I would like to begin this month’s comments by congratulating the class of 2021 on their upcoming hooding and commencement. I would also like to thank the group in Chancellor Gold’s office and Dr. Wendy Grant and her team in the College of Medicine for their efforts in identifying sites and processes that will allow for these events to be “in person”, while maintaining safety during the ongoing pandemic.
As we celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s graduates, it is once again important to also recognize the losses and stress that have impacted us all as a result of the pandemic. To help mitigate this, we continue to focus on the importance of efforts to assure the wellness of all of us now and in the future. Understanding that we are not alone and that it is OK to reach out for help is a recurring message that we should all take to heart. Hearing the experiences of others and appreciating that just because we are physicians or otherwise involved in health care of the biomedical sciences, we are also human beings.
To that end, this issue of InterCOM contains the first of what will be a series of personal reflections from members of the College of Medicine that emphasize our humanness. I thank Ken Zoucha, MD, for his willingness to share his personal struggle with addiction and to those who will be sharing other experiences in the months ahead. Please take time to read them and use them as an incentive to reflect on how we can support each other and enhance our individual and group resilience/wellness in these challenging times.