Greenblatt Lectures Gifts: What Do Medical Students Want?

Flyer for UCLA Greenblatt Lecture, May 2019

I just returned this morning (around 2 am) from a wonderful visit to UCLA where I was honored to give the annual Gertrude Greenblatt Memorial Lecture to honor the spirit of Gertrude Greenblatt: passionate and compassionate dedication to education.

I don't need to tell you what an honor it was to be invited.

I should tell you that I met many new wonderful people over the last few days and that if not for serious jet lag and sleep deprivation (up since 7 am after 4 hours of sleep, clinic day and after school special on a science project involving crickets in the Grand Teton national park), I would tell you about more of them.


I'll just tell you about meeting Karen Miotto, a UCLA psychiatrist who directs their Behavioral Wellness Center and their newer physician wellness program.

Here is what she said to me (and I'll look up the precise reference when I'm not falling asleep friends): a study shows that the number one factor cited by medical students as key to their well-being is?

It is the happiness they perceive in their residents or attendings.

Let's unpack:

1-We create neurotoxic environments for our students when our chronic unhappiness is poured in the clinical environments where they learn.
2-There might be many reasons for this. Including the projection that this is the future awaiting them after so many many years of training.

If you needed one more motivation to take care of yourself, your health and your happiness: there it is.

You welcome.

With Love and Till Later,

Anne