Incoming Faculty Orientation: Dean's Welcome & Values
September 02, 2022- 00:03So I I, I know that many of you
- 00:05have been here in some capacity,
- 00:07and I'd love for you to just suspend
- 00:10all of your knowledge and think
- 00:13afresh about Yale School of Medicine
- 00:16and you're not even health system.
- 00:18We do have three missions,
- 00:20and I would make the assertion that
- 00:22we have a fourth leg to our stool,
- 00:25which I'll mention.
- 00:26So obviously education and
- 00:29that is at every level, right?
- 00:31It's our medical students and
- 00:32graduate students. It's also our.
- 00:35Residents and fellows,
- 00:36but also you right?
- 00:38We are a lifelong learning institution,
- 00:42and we need to make sure that we're all.
- 00:45Have opportunities to do that.
- 00:48Discovery and Discovery,
- 00:50again in the basic sciences,
- 00:53but also our translation and one of our.
- 00:57Emphasis in recent years has been
- 01:01to breakdown the silos that that
- 01:04inhibit our innovation and discovery.
- 01:07So that we can learn from people
- 01:09who are in other areas and think
- 01:11differently about problems because
- 01:13we will solve them more effectively.
- 01:15And then of course clinical care.
- 01:18You know we're we're here to make
- 01:21a I I believe human life better
- 01:24through all of these missions
- 01:27and and that is fundamental.
- 01:30I would add that fourth leg,
- 01:31which is people development.
- 01:33So when I think about us
- 01:36as a learning institution,
- 01:38and it goes to that lifelong learning,
- 01:40it's about helping you develop your careers.
- 01:43It's about helping our students
- 01:44figure out what their careers are,
- 01:46and it's about creating an
- 01:48environment where everyone can thrive.
- 01:50And so that's the context in which,
- 01:52for example,
- 01:53I think about diversity and inclusion,
- 01:56because if we do that,
- 01:57we will have a diverse and
- 01:59inclusive environment.
- 02:02So one of the first things
- 02:06we did after 2020 was?
- 02:08Revise our mission statement.
- 02:10And we did this, of course,
- 02:11in the midst of COVID.
- 02:14And it was an extraordinary exercise,
- 02:16because it turns out zoom is a great.
- 02:20Platform for focus groups and so
- 02:23there were many focus groups included.
- 02:26Not just our students,
- 02:27faculty and staff,
- 02:28but some of our community leaders
- 02:31and alumni and many stakeholders.
- 02:35And this is what we came up with.
- 02:36I think it does capture who we are.
- 02:39We educate and nurture creative
- 02:41leaders in medicine, science,
- 02:42promoting curiosity and
- 02:44critical inquiry in an inclusive
- 02:46environment enriched by diversity.
- 02:48That that word, diversity,
- 02:49had not been in our mission statement before.
- 02:52But I I really want to hire highlight
- 02:55curiosity and critical inquiry.
- 02:57We are living in an interesting time.
- 03:00When people are polarized,
- 03:03they have many views.
- 03:05We've seen this, of course,
- 03:06with the job decision.
- 03:08And our commitment as a School of
- 03:10Medicine has to be to maintain curiosity
- 03:13and that critical inquiry and to
- 03:16create knowledge around these things.
- 03:18And so I think staying anchored by
- 03:21those things will help us navigate some,
- 03:24some pretty unusual times.
- 03:26We advanced discovery and
- 03:28innovation fostered by partnerships
- 03:31across the university,
- 03:32again critically breaking down silos,
- 03:35our community and the world.
- 03:36So speaking to are some
- 03:39of our global efforts.
- 03:41And we care for patients with compassion and
- 03:43commit to improving the health of all people.
- 03:45Again,
- 03:46it's not just about the clinician
- 03:48patient relationship,
- 03:49but also our obligation to improve
- 03:52health in the broader sense.
- 03:54So right before I arrived,
- 03:57there was a committee that talked a lot
- 04:00about leadership in the School of Medicine.
- 04:02And this circle of our values
- 04:06comes from that.
