UW School of Medicine Faculty Thrivecast

Dr. Anne Browning (Chief Well-Being Officer, UW Medicine; Associate Dean for Well-Being, School of Medicine) discusses her new role as CWO and plans for the future of well-being at UW Medicine. She details some preliminary results from the first system-wide well-being survey and action plans, from systems-level interventions to local well-being grants. Dr. Browning also describes the infrastructur...

Dr. Estell Williams (Surgery; Executive Director, Center for Workforce Inclusion and Healthcare System Equity) highlights the work being done in the WIHSE program and provides advice for folks wanting to engage with community partners in educational spaces for STEM careers. Engage learners as early as third grade, understanding the diversity of their needs to ensure the best chance of long term su...

Keri Nasenbeny (CNO, Harborview Medical Center), joins us in this episode to provide advice on how to create high performing teams, especially in interdisciplinary spaces. Start by establishing trust and cohesion with your team, and learn strategies to set those foundations. Learn about how to create a team quickly when needed, and also what to do when a team isn't functioning as well as you...

Dr. Shaquita Bell (Pediatrics; Senior Medical Director, Odessa Brown Clinic) gives guidance on how to increase collaboration with clinical communities. Start by reaching out and listening to nearby community members or organizations. Ensure compensation and decision making roles for members, and target outreach events to their needs and interests. Finally, learn what to do if you make a mistake, h...

Drs. Giana Davidson (Assistant Dean for Professional Development; Professor, Surgery) and Alex Molnar (Coach; Clinical Associate Professor, Medicine) explain how coaching is defined in our Faculty Coaching Program which focuses on mid-career faculty looking towards their next chapter. They define the roles of the coach and coachee; a coach uses active inquiry, focusing on the inherent expertise in...

Dr. Som Mookherjee (Medicine; Director of CLIME) provides advice on how to each efficiently in clinical spaces. Start by getting feedback from your learners and reflecting on your own teaching styles. Dr. Mookherjee shares examples of how to create a positive learning climate, clarify roles and responsibilities, and establish a system for exchanging feedback from the beginning. Prepare teaching po...

Dr. Christine Mac Donald (Neurosurgery) walks us through the grant review process, from submission through revisions. Learn about what your score means and strategies for responding to comments you receive. Give attention to not just the science but also ancillary documents like your biosketch, as these are all reviewed per NIH requirements. She encourages reaching out to colleagues for feedback p...

Dr. Nora Disis (Medicine; Associate Dean for Translational Science; Director of the Institute of Translational Health Sciences and the UW Medicine Cancer Vaccine Institute) has carved her own path in becoming a woman with many leadership roles at UW Medicine. She tells the story of how she overcame adversities and followed her passions to make a huge impact in the field of cancer immunology and tr...

Dr. Kemi Doll (Obstetrics and Gynecology) defines a personal mission statement, why you need one, and explains the steps for how to craft your own - wherever you are in your career. Dr. Doll provides two approaches to developing your mission statement and recommends writing down specifics about the environment you envision surrounding your work in the future. Lastly, she shares insight on how to k...

Dr. Sandy Sufian (Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago) shares about needs of faculty with disabilities and suggests ways to make the workplace more equitable. Dr. Sufian recommends reframing productivity with a holistic view, valuing contributions made rather than time to completion. She explains the differences between accommodations and universal design, and how we can make system chang...

Dr. Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert (Bioengineering, Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Education) discusses how to respond to paper submission reviews, from minor to major revisions. Clearly and respectfully articulate the revisions you have made and explain the reasoning for any changes not made, whether in response to constructive criticism or a rejection. Finally, learn how to select thoughtful review...

Dr. Thabele "Bay" Leslie-Mazwi (Chair, Neurology) explains how philanthropy is essential to the work we do in academic medicine, and why partnership with UW Medicine Advancement is a key to that success. Philanthropy can support our missions in each domain from education to research to clinical work. Focus on articulating the impact each donation will have on your work, utilize the uniqu...

