Celebrating colleagues

There are so many things about Iowa that I am coming to love. January temperature drops are not on the list! But Iowans themselves . . . incredible. I see a genuine interest in each other’s lives that I suspect you all take for granted, but I assure you can be harder to find elsewhere. I believe that concern is an investment. The attention we pay each other is essential for building trust, which is that bedrock of a dynamic community I talked about on New Year’s Eve. Trust allows us to accomplish hard things together. One way to deliver that attention, to show that we matter to each other, is to say yes to invitations when we can. It can be as small as grabbing lunch in the cafeteria together instead of skimming through our inboxes, isolated at our desks. Attention can also be paid by organizing and attending division-level gatherings. In a department this size we can’t all get together very easily, but smaller groups can and should. I know that multiple divisions and groups within the department will come together over the next few weeks to celebrate and I am happy to see it. These connections, large and small, formal and informal, matter. They are warm lights in the chilly and dim weeks of winter. Let’s share our light with each other.

Upi’s “Oh, WOW” moment
I know that when the Endocrinology division gets together later tonight, they will have a lot to celebrate. Led by Division Director Dr. Ayotunde Dokun, they have done excellent work in UI Health Care’s clinical spaces, particularly in the growth of its critically needed Weight Management Clinic. Endocrinology’s researchers continue to excel and the division also just had another successful fellowship match. That program is led by Dr. Brian O’Neill, who was also recently selected to join the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) in acknowledgement of his research accomplishments. ASCI is one of the oldest honorary societies in the country dedicated to the advancement of academic medicine. The organization has only about 2,800 members, who are considered among the nation’s most respected physician-scientist leaders. Dr. O’Neill joins a select group of about 30 other department members of ASCI, the most recent one of which—Dr. Eli Perencevich—was elected in 2017. This is not an everyday occurrence, and I congratulate Dr. O’Neill on his achievement. I also acknowledge that success takes a village. So, a thanks from me to the many colleagues, mentors, and family members who have supported him along the way.

Election to honorary societies is proof that supporting faculty at every stage of their journey is an important departmental task. As a department we will prioritize nominating colleagues for awards, memberships, and other recognitions that signal the hard work of our faculty. I appreciate the initial work that Dr. Chad Grueter, our Vice Chair for Research, and some of our staff have done to lay the groundwork for this effort. This has included organizing many of the internal opportunities for recognitions on one page. I encourage each of you to browse these awards and to think about the people you work alongside who would make good nominees. Feeling seen by our colleagues is an undervalued factor in retention, but it’s also just a nice thing to do. Let’s highlight the great work being done by our colleagues and elevate each other!

Photo for Reflection

I was honored recently with an invitation to Dr. Frank and Doris Abboud’s lovely and loving home. Earlier this month, Dr. Abboud turned 94 years old. I got to wish him a happy birthday and to talk about his tenure as chair of the department. And take a selfie! After more than a quarter century of leadership, he left a stamp on Internal Medicine and the Carver College of Medicine that can still be seen today. His impact was certainly evident during the 50th anniversary celebration and the symposium in honor of the Cardiovascular Research Center that bears his name. During our talk I asked him for some advice on being successful in this role. He offered three tips that I think will not only serve me well as chair but are just good life lessons. I don’t think I need to elaborate on these, but I can tell you I have already been thinking about them quite a bit: