Making Connections with carol dowdle
By Sam Marie Engle
Carol Dowdle (second row-left) with the rest of the
Radiology Leadership Academy Class of 2018
Carol Dowdle’s job description might as well be one word: YES.
There isn't a task she won’t do, nor an event or program she hasn’t been involved in one way or another since she joined Emory Radiology in 2013.
She blames her curiosity and the allure of a new challenge.
“I have to keep learning,” she says.
An Accidental Career
Carol came to the department after an accidental career in public education preceded by a brief stint in elder care. Graduating from Georgia State University with a double major in anthropology and gerontology helped her land her first job with a nonprofit focused on improving the quality of nursing homes and elder care in Georgia. She quickly graduated from answering phones to executive assistant and from there to office manager and then public relations.
Being a full-time mom kept her busy after that, at least until her eldest started school. Her love of learning inspired her to start volunteering at a nearby elementary school which then led her to the wonderful world of libraries. Carol thrived as a library assistant, first in elementary and then middle school. Sharing her love of learning was very rewarding, she says, especially with middle school children.
A New Challenge: Emory Radiology
After her own kids graduated, Carol went looking for a new challenge. After a brief search, Carol found it with Emory Radiology.
“I interviewed with Dr. David Brandon (then-director of medical student education) and it went well,” Carol remembers. “Then Dr. Mark Mullins (vice chair of education) wanted to interview me. He asked one question: why do you want to change jobs? I was honest. I said I wanted to do something new connected with education. He said the position was a temporary one and yet he asked if I wanted to see where my office would be. I was driving away when I got the call saying they wanted me to start the next day! A few weeks later I said temporary was nice, but the county wanted me back full time. Emory quickly offered me a permanent position and, of course, I said yes.”
In this role, Carol managed the third-year clerkship and fourth-year radiology elective as well as Grand Rounds. She loved working with medical students, and especially enjoyed connecting them with opportunities to explore career options.
"No matter who you are and where you came from, you deserve the same quality service, which includes career guidance. I would ask the students in the elective why they wanted to be in the class. If they expressed even a slight interest in radiology as a possible career, I would schedule a meeting for them with Dr. Mullins so they’d get some guidance and perspective about career pathways in radiology. Dr. Mullins and I clicked because of that passion for the students and the whole scope of education.”
From there, Carol seized every opportunity to learn new things and take on new challenges. She unspools the timeline with breathtaking economy, her excitement infectious.
“Right before a Weens Lecture, the person managing it broke her leg and I jumped in. And then Deb Smith (Emory Radiology administrator) was co-chairing Faculty Staff Awards and I started helping and then I thought the Radiology Leadership Academy (RLA) was interesting, so I volunteered to help with logistics and then ended up coordinating the whole thing, which made me want to go through the program myself and that’s exactly what happened after someone selected for RLA left the department and I was asked to join the Class of 2018.”
She takes a breath. “It was eye-opening. It gave me a real understanding of what we’re asking of each fellow and how long days can be and how much work is really involved. I realized how really hard it is.” She pauses again.
“But it was the most rewarding experience for me, especially getting to work with Marta (Heilbrun, associate professor and vice chair for quality), Bertu (Kedir, supervisor for CT imaging at Emory University Hospital Midtown) and Valeria (Moncayo, assistant professor in the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging). I really understand now how great the program is and I’m able to give back at a whole new level because of it.”
There isn't a task she won’t do, nor an event or program she hasn’t been involved in one way or another since she joined Emory Radiology in 2013.
She blames her curiosity and the allure of a new challenge.
“I have to keep learning,” she says.
An Accidental Career
Carol came to the department after an accidental career in public education preceded by a brief stint in elder care. Graduating from Georgia State University with a double major in anthropology and gerontology helped her land her first job with a nonprofit focused on improving the quality of nursing homes and elder care in Georgia. She quickly graduated from answering phones to executive assistant and from there to office manager and then public relations.
Being a full-time mom kept her busy after that, at least until her eldest started school. Her love of learning inspired her to start volunteering at a nearby elementary school which then led her to the wonderful world of libraries. Carol thrived as a library assistant, first in elementary and then middle school. Sharing her love of learning was very rewarding, she says, especially with middle school children.
A New Challenge: Emory Radiology
After her own kids graduated, Carol went looking for a new challenge. After a brief search, Carol found it with Emory Radiology.
“I interviewed with Dr. David Brandon (then-director of medical student education) and it went well,” Carol remembers. “Then Dr. Mark Mullins (vice chair of education) wanted to interview me. He asked one question: why do you want to change jobs? I was honest. I said I wanted to do something new connected with education. He said the position was a temporary one and yet he asked if I wanted to see where my office would be. I was driving away when I got the call saying they wanted me to start the next day! A few weeks later I said temporary was nice, but the county wanted me back full time. Emory quickly offered me a permanent position and, of course, I said yes.”
In this role, Carol managed the third-year clerkship and fourth-year radiology elective as well as Grand Rounds. She loved working with medical students, and especially enjoyed connecting them with opportunities to explore career options.
"No matter who you are and where you came from, you deserve the same quality service, which includes career guidance. I would ask the students in the elective why they wanted to be in the class. If they expressed even a slight interest in radiology as a possible career, I would schedule a meeting for them with Dr. Mullins so they’d get some guidance and perspective about career pathways in radiology. Dr. Mullins and I clicked because of that passion for the students and the whole scope of education.”
From there, Carol seized every opportunity to learn new things and take on new challenges. She unspools the timeline with breathtaking economy, her excitement infectious.
