What Transition Teaches You: Reflections on Closing One Chapter

There’s a unique kind of clarity that comes with transitioning from one institution to another. It slows you down just enough to notice the moments you used to rush past — the conversations, the routines, the small rituals of work that quietly shaped your days.

As I prepare to step into my new role at BMC, I’ve been reflecting on what nearly 10 years at BIDMC taught me. These lessons aren’t found in job descriptions, onboarding packets, or competency checklists. They’re learned in the doing — in the long days, the growth moments, and the people who become your work family.

Here are the truths I’m carrying with me into this next chapter:

1. The heart of residency programs is people — always.

The work only matters because the people matter. Residents, faculty, coordinators, leaders — they’re the pulse of GME.

2. Strong systems should support, not overwhelm.

When processes are clear, teams thrive. When they’re confusing, everyone feels the weight. Good systems are an act of care.

3. Program managers are leaders, culture-builders, and quiet anchors.

They stabilize, organize, translate, coordinate, and hold the memory of a program. It’s leadership — even if it’s often behind the scenes.

4. Wellness isn’t an add-on. It’s foundational.

For trainees and for staff. Burnout is real, and the work is too important to do without care for the humans doing it.

This transition has been a mix of gratitude, reflection, and excitement. It’s not easy to close a chapter that held so much meaning — but it’s also a blessing to step into a new role with a full heart and a clear sense of purpose.

Next week I start at BMC as the new Accreditation Manager, and I’m ready. Ready to support programs on a system level. Ready to help strengthen the structures that hold up our trainees. Ready for the next version of who I’m becoming in this field.

Thank you, BIDMC.

Hello, BMC.

Here’s to the next chapter.

~Dafny💎💙

✨shine in every part of your life

Stepping Into a Season of Gratitude and Change

As the end of the year approaches, I’ve found myself reflecting on what this season really means. Gratitude has always been a grounding force in my life — but this year, it feels different. Bigger. Fuller. More present.

After nearly ten years at BIDMC, I’m preparing to transition into a new professional chapter. It’s a moment filled with appreciation, anticipation, and a little bit of the quiet “in-between” energy that comes with any big life shift.

Transitions are like that — one foot honoring where you’ve been, and the other stepping toward what’s next.

Right now, I’m holding both.

I’m grateful for:

• The people who have shaped my journey

• The lessons that stretched me

• The moments that reminded me why I love this work

• And the opportunity ahead that aligns deeply with my purpose in GME

This season of change is reminding me that growth doesn’t always show up loudly. Sometimes it arrives softly, almost whispering, “It’s time.”

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more about what these transitions are teaching me — as a professional, a leader, a wife, a mother, a daughter, and a woman determined to shine in every part of her life.

For now, I’m simply grateful to be here, embracing the shift.

~ Dafny 💎💙

✨ shine in every part of your life