Transformational Times
Words of Hope, Character & Resilience from our Virtual Community
Friday, February 11, 2022
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In This Special Student-Curated Valentine's Day Issue: |
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Director's Corner
Perspective/Opinion
Poetry Corner
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Your Turn
Upcoming Events/Announcements
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Director's Corner
The "Difficult" Patient who Taught me Radical Love
By Adina Kalet, MD, MPH
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Dr. Kalet considers what and how her very first patient, and an important mentor, taught her about radical love...
It is July 4, 1984, I am “on call” for the first time. My resident is terse on the phone. “Sandra’s in the ER. She’s an emancipated minor in DKA with a blood pH of 6.90! Get down there STAT and escort her to the ICU.” He races through her other labs. I grab my things and hustle down to the Emergency Room, preparing to meet my very first patient. She sounds sick.
On the way, I run my mental checklist of everything I know about diabetic ketoacidosis. She will need intravenous fluids, insulin, potassium replacement, and oxygen, I think. Given her labs, I expect she will be comatose and on a ventilator. I wonder what my resident meant when he said she is an “emancipated minor.” I’ll figure it out.
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Perspective/Opinion
On Becoming and Resilience: I am Caterpillar Soup
By Julia Bosco
Beginning in December 2021, the Kern National Network (KNN) began hosting a monthly discussion of the role of and how to build certain strengths that are essential in becoming the physician you want to be. Medical student Julia Bosco describes one recent session that had an impact on her …
The KNN series addressing character strengths is aptly entitled The “Becoming” Series, and includes guest speakers, student presenters, guided reflections, and interpretation of a fine arts piece by art experts. In these sessions, medical students from KNN’s seven founding schools explore, build, and discuss monthly character strengths. Each session runs from 5-6pm CT the first Tuesday of every month until May 3rd.
On February 2, 2022, a discussion was held and focused on Resilience. The session featured keynote speaker, Regina Russell, PhD, MA, MEd, Assistant Professor of Medical Education and Administration and the Director of Learning System Outcomes for the Office for Undergraduate Medical Education at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
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Perspective/Opinion
Reflection on Medical School and Parenting
By Drew Melby
A brief look into the experience of being a medical student and parent, where we “learn to be present and find joy and wonder in the ordinary things all around us” …
Being a medical student has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life, but I have a side job that is even more rewarding; I am a house cleaner. Along with my wife, I also run a laundry service, a taxi and a kitchen, not to mention an events and entertainment service. My kids are ages six, four and two. The youngest was born earlier than expected; she came two weeks after my class’ White Coat Ceremony. When I look back at my calendar from that week, I see reminders to meet with financial aid, bring shoes for anatomy lab, and study for an upcoming MTC quiz (ahem…). What’s that saying about best-laid plans?
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Perspective/Opinion
Impacts of Residency Application Changes on MCW-Central Wisconsin M2 Students
By Alex Kershner and Sofie Kjellesvig
MCW’s Central Wisconsin campus has a three-year curriculum which can lead to stress and strategic changes as students plan their futures and apply for residencies. Two students from MCW-CW share their concerns and experiences as they approach the residency match ...
Going to medical school is difficult. Completing it in three years promised to be even more so, but when we signed up for that, the landscape was steep, but visible. Between the pandemic, Step 1 changing to pass/fail, elimination of Step 2 CS, and new supplemental applications, suddenly the view ahead is extremely foggy.
In order to give ourselves the best chance at matching, some of us have resorted to taking Step 1 at the beginning of our dedicated study period in order to take Step 2 less than five months later to have scores back when ERAS applications are sent to programs. As M2s on the MCW-Central Wisconsin campus who have decided to take on this even more accelerated timeline, we’re sharing our thoughts on the challenging year ahead of us and how we’re coping.
