Fall 2022 Educator Spotlight: Diana Lam, M.D.

Welcome to our Educator Spotlight series, where we highlight educators doing great work in the Department of Radiology. Our Fall 2022 Educator Spotlight is Diana Lam, M.D., associate professor and Clinical Director of Breast Imaging at UW-Northwest. 

What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?

• Gardening
• Sleuthing for and upcycling items
• Figuring out how to maintain a home
• Binge-Watching TV shows
• Trying out new restaurants (pre-pandemic) and ordering too much food

What do you like best about being an educator?

Meeting and learning from our new classes of residents and fellows. They have such a diverse range of experiences, ideas, interests, and hobbies. It’s never boring in the reading room and it’s rather inspiring when they teach me new techniques which they’ve learned from other rotations or in their studying, or I am challenged to think or look at something from a different point of view. It’s also so gratifying to see how much they have progressed — both professionally and in their lives between their beginning and end of training.

What tips do you have for others to become great educators like you?

I don’t actually think I’m that great of an educator; however, I do try my best when I can. I think back to my teachers and mentors who have really made an impact in my education and what I have learned from our trainees over the years. I’ve taken the feedback I’ve received to heart and there is always room for improvement. Essentially — Patience. Humility. Openness. Understanding. Adaptability. Flexibility. Knowing what’s critical and explaining the reasoning behind it. Be a coach and work as a team through inspiring curiosity versus pure Socratic method.