· The members of the Class of 2022 are in the final stretch of third year clerkships, and they too have spent most of the year navigating a process where the rules, expectations, and landscape change on a weekly basis. This has not been easy, especially since most of them are away from family. The members of the class have demonstrated flexibility, dedication and professionalism. They are doing extremely well and their Attendings, sites and communities are grateful for all the help they have provided.
Fortunately, the third and fourth-year students have had each other, the solid community they built with class relationships, to lean on.
· The Classes of 2023 and 2024 have spent the past year in a completely abnormal system, requiring isolated groups and very few in-person interactions. The first two years of medical school are often described as drinking from a firehouse. These folks had to do that while wearing too much PPE, and only engaging with each other through Zoom. Nevertheless, with their confidence, resiliency, and determination, these students have successfully built supportive relationships and communities.
· Like all of you, our faculty and professional staff have also been navigating difficult terrain and balancing competing challenges, increases in workloads, caring for sick family members, assisting children with school, changes to everyone’s schedules and expectations, it goes on and on.
This year has been like no other. We often hear that we need to have “grit”, “resiliency”, or “flexibility”. I think it is fair to say all of us have passed “the test”. Change and balance are the way of life. I think we have all grown and learned that we are successful, that we have grit, we are resilient, and we are flexible, and better yet, we have kept our sense of humor and optimism ( most of the time anyway!). I am confident that we will look back at this as a very challenging, disappointing, and for some of us, painful, time that brought tremendous personal growth and development.
As we traverse these last months of the academic year, I could not be more pleased and prouder of our students, faculty and professional staff!
Thank you all for your support and on behalf of everyone here, Happy Spring!
Best,
Jane
Happy Spring!
I recently reached out to the students to remind them that as we are move out of the astronomical winter, there are some things that I think deserve mention. This year has been challenging on so many levels - academically, socially, politically, professionally, not to mention the weather, and as we move into the equatorial Spring let’s take a few moments to give credit where credit is due.
· Congratulations to the members of the Class of 2021 who successfully matched or completed the SOAP. This is always a challenging and suspenseful time for all and I want to acknowledge the disciple, adaptability, and hard work of all the members of the Class of 2021. Their fourth year looked nothing like anyone anticipated. The students had to overcome the many disappointments and challenges that it brought, and they have successfully done so while maintaining their sense of humor and optimism.
Letter from the Dean