Education

Teacher Spotlight

The Department of Psychiatry at the UC San Diego School of Medicine is committed to academic excellence and diversity within our faculty, staff and student body. We seek to recruit and retain leaders who are a reflection of our strong commitment to achieving excellence. Our faculty continuously demonstrate their commitment to maintain the highest standards of scholarship and professional activities while developing a climate that supports learning, equality, and diversity. They are leaders in their field, providing exceptional mental health care and training, and they exemplify this through their everyday duties in clinics, laboratories, teaching, and mentorship.

It is an honor to showcase a top member of our clinical-educator and research-mentorship teams each month who demonstrate leadership qualities through our monthly “Teacher Spotlight.” We want to acknowledge and thank them for their hard work and continuous efforts in the field of Psychiatry, and for their commitment to educating our trainees.

The Office of Psychiatry Education & Training

September 2019 Teacher Spotlight:

David Moore, Ph.D., Professor

Why do you love teaching/mentorship? I find teaching and mentoring to be extremely rewarding. I am a huge proponent of life-long learning, and I feel true joy in helping others who are motivated to learn. It’s a symbiotic relationship — my students teach me a tremendous amount about science as seen through the fascinating and diverse lens of our next-generation of scientists.

What piece of advice do you have for mentors when in a mentorship relationship? I had excellent mentors during my training at UCSD, and I try to emulate the best aspects of their mentoring styles that match with who I am as a person. From this experience (and with some trial and error), I believe that I have arrived at my own authentic mentoring style. I encourage all mentors to find their own style that is comfortable for them. Another piece of advice is to treat your mentees as your scientific peers. Empower them, and give them credit whenever possible. When you embark on the quest for answers to unknown scientific questions together as scientific partners, your mentees will feel that respect, and their confidence and productivity will soar.

What piece of advice do you have for mentees when in a mentorship relationship? I always encourage mentees to find the topics that are most interesting to them and to pursue those interests even if they aren’t a perfect fit for what their mentor is doing. Passion is paramount, and in the era of transdisciplinary science, a mentee’s interests can often grow and expand research portfolios that benefit both the mentee and the mentor in unexpected ways!