Eli Zimmerman, MD, associate professor in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology’s Division of Stroke and Vascular Neurology, joined Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine at the start of this year as the new associate dean for student affairs.
Since then, Zimmerman has spent his time learning more about the medical school and what can be done to support student happiness and success.
Read a Q&A with Zimmerman below.
You’ve been at Northwestern for half a year now – how’s it going?
It has been absolutely incredible! I am doing what I love – getting to know students, supporting them and helping them achieve success – all while working at a place with supportive colleagues who I genuinely enjoy working with. The role is different than what I’ve done before, and so between that and learning a new medical school and a new hospital system, it has been a challenge, in the best way.
What has been your favorite part of getting to know Feinberg’s students so far?
It’s hard to pick just one part! Students have been so wonderfully welcoming to me and open to hearing ideas from a newcomer. It has also been such a privilege to get to share both big experiences and little experiences with students. Big experiences like Match Day and Graduation and Founders’ Day, but also little experiences like helping them navigate a tough conversation or find support during a time of personal challenges.
What plans do you have for the coming academic year? Are there any initiatives or issues you hope to address?
My big plan for this year is to focus on community building.
Finding and building a community are at the core of a career in medicine, and I think we are increasingly cognizant of the pandemic’s negative impact on the ability to do these meaningfully. So, I have developed some ways to foster that sense of community at Feinberg. We will be having small dinner events with educational faculty and small groups of students so that everyone can get to know each other on a personal level outside of the classroom/outpatient simulation/clinic/etc.
I am also planning monthly open houses for students to come into the Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education (AWOME) to share questions or concerns, and to meet members of the team. There are also plans in the works for students to branch out to meet other students since near-peer support is tremendously beneficial.
What’s the best part about summer in Chicago?
The lake! Daniel and the dogs and I have gone on lots of walks up and down the lake, and once the dogs realized the waves weren’t attacking them, they have grown to love it!
Street festivals! We have been to street festivals in multiple parts of town, and it has been cool to see the sense of pride each part of the city carries. We had some family in town for the Chicago Pride Parade, and it was also powerful to see so many different people, from all walks of life, out for the parade.
The fireworks at Navy Pier! We have a pretty good view from our apartment, and we are lucky to have dogs that are not bothered by fireworks, so on Wednesdays and Saturdays we get a great experience.
How can students stay in touch with your office?
Email or drop in! We share updates to keep students and the community aware of what is going on at Feinberg, so students should always feel free to do the same. Help us help you! We can provide support best when we know what is going on.
Is there anything else you want students to know?
AWOME wouldn’t exist without medical students! Our whole job is to support students, so our doors are always open to hear about how we can do that.