The root of the word "crisis," in Greek, literally means, “to sieve or separate.” The 2020 academic year was an exercise in just that. Navigating the chaos of an unprecedented pandemic, the ability to sort and prioritize, was never more essential. The COVID crisis shook things up, and shook things up some more; and what’s most important to hold onto, has never been more clear.
As was the theme of our State of the Department address, our AY2020 success is remarkable — not in spite of, but because of the COVID crisis, which challenged us to transcend what is urgent, and focus on what is important — The 3 C's: Calling, Career, and Community.
When the OR grinds to a hault, laboratories close, education goes virtual, and the workplace turns dangerous — when the legs of our tripartite mission begin to wobble — our core values drive our mission forward. From crisis, we head into 2021 with a new clarity on what makes us Yale Surgery Strong: Hope for the Future, Joy for Today, and the Collective Belonging of our 209-year history. Let's encourage one another to ground our goals not in opportunity, but in purpose.
A link to the video recording of the Friday, Sept 18 presentation is available on Yale Box (VPN required). I welcome your feedback on our direction and development on this brief, anonymous survey.
Sincerely,
Nita Ahuja, MD, MBA, FACS
William H. Carmalt Professor of Surgery
Chair, Department of Surgery
Yale University School of Medicine