Women In Wellness: Shlomit Schaal of UMass Memorial Heath On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Invest in relationships and friendships. Life is not only filled with successes but also with many failures. There are not only sunny days, but rainy days, too. We all have difficult days, which is why social connections and circles of support are so important. Having people to lean on, who can also lean on you, helps you to overcome the low points in life and makes the sunny days even brighter.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, MHCM.
Above all, Dr. Shlomit Schaal considers her greatest strength to be her fierce curiosity; she finds beauty in grappling with scientific questions, learning the stories of her patients and approaching the mentorship of her students always with curiosity. She is the President of UMass Memorial Medical Group, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at UMass Memorial Health and UMass Chan Medical School where she leads more than 1,100 physicians across nine hospitals, 91 hospital-licensed clinics, 79 office-based practices and multiple health care facilities. Dr. Schaal is a clinician-scientist, specializing in the cutting-edge medical and surgical treatment of complex vitreoretinal diseases and an academician who has dedicated her career to the values and lifestyle of academic medicine; she is committed to enhancing the teaching and education of the next generation of clinicians, scientists, and physician leaders, and has a personal interest in expanding the diversity of future physicians through transformative leadership in a large clinical setting and multi-hospital system. Dr. Schaal earned her medical and doctoral degrees from Technion Institute of Technology Medical School and a master’s degree in healthcare management from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; she has published extensively in the field of vitreoretinal diseases and surgery, and is recognized as a national leader in advancing cultural transformation and diversity in medicine. www.ummhealth.org/medical-group, www.umassmed.edu/ophthalmology
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
Like Robert Frost’s poem, I always seem to choose “The Road Not Taken.” “Two roads diverged in a wood and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Every time there was a choice between the easy route and the difficult path, I always found myself choosing the more challenging one. I was born and raised in Israel and upon graduation from high school, I was lucky enough to be selected for a program called the Military Academic Reserves, which grants young people the opportunity to study and learn a profession before being drafted into the Israeli Defense Forces. I attended the Technion Institute of Technology Medical School where I earned my medical degree and I was then drafted into mandatory service as a physician and a naval Officer. I served five years as a Physician Commander of a naval clinic in Haifa, Israel. My Surgeon General in the navy was an ophthalmologist and a very impressive man. He inspired me to go into ophthalmology. I trained as a resident in ophthalmology at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, and during that time, I also enrolled in a PhD program in biochemistry at the Technion Institute of Technology. After I graduated from my residency and my PhD program, I pursued post-doctoral research and a clinical fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. It was a big decision to pick up my entire family, which included my husband and four young children, and move to the United States for the duration of my training. But we took the leap and made the move. We spent the next three years at the University of Louisville. During my time in there, I won a number of national awards from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). I was offered a position as a faculty member at the university and was given the opportunity to work as a clinician-scientist there. So, we made the hard decision to forfeit our plans of returning to Israel, and instead chose to stay in the U.S. I remember this decision was bittersweet. I believe it was my four young daughters at the time, who would laugh and sing in the backseat of our car to both the Hebrew songs of my childhood and the new American songs they learned, that truly convinced me that our new life in America would be a beautiful adventure. I am proud to say that my entire family went on to become citizens of the United States a decade later. In 2016, I had the opportunity to become the Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School and UMass Memorial Health in Worcester, Massachusetts. As the new Chair I felt humbled and inspired by the expertise of my colleagues, so I went back to school and earned a master’s in healthcare management from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. After my graduation, I was appointed as President of UMass Memorial Medical Group in addition to my role as a Clinical Department Chair. I am excited by my work every day and I am even more excited to see what is to come. Not only has taking the more challenging path been the right move for me, I have reinvented myself several times along the way and have found this to be reinvigorating both personally and professionally.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
