Mary Unanyan, DO

AAEM/RSA President, AAEM

Dr. Unanyan is a dedicated and accomplished physician with a strong background in public health and emergency medicine. She graduated with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, earning a degree in Public Health. She continued her medical education at Western University of Health Sciences, where she demonstrated her commitment to medical advocacy and leadership from her first year.

Beginning in July 2024, Dr. Unanyan will be a PGY-2 resident physician at the University of Illinois at Chicago Emergency Medicine Residency Program. Her involvement with the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Resident and Student Association (AAEM/RSA) began during her first year of medical school, where she joined the advocacy committee and eventually became its Vice Chair. Her outstanding contributions earned her the 2021-2022 AAEM/RSA Committee Member of the Year award.

Dr. Unanyan’s leadership continued as she took on the role of Chair of the Medical Student Council (MSC). In this capacity, she focused on student outreach and support, revamping the Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) starter kit, proposing and implementing virtual visits to connect medical students with AAEM leadership, and working to establish and strengthen EMIGs across various medical schools. She also facilitated the organization of four regional Medical Student Symposia and planned the annual medical student track at AAEM’s annual Scientific Assembly. Her efforts were recognized with the 2022-2023 AAEM/RSA Western Medical Student of the Year Scholarship Award.

As a first-year resident, Dr. Unanyan was elected to serve on the RSA Board as an At-Large Board Member. She was also inducted into the AAEM Leadership Academy, where her project focused on supporting Fellow Physicians members.

Dr. Unanyan has actively participated in numerous state and national conferences, including the Health Policy in Emergency Medicine (HPEM) conference. She has been a strong advocate for physicians’ rights and patient safety.