- 04:08And I want to talk about what I think
- 04:11that means today as as you reflect on
- 04:15your time at Yale School of Medicine.
- 04:17And I've, I've,
- 04:18I've touched on some of these.
- 04:20So again,
- 04:21diversity and inclusion.
- 04:23In my mind,
- 04:25these are inextricably linked with
- 04:28excellence that we cannot reach
- 04:30our full potential unless we are
- 04:33a place where all can thrive.
- 04:36And we are doing a lot of work in this area.
- 04:41We have a Council of representatives
- 04:44from every department who meet monthly
- 04:47with Darren Lattimore, our deputy Dean.
- 04:50But it's not.
- 04:50Something that falls to.
- 04:52A group of diversity specialists over here,
- 04:56right?
- 04:56This is about who we are and
- 04:58we all need to be engaged in.
- 05:00Umm.
- 05:01Integrity, reflection,
- 05:03and communication.
- 05:05Integrity is fundamental right
- 05:07in in everything that we do,
- 05:09if you're a scientist.
- 05:12That's about academic integrity,
- 05:15right about the the things that
- 05:18you publish are actually true.
- 05:21If you're in the clinical workplace,
- 05:25it's about doing what you say you're
- 05:27going to do for a patient following through.
- 05:31It also reflection the notion that we.
- 05:36Take the time.
- 05:38And not just respond in a knee
- 05:41jerk kind of way to the to the
- 05:44general work of our day and and it
- 05:46sounds like obvious but as as you
- 05:49all know that when you're in the
- 05:52midst of juggling many things.
- 05:54You know, kids at home who have a soccer
- 05:56game that you wanna go to and someone
- 05:58in the hospital and you're trying to,
- 06:00you know, finish up notes.
- 06:02It it takes an intentionally out
- 06:05intentionality to reflect in those
- 06:07moments and and so I would encourage
- 06:10you to do so and then communication.
- 06:13I know in my job that I can
- 06:16never communicate enough,
- 06:17and every time I think I've said
- 06:19something about 10 times and
- 06:20that everybody's bored with it,
- 06:22someone says something where I realize,
- 06:23Oh my God.
- 06:24They they weren't at one of those 10
- 06:26times and I need to say it in 11th time.
- 06:28So that's bidirectional though.
- 06:30So one of the things we have our listening
- 06:34meetings and you can sign up for these,
- 06:38those are.
- 06:39Only there for me to hear what's
- 06:41on your mind and they couple of
- 06:44things happened at those meetings.
- 06:46One is we find that faculty and staff
- 06:49who don't know each other meet each
- 06:52other at those meetings and the 2nd is
- 06:55they're often recurring themes that
- 06:57actually shape our strategy in the in the.
- 06:59Years afterwards,
- 07:00so feel free to attend those.
- 07:03Feel free to to let me know and let your
- 07:08chairs know about what's on your mind.
- 07:12We talked about discovery,
- 07:14innovation and scholarship,
- 07:15and again, the idea of.
- 07:19Of doing this across silos,
- 07:21I think we have opportunities in
- 07:23the clinical setting to bring more
- 07:25discovery to our patients and we have
- 07:28opportunities for our patients to.
- 07:29Better inform some of the work that
- 07:32we're doing at the bench and we've set
- 07:35up structures to try to encourage that.
- 07:37But as we currently work toward
- 07:40closer alignment between the Yale New
- 07:42Haven Health System and the school,
- 07:45that actually was one of the
- 07:46things that our strategic planning
- 07:48group identified as a key point
- 07:50that we need to do that better.
- 07:52And so some of the recent investments
- 07:56in biomedical informatics,
- 07:57we're about to launch a search
- 08:00in precision medicine.
- 08:01Are are geared to help you who,
- 08:05whatever role you're in,
- 08:07cross that chasm a little more easily.
- 08:13Building an engaged, productive
- 08:15community I I mentioned this already,
- 08:18the idea that we are not just here
- 08:21to to do work, but we are here to
- 08:23develop the people who are here.
- 08:25I think there's a group of people we
- 08:27sometimes forget, and those are our staff.