As clinicians and surgeons, we experience many unforgettable, heartfelt stories. One that comes to mind is a story of a young boy who played on a high school varsity baseball team with dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. He, unfortunately, was injured during one of his games, and the injury was so severe that he was in danger of losing not only his vision but also his eye. I had the privilege of taking care of him for more than two years. During that time, he had a series of surgeries and, thankfully, we were able to save his eye and bring back his vision, which allowed him to fulfill his dream and play baseball professionally. I became very close with him and his family over the years, and I continued to stay in touch with him as he grew into adulthood and started a family of his own. Every year, he still sends me a card on the date of his injury and attaches an updated photo of him and his family. This story is an illustration of how humbling our profession is, because when I first saw him and realized how severe his injury was, I didn’t have much hope that we would be able to save his eye. It reminds me of how significant of an impact we, as physicians, have on peoples’ lives. I share this story often when I mentor my students about treating patients with severe injuries. It serves as a reminder that we must try our best every time and never lose hope. As physicians our greatest assets are fierce hope and sound medicine.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I absolutely love this question because I believe there is great power in recognizing a mistake as an opportunity to learn. When I first became Chair, I did not have any leadership training. I was selected to be Chair because of my previous accomplishments as a clinician and researcher. I prepared a 22-page document with my vision and goals for the department, and on my first day as Chair, I gathered everyone in the conference room and presented that document to them. I excitedly told them my plans and in doing so, I unintentionally scared everyone in the room! That was a very big rookie mistake. I didn’t know that to lead successfully, one first has to foster a mutual relationship of trust and respect; excitement alone cannot build this type of foundation. A very big principle of leadership is listening to others, learning and incorporating everyone’s ideas, and forming relationships built on trust. Following that first meeting, I went back to square one. I revised my plans and immediately began focusing on building strong relationships within my team. Now, when I look back, we accomplished much more than I had originally planned for the department because I listened to my colleagues every step of the way and helped my team to implement their own ideas rather than simply enforcing my own. When I became the President of the Medical Group last year, I did not repeat that first mistake and instead, I took my time before trying to implement new initiatives, allowing everyone to get more comfortable with me as a leader. The true success of a leader is seen when she harmonizes the diverse voices of her colleagues and creates a culture of collaboration and a common vision of excellence.
When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
In these times of the prolonged pandemic, health care workers are constantly on the national radar. The general public now has much more familiarity, understanding, and knowledge of the immense sacrifice, commitment, hard work, and dedication of health care workers. As a result of the pandemic, physician burnout is extremely high. For women in health care, it has been even more challenging. Women in health care carry a heavier burden on their shoulders because society still expects women to take care of their families in addition to developing their careers and saving lives. The pandemic exposed the inequities that still exist, both for women and for all minorities. Our strength as medical professionals lies precisely in our individual uniqueness and in our ability to approach problems with hope and creativity. As President of the Medical Group, one of my main goals is to identify factors that contribute to burnout and inequities and make the necessary changes to improve our physicians’ joy at work and increase their well-being.
One way we are addressing the needs of our caregivers in the UMass Memorial Eye Center, is by offering nontraditional work schedules that appeal to people at different stages of their lives. These have proven very popular and have reduced turnover. By offering a unique schedule, such as “mothers’ hours,” or part-time or four-day schedules, we help people find a better balance between their work and home lives, which enhances their well-being.
One of the most satisfying privileges in my roles as a Department Chair and as the President of our Medical Group, is the ability to provide employees with the opportunity for professional development and advancement. I absolutely love to identify people within our organization who have existing talent and create opportunities and paths for their promotion. I notice and acknowledge that some of our traditional career trajectories might not be as inclusive or as creative as I would like them to be. I believe in people, and when I see someone who is dedicated and works hard, I go the extra mile to create an opportunity for them to further their career and grow within our organization. This frequently requires out-of-the-box thinking, reimagining and rewriting job descriptions to increase eligibility for a certain title. This is a people-focused strategy that has proven to be a win-win, both for the people and for our organization, time and time again. This is my personal contribution to people’s joy and satisfaction at work. It results in happy employees who know they are appreciated, and it creates a more diverse workforce.
Can you share your top three “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey toward better well-being? Please give an example or story for each.
1. Enjoy family. Family support is vital. Although I chose “The Road Not Taken,” I did not walk it alone. I have the unwavering support of my husband and my four children. In the beginning, we were alone in the U.S., which was a new country for us. We faced many challenges together — a new language, a different culture and a new environment. This brought us closer and strengthened our bond. My greatest strength is my family. It’s comforting to know that I have people supporting me, that we love and belong to one another, and that we are taking this journey together.
