My Superpower!!

Recently, I had the privilege of attending a transformative workshop on Interprofessional Practice & Education (IPE) and Community of Practice Development. Picture this: health care professionals from all corners—including mental health!—coming together to celebrate their collaborative efforts to improve patient care. It’s inspiring to see everyone united by a common goal, making the circle of care complete. For me, this was especially meaningful—I’ve always been a passionate advocate for holistic patient care. You simply can’t treat a patient by looking at symptoms alone; every illness has biological, psychological, social, and even spiritual layers. It’s crucial that we, as healthcare professionals, keep this in mind!

Now, onto one of my favorite activities from the workshop: we were tasked with pairing up with someone from a different healthcare department. As fate would have it, I was partnered with Dr. Rajesh Mangrulkar, director of the Michigan Center for IPE itself! Talk about intimidating—his credentials are seriously impressive. Despite my initial nerves, by the end I was an enthusiastic Dr. Raj fan. He’s an incredible clinician and a genuinely insightful leader. Ann Arbor VA is lucky to have him as their director of internal medicine!

The real magic happened during our exercise: a “Generative Interview” where we practiced intuitive listening to discover each other’s superpower. Based on feedback from our partner, we were then encouraged to imagine and design our own action figure—how cool is that? I’ll admit, this was pretty daunting for me. I’m more experienced at self-critique than self-promotion! But thanks to Dr. Raj’s knack for articulating strengths, and the support of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor’s Center for Research on Learning & Teaching (CRLT), I was able to truly embrace my superpower.

So, who did I become? I proudly introduced my action figure: the “Mind Mentor.” Dressed in bold maize and blue, this superhero embodies the spirit of enthusiastic learning, cultural sensitivity, and an unwavering commitment to holistic care. Armed with a wand of wisdom, a heart for empathy, and a book that fuels curiosity, my Mind Mentor guides minds and inspires hearts—not just in the classroom, but in every interaction with patients and colleagues. Creating this figure helped me recognize the strengths I bring to the healthcare team and reminded me that our superpowers shine brightest when we learn and grow together. Here’s to celebrating the hero in all of us!