In Memoriam: Dr. Karen Moss Glaser By Brian Nasca, ‘17, and Dr. Glaser’s Small Group, ‘17
Jefferson students are saddened by the loss of Dr. Karen Glaser, a teacher, mentor, and friend. Dr. Glaser’s first interaction with most medical students was during freshman orientation. She helped prepare us for what was to come. Last year she broke the ice when she told us that if everything we were eating came from the freezer, or we were ordering new underwear online instead of doing laundry, we should immediately come to her office for help. Dr. Glaser had a way of understanding what we go through, expressing her concern with humor and kindness, and always had an open door for us. Dr. Glaser was an important leader of our community - the Jefferson Family. As an Associate Dean, she worked behind the scenes to continually improve the curriculum. In the classroom, she and Dr. Michael Weinstein teamed up to make a unique small group experience, where students felt comfortable raising questions and discussing how best to care for our future patients, while helping us understand the impact of illness on our patients and us as physicians. Dr. Glaser’s background and personality lent a different perspective to the importance of the material we were learning in class, and helped us to think in a more humanistic manner about medicine, our patients, and ourselves. Dr. Glaser was always thinking of us, our progress, and our success. She was always available to listen, to offer a kind word, but always willing to push us to be our best. She focused us on our goals, was compassionate and supportive when necessary, always honest and truthful, and a quiet force for goodness on our campus. While supporting us along our path to becoming physicians, she was also a loving mother, a doting grandmother, and a beloved wife. As previous generations of Jefferson medical students, residents and faculty learned, Dr. Glaser’s honesty, compassion, humor, and kindness made Jefferson a better place. Her absence leaves us with the responsibility to embrace her values, and keep her personal and professional attributes alive by following her example. We should do it with a smile, a little humor, and compassion for all we encounter along the way.
Class of 2017’s Small Group B19, led by Dr. Glaser and Dr. Weinstein, enjoyed an afternoon of great food and company at their end-of-the-year celebration at Dr. Weinstein’s home. Dr. Glaser will be dearly missed. 12 | Fall 2014
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