People Profile – Dr. Clark Restrepo

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Clark Restrepo, MD, PGY 4; Interventional Radiology

As a medical student at Georgetown University, Clark Restrepo, MD, (PGY 4; Interventional Radiology) knew that MedStar Health’s residency program would offer him the wide breadth of clinical experience he was looking for. He also knew that, with the guidance and mentorship of the amazing faculty at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, his training would help him become a skilled and compassionate physician.

Now in his fourth year of residency, Dr. Restrepo has come to realize just how much of his success has been driven by not only those mentors, but everyone he interacts with each day.

“I greatly appreciate the support of the technologists, nurses, and staff who help manage the care of so many patients in the radiology department on a daily basis,” he says. As a new class of interns, residents, and fellows joins MedStar Health GME, Dr. Restrepo recommends they take this to heart.

“Make an effort to get to know the people you are working with. At a minimum, take the time to introduce yourself to all members of your patients’ team—whether that’s the case manager on the floor or the front desk clerk in the clinic. Everyone plays an important role in the daily care of our patients and should be recognized and appreciated.”

On a personal note, Dr. Restrepo also recommends that all trainees—not just those in radiology—take time to examine their patients’ imaging. “It will help you become a more well-rounded physician and give you a better appreciation of your patients’ disease process,” he explains. Dr. Restrepo has seen this firsthand as physicians of all specialties look to interventional radiologists for guidance, often during the direst times in a patient’s clinical course.

Being able to participate in the multi-disciplinary care of every patient in the hospital—from the pediatric patient who has just had an organ transplant to the new mother in the immediate post-partum period—is his favorite part of interventional radiology.

Dr. Restrepo acknowledges, however, that this aspect of his specialty can be exhausting as you are pulled in multiple different directions. To keep his energy up, he makes sure to reflect on his daily experiences and remember the moments of appreciation from the patients, which he says give him the greatest job satisfaction and make him excited to return each morning.

To help others on his team who may be struggling, he looks for ways to maximize his involvement and tries to be available to help his colleagues in any way he can. “The goal is for everyone to finish their clinical responsibilities and be able to spend time with friends and family or enjoy personal hobbies,” he says.

Dr. Restrepo’s own hobbies include spending time outside, especially hiking the national parks near Washington, D.C., or golfing with friends and other residents. He likes trying new restaurants, even if it means driving 45 minutes outside the city for a more authentic experience. And, growing up in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia, Dr. Restrepo makes sure to keep up with his favorite teams, saying he cannot emphasize enough his passion for Philly sports: “GO BIRDS!”

People Profile – Dr. John Steinberg

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John Steinberg, DPM, FACFAS

John Steinberg, DPM, FACFAS, is the Co-Director of the Center for Wound Healing at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and is the Director of the Podiatric Residency Training Program at MedStar Health. Dr. Steinberg also serves as a Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Dr. Steinberg’s journey into the field of podiatry seems almost predestined, with a lineage of podiatrists preceding him. By seventh grade, he was already working in his father’s office, learning both the front and back-office operations. By the age of 13, he knew that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, father, and cousins.

John is now a podiatrist specializing in limb salvage surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Since joining the MedStar team in 2004, John has contributed significantly to the field. In 2012, he stepped into the role of program director, further investing in a passion for teaching that he now considers his favorite part of the job.

John finds satisfaction in the clinical aspects of his work. He appreciates that patients can walk into the clinic and leave feeling better, often thanks to minor procedures that provide immediate relief. His dedication to preventing amputations and improving patients’ mobility has been a driving force in his career.

A key factor in John’s success at MedStar has been the team-oriented environment. Being part of the Department of Plastic Surgery and collaborating with advocates and like-minded colleagues has helped him advance both his practice and patient care. This team approach has been crucial in delivering comprehensive and effective treatments, and John recently published his first textbook on that very topic.

Outside of medicine, John emphasizes the importance of personal wellness. He incorporates tennis, rowing, and yoga into his routine, finding those both physically and mentally beneficial.  He “loves the simplistic approach of yoga. There are no weights needed – you can take care of your body with your own body.”

John values his family time, cherishing moments and family travel time with his two college-aged children who attend University of Virginia and James Madison University.

For incoming interns, residents, and fellows, John’s top advice is to trust the process. He acknowledges the initial confusion and stress of our interns but assures us that there is a method to the madness. He encourages active participation and patience, emphasizing the importance of the foundational first year, which includes more task-based work, before more hands-on surgical experience in the later years of training. His words of wisdom to first year residents are “Trust your leaders and be active!”

