Following Your Bliss with Dr. Rebecca Gruchalla

Rebecca Gruchalla MD is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, and Director of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where she holds the William A. Sellers MD and Joyce M. Sellers Distinguished Chair in Allergy and Immunology. Dr. Gruchalla received her PhD and MD from UT Southwestern, went to UPenn to complete her residency, and completed her fellowship in allergy and immunology from UT Southwestern, where she stayed on as faculty. She's an active Physician Investigator, and has been leading inner-city pediatric asthma studies since 1994. She's a past member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology, and the Board of Directors of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. “Wherever you are, if you are following your bliss...doors that you didn't know existed will open...invisible hands will guide you.” Dr. Rebecca Gruchalla reminds us of this quote from Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth as she shares the impact of her parents and physician mentors in shaping who she is today. Working with her mentors (and responding to the occasional ‘zingers’ with a can-do attitude), connecting with her patients on a personal level before getting down to medicine, and nurturing her trainees as they progress on their path - these are some of the things that bring joy to Dr. Gruchalla’s life. She leaves us with a simple, yet profound message: Follow your heart and you’re going to be great! Pearls of Wisdom: 1. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, take it one step at a time. And give it 24 hours before making any major decisions. 2. In a patient encounter, don’t worry about what to say at first. Instead, observe: what do you see in the room, next to the patient’s bed? Start a conversation with the patient. Make a connection. 3. Great mentees don’t approach their mentors with just a problem; they also bring a solution. Plus, they are prepared to take criticism because they know that’s what helps them grow. 4. Be joyful, be delighted. Medicine is a serious profession dealing with life and death, but doctors are following their bliss.