Tamara Dunn, MD
December 8, 2023.
THREE WORDS THAT COME TO MIND WHEN THINKING OF BELONGING:
Authentic, welcome, acceptance
MY NAME IS INTERESTING BECAUSE:
From grade school all the way through college, I chose to go by a nickname, Tami (different spelling was inspired by a friend's big sister who I admired). I finally embraced my given name, Tamara, when I lived on the east coast. Most folks mispronounced my name when seeing it for the first time, thus "Tamara like camera" was born. It works for people to remember the pronunciation to this day.
TELL US ABOUT A TIME YOU FELT A SENSE OF BELONGING IN OUR DEPARTMENT:
I felt a sense of belonging when I was asked to sing at the all staff meeting a few years ago. We were still doing everything virtually due to the pandemic. I felt seen because singing is such a huge part of my identity outside of medicine. I felt honored to be asked to share that part of myself with the staff. Being asked to share a big part of who I am with folks brought me real joy, especially since that part has nothing to do with hematology, DEI, etc. It's nice to have those parts of your identity celebrated!
WHY DO YOU THINK BELONGING IS IMPORTANT?
I know that when you don’t have belonging you can feel isolated and stifled (both personally and professionally). Belonging lays the foundation for someone to bring their authentic self to any situation and that is when you can really thrive. Everyone deserves to bring their authentic self to work. No one should ever feel they have to hide who they are in our department.
WHAT INCLUSION-BASED THEME WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE DEPARTMENT EMBRACE IN 2024? WHY?
That is a tough one. I think the theme of allyship would be great, as it would represent us all supporting each other as people with so many different identities (realizing that each person has many identities). I encourage folks to continue to try to broaden their knowledge base, try to understand where their colleagues are coming from, and work on listening. I think that is necessary to propel belonging to the next level.