PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS Dr. Grace
LaShore is a clinical associate in the Section of Hospital Medicine whose clinical work is as a Comprehensive Care Program (CCP) physician. As a CCP physician, she focuses on the care of medically and psychosocially complex patients who are at high risk of hospitalization. She is the Director of Clinical Operations for the CCP program and also oversees the work of non physician staff on the team including an NP, RNs and project coordinators. She is a preceptor for the preclinical Patient Centered Longitudinal Experience (where first year medical students are paired with 2 patients and follow them over the course of a year) and also runs the Comprehensive Care Program fourth year medical student elective.
WORK LIFE BALANCE
My work
life balance is mainly embodied in dance and travel, and I have been fortunate to be able to combine the two. I have been dancing salsa for 7 years and I mainly train and perform with a Chicago based team called the Moves Project. During the pandemic, I started training virtually with world champion salsa dancer Denisse Cambria (who is in the picture above) through the Iroko Ladies World Project. Through these teams, I have been able to perform in a few US cities and most recently in London with dancers from across the USA and Europe. Dance is multipurpose for me; it serves as my stress relief, my main source of exercise, another way to connect with my husband (who also dances salsa), and a way to connect with people from different walks of life outside of medicine. The beauty of the salsa scene is that no matter what language you speak or how old you are, if you step onto the salsa dance floor, you can connect with anyone.
ADVICE
1.
Every time you think about taking on a new task, ask yourself how it fits into your goals and values. If you are not familiar with the concept of “ikigai”, look it up. There is so much we are expected to do as women and as doctors, especially in academia, and it iseasy to be roped into a path that may or may not align with what truly makes you tick, leading to dissatisfaction.
2.
If you have a partner, I highly recommend having a shared calendar, and include blocks of time to take care of projects and time blocked off for activities that are just for you. Give yourself the
space to just “be.” This is especially helpful if your partner is also in a busy profession.
3.
Find an activity outside of medicine that brings you joy, and make it a regular part of your life for balance (put in on the calendar!).