Mathew D. Rumery, MD
ASCP Resident Council

When Mathew D. Rumery, MD, was a medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, he joined a unique leadership and advocacy track called the LEADS, which is dedicated to the needs of the underserved and disadvantaged. Through the LEADS track, Dr. Rumery worked to increase the enrollment of children into the Colorado Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid. Also during medical school, he was involved in the Student Section of the American Medical Society, serving as the Legislative Co-Chair.

His experience as a healthcare advocate helped him receive a special grant from ASCP to participate in the fifth annual ASCP Hill Day on May 3, 2011. Impressed with the Society’s advocacy efforts and its multidisciplinary membership, Dr. Rumery gained a realistic perspective of U.S. health policy.

“Part of the fun is the challenge of the political process,” he said. “Politics is not change that happens overnight. I want to be involved over time and be consistent in advocating for larger issues within the medical field and for health care in general that improve patient care.” His effort was part of ASCP’s national response to a request from the bipartisan leadership of the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce regarding ideas on how to reform the nation’s physician payment system.

Before and during his residency, education has also been important to Dr. Rumery. During his undergraduate education, he served as a biology laboratory teaching assistant. In medical school, Dr. Rumery was enrolled in a physician as educator course. Currently, he is a second-year resident in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of Colorado, Denver, where he continues to teach medical students. Dr. Rumery has received an award of excellence for teaching.