Interview with Greg Glauser
What year are you at Temple?
First-Year
Why did you go to medical school?
I went to medical school because I wanted a career that would be fulfilling. I wanted to contribute to society and the world around me. I started undergrad as an astrophysics major, which I enjoyed but felt the impact of my career would likely be less tangible. I started looking into medicine and the more I read and looked into it, the more I saw that it was a perfect match for me.
Why did you apply to the bioethics program?
I believe that the humanist side of medicine is severely lacking in the way physicians are trained in our country. I feel that this creates a massive divide between the “average” lay person and the highly trained, highly scientific physician. These issues are only more drastic in urban environments that have additional factors driving that divide further. Part of what lead me towards medicine was my fundamental belief that every person deserves the chance to live a happy and healthy life, regardless of their background. More on the bioethics front than the urban aspect, I felt that it was important for me to have training in the areas of medicine where there may not be an answer. There is no scan or lab value that tells a physician how they should guide a family through end-of-life care. I wanted to be prepared to treat all aspects of my future patients, including the disease, social determinants, and bioethical dilemmas.
What is your favorite Philly restaurant?
Green Eggs Cafe, but I may be biased since I worked there. Also, anything in the Reading Terminal Market.
Where do you like to study?
Either at my desk in my apartment or in the library, nothing too exciting.
What do you like to do when you are not studying?
I grew up constantly playing sports, so I try to play basketball or go for a run when I have time. I have a pretty reliable gym routine that I enjoy. I also like to cook!
What have you learned about yourself while studying bioethics?
As someone who likes to know the answers to everything and that there is always a right and wrong, Bioethics has shown me that in reality there is tons of gray area. There can actually always be gray area depending on the perspective. I have learned to accept the gray area, which I feel will help me be a more understanding physician and really hone in on seeing things from another perspective.
What is your favorite/most meaningful class and why?
By far, the most meaningful class I ever took was Sociology 119: Race and Ethnic Relations at Penn State, taught by Dr. Sam Richards. It was my sophomore fall and I had just fully committed to the pre-med pathway. Sam taught us about empathy and really illustrated white privilege in a way that I had never been shown before. Much of my perspective on empathy, race relations, and sociology were formed from his lectures. Aside from being a highly talented teacher, Sam was also hilariously funny and his class was easy to do well in. It was held in a 725 person lecture hall and people would line the aisles just to listen, people who weren’t even enrolled in the class. It was amazing!
Do you have any pets?
I don’t have any with me here in Philadelphia, but back at my parents house yes. We have 2 small family dogs, Patches and Oreo.
What is your dream job?
I want a job that is fast-paced and challenges me every day. I want something that I can make a tangible impact on my patients and form long term relationships. I also value preventive care and community outreach. I am thinking some type of merging of public health, primary care, trauma surgery, and administration. Is that too much to ask?!
What non-medical literature do you like to read?
I don’t read enough books unfortunately. I am definitely a sucker for any type of inspirational story. Being a huge sports fan, I read a lot of ESPN published articles about athletes struggles they overcame or crazy events in sports.
Are you currently binge-watching anything?/What was the last show you binge-watched?
Nothing currently, the last show I binge-watched was probably Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad, which are both incredible shows.
What is an aspect of healthcare you are most concerned about?
My main issue with healthcare is the lack of humanism in physician training/the disconnect between the physicians and their patients. I feel that many physicians who may have went into medicine with every intention of always doing right by their patients, now face administrative pressures that lead them astray and force them into viewing patients more as customers or clients. Time and time again I hear stories from people that go like this: “I only saw the doctor for 2 minutes and he/she was so awkward, or he/she didn’t even ask me anything, just wrote me for a medication”. These types of incidences should never happen.
What is the hardest thing about being a first-year medical student? What is the best thing?
The hardest thing is the volume of material and the pace at which it is presented. The best thing is that slowly but surely, we are learning about how our bodies work, which is truly amazing. The growth of our knowledge and clinical skills is really enjoyable.
What are you most looking forward to about second year?
I am looking forward to learning about all of the pathologies. I think it will be more of a critical thinking way of learning, since we will have to think through what is going wrong in the body-system.
What makes you laugh?
Satire definitely gets me. I am an avid south park and family guy fan, as well as good stand-up comics.
What was your favorite game/toy as a kid and why?
I loved Pokemon, the old school gameboy ones. I also really liked playing Monopoly or Texas Hold ’Em with my family. I liked games that made me think because they were challenging. I also liked that they were games I was able to win against other people.
What is the most underrated but awesome thing about Temple Bioethics/Temple Medicine?
The whole community centered feel of Temple and Temple Bioethics is something that really resonated with me when I came here. I know that it is a big focus of this school, but I still don’t think it gets played up enough. As far as I know, this is the only MD/MA in Urban Bioethics program in the country and I think that shows that Temple doesn’t just talk the talk of caring about the community, they show it with their actions. I think that’s really awesome and is a step in the right direction of helping to train physicians that are truly patient-centered.
