This academic year already looks a lot different than any other year. We’ve had to find creative solutions to new problems, navigate the unknowns of the near future and work together from a distance. There is one thing that hasn’t changed: our dedication to our learners, faculty and staff.
There have been benefits to come out of this new reality, and one them is increased participation in grand rounds now that sessions are entirely virtual. In celebration of this, we have made it easier to partake in a variety of grand rounds sessions available to members of the DOM. Next month, we will begin sending weekly grand rounds announcements with event information for JHBMC, JHH and divisional grand rounds. With our new add to calendar function, you will be able to add individual talks, along with the corresponding Zoom links, to your schedule directly from the email. Thanks to Kelsey Bennett, communications specialist, for coordinating this.
Another benefit is that the lack of in-person events has inspired us to improve our web presence. Thanks to Wes Linda, web administrator, we’ve stepped up our archive for grand rounds recordings to make it easier to watch sessions on your own time. The Department of Medicine Mediasite Showcase will host all of the DOM channels in one place, making the videos searchable by topic, tag, speaker and more. Also, in preparation for resident and fellow interviews moving virtual, DOM education webpages are being updated to make them more accessible via phones and tablets.
I know unforeseen challenges will arise despite our efforts. We’re preparing for these with a series of meetings and listening sessions with varied topics and speakers to make you aware of resources as they become available and give you a chance to speak your minds. I hope you will contribute to the conversation to help us improve on behalf of the entire department.
My sincere gratitude goes out to our ADAPT teams and others who are traversing this new territory and doing their best to stay ahead of the new challenges this fall will bring. With you on our team, I am hopeful that we will end this academic year stronger than we were before.
-Mark