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Perspective/Opinion
Love in the Time of Medical School
By Nicholas Visser
A reflection from a couple with shared ambitions: forging a family and following the physician training pathway…
Once a staple of the American social scene, swing dancing is a vigorous form of dance which requires exquisite rhythm and grace. Alternatively - as for my teenage self - it is a time in which a man can speak to a woman, providing he can keep left foot one and left foot two from colliding for a few minutes. I would like to think that night at a church fundraiser it was my comedic chops that proved myself worthy of a second date, but I have been assured it was how convinced I was that I did not look like a fool dancing the night away. In either case, it would be easy to say that the rest is history; however, there’s more to this story.
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Love and Friendship
Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree—
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?
The wild rose-briar is sweet in spring,
Its summer blossoms scent the air;
Yet wait till winter comes again
And who will call the wild-briar fair?
Then scorn the silly rose-wreath now
And deck thee with the holly’s sheen,
That when December blights thy brow
He still may leave thy garland green.
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We Can Do Hard Things (Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach)
Dr. Chapa’s Clinical Pearls (great for OBGYN/Women’s health trainees)
HBR Coaching Real Leaders
– Lindsey McAlarnen
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Where Should We Begin? with insightful therapist Esther Perel. Each podcast is a single counseling session Esther has with a couple; it could be spouses, family members, friends, or business partners. The couple has a conflict and shares no identifying details but summarizes the rift. Esther cuts through the superficial clutter and hones in on the underlying and previously unidentified factors, by pursuing a small side comment or nervous laughter at the wrong (or right?) moment. All matters may not be resolved at the end of the session but the clients have a better understanding of each other and themselves. She is a master.
– Chris Skumatz, Staff
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Morbid: A True Crime Podcast
– Kim Dunisch, Staff
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I love Mo Rocca's Mobituaries because it frequently features people who are little-known and always features Mo's great writing and insight. There's also a book called Mobituaries I'd highly recommend.
– Richard Holloway, Faculty
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February 25 is Thank a Resident Day. In anticipation of this, we invite you to:
Share your thanks for a Resident!
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Application Deadline Extended
Transformational Ideas Initiative Program
Ideas should be focused on innovating medical education, including ideas for MCW’s School of Medicine Curriculum Redesign Project or ideas that would improve the learning environment at MCW.
All faculty, students, staff, residents and fellows are encouraged to apply.
The application deadline has been extended to Friday, February 18, 2022 at noon.
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Save the Date
MedMoth Rescheduled: Save the Date!
Please join us on March 2, 2022, at 6:30 pm in person and virtually for MedMoth: Storytelling Reflections on Medicine.
We will be holding a workshop on Thursday, February 17, 2022, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm led by Dr. Bruce Campbell.
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Join us for the February Kern Grand Rounds
Compassionate Caring: One Physician's Journey From Water Therapy to Green Hair
In medicine, caring and compassion can be expressed in many ways. As a resident, Dr. Margolis was exposed to the concept of "letting kids be kids" by one of his mentors who carried a squirt gun with him on rounds. This simple act of caring showed him that there are so many ways for a physician to incorporate compassionate care as a fabric of practicing medicine.
Dr. Dave will share examples of how he has utilized his interests and network to "let kids be kids" and provide insight from the point of view of patients and families on why caring and compassion matter.
February 24, 2022
Zoom Presentation
9:00 - 10:00 am CT
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Submit Abstracts for Ottowa 2022
Ottawa 2022 is to be held at the Lyon Congress Centre, Lyon, France, from 26-28 August, immediately preceding AMEE 2022 as a hybrid, in person and virtual Conference. Plenaries and symposia will be live-streamed for online participants, who will have the opportunity to present in some formats remotely from their own time zone.
This international event provides the opportunity for all involved in the assessment of competence in medicine and the healthcare professions across the continuum of education, to come together to discuss the current status and future direction of assessment and evaluation. Never has there been a more challenging time, or a greater need for such discussions.
Submit by March 1, 2022 for Oral presentations, Conference workshops and ePosters.
