Electronic Fall 2024 | Issue 60
Member Spotlight: Elizabeth (Eliza) Hofman, MFA
In this edition of Member Spotlight, IPS ECP (Early Career Psychiatrist), Dr. Sudhakar Shenoy, interviews medical student, Elizabeth (Eliza) Hofman, MFA
1) Dr. Shenoy: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. I was wondering if you could share a little about yourself?
Eliza: I started my professional life as an actor. I performed mainly on the East Coast and earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Shakespeare and Performance before moving to Chicago with my husband for his graduate schooling at Northwestern University. I worked with several theater companies, and my day job was teaching yoga. I ended up teaching yoga and drama at a psychiatric IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) in Evanston. I became fascinated with the patients’ stories and even though I loved acting, I found my work there more meaningful. Thus, I decided to pursue medical school to become a psychiatrist. I was fortunate to have great mentors support me, so off I went!
2) Dr. Shenoy: Wow! It’s very cool to hear how your experiences and passion for theater overlapped with psychiatry and helped lead you to this field. How do you see your previous career informing your work as a psychiatrist in the future?
Eliza: Theater requires creativity and careful listening, two skills that are essential to psychiatry. In theater, you go in with a script and a plan, but at any moment things could change, and you need strong improvisational skills to get you through. The art of psychiatry involves similar skills. Shakespeare was a profound observer of the psychological mind, so I’m hoping my skills in character analysis will help me understand my patients.
3) Dr. Shenoy: Fascinating how you connected theater to psychiatry! I know you’ve been involved in the IPS Medical Student Committee for a while now. How did you become involved in the Medical Student Committee, and can you say a little bit about what the committee does?
Eliza: When I was a 1st-year medical student at Rosalind Franklin University, a 4th-year medical student at my school was very involved in helping grow the Medical Student Committee in its early days. He knew I had a strong interest in psychiatry and invited me to participate. The committee invites all medical students from Illinois to join and participate in monthly meetings (which are held on the last Tuesday of every month). Some of the months, we have speakers discussing a range of topics in psychiatry, from innovative treatment options to how to address special populations of patients. We offer opportunities for medical students to present on topics they are passionate about. For example, I did a presentation on creative arts therapies last year. Aside from the monthly meetings, we have special events including a series of residency advice collaborations with the IPS Resident Committee. The best part about joining, though, is the friendships I’ve made. The committee is very welcoming and supportive, and being part of it helped me stay connected with my love of psychiatry as I went through medical school.
4) Dr. Shenoy: It’s great to hear how you’ve gotten increasingly involved in the IPS Medical Student Committee and the various benefits it’s had. I know you also attended this year’s American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting in NYC. I’m curious how being involved with the APA as a medical student has influenced your journey?
Eliza: I first joined APA in 2022 when I was a SAMHSA Medical Student Fellow. I highly encourage any medical student to apply to that program because I met several mentors and learned about how the field of psychiatry is succeeding at and working towards reaching underserved populations. I don’t think I realized how far psychiatry can reach - to different populations, in collaboration with different medical specialties, to making laws and policy - until I joined APA. APA does a great job of advocating for patients, promoting psychiatry, and encouraging medical students. This year I presented a research poster and attended sessions to learn about the residency process. I also went to some great networking events and got to hang out with the national APA leadership, including the APA President! I left feeling inspired and supported as I am moving on to the next phase of my journey!
5) Dr. Shenoy: Wow, what a journey it’s been. Speaking of, your next step is residency. How is the application process going? Do you have specific interests in psychiatry or opportunities you’re seeking going forward?
Eliza: I am so excited for residency! My interests in psychiatry include women’s health, reproductive psychiatry, trauma recovery, and psychodynamic psychotherapy. I’m also interested in learning more about forensic psychiatry. I am hoping to work with diverse and underserved populations and be able to continue to seek strong mentorship in my areas of interest. The biggest challenge in the application process is that I have a family established here in Illinois, so I am unable to move for residency. Despite psychiatry becoming a more popular career choice, I’m hopeful that I will match into an Illinois program and be able to continue to serve my local community.
6) Dr. Shenoy: It’s great to hear your eagerness to learn and explore. You mentioned that you and your family have settled down in Illinois. How has it been to do your medical training while also playing the role of parent and spouse? What do you do to take care of yourself and have fun during this process?
Eliza: I am so lucky to have a great husband and a community of friends to support me throughout my training. Being a parent and a spouse has increased my efficiency. I never seem to procrastinate because I have to juggle different roles - so if I can study now, or get the project done now, I will. This has allowed me to minimize the “mom guilt” that I’m missing out on certain parenting moments because of my training. But life is good; my family and I do so many fun things together, from baseball games to just cuddling on the couch. Also, I know that I’m setting a great example for my son - that with some hard work and good support, you can achieve your dreams!
7) Dr. Shenoy: That’s beautiful. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us! I also want to congratulate you on winning the IPS Annual “Medical Student Member of the Year” Award that will be presented during the upcoming 2024 IPS Annual Meeting! I look forward to seeing you there.
Eliza: Thank you so much for the interview, Dr. Shenoy! And I also want to extend my thanks to IPS for all of the opportunities I’ve had throughout my medical school years. This award is very meaningful to me, and I am very grateful. See you at the meeting!
