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Vital Signs
Clinical Observation
In this section, we highlight the human side of clinical academic medicine, putting a few questions to a physician at DMS-DHMC.
Sarah Stearns, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and of Pediatrics
A pediatric psychologist, Stearns counsels children with acute or chronic medical problems and healthy children with behavioral or emotional difficulties. She also leads programs in effective parenting.
What made you decide to become a psychologist?
I don't think I can pinpoint any single event. I
have always liked hearing people's stories, and I
suppose that, coupled with a desire to help children,
led me to explore the field. I remember,
early on, thinking I didn't want a job where I
might be bored. It's been a great decision in that
respect—I am never bored!
If you weren't a psychologist, what would you like to be?
Probably an elementary schoolteacher. Many
members of my family have been teachers, and
I have great respect for that profession.
What are your favorite books and movies?
It's hard to choose. Off the top of my head, I'd
say I have enjoyed reading (and rereading) To
Kill a Mockingbird and Ordinary People. Both had
good film adaptations of the novels, both novels
presented some of the story froma child's perspective,
and both
had at least one admirable
adult character
on whom the
children relied.
What are your favorite nonwork activities?
I love being outside—gardening,
canoeing, skiing,
hiking, or playing
tennis. I especially enjoy gardening. Planting
bulbs in the fall is such an act of faith. I
find it so exciting when they come up in the spring. I also collect Winnie-the-Pooh in different languages. I'm a beginning quilter. And I ran the Chicago marathon a couple of times but have stopped running in the last three years.
What place would you most like to travel to?
I'd love to go back to Kenya, where I studied and
lived for five months while I was a Dartmouth
undergrad—I'm Class of 1990. I loved learning
Swahili and speaking with my homestay families.
I enjoyed all the things that were different—language, culture, food, clothing, wildlife—and yet I was impressed that despite all the differences,
so much was similar. For example, on
my most rural homestay, a little boy passed gas,
and everyone laughed. I guess farting is funny
for boys, no matter where they are from!
What three people would you like to have over for dinner?
Julia Child, Maya Angelou, and Roger Federer.
All three seem to have a good sense of humor,
and I think we'd laugh a lot. Julia could give me
cooking tips, Maya would say a beautiful grace
before the meal, and Roger could stay late for
another cup of coffee.
What advice would you offer to someone new to your field?
It's very important to find balance in your life.
Find a good way to relax when you aren't working,
and be sure to protect your free time from
the ever-encroaching demands of the job. Being
a therapist is emotionally challenging on a good
day and absolutely grueling on a hard day. It's
crucial to find time away from work in order to
recharge your batteries.
Of what professional accomplishment are you most proud?
I haven't had a particularly showy career. As a
therapist, most of what I do happens one-onone,
in closed sessions, between me and my patients.
I make my difference in the world one
family at a time. But I am pleased that I have
been able to make some useful programmatic
changes, like developing skills-based groups, in
several of the places I have trained or worked.
What about you would surprise most people?
I think the parents I work with might be surprised
to know that I don't have any children.
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