Three UMMC Emergency Medicine Physicians Chosen for eLEAD

Three physicians from the University of Mississippi Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine have been selected to participate in the highly competitive Emerging Leader Development Program (eLEAD) through the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). Congratulations to Drs. Brian Tollefson, Trey Wofford, and Jonah Gunalda on this outstanding achievement.

The eLEAD program is a year-long, national leadership development experience designed for early- and mid-career faculty in academic emergency medicine who demonstrate strong potential for leadership. Through a structured and longitudinal curriculum, participants gain foundational leadership skills while engaging in mentorship, collaborative learning, and professional development. The program emphasizes self-awareness, effective communication, strategic thinking, and team leadership, while also fostering meaningful connections with peers and senior leaders across institutions.

Selection into eLEAD is a significant honor and reflects each physician’s commitment to academic excellence, service, and leadership within emergency medicine. Drs. Tollefson, Wofford, and Gunalda join a select cohort of emerging leaders who will contribute to shaping the future of the specialty. The department is proud to support their continued professional growth and looks forward to the impact they will make both at UMMC and within the broader academic emergency medicine community.