Author: Dr. Eva Aagaard

Those of you who are or have been athletes likely know something about the performance-recovery cycle. Basically, this is the idea that to maximize performance, you need to stress your body intentionally and enough to result in the adaptations it takes to get you to the next level. However, just as important in this cycle […]

All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope. ~ Winston Churchill I love this quote from Winston Churchill. Of course, it comes from war times, but, at least to me, it feels a bit like we have been through a war of […]

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” Isaac Newton This month marks the end of an era- the last rendition of the pre-clinical Legacy Curriculum. I want to take a moment to honor this important event and recognize those who have gotten us to this point. While the […]

Trauma – depending on your context, this word may evoke different connotations or have different implications. We want to recognize that the dual pandemic (systemic racism and COVID-19) coupled with escalating violence and national rhetoric laced with racism are tantamount to trauma for many in our community. While the challenges of the last year are […]

I am going to do something I rarely do—share a personal story. I am writing this while returning from vacation, my first in more than a year and the first real vacation my husband and I have taken alone in over 20 years. Unfortunately, while I was away, my grandmother passed away, likely from complications […]

Looking Ahead As an anchor institution and major economic driver in St Louis, Washington University School of Medicine is uniquely equipped to help heal some of the wounds of our nation that are currently on full display. Now is an opportunity to own the role our actions have played in leading to this moment and […]

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” — William Arthur Ward I came across this quote in contemplating my words for this month’s excerpt. It struck a chord on a number of levels but it especially resonates right now in this incredibly challenging moment we are facing […]

In all honesty, I am struggling. I am struggling as a leader to know what to say to you all right now as we enter what for many of us, including me, is one of the most challenging times of many of our lives. We are beaten down by the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, violence, natural […]

“Differences must be not merely tolerated, but seen as a fund of necessary polarities between which our creativity can spark like a dialectic.” ~ Audre Lorde In the month of July, some of us engaged in a discussion about polarities. Polarities are often thought of as opposites- things that cannot co-exist or that result in […]

Instability. This is what most, if not all of us, are feeling right now. COVID, financial challenges, furloughs, layoffs, re-openings and closings, unclear school schedules for our kids, unclear changes to our work environment and to our educational practices, and so much more. The ground under our feet is shaking, swaying and sometimes crumbling. I […]

The last few weeks and months we have experienced the atrocious killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor compounding hundreds of years of oppression, racism and inequity. We have witnessed police brutality, and peaceful protests that have been turned to violence and destruction. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the […]

This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, Smiles when sadness intrudes, Rainbows to follow the clouds, Laughter to kiss your lips, Sunsets to warm your heart, Hugs when spirits sag, Beauty for your eyes to see, Friendships to brighten your being, Faith so that you can believe, Confidence for when you doubt, […]



“I am willing to struggle along and let us learn step by step. But because man is such a slow learner, let us recognize our mistakes and remedy them without having to repeat the historical process again and again.” ~ Dr. Montague Cobb A colleague introduced me to the 1619 New York Times Podcast Series.  The […]

We are quickly approaching the launch of the Gateway Curriculum. As we do so, I want to bring our attention back to some of the critical supporting infrastructure that is foundational to our current and future success as one of the best medical schools in the country.

On January 20th, we recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Although advocacy for the creation of Martin Luther King Day began shortly after his assassination in 1968, it was not until 1983 when Ronald Reagan signed it into law as an official holiday. Moreover, it was not until 2000 when all 50 states recognized it […]

“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.” Anonymous As Senior Associate Dean for Education, I have the opportunity to meet a number of people who are interviewing for positions here […]

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill In medicine and health professions training, we spend a lot of time and effort seeking perfection, or at least near perfection—high test scores, excellent grades, the “right” research project, the most impressive record of service, the best […]