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Transformational Times
Words of Hope, Character & Resilience from our Virtual Community
Friday, June 9, 2023
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Poetry Corner
Painting the Barn, by Ted Kooser
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What's your favorite summer adventure or activity that always makes you feel rejuvenated?
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Answers from last week: Tell us about your rhubarb! Does your rhubarb plant have a great origin story, do you have a favorite recipe?
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Rhubarb and custard. We had a huge rhubarb plant in the back garden and my Mom used to stew it up and cover it with a layer of custard (made from Bird's Original Custard Powder) and served hot. This is a very British desert and also an animated kids series from 1974, Roobarb and Custard Too. Amazing what you can find on YouTube! -Neil Hogg, PhD
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Rhubarb Torte with Meringue Topping is a favorite recipe, made by both my mother and my grandmother. It was a sign summer was on its way, which meant I would get to spend more time at my grandparents, in their woods. My mother once gave me a piece of wilted rhubarb and told me to plant it somewhere in a pile of dirt. Reluctantly I did, not thinking it would grow. The plant grew nicely and after only two years, the plant's width grew to over 6 feet and became the prize plant of the neighborhood. -Jennifer Foley
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Guest Director's Corner
The evolving landscape of conferences
By Tavinder Ark, BSc, MSc, PhD
A data scientist returns to an annual conference after a 10-year absence, and notices dramatic shifts in the diversity of medical professionals and disciplines represented, and another shift that warrants reflection...
I attended the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) conference for the first time in 10+ years. I was immediately struck by the multidisciplinary nature of the event, reflective of the increasing complexity of healthcare itself. It was amazing to see the breadth of topics addressed, from how to change gun control based on the cost of caring for survivors to the care of incarcerated patients to online coaches for students.
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Perspective/Opinion
Navigating transitions
By Teresa Patitucci, PhD
I talk to my amygdala. As an anatomist and decades-long cognitive behavioral therapy participant, I like to imagine my prefrontal cortex driving my mental car, and my amygdala as a loud-mouthed brat who heckles me from the back seat. Over time, I learned to pay close attention to my emotions -- what am I feeling (positive or negative), what situation am I in right now, and what is my body trying to tell me with that signal? I can tell you that nothing will make that little chatterbox leap into my lap to take the wheel faster than a transition.
I’ve been through many transitions over the last few years in both my personal and professional life: my first year teaching, trying to run an in-person anatomy course during a pandemic, and getting divorced, to name a few. In these situations, screaming at my amygdala to shut up has not helped. She’s scared and needs calm reassurance. The key for my survival during these times is to control what I can, stay curious, enlist the help of others around me, and trust myself to adapt.
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Perspective/Opinion
Prioritizing your well-being: Embracing the new season with reflection and self-care
By Crystal James
“The new season is a time of renewal and growth and a great time to focus on your personal well-being and evaluate where you are, where you want to be, and what you need to do to get closer to your goals."
Spring has always been my favorite season. The regrowth of the plants and trees gives me hope that warm sunny days lie ahead, filling the air with the smell of blooming flowers and fresh-cut grass. The approaching summer season is a time of renewal and growth and a great time to focus on your personal well-being and evaluate where you are, where you want to be, and what you need to do to get closer to your goals. Whether it's setting new goals or revisiting existing ones, taking the time to reflect on your values and priorities can help you make more intentional choices about how you spend your time and energy.
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Perspective/Opinion
Take Three with Antonina (Nina) Johnston
Antonina (Nina) Johnston is program manager for the Human-Centered Design Lab of the Kern Institute. We recently asked her to talk about what she is enjoying about her role so far, and what she looks forward to this summer.
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Perspective/Opinion
Take Three with Michelle Malicki, MPH
We recently asked Michelle Malicki, MPH, program manager for SPARCC (Student-centered Pipeline to Advance Research in Cancer Careers) in the MCW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, to talk about her role at the Kern Institute. Michelle is on the faculty pillar and student pillar for the REACH Curriculum and is celebrating her one-year anniversary with Kern Institute this week.
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Kern Spotlight
Transformative Leadership Training in Medical Education
Dafna Meitar, Daniel Marom, Penelope Lusk & Adina Kalet, MD MPH
The Enhancing Life Research Laboratory: Tools for Addressing Orientational Distress in the Medical Profession
Guenter Thomas, ThM, PhD, PhD, Sara Bigger, MA, Jenny Kim, Marie Kim, John D. Yoon, MD, and William Schweiker, MDiv, PhD
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Painting the Barn
By Ted Kooser
The ghost of my good dog, Alice,
sits at the foot of my ladder,
looking up, now and then touching
the bottom rung with her paw.
Even a spirit dog can't climb
an extension ladder, and so,
with my scraper, bucket, and brush,
I am up here alone, hanging on
with one hand in the autumn wind,
high over the earth that Alice
knew so well, every last inch,
and there she sits, whimpering
in just the way the chilly wind
whines under the tin roof—
sweet Alice, dear Alice, good Alice,
waiting for me to come down.
“Painting the Barn” by Ted Kooser. From Kindest Regards: New and Selected Poems. Copper Canyon Press, Port Townsend, WA. 2018.
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KICS Medical Education Journal Club
Friday, June 14, 2023
12:15pm - 1:00pm
Zoom
Register to join us at our monthly Kern Institute Collaboration for Scholarship Medical Education Journal Club! Each month, we discuss recent medical education scholarship with its author for a lively, intimate conversation about the transformation of medical education. This month Dr. Anthony Artino the Associate Dean for Evaluation and Education Research at George Washington University will be discussing how to develop effective surveys for medical education research.
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The Transformational Times publishes weekly, delivering stories of hope, character and resilience to our virtual community. | |
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Jeff Fritz, PhD, Editor-in-Chief
Editorial Board: Bruce Campbell, MD, Kathlyn Fletcher, MD, Adina Kalet, MD, Wendy Peltier, MD, Karen Herzog, Justine Espisito, Julia Bosco, Linda Nwumeh, Wolf Pulsiano, Sophie Voss, & Emelyn Zaworski
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