Mentoring
We believe in mentoring and elevating others to serve our mission, promote humanism in medicine, and create a culture of belonging. Whether in formal programs or one-on-one mentoring, our division works to help everyone thrive on their career path.
“Not enough can be said about the foundation built by some amazing mentors at UMass Palliative Care in my trajectory to becoming the geriatric-palliative care physician I am today. It all started in my first year of medical school when I learned the true definition of palliative care in our elective, "Caring for the Seriously Ill," taught by Dr. Reidy. During this time, my beloved grandmother was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and I watched the palliative care team firsthand usher her from early diagnosis all the way through hospice care, and all the while maintaining her love of her family, music, and food. During my inpatient palliative care rotation in my 4th year, I got a taste of the magic that happens behind closed doors, often centered around listening and giving patients the space they need to process. Though I have gone on to practice on the West Coast, I continue to maintain my relationship with wonderful mentors here at UMass who continue to guide my career and for that I am so grateful!”
Tiffany Chen, MD, UMass Chan Class of 2019
"Mentorship from the UMass palliative care team was a defining feature of my medical training. They took a sincere interest in my personal growth as a medical student and encouraged my professional interest in physician-patient communication. With Dr. Reidy's support and mentorship, I completed clinical rotations and a scholarly project on advance care planning that shaped my trajectory through residency and fellowship. I am now a practicing medical oncologist and palliative care physician in Providence, RI. The foundational education I received from the palliative care team at UMass informs my care for patients every single day. I feel fortunate to count the UMass team members as colleagues now and continue to view them as role models."
Kathryn DeCarli, MD, MBE, Assistant Professor of Medicine, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, UMass Chan Medical School Class of 2016
Additional Mentoring Information
Our division focuses on provider and trainee wellness to promote resiliency and joy at work. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nancy McCool, LICSW, developed a peer support program for our palliative care team which remains popular and in demand. Mary-Carla MacDonald, MT, also built a system-wide virtual platform to provide music therapy for frontline healthcare workers. Vandana Nagpal, MD, is passionate about residents’ well-being and has served as faculty chair of the Internal Medicine Residency Wellness Committee since 2018. Learn more about these initiatives below.
The Buddy System
Music Therapy during the Pandemic
Internal Medicine Residency Wellness Committee
Jennifer Reidy, MD, division chief and the Joy McCann Professor for Women in Medicine (2020-2023), has a career focus in mentoring of junior and mid-career faculty, especially women in medicine. She is the founder and director of the Equip Program and the director of the Junior Faculty Development Program at UMass Chan. In 2024, she won the Outstanding Mentorship Award from the Women’s Faculty Committee for her efforts.
“The program was meticulously designed, and I walked away from each session with invaluable pearls I could implement immediately and saw results right away.”
Karen Salomon-Escoto, MD, Equip Class of 2024
Summer Enrichment Program
Our division also participates in the Summer Enrichment Program, a four-week residential program for college sophomores and juniors who are from educationally (first-generation) and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Established in 1987, the program goals are to help participants improve their academic qualifications for admission to medical, professional, and/or graduate school.