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Center for the AWSM- Women's History Month Symposium
Join us on March 1, 2022 for the following sessions:
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12:00 pm: AWSM’s opening plenary: Reimagining Gender Equity: Accelerating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Women in Medicine with Julie Silver, MD
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1:30 pm: Being an Active Participant in Change: A Conversation on Intersectionality with Nikotris Perkins
- 3:00 pm – Panel: Mentoring Women Toward Careers in Research with Virtual Poster Presentation and Awards to Follow
March 1, 2022
Zoom Presentation
12:00 pm CT
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Join us on March 31, 2022 for the following sessions:
- 12:00 pm: Administrative Professionals – Past, Present, & Future
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2:00 pm: Strategies to Increase Your Publishing Success & Accelerate Promotion in Academic Medicine with Julie Silver, MD
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4:00 pm: How to Make Science More Exciting and Accessible: Creating Compelling Scientific Figures and Graphs with Laura Flores, MD-PhD candidate
March 31, 2022
Zoom Presentation
12:00 pm CT
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Register Now
March Kern Connection Cafe: A Letter to my Future Self...
Moderated by Cassie Ferguson, MD
Come hear our graduating students read and reflect on letters they wrote to themselves nearly three years ago at the end of their REACH curriculum. What character strengths did they hope would guide their actions moving forward? What were they grateful for? What brought them joy? What kind of doctor did they want to become?
So much has changed for these student doctors since writing those letters. How have the values they wrote about then helped them to navigate the unprecedented changes that have marked the last three years? And what can we learn from their reflections that will help us to support the character and professional development of all of our students?
March 24, 2022
Virtual via Zoom
4:00 - 5:00 pm CT
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Register Now
2022 Well-Being Summit: Inhale, Exhale, and Engage: Harnessing Happiness, Joy, & Resilience in the Health Sciences
Proudly Sponsored by the Kern Institute
Please join us for the 2022 Well-Being Summit!
This event is open to all and anyone interested is welcome and encouraged to attend. Be on the lookout for details to come!
April 5, 2022
Virtual via Zoom
9:00 am - 12:00 pm CT
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Register Now
April Kern Connection Cafe: Finding Joy, Resilience and Character: My Medical Education Journey
Moderated by Malika Siker, MD
From serendipitous encounters to unexpected challenges, the path to becoming a physician is unique for each of our learners. While our students face academic rigors and clinical demands, they also find deep purpose and wonder in the pursuit of healing humankind. Join us as we hear how four of our M4 learners forged their resilience, built their character, and found joy during their journey in medical education, followed by a Q&A where they share their secrets to success.
April 14, 2022
Virtual via Zoom
4:00 - 5:00 pm CT
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Save the Date
2022 Understanding Medical Professional Identity and Character Development Symposium
Save the date for the second annual Understanding Medical Professional Identity and Character Development symposium. This year's half-day event will be held virtually on April 22, 2022. We will welcome keynote speaker Dr. Tasha Wyatt of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and also host workshops and discussion groups on major topics on PIF and character development.
April 22, 2022
9:00 am - 2:00 pm CT
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Save the Date
2022 Summit on Advancing Equity in the Learning Environment
Please join us to explore, discuss and align our efforts in equity-focused initiatives in the learning environment! The summit will highlight how MCW incorporates equity into the learning environment while examining four areas: (1) Curriculum (2) Equitable Assessment and Mitigating Bias (3) Learning Environment Culture and (4) Equity in Research Education.
April 28, 2022
Virtual via Zoom
9:00 am - 12:00 pm CT
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The Transformational Times publishes weekly, delivering stories of hope, character and resilience to our virtual community. |
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Editorial Board: Kathlyn Fletcher, MD, Adina Kalet, MD, Wendy Peltier, MD, Erin Weileder, Nabil Attlassy, Julia Bosco, Ana Istrate, Scott Lamm, Sophia Neman, Wolf Pulsiano, Eileen Peterson, Neehal Shukla, Sarah Torres, Anna Visser, James Wu, Serena Zacharias & Emelyn Zaworski
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