Kharmene L. Sunga

Kharmene L. Sunga, M.D. is a Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at Mayo Clinic, affiliated with the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education and the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. She holds leadership roles in education, diversity, and clinical ethics. Her primary affiliations include the Department of Emergency Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Education: MD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine (2007), followed by residency in Emergency Medicine at Mayo Clinic (2010). Additional academic credentials include a BS in Biology and Chemistry Minor from the University of Illinois (2002).

Research Interests: Focuses on resident education, compassion in medicine, healthcare ethics, and diversity/equity initiatives. Her work emphasizes simulation-based training, quality improvement in emergency care, and reducing disparities in emergency department processes.

Awards: Recognized with multiple awards including the Academy of Educational Excellence Fellowship (2018), repeated Emergency Medicine Quarterly Faculty Recognition Awards (2013–2018), and early-career distinctions such as the Best Resident Quality Improvement Project (2010).

Leadership Roles: Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council (2021–present), leader in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and medical director of the TeleSANE Program. Active in committees addressing ethics, simulation, and residency program development.

Grants and Future Work: Involved in projects improving clinical documentation tools, analyzing gender disparities in emergency care, and advancing telemedicine in sexual assault care. Collaborates on ethics committees and simulation center curriculum development.