources, and announcements—such as the consult optimization documents and volunteer forms, which are then shared with all house staff. This change has allowed trainees to access important information in one place without having to sift through multiple emails, ultimately saving time and ensuring all trainees not only know about but can also provide feedback on new changes and opportunities. I am also proud of the advocacy and work by the HSC which ultimately led to an increase in vacation weeks and the educational assistance for graduate studies.
What upcoming initiatives are you looking forward to, from your team and/or from future HSC leadership?
I am very excited to see next steps for the efforts being led by the HSC regarding additional resident and fellow benefits and looking forward to continuing to see the Wellness Center being utilized by the house staff! I think these efforts are a testament to how supportive the GME and UAB are of active house staff involvement in decision-making and leadership.
Stephanie Rakestraw, M.D., MSPH
Resident, PGY-3 General Surgery
2024-2025 HSC Position
Wellness Chair
How long have you been part of the HSC?
I’ve been a part of HSC since 2021, this is my 4th year
Why did you want to be involved?
I initially wanted to get involved with projects that benefit residents.
What led you to become an HSC leader?
I've become part of leadership to advocate for resident interests, including benefits expansion and our wellness center.
What project during your HSC leadership are you most proud of?
I have two projects I'm proud of. The first is the completion of the wellness center, which residents are utilizing more and more. I always love it when I stop by and see other people using the space. The second is improving resident benefits, including adding a fourth week of vacation to our contracts, an education tuition benefit, and hopefully retirement matching coming soon.
What upcoming initiatives are you looking forward to, from your team and/or from future HSC leadership?
I'm looking forward to our resident social this spring to welcome the new interns, and for continued projects to expand resident benefits.