Compassionate Communication Virtual Workshops

Dr. Ami Doshi

Dr. Ami Doshi is a pediatric hospitalist and palliative medicine physician at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and the medical director of palliative care. Diego. She is also the Galinson Family Endowed Chair in Palliative Care. She is a clinical professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine. She serves as Vice Chair for Faculty Development and the Well-Being Director for the department of Pediatrics.

Dr. Doshi is actively involved with the education and mentorship of pediatric fellows and residents from UC San Diego and the Navy Medical Center San Diego as well UC San Diego medical students. Her academic interests are in palliative medicine, communication, and physician well-being. Her research focuses on palliative care education, and she has created and disseminated curricula for trainees and attending physicians to foster primary palliative care and communication skills, and to promote compassion in medical students.

After earning her undergraduate degree in psychobiology at the University of Southern California, Dr. Doshi completed her medical training at University of California, Irvine and continued her pediatric residency at UC San Diego, where she completed her pediatric hospital medicine fellowship. She completed her palliative medicine training through Harvard School of Medicine’s Program in Palliative Care Education and Practice.

She is motivated by supporting patients, colleagues and trainees in growing, thriving, and fulfilling their potential.

Dr. Julie Celebi

Dr. Çelebi is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UCSD, with a secondary appointment in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose, received a Master of Science in Basic Medical Science from Wayne State University, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago.

As a proud “full-spectrum” family physician, Dr. Çelebi practices the full breadth of primary care for patients of all ages, including children and adults. She cares for a diverse patient population with a special interest in women’s health, obstetrics, in- office procedures, LGBTQ+ healthcare, and medicine for the medically underserved. Dr. Çelebi enjoys fostering long-term relationships with patients, caring for families, and empowering patients with a greater awareness of their health conditions.

Dr. Çelebi serves as Wellness Director for the Department of Family Medicine, systematically addressing complex issues related to physician well-being while creating a culture of wellness and connectivity amongst her coworkers. She is also a part of the core faculty for the UCSD Family Medicine residency and is involved in teaching at UCSD’s School of Medicine in a number of courses and rotations.

Dr. Çelebi enjoys hikes with her partner and two children, practicing yoga, crafting poetry and reflective writing, and finding clarity and peace through meditation. She is fluent in Spanish and looks forward to a future when she can re-engage in global health work.

Dr. Lisa Eyler

Lisa Eyler, PhD (she/her) is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego and a Clinical Research Psychologist in the Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the VA San Diego Healthcare System where she serves as Director of the MIRECC Mental Health in Aging Unit. In addition, she is the Director of the Center for Empathy and Compassion Training in Medical Education, which is part of the T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion at UC San Diego. Dr. Eyler is chair of the Psychiatry Department’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Council, and involved in many equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives at UCSD. In addition to her leadership and administrative roles, Dr. Eyler has a federally- and foundation-funded program of clinical research focused on the biopsychology of healthy aging, aging in the context of serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and autism. She also has designed and studied educational programs to enhance empathy and compassion among medical learners. She is a dedicated mentor to trainees at all levels of experience -- from high school to faculty. She has developed several well- received workshops to foster inclusive environments, which she has facilitated at UCSD, other universities, and at national and international society meetings. In 2019, Dr. Eyler was selected as the Campus-Wide Faculty Honoree for the UCSD Inclusive Excellence Awards.

Dr. Michele Kowalski-McGraw

Dr. Michele Kowalski-McGraw has extensive experience in Occupational Medicine in multiple health systems and is dually certified in Family Medicine and Occupational Medicine.  She leads the Occupational Medicine program in the Community Care Dept. and is working to bridge Occupational Medicine and Primary Care. Her most recent project is development of CDC’s Occupational Date for Health which will facilitate communication about work between patients and their providers to be used for improved individual patient care and population health. She is active member of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine where she is on the executive board of the Health Informatics Section, working on projects such as development of best practices for telemedicine.  Before coming to UCSD, she served as Medical director of Occupational Health at Geisinger health, and also held a position as Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Clinical Sciences at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, where her focus was on teaching primary care communication skills to students.

Her career began in Family Medicine and afforded the opportunity to work at an Occupational Medicine Clinic and in Urgent Care. She was drawn to the preventive medicine aspects of Occupational Medicine and sought a second board certification to develop her knowledge and expertise in this field. She pursues her passion for prevention through research, program development and education to patients, students, coworkers and friends

Dr. Rachna Subramony

Dr. Rachna Subramony is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UCSD. She is passionate about clinical medicine, Emergency Ultrasound, medical student education, and physician well-being. She serves as the Wellness Co-Director for the Emergency Department. Her goal is to promote the professional fulfillment, resilience, and well-being of the faculty by utilizing discussion groups and creating a culture of respect and open bidirectional communication. She hopes to conduct further research in physician well-being to help identify root causes of burnout and pursue change. To prioritize safe patient care and help all our physicians perform optimally, she also serves on the Medical Staff Physician Well-Being Committee with the goal of early interventions and providing appropriate resources for treatment, rehabilitation, and monitoring for physicians struggling with medical, cognitive, mental health or substance abuse that could be a threat to providing quality patient care. To promote patient safety and attainment of the highest quality of clinical care, she also serves as a Physician Enhancement Program (PEP) mentor and has received training in peer support and have been recognized as a Tier 2 Peer Supporter to help serve and maintain the health and wellness of our UCSD family.