- 08:30And it's very important to understand that
- 08:33everyone contributes to our missions, right?
- 08:36We write grants, but those grants
- 08:38don't go out the door unless somebody
- 08:41is helping them get out the door.
- 08:43When we see patients,
- 08:45somebody's making those, making our
- 08:48clinic accessible to those patients,
- 08:50helping to schedule things.
- 08:51And so take a moment to say thank
- 08:54you to the people around you.
- 08:56And express your appreciation.
- 08:59The last is generativity.
- 09:01And it's it's a wonderful world word,
- 09:06you know, it's in it's mentorship and
- 09:08sponsorship and all of those things.
- 09:11You have all had mentors in your career.
- 09:14I hope you have all had sponsors.
- 09:17So the different, you know that.
- 09:18What's the difference?
- 09:19The there's a saying that mentorship is
- 09:22given and sponsorship is earned, right?
- 09:25The sponsors of the people who.
- 09:27See that you're incredible at whatever,
- 09:30and make connections for you and introduce
- 09:33you to others to advance your career.
- 09:36You will become sponsors and you
- 09:38should take those opportunities.
- 09:40And at this point,
- 09:40for some of you,
- 09:41you may be sponsoring students
- 09:43who are interested in medicine
- 09:45and want to come talk to you,
- 09:47and you connect them with a lab to work
- 09:49in or those sorts of simple things.
- 09:51I guarantee you that if you take a
- 09:54little bit of time to do those things,
- 09:56it will.
- 09:58Make you happier as well as influencing
- 10:01the life of those individuals.
- 10:03And as you advance in your careers,
- 10:06those of you who are joining
- 10:07as senior leaders, you know,
- 10:09we give back to those who've mentored
- 10:11and sponsored us by passing it down.
- 10:14So those are some of the values.
- 10:16And,
- 10:16you know,
- 10:17we're not a perfect place sometimes.
- 10:19We don't always live according to our values,
- 10:21but we need to stay focused on these.
- 10:24And take time to reflect so that
- 10:27we do stay focused on these.
- 10:30Maybe for a bit of amusement,
- 10:32I'll share with you the the first
- 10:35set of rules of engagement that
- 10:37I shared with the chairs and
- 10:40deputy Deans when I arrived.
- 10:42And we've violated every one of them.
- 10:45But this is this is the ideal.
- 10:47So one is set the bar high.
- 10:48I think we haven't violated this one,
- 10:50but you know,
- 10:51we we have to have high
- 10:53expectations of ourselves.
- 10:57The thing is, we then have to
- 10:58help people reach that. Umm.
- 11:01Share problems and suggest solutions.
- 11:05That is a very important connection there
- 11:07so people have no problem sharing problems,
- 11:10but it it really improves morale if
- 11:13you're going to your department chair
- 11:16if you also bring a possible solution.
- 11:19So don't just say this sucks.
- 11:22Say this sucks, but I have an
- 11:25idea how we could make it better.
- 11:27OK, critical.
- 11:31It it works. Another important one.
- 11:35Adhere to the doctrine of no surprises.
- 11:38You know things will happen that are
- 11:41not what you wanted to have happen.
- 11:44You make a mistake,
- 11:46there's a bad outcome,
- 11:48and our tendency is to maybe even
- 11:51feel shame about those things.
- 11:53Feel embarrassment.
- 11:54You know your grant was triaged,
- 11:55whatever it is.
- 11:58Sometimes there are things that affect the
- 12:01reputation of your department or your mentor.
- 12:04It's always better just to just to tell
- 12:06people and inform them what's happened
- 12:09because you want them to hear it from
- 12:11you and not from someone else, right?
- 12:14And often those those people will be
- 12:17very grateful that you've shared it
- 12:19and will help you find a solution.
- 12:22When in doubt, consult so.
- 12:25I remember when I first became an attending.
- 12:29I I think I was really the notion that the
- 12:33buck stopped with me was really frightening.
- 12:36And then I realized that.
- 12:39For my older colleagues,
- 12:40that actually wasn't how they handled it.
