Tell us a little about your background, where you’re from, and what led you to CNUCOM.

I grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, the daughter of a rheumatologist. At Williams College, I met my husband. After graduating from Harvard Medical School, I left Massachusetts to join my husband at UC Davis, where he was studying winemaking. We settled in Napa and had two great daughters. Like many of my wonderful CNSU colleagues, I had a fulfilling career with The Permanente Medical Group (the Permanente half of the Kaiser Permanente team). Upon retiring at age 61, several of my Permanente colleagues reached out, shared how much they enjoyed teaching at CNSU, and encouraged me to join the faculty.

What drew you to your specific field of medicine and what makes it fulfilling for you? Outside of work, what are your hobbies, interests, or passions?

Hiking, cross-country skiing, cooking and sharing a good meal with friends and family, and baseball. The owner of the Oakland A's, John Fisher, broke my heart when he destroyed my team and then moved it to Sacramento on his way to Las Vegas. I'm searching for a new team—any suggestions?

What advice would you give students who are about to start their journey in medical school?

My youngest daughter will be graduating from Tufts School of Medicine in May. She has been very patient, listening to advice from both her rheumatologist grandfather and me. We both encouraged her to choose the specialty that gives her joy. Becoming and being a physician is hard and requires personal sacrifice. We all deserve joy. She finds joy in pediatrics. She's not alone—at Kaiser Permanente, year after year in our physician surveys, pediatricians were the happiest specialty. I am thrilled she is following her heart. Also, the first two years of medical school require you to ingest and digest a vast amount of book learning and facts. When you reach your clinical years, I encourage you to study your patients and their needs. For me, what I memorize in books stays in my brain just long enough to regurgitate it for an exam. However, when my patient has a problem, I am motivated to figure out how best to help her, and what I learn stays with me for decades.

Can you share something students or peers may not know about you?

I was a rabid Oakland Athletics fan and probably attended > 1400 games when I had season tickets from 1987 through 2023.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being part of CNUCOM?

Without a doubt, it's the students. I love it when I see your eyes light up, when you understand a new concept or see the ear drum for the first time in the otoscope.

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