Hi everyone,
This week, Yale Medicine and Yale-New Haven Hospital are sponsoring a Week of Gratitude. To be honest, the calamity in Ukraine has made it challenging for me to feel gratitude. But maybe that’s the point. Ordinary Ukrainians are risking their lives to defend democracy, and their courage should inspire us. So I’ll accept the challenge.
I’m grateful for everyone on this email- medical center leadership, APDs, core faculty, firm chiefs, chief residents, MACs, members of the Intern Selection Committee, professors emeriti, colleagues, fellows, alumni, staff, friends, students, and countless residents.
Thank you for everything. For the brilliant teaching, research, and patient care. For uniting to fight COVID, racism, and gender violence. For building an inclusive community. And above all, thank you for the kindness, for thinking the best of one another, and for the patience and good will.
We’ve faced monumental challenges together, but through it all, I’ve felt grateful to work with creative, compassionate people who constantly show me how much good there is in the world.
Last week, an intern asked me how we manage to recruit so many wonderful residents to Yale. I told her I didn’t know, but I like to believe that trainees join us because they want to be part a community, which is, as Dr. Kantor says, “as good as any, nicer than most.” That’s enough to be grateful for.
Thank you, everyone,
Mark
PS: For my upcoming birthday, I’m raising money for Direct Relief, an amazing charity which provides medical and humanitarian support to troubled parts of the world. All donations, both large and small, are welcome. If you wish, you can specifically direct your contributions to Ukraine. Thanks for considering.
PPS: What I’m reading:
- To Paul Farmer, healing the poor meant meeting their basic human needs
- How Covid Stole Our Time and How We Can Get It Back (H/T to residency alumnus, Amish Desai)
PPS: I’ll be in the MICU for the next two weeks. Please pop by to say hi
MDS