“Right before a Weens Lecture, the person managing it broke her leg and I jumped in. And then Deb Smith (Emory Radiology administrator) was co-chairing Faculty Staff Awards and I started helping and then I thought the Radiology Leadership Academy (RLA) was interesting, so I volunteered to help with logistics and then ended up coordinating the whole thing, which made me want to go through the program myself and that’s exactly what happened after someone selected for RLA left the department and I was asked to join the Class of 2018.”
She takes a breath. “It was eye-opening. It gave me a real understanding of what we’re asking of each fellow and how long days can be and how much work is really involved. I realized how really hard it is.” She pauses again.
“But it was the most rewarding experience for me, especially getting to work with Marta (Heilbrun, associate professor and vice chair for quality), Bertu (Kedir, supervisor for CT imaging at Emory University Hospital Midtown) and Valeria (Moncayo, assistant professor in the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging). I really understand now how great the program is and I’m able to give back at a whole new level because of it.”
Carol celebrates her 2017 award for Outstanding Service in Support of the Mission with then-department administrator Chuck Powell (left) and then-chair Carolyn Meltzer.
Questioning: The Secrets of Success
When asked the secret to her success, Carol grabs a breath. Exhales. “It really boils down to I’m always willing to ask questions. Will you help me understand this? Will you show me how this works? Can I try this? How can I help you? Asking questions is powerful: it’s how you connect answers with opportunities.”
Asking questions reveals something else. “You find out who is willing to share their knowledge, who wants to help others. I sometimes wonder why we don’t share knowledge more readily. It benefits everyone to connect more, to share.”
Questioning also helps her approach life as a series of teachable moments, consistent with her passion for learning. “If I make a mistake, I always ask myself, how do I turn this into a teachable opportunity and learn and grow from it? If this happened, what can I do to avoid it in the future? I find there’s tremendous growth in taking time to do ask, to analyze like that.”
Carol doesn’t just make connections or seek answers for herself. “I went through the Aspiring Leaders at Emory Program, and we had to do a project, which was training someone to do something I do. The first time I met Wanda Dozier (administrative assistant, medical student education), I knew we had a gem in her. I taught her how to manage the radiology elective and now she manages the elective, the third-year clerkship and Grand Rounds! Wanda has taught so much, too. She’s amazing. That’s how it works: helping each other grow.”
Willingness to share, to learn, to take on new opportunities, to help others, and to go the extra mile are just some of the many ways Carol Dowdle provides Outstanding Service in Support of the Mission, and was so honored during the 2017 Emory Radiology Faculty and Staff Awards.
A Different Way to Support Learning and Growing
Over the past two years, Carol has moved away from education and more deeply into administration. As the senior program coordinator for faculty affairs, she has responsibilities related to faculty recruitment, appointments and promotions, clinical distinctions, RLA, and more. She deftly handles the demanding schedule with a smile.
“It’s rewarding to be part of the process in support of our faculty,” she says. “It’s a different way to support learning and growing, and I’m enjoying it.”
To balance the demands of the workday, Carol unwinds by playing games or working puzzles with her husband of 35 years and with a network of friends who appreciate a good game night, even if it’s played over Zoom.
"If I've learned anything over the past two years with the COVID-19 pandemic, is that those connections with the people you love are what matter the most. I love what I do but my family is where my heart is."
When asked the secret to her success, Carol grabs a breath. Exhales. “It really boils down to I’m always willing to ask questions. Will you help me understand this? Will you show me how this works? Can I try this? How can I help you? Asking questions is powerful: it’s how you connect answers with opportunities.”
Asking questions reveals something else. “You find out who is willing to share their knowledge, who wants to help others. I sometimes wonder why we don’t share knowledge more readily. It benefits everyone to connect more, to share.”
Questioning also helps her approach life as a series of teachable moments, consistent with her passion for learning. “If I make a mistake, I always ask myself, how do I turn this into a teachable opportunity and learn and grow from it? If this happened, what can I do to avoid it in the future? I find there’s tremendous growth in taking time to do ask, to analyze like that.”
Carol doesn’t just make connections or seek answers for herself. “I went through the Aspiring Leaders at Emory Program, and we had to do a project, which was training someone to do something I do. The first time I met Wanda Dozier (administrative assistant, medical student education), I knew we had a gem in her. I taught her how to manage the radiology elective and now she manages the elective, the third-year clerkship and Grand Rounds! Wanda has taught so much, too. She’s amazing. That’s how it works: helping each other grow.”
Willingness to share, to learn, to take on new opportunities, to help others, and to go the extra mile are just some of the many ways Carol Dowdle provides Outstanding Service in Support of the Mission, and was so honored during the 2017 Emory Radiology Faculty and Staff Awards.
A Different Way to Support Learning and Growing
Over the past two years, Carol has moved away from education and more deeply into administration. As the senior program coordinator for faculty affairs, she has responsibilities related to faculty recruitment, appointments and promotions, clinical distinctions, RLA, and more. She deftly handles the demanding schedule with a smile.
“It’s rewarding to be part of the process in support of our faculty,” she says. “It’s a different way to support learning and growing, and I’m enjoying it.”
To balance the demands of the workday, Carol unwinds by playing games or working puzzles with her husband of 35 years and with a network of friends who appreciate a good game night, even if it’s played over Zoom.
"If I've learned anything over the past two years with the COVID-19 pandemic, is that those connections with the people you love are what matter the most. I love what I do but my family is where my heart is."