Sherilyn Smith (Professor Emerita, Pediatrics) defines design thinking and how you can use it as you plan next steps in your career. Design thinking is a non-linear process that, when applied to your career planning,  allows you to test and learn ideas to craft a realistic and achievable plan. Dr. Smith explains each step from understanding your current values and strengths to defining the problem...

Dr. Hugo Carmona (Medicine) shares learnings and strategies in his own transition from fellow to faculty at UW. Say yes to opportunities early in your career such as committees and working groups, and then pare those down by how well they match your goals and interests. Plan for a shift in how you prioritize your time and tasks, including the increase in emails you will receive. Finally, ask for f...

Dr. Anneliese Schleyer (Medicine, CMO of UW Medicine) brings insight on what it means to center patients and families in the work we do. From the first interaction at the bedside, remember that first and foremost this is a person, who happens to be on a healthcare journey. Get to know their name, interests, and goals. At a systems level, ensure that the patient or family voice is at the table for...

Dr. Rudy Rodriguez (Medicine) walks through how to approach requests for letters of evaluation or support from faculty colleagues seeking promotion at outside institutions. He explains the difference between internal and external letters of support, as well as when to say yes or no to a request. You will also learn about the key elements to include in your letter and tips for being thoughtful in t...

Drs. Rachel Wong (Biological Structure) and David Sherman (Microbiology) join us to discuss the key components of grants and the most common pitfalls grant writers encounter. They provide their thoughts on when to write your specific aims, how early to get feedback from colleagues, and tips to make the review process as easy as possible for reviewers. Treat each grant like it's the only one y...

Dr. Ben Humphreys (Professor and Chief of the Division of Nephrology, Washington University) shares his experience and success in supporting his URMS (underrepresented in medicine and science) colleagues in their careers. Be thoughtful and check your own implicit biases as you consider the best opportunities to offer and how they will benefit your colleagues. Strategize how to advocate for your UR...

Dr. Michelle Terry (Assistant Dean for Underrepresented in Medicine and Science Career Development) delineates how she learned to build community with others, and provides tips to get started. Make the commitment to show up at events that interest you, reach out to people you want to get to know, and approach all interactions, whether with a stranger or colleague, with curious intention. Music by...

Dr. Anne Browning, Associate Dean for Well-Being, emphasizes using reflection to set intentions rather than resolutions as you start a new year. Learn how radical acceptance can help you let go of narratives or patterns that no longer serve you. Recognize and observe your emotional reactions without judgment, and embrace the practice of anticipatory joy to bring you out of past ruminations and int...

Dr. Suzanne Allen (Family Medicine; Vice Dean for Academic, Rural, and Regional Affairs) provides tips and tricks for managing your calendar, including how to partner with someone in doing so. Communicate regularly with your assistant about your calendar, clearly relay the urgency level of each meeting request, and have them place holds for each time offered to prevent double bookings. You may als...

Toni McMurphy, founder of Infinite Impact, explains what restorative justice is and how it can be added to your workplace to build community. Restorative justice is the application of restorative practices applied when harm has occurred. Ms. McMurphy describes how to adopt these practices using circles, centering the situation instead of any individual person, and keeping both intent and potential...

Lisa Pierce, the Project Manager for the Office of Faculty Affairs, provides another perspective on how faculty can collaborate with colleagues on projects. Start with establishing trust within your teams and clarifying roles and responsibilities. Then experiment with tools and find the best ways to communicate and track work based on the preferences of everyone in your team.  Music by Kevin MacLe...

Dr. Giana Davidson (Surgery; Assistant Dean for Professional Development) provides a faculty member's perspective on how to collaborate with project managers. Whether it's a research project or clinical initiative, a key foundation is creating a shared vision of what success looks like for the whole team. Then you can organize the work visually to track task progress, check in frequently...

Professor Chad Allen (English, American Indian Studies and Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement) explains why participation in faculty search committees is critical for shaping the climate in your unit and institution. He provides guidance on how to participate actively to advance your unit's vision and goals, move work forward in your field locally and nationally, and welcome a div...