I hope all of you are safe, healthy, and as well as you can possibly be at this challenging time. My father reflected to me recently that he always conceptualized his move to the US from India as similar to his own grandfather’s move from their hometown to the city of Lahore- one day’s journey. Now COVID has stretched the distances between us, and as I hit “send” I hope for the day I can see you in person!
Reinvention Time
Dear friends,
It’s July and we are still trudging down a long dark tunnel. It’s a good time to revel in small victories and appreciate positive moments amidst all the sadness and uncertainty. Reach out for the support you need!
Recently several friends have had what I’ve been calling “COVID epiphanies” in which they decide on a major life change.
Control the Narrative
Thank you for still being there. We have been climbing uphill for months now, and I am so humbled to see all that you have accomplished despite all of the heartache and adverse circumstances. I know many of you are working remotely, and even if you are going in to the office, interactions with colleagues are much more limited. Without those hallway conversations, people don’t know day-to-day what is happening with you. Most people doing research, whether faculty or trainees, have needed to change their projects and their plans over the last 3 months, for a combination of personal and logistical reasons. No-one is following the plans they laid out in February!
Emotionally Fatigued
Dear friends, Today I got an email from a mentee titled “emotionally fatigued.” They shared that it was hard to engage on a zoom meeting amidst the unspeakable deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd and the appalling video of Amy Cooper threatening Christian Cooper with police violence. It is so hard to know what to write in the face of this inhumanity. I know many of you felt, as I did, sick to your stomach, reading and hearing about these racist attacks. I also know many people reading this have this grief compounded and amplified by a daily fear about your family’s and your own safety living your life in your own country. It is unbearable.
Jump Start Your Brain!
We spoke on Thursday about productivity. To reiterate, I don't expect anyone to be at full steam right now. I can't pretend that I don't feel worry or pressure about our inability to do lab work. I think we all feel that, and it is normal to struggle with expectations when the world has been turned upside down. But going on as if things aren't any different than they were a month ago is not a solution to the problem at hand. We have to take our current situation and see what is possible for each of us. I hope in the weeks to come that we can continue to challenge ourselves to think differently about our work so that we are prepared to hit the ground running. I hope each of us will have the opportunity to better understand ourselves and be more resilient in the face of pressure.
The Cruelest Month
Do You Feel Fine
I am writing to all of you before my next planned update because these are such challenging times, and I feel the need to connect. How are you? Are you working from home? Pulling extra clinical time in preparation for a patient surge? Both? I am sending my best to you and your loved ones, especially the vulnerable people in your circle. At this moment I don’t feel like I have advice or answers; I hope my thoughts help you feel seen/ validated.
Fairest of Them All
It’s November- how are you?! I’m footsore from trudging all over the neighborhood and sluggish after the candy consumption! I had a number of work setbacks in October, as did some of my mentees. This is normal, especially if you are trying new things and stretching your capabilities. After spending some time consoling myself by (1) ignoring email in favor of reading novels, and (2) eating all the chocolate, I decided it was time to try a new tool for learning from unwanted results: self-reflection.
Study Thyself
Here we are, gearing up for another fast-paced fall! Lately I have had a number of conversations about how to manage transitions. For the parents on this list, our kids are entering a new grade and perhaps a new school this year, and many of us have new roles ramping up at work as well. Here at ZSFG, we’ve had a massively disruptive innovation - implementation of a new electronic health record, EPIC. At this time of year, change is in the air, and it can test our resilience.
No #fakenews here!
I feel like I barely made it through the endless conferences, summits, meetings, and convenings of May with my sanity intact (debatable perhaps). The silver lining was finding a lot of inspiration for these emails. So, let’s talk about a frequent companion at professional gatherings- imposter syndrome.
Merriam Webster defines imposter syndrome as “a false and sometimes crippling belief that one's successes are the product of luck or fraud rather than skill.” As I am sure you know, it’s common among high achievers. Women and under-represented minority groups are also more likely than white men to experience imposter syndrome. The extent of imposter syndrome can range from intermittent discomfort to outright paralysis. There is a lot of advice out there about how to overcome imposter syndrome. I want to talk specifically about how I see it play out at conferences.
Surviving the News
I’m late in writing to you again this month, but you have been on my mind. I had planned on writing this email about how to build a great team, and I have changed my mind. We’ll save that for November. All of you who I see on a regular basis have been shaken by the news cycle, and I have had enough conversations about how to balance our obligations as engaged citizens with our professional and personal imperatives that it’s time to talk about it. Usually I try to advise you from my own experience. In this case, I don’t have any answers. I have been looking around and seeing what strategies seem to be keeping my friends, colleagues, and peers afloat. I’d welcome your thoughts and I will send around any additional insights you share with me.