Blogs

AAIM Member Spotlight

Jennifer Jeremiah, MD

Associate Program Director
Warren Alpert Medical School
of Brown University

How long have you been a member of AAIM?

I became a member of the Alliance when I became an Associate Program Director for the Brown Internal Medicine Residency in 2007. In addition to using all the resources the Alliance has to offer, I’ve been fortunate to be able to attend two national meetings each year. These meetings have been such a tremendous resource for me. I have learned so much from the experts and innovators in medical education at these meetings.

Describe your typical day.

I would have to say I hardly ever have a “typical day”. I’m so lucky to wear a lot of hats. I practice medicine in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. I also have the joy of teaching residents and students in each of these settings. I see patients in my office three sessions a week and attend on the medicine wards 10 weeks a year. This is now my 23rd year in practice. I have the privilege of caring for patients I have known for years. As an APD in our large program, I have the honor of advising 1/5 of our residents. I also chair our clinical competence committee and oversee our community based teaching program. There really isn’t a lot of predictability to my day. I could never be bored.

What is your favorite part of the job?

I have two favorites. Watching the transformation of an inexperienced intern to a confident skilled graduating resident and having the opportunity to play a role in this growth is such a joy.

I also truly love the time I spend with my patients. Hearing their stories, understanding how their experiences affect their decision making and playing a role in optimizing their health is incredible. I have amassed multiple families in my practice over the years, one with 15 extended family members. It’s a joy to walk into a room and feel a sense of connection.

How has the AAIM membership been of value to you and your career?

The Alliance provides so many resources and opportunities for professional development. Meetings have provided me with a greater understanding of so many educational topics and have sparked ideas to implement in our training program. AAIM’s website provides a repository of pertinent information on education, leadership, and scholarship that I refer to often.

Most exciting for me is that AAIM has given me the opportunity to work with people from around the country. I’ve recently worked with amazingly creative and talented individuals on the first AAIM Collaborative Learning Community on Clinical Competence Committees. What I’ve learned through our work has certainly improved what we do for our residents at Brown. It has also given me the chance to collaborate with remarkable educators on scholarly projects. I doubt I would have had the chance to work regularly with these colleagues had I not been part of this collaborative. Even though our collaborative has officially ended, I don’t believe our work has. We have so much momentum. Several of us are looking forward to presenting some of our work this fall at the AAIM Skills Development Conference.

What's your favorite moment of your career so far?

There’s been so many. Being part of someone’s success is amazing. The joy of helping a patient feel better, win a battle, overcome an obstacle or make the most of their remaining days is a wonderful feeling. Equally exciting is seeing a trainee who has struggled get to where they want to be.

What was your childhood dream job?

I always wanted to be a teacher. I was a nerdy kid and always looked up to my teachers. I wanted to be like them.

How do you spend your free time?

I have two teenagers, a 14-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son. so my husband and I spend a lot of time playing chauffeur and cheerleader. We spend many hours at sports fields and horseback riding arenas. We also love all kinds of outdoor activities, including hiking, skiing, and kayaking. I’m always trying to plan our next family adventure. I’m a huge fan of TripAdvisor.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I’m not known for being much of a risk taker but I love to cook so I experiment on my friends and family. I don’t tell them until after the meal that they were my guinea pigs for something that looked interesting.