2. Develop a hobby. Medicine is a very fulfilling full-time job. It requires long hours, strong commitment and hard work — so for some people, it can be enough. But for me, having a hobby that I take seriously is something that has helped me along the way. I swim competitively; I practice, I have a coach, and I belong to a swim team. Before moving to Massachusetts, I competed in national meets in swimming pools. Since coming to Massachusetts, I discovered open-water swimming in lakes and ponds, and I now prefer long, open-water races. I do this with my husband and a community of swimmers from different backgrounds. I learn so many things from my swimming friends who are from various walks of life and diverse professions. A hobby deserves to be a priority and swimming requires time. It’s an added bonus that, when I’m swimming, there are no emails and no phone calls … it’s almost like meditation and I love it!
3. Keep learning. I read a lot, I learn a lot, and I attend every conference I can to learn more. I learn from everyone: from my mentors, my colleagues, my students, my faculty members, my team members who aren’t physicians and from my patients. When you are a lifelong learner, it keeps you humble, it keeps you open-minded and curious. I will never stop learning. It inspires me and fuels me to constantly grow, evolve and improve. I encourage everyone to be a lifelong learner.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
In America in general, swim education and swimming lessons are not widely available to everyone. Unfortunately, access to sports may not be feasible for every family, but the beautiful thing about swimming is that you really do not need much equipment, just a swimsuit. The rest is you and a body of water. Every summer we witness unfortunate cases of preventable drowning and we must do something about this. Swimming is a life skill that should be taught to all. It is a wonderful way to maintain physical, emotional and mental health. Teaching this to everyone would increase enjoyment of the outdoors and reduce preventable tragedies. Ultimately, wellness comes from both physical activity and serenity. If I could start a movement, I would encourage more people to learn to swim, swimmers to go into communities and teach community members how to swim, and more people to join the open-water swimming community. Living in Massachusetts has widened my view of the significance of swimming, thanks to the opportunity to swim outdoors in springs, lakes and ponds. The best way to describe the feeling of rejuvenation that comes along with swimming is to quote the words written by Henry David Thoreau in his journal in 1852: “If rivers come out of their icy prison thus bright and immortal, shall not I too resume my spring life with joy and hope?”
What are your “3 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
1. Build your team. Medical education and training teach one to be the best that they can be. Students worry about their grades; they study, train, try to improve their skills as much as possible, and they devote a lot of time to perfecting themselves. But students need to know that one cannot achieve success alone. Something I believe we should teach young medical students is the notion that no one can do anything by themselves. A patient’s experience is going to be dependent on the team, not only on one person. That is something I learned late in life, only when I became a Department Chair. In a high-functioning team, everyone has a role. No matter if they’re at the front desk, the secretary, the nurse or the physician — everyone is working together to provide the best patient experience.
2. Invest in relationships and friendships. Life is not only filled with successes but also with many failures. There are not only sunny days, but rainy days, too. We all have difficult days, which is why social connections and circles of support are so important. Having people to lean on, who can also lean on you, helps you to overcome the low points in life and makes the sunny days even brighter.
3. Be you! I was always different. In medical school, I was the youngest. In my military service, I was the only naval physician on mandatory service who was also a mother of four. In my residency, I was simultaneously studying for my PhD. I came to the U.S. and I was an immigrant who had to navigate the nuances of a new country. Even in choosing ophthalmology as my specialty, I am a minority as a woman. And becoming a chair, women are also vastly underrepresented in health care executive leadership. With time, I learned that it is okay to be different. Sometimes, it’s even an advantage because your point of view is unique and original. Diversity certainly makes teams stronger. I wish someone had told me this earlier because I tried very hard for many years to be like everyone else. Now, I realize that it’s best to be me! My differences are part of who I am, I embrace them and try to mentor others to be themselves, even when they are less similar to others in typically homogenous groups.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Mental health and burnout are closest and dearest to my heart. I see our physicians suffering from the strains of COVID. But more than this, too many physicians lose their joy for medicine during their career. We need to remind ourselves of what drew us to health care in the beginning and we need to remove any barriers that prevent us from enjoying our work. Instead, we need to enhance anything that brings us joy, because overall, it is an honor to be a physician and to have the knowledge and skills to improve people’s lives. I teach my students to be mindful and kind to one another so that they can not only focus on improving the lives of their patients, but also safeguard each other’s mental health and joy for learning medicine. The mental health strains put on physicians can be mitigated by nurturing physicians who accept and celebrate the diverse experiences and identities of their colleagues, and who will accompany them through life as true friends and kindred spirits.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomit-schaal-md-phd-mhcm-200649139
Thank you for these fantastic insights!
Women In Wellness: Shlomit Schaal of UMass Memorial Heath On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.