"We all have something unique to contribute, and it’s okay to live the life that you’ve imagined."
Years at Midwestern University: I am just beginning my career at Midwestern University!
What are your research interests?
Right now, I am really interested in how we learn, as well as how we train and teach surgical procedures. There is some very interesting research coming out about simulation training as it pertains to surgery, and I think we are now at a very unique time where the technology is there to truly support those kinds of communities. As surgery continues to advance, and operating room efficiency continues to be a more pressing matter, I think there is a great opportunity to discover where surgical simulation training can be optimized to set our students up for success as residents starting on day one.
What is the most rewarding part of being a member of the Midwestern University faculty?
For me personally, being able to return to my alma mater is very rewarding. The chance to give back to a university that gave me so much is an amazing opportunity.
How do you engage students in the learning process?
I love this question as I believe that the key to teaching is engagement. To quote Albert Einstein, “Education is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think.”
I try to engage students by helping them understand the underlying facts in a way that is simple and tangible, but then ask them to apply that knowledge or process and use it in more abstract ways. I love integrating material from multiple courses and having the students think and apply what they know to real-life cases and situations.
What do you hope students learn from your classes?
I hope they learn how to think. Obviously, they need to understand the underlying facts and data part, but ultimately I want them to learn critical thinking skills and even meta cognition, which is teaching students how to think about certain situations that don’t always have one right answer. If I can help students understand the “why,” then their decision-making is simplified. If they can process the “if this, then that” part of surgery, then the “how” becomes simpler.
Why should students enroll at Midwestern University?
I think being part of a community of healthcare professionals who all want our students to succeed and be better than we are is what sets MWU apart. The support and mentoring across multidisciplinary programs, as well as the more intimate aspects of the Arizona College of Podiatric Medicine are very rewarding. Additionally, the clinic exposure and the state-of-the-art simulation lab all make Midwestern a very special place to learn. It’s also hard to deny that Glendale is a beautiful place to live.
What lessons would you like students to take with them in their professional careers?
It’s okay to set boundaries. Clinical practice is a marathon, not a sprint. This is one of the best and most rewarding professions out there, but it will demand a lot from you, and your families. Take time to “fill your cup, as you cannot pour from an empty cup,” and most of your day is spent giving away the best parts of yourselves. Surround yourself with support. I still ask my mentors for advice and opinions regularly and I love getting emails and texts from former students and residents about challenging cases they have. The world needs the person you are meant to be, and giving it your best is essential, but we all need support and that is normal. We all have something unique to contribute, and it’s okay to live the life that you’ve imagined - not the one someone else is telling you to have.
