Alumni
Brian Emmert, MD
ZSOM Graduating Class Year:
2019
Tell us about yourself and where you are now:
I currently am an epilepsy fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, in the process of completing a second concurrent fellowship in Medical Education. I completed my residency at the University of Pennsylvania in Neurology. I am passionate about epilepsy and combating neurophobia at the root--the brain is so cool! I am currently the President of the Consortium of Neurology Residents and Fellows for the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and Chair of the Neurology Chief Resident workgroup. I am a member of the Graduate Education Subcommittee at the American Academy of Neurology and an author for Aquifer Neurology. At an academic level, I am passionate about curriculum design and improvement.
Fun fact about you:
I was once on a television game show.
What was your favorite class, who was your favorite professor, or what is your fondest memory of the Zucker School of Medicine?
Human Condition...obviously. It would be impossible to choose one favorite professor!! But if I had to, Dr. Kanner or Dr. Nasrallah. My fondest memory of the ZSOM was definitely the lifelong relationships that I made with my peers and professors.
What's the most valuable thing you learned during your time at the Zucker School of Medicine, and how has that helped you in your career?
The most valuable thing that I learned was how to be a self-directed learner. As I have progressed through my residency and fellowship, the onus is on you to determine what you need to learn that you don't already learn and how to learn it. Oftentimes, curricula are not written out and your patients are your curricula. ZSOM has given me the tools to create that self-directed learning plan, approach it in a systematic way, and learn from every patient and encounter that I have.
What advice would you share with current Zucker SOM students?
Learn to learn! In addition to learning the material, pay attention to the process by which the material is taught. This will help you through your career as you approach patients and situations with which you are unfamiliar. Also, never be afraid to say "I don't know!" Those three small words open the door to learning something new and growing as a physician.
What's the accomplishment you are most proud of since graduating from the Zucker School of Medicine?
A patient's family member scheduled to see me in the office specifically because I was "kind and caring." This to me is the greatest accomplishment, far more than anything that is on my CV.