UMEC Spotlight on Faculty Development: Shireen Madani Sims, MD
Meet Shireen Madani Sims, MD, of the University of Florida College of Medicine
Presenter at the 2017 Martin L. Stone, MD, Faculty Development Seminar
“Coaching for Resilience to Foster Wellness in Faculty and Students”
As the Director of Patient-Centered Education in the Medical Admissions office at the University of Florida, Shireen Madini Sims, MD, finds herself lucky to meet most students on the day they interview. From that first meeting to the medical students’ ob-gyn rotation, Doctor Sims is with them all the way—from teaching classes in the systems-based courses in Endocrine and Reproductive Organ Systems, Clinical Oncology and preparation for Preceptorships, to serving as the clerkship director for, what she calls, “the ob-gyn experience.”
At the 2017 Martin L. Stone, MD, Faculty Development Seminar, Doctor Sims (along with Katharyn Meredith Atkins, MD, and LaTasha Craig, MD) presented on “Coaching for Resilience to Foster Wellness in Faculty and Students,” on Monday, January 9, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells near Palm Springs, California.
APGO: Why did you choose this topic to present on?
Doctor Sims: I have been interested in topics such as work-life balance, and have mentored many students and residents in this area. I became interested in wellness and resiliency as my own life became more complicated, balancing a job I love with a family I adore and outside interests I want to pursue. I noticed how different people I interacted with viewed the world through a different lens, and this often colored their perceptions and their attitudes, as well as their response to life’s stressors. I became interested in how to set yourself up for success in terms of adaptability and resiliency. I think some of these traits are inherent in some people, but for others, they can very much be learned, developed and perfected.
APGO: What resources did you find most useful when researching and presenting this topic?
Doctor Sims: First, wonderful colleagues to research and discuss this topic with. Second, online resources from both the medical world and the business world. I can’t stress how valuable the APGO Academic Scholars and Leaders program was for me in terms of formal learning about education, but also networking and bonding.
APGO: What do you hope that those who attended your session will take away?
Doctor Sims: A few key things I hope participants learned include, 1) Knowledge of the five resiliency assets and how incorporate them into their lives; 2) An understanding of their own resiliency and response to stressors, and 3) A toolkit of ideas and resources to help develop and refine resiliency assets.
To learn more about APGO’s Academic Scholars and Leaders Program, visit the APGO website here. For more on the five resiliency assets, Doctor Sims recommends two TED talks: Doctor Gregg Steinberg’s “How to Fall Up” and Angela Lee Duckworth’s “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.” In 2018, APGO’s Martin L. Stone, MD, Faculty Development Seminar will be held from January 6–9 at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan, Florida.