Looking ahead, John envisions a challenging yet promising future for medicine, particularly in podiatric surgery. He believes in the potential for hospital-based practice expansion and the importance of clinicians working as a team. “Technological advancements will help reduce administrative burdens, allowing physicians to spend more time with patients,” he says.

John is proud to be part of the MedStar Health team, valuing the culture of safety and support it promotes. He believes in the importance of truth and integrity, fostering an environment where patient safety and a collaborative, supportive culture is the highest priority.

People Profile – Dr. Brigitte Grewe

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Brigitte Grewe, DO, (PGY 3; Family Medicine)

Brigitte Grewe, DO, (PGY 3; Family Medicine) chose her specialty because she says it tapped into the three things she loves most about being a physician: working with kids, women’s health, and procedures. “I got a mix of all three by working in family medicine,” she explains.

As the MedStar Franklin Square Family Medicine Residency recruitment chief, Dr. Grewe aims to highlight these and other opportunities offered by family medicine in the hopes of attracting “the most accomplished and down-to-earth humans” to the program.

Dr. Grewe represents her residency program on social media (follow along at @medstarfranklinsquarefm on Instagram!) and at recruitment conferences. During the recruitment season, she also helps to organize pre-interview hangouts and resident interview schedules.

“The role of recruitment chief is not just about posting cute reels and stories on Instagram to attract an audience, but it’s to highlight and document how unique and skilled the people of our program are. It’s to show a culture of residency that is supportive of the resident and a place you can’t wait to join,” she says.

Having a good support system—especially a supportive husband, parents, and her MedStar Health residency “family”—has helped Dr. Grewe succeed at MedStar Health. Making sure to have your own support system in place is one piece of advice Dr. Grewe offers to this year’s incoming class of MedStar Health GME interns. She also says to prioritize balance, which she tries to do by hiking, cooking, traveling, and playing outside with her husband and dog whenever her residency schedule allows.

For Dr. Grewe, the great primary care doctors who cared for her and her loved ones while growing up in Hagerstown, Maryland, played a large part in inspiring her to pursue medicine herself. Dr. Grewe hopes that the future of medicine in the United States is one where more people of diverse backgrounds are inspired to pursue medicine.

“Time and again,” she says, “I’ve seen better patient satisfaction when they see someone who looks like them open the exam room door. I hope that is the future of health care.”

Medical Educator Minute – Setting the (feedback) stage

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Starting this week, we’re launching a new monthly feature in Academics This Week called “Medical Educator Minute”, which will feature quick tips for teaching, giving and receiving feedback, and improving the learning environment based on the literature and curated by Dr. Elizabeth Chawla and Dr. Sarah Thornton. Our first feature below focuses on the importance of ‘setting the stage’ for feedback.

Setting the (feedback) stage:

Feedback conversations can be challenging for both educators and learners: educators often don’t know what to say or where to start, may be concerned about how their feedback will be received, or feel their time with the learner was too limited to make a comprehensive assessment. Learners can be equally unsatisfied if they are not able to reflect on feedback given, find it unhelpful because feedback does not align with their learning goals, or fail to get any specific feedback. So how can we ensure any time with learners facilitates opportunities for feedback and professional development?

Any interaction with a learner, even if brief, can use the following framework:

  • Set Expectations – it’s important for both the educator and the learner to understand what is required for the interaction or rotation. At the beginning of a week on service, the beginning of a surgical case or procedure, the start of an ER shift, or the start of a clinic session, the educator should clearly state expectations for the learner.
  • Learner-Driven Goals – the learner should identify and communicate to the educator specific goals for the time they have with the educator, based on their personal professional growth, current level of performance or experience, and time available. e.g., “I really want to work on my procedural skills during this ER shift.” The educator may need to help ensure goals are feasible and practical to the clinical space and that the goals align with stated learner curriculum.
  • Set a Time for Feedback – setting the expectation for a time and space for feedback at the beginning will help both the learner and educator feel prepared for the conversation, ensure it happens in a timely manner, and at a time when the learner is open to receiving the feedback. e.g., “at the end of the case, at the end of the shift, at the end of the month.” Remind the learner that self-reflection of performance and goals will be part of the feedback discussion.

Feedback conversations can be framed by recalling previously stated expectations and learner-stated goals set at the beginning of the interaction. Self-reflection is a critical part of receiving feedback. e.g., “What went well? What would you like to work on for next time?” Setting the stage can be very useful for ensuring feedback conversations are focused, timely, and productive, even during busy clinical loads.

To learn more, check out this article by Burgess et al about feedback in the clinical learning environment.

 Elizabeth Chawla, MD, Sarah Thornton, MD