Being a Positive Force for Change with Dr. Rebecca Berman

Rebecca Berman, MD, is the Program Director for UCSF's internal medicine residency program, and a Professor of Clinical Medicine. Dr. Berman completed her medical school from Harvard Medical School and her residency in primary care internal medicine from Brigham and Women's Hospital. After completing her chief residency at Brigham and Women's in 2009, she joined Mass General Hospital where she built a network of student faculty primary care practices known as the Crimson Care Collaborative. Over a thousand Harvard medical students have participated in the Crimson Care Collaborative gaining early exposure to primary care, to care for the underserved and interprofessional education opportunities. In 2013, Dr. Berman returned to Brigham and Women's to direct its primary care residency program and in 2018 was recruited to UCSF. She's the founder and co-leader of the National Association of Program Directors of Internal Medicines, Primary Care Group, and is the editor of their primary care toolkit, which offers a blueprint for building and strengthening primary care tracks. To help reduce pay disparities and improve diversity in medical leadership positions, she teaches nationally on negotiation skills for physicians. She's a member of the Society of General Internal Medicine and serves on their national career development working group. Other areas of interest include Novel Curriculum, Health Literacy, Women in Medicine and Care for The Underserved. Don’t let your lack of confidence get in the way of your intelligence. That is the wise advice Dr. Rebecca Berman received early on in her career, and she’s been practicing it—and preaching it—ever since. Today, she empowers us to use our voice, to share our ideas, and to dare to not only ask questions, but to seek the solutions that come from complex issues. Dr. Berman explains that when we know something, we need to simply say it. If we’re wrong, we can own it. But the key is to communicate confidently, clearly, and directly. She believes that strong mentors are who empower us to be innovative within and outside our hospital networks, and to encourage us to become a force for positive change. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. Medicine is an atypical journey. The ‘atypical student’ with the non-linear path is much more common than the typical one. And it’s the varying perspectives and journeys that lead to more innovation along the way. 2. Don’t let lack of confidence get in the way of your intelligence. If you have something to say, say it clearly and directly, and don’t undermine yourself.  If you’re wrong, own it and move on. 3. We all want to be innovative. But we can get a lot more done creatively if we look at it with two mindsets. It’s not just criticizing the problem, it’s about working to find that complex solution. 4. It’s not always about getting credit. We need allies and formed partnerships to accomplish more and create change.