Featured Story
Lunch & Lead: Life as an Emergency Room Doctor
From WISE Co-President Carolina Warneryd ‘19:
On January 10, the Center for Leadership had its first Lunch & Lead of the new year, which was promoted by the WISE (Women in STEM Education) Club. The featured guest speaker was Dr. Raquel Harrison who works as an emergency medicine physician at Yale New Haven Hospital. Dr. Harrison talked about her plan to be a architect but early in college decided to become a doctor instead. After discussing what led her to be an ER doctor, there was an extensive question and answer session about her work in that position.
Students asked a variety of questions, ranging from what coping mechanisms Dr. Harrison uses to deal with stress to how she has seen cases in the ER evolve during the past several years. Dr. Harrison described the fast-paced atmosphere of the ER and the difficulty of dealing with what she calls “hard cases,” but also how she takes time for mental health and ultimately loves the nature of her work.
As a mother of three preschool children, Dr. Harrison discussed the challenges of balancing work and family, as well as the stereotypes she deals with on a daily basis as a woman in a male-dominated field. Asked what important lessons the ER has taught her, Dr. Harrison mentioned the value of teamwork, as well as the benefits of finding something you’re passionate about doing.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
