Five Black Surgical Residents Lead Johns Hopkins Halsted Trauma Service

Five surgical residents at Johns Hopkins Hospital are leading the Halsted service in Trauma & Acute Care Surgery, marking what Hopkins called a first in the program’s history. The team is Valentine S. Alia, M.D., a second-year resident; Lawrence B. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., a seventh-year resident; Ivy Mannoh, M.D., a third-year resident; Zachary Obinna Enumah, M.D., Ph.D., M.A., a ninth-year resident and critical care fellow; and Ifeoluwa “Ife” Shoyombo, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., a third-year resident.

Johns Hopkins Surgery’s institutional Instagram account @hopkinssurgery posted a caption celebrating the change: "A historic moment for our program. For the first time in program history, our flagship Halsted service (Trauma & ACS) is led by an all-Black team of senior residents and PGY-2s [Postgraduate Year Two residents]," and "Black individuals comprise 13% of the U.S. population but only 6% of general surgeons nationwide. This #BlackHistoryMonth, we recognize this milestone while continuing the work to build a more representative surgical workforce."

The milestone is framed in coverage that highlighted both representation and the gap in surgical demographics. One account of the moment wrote, "We often say that we are our ancestors’ wildest dreams. And at Johns Hopkins Hospital, five surgical residents are living in this truth." That same coverage added that "Despite each coming from different backgrounds, the milestone feels deeply personal," situating the Halsted leadership change within broader conversations about diversity in high-stakes specialties like trauma surgery.

Social reactions captured in a screenshot of a Facebook post reproduced by the coverage included praise and personal reflections. Stephanie Moore wrote, "There was a scene in Grey’s Anatomy where Dr. Webber, Dr. Bailey, Dr. Avery (I might have the wrong characters) we’re discussing surgeries and I loved seeing African American doctors running the place. THIS reality is so much better." Pauley Marcelin commented, "Congratulations I’m a black male RN, representation matters in the medical field and every where else." Barnes Gloria invoked the legacy of Dr. Vivian Thomas, writing, "A phenomenal representation of the late great Dr Vivian Thomas, 'Something the Lord made', who paved the way for these young brilliant Surgeons, Physicians.." Lowry Nicsevic added, "Skin color shouldn’t matter! It’s the skill and talent, commitment and bedside manner."

The names, PGY designations, and the description of the Halsted service were carried consistently across the institutional Instagram post and multiple republishes of the story. The Instagram caption supplies the statistic comparing the 13 percent Black share of the U.S. population with the 6 percent share of general surgeons nationwide; that figure is presented in the Hopkins post rather than as an independently sourced statistic in the materials provided.

The reporting and social posts collected here did not include direct quotes from the five residents themselves, nor a separate statement from Johns Hopkins Hospital leadership beyond the Instagram caption. The assembled material also does not specify the length of the leadership rotation or administrative details of the Halsted service; those items would require confirmation from Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery or the residents’ official profiles.