- 12:43They consulted each other widely
- 12:46and that you should never be
- 12:48afraid to ask the stupid question.
- 12:50And if you don't know something,
- 12:52you seek help.
- 12:53And this is true in everything we do,
- 12:55not just patient care.
- 12:57It's true in leadership,
- 12:58it's true in.
- 13:00In research.
- 13:03E-mail.
- 13:06If you guys do this.
- 13:09All of our lives will be easier.
- 13:12So I can't tell you how much time we
- 13:16waste because of how we use e-mail.
- 13:20You know, and I I will tell you I have ADHD.
- 13:23If you're writing more than one paragraph,
- 13:25I'm not going to get to it.
- 13:26And I'm going to send a stupid answer
- 13:28because I haven't read the second paragraph.
- 13:30So. E-mail misses lots of nuances.
- 13:36People may misinterpret your tone.
- 13:40And. It just creates a.
- 13:44Asked when we don't need it.
- 13:45So remember that e-mail is meant to be.
- 13:49A quick message or a documentation of a
- 13:52conversation that has already happened,
- 13:54basically. Also remember that all
- 13:57of your e-mail is discoverable.
- 14:01In a court of law.
- 14:02So we are very careful not
- 14:06to look at faculty's e-mail.
- 14:08I will just say that.
- 14:10But if there is a lawsuit,
- 14:12we don't always have a choice.
- 14:13Or if there is a you know. Investigation.
- 14:16We don't always have a choice, so.
- 14:18Just something to think about.
- 14:21Umm. Avoid triangles and end runs.
- 14:24You know any of us who has.
- 14:27Been a parent,
- 14:28have had the experience of saying no
- 14:30to one of our children and then having
- 14:32them go to the other parent and you know,
- 14:34ask the same question and see
- 14:36if they get the same answer.
- 14:38We do this here as well, right?
- 14:40You know, I really wanna do this.
- 14:42I'm not getting the answer I want.
- 14:44I go talk to somebody else.
- 14:46Umm.
- 14:46It it really a it causes friction and so,
- 14:51you know,
- 14:52I think if there are multiple
- 14:53stakeholders involved in something,
- 14:55get people together in one room
- 14:57and have the conversation rather
- 14:58than going serially to others.
- 15:04View debate as healthy,
- 15:05so we will have lots of settings where
- 15:08we will have very open conversations
- 15:11in town halls, in listening sessions.
- 15:15Where you as faculty should feel very
- 15:18comfortable saying I strongly disagree
- 15:20with this, and let me tell you why.
- 15:23At the end of the day as an organization
- 15:26we will have to make a decision that not
- 15:28everyone will agree with at any one time.
- 15:31I I don't, I can't think of a decision
- 15:33that we've made where you know,
- 15:34you get 100% agreement.
- 15:36And at that point we have to say,
- 15:38OK, we've had the conversation,
- 15:40but for whatever reasons and we
- 15:41usually try to express those reasons,
- 15:43we've decided to go in a certain direction.
- 15:46At that point,
- 15:47we ask that you honor those decisions.
- 15:50That so so that place of having the
- 15:54conversation should be a safe place.
- 15:56You should feel very comfortable
- 15:58saying that you disagree,
- 16:00and often you will change that decision.
- 16:04But at some point we do have
- 16:05to make one decision, right?
- 16:08And then the last one is. Often.
- 16:14Exercise your sense of humor because it's
- 16:16perspective setting and we all you know,
- 16:18this is a crazy world in which we live.
- 16:20We're trying to do really hard things.
- 16:23Taking care of patients is really hard.
- 16:25Experiments don't work,
- 16:27people are human, all of those things.
- 16:30But if you do this,
- 16:32we'll we'll,
- 16:33we'll all have a good time together.
- 16:34So that's all I had to say.
- 16:38I hope you enjoyed today.
- 16:39I want to thank again Linda for
- 16:43her tremendous commitment.
- 16:44To our faculty and to your career
- 16:48development and have a have a great day.
- 16:51I'll see you at the social event later,
- 16:52so thank you.