Retirement Messages for Julianne Ip, MD, Associate Dean of Medicine
Retirement Messages for Julianne Ip, MD, Associate Dean of Medicine
“ In my memory, Dean Ip will always be synonymous with the Brown PLME Program! I am grateful for her leadership of the program during my time at Brown and I credit her for my successes not only as an undergraduate, but also a medical student - any beyond. Her positivity, her passion, and her unwavering commitment to students is unparalleled! I hope to be able to channel at least some of this in my own career. ”
“ Dean Ip is one of the most important mentors of my career and life. She was a mother away from home for me during my time in PLME and continues to guide me as a resident. Few have impacted so many physicians, and I can’t imagine how many patients she has helped through educating physicians. I am excited for her and wish her the best. ”
“ Dean Ip, It seems like a generation ago.. Ok it was. I want to thank you for everything you did for my young self during my years at PLME: 1988-1995.I remember your good humor, warmth and ‘I’ve got your back’ aura that made a student visit to administration a positive one. All the best on your next chapter. Gratefully, Tal ”
“ I have such fond memories of Dean Ip! I remember so clearly meeting with her as an undergrad and still appreciate her incredible influence and support. I was deciding between concentrating in philosophy and biology and she convinced me to do both, reassuring me that it was okay to struggle with theoretical ethics, and suggesting that it would likely make me a better doctor in the end. I'm still so grateful for that advice. Thank you Dr. Ip! ”
“ I remember Dean Ip fondly from my days as PLME and medical student at Brown from 1992-2000. She was always kind, knowledgeable and approachable. I wish her the best on her retirement! ”
“ I look forward to a day in the future on campus when I can speak to you in person about how much you have positively influenced TWO generations of physicians in my family . You provided emotional support, patience, and compassion during my personal eight year educational journey at Brown. My daughter Nicole appreciated the times she worked with you during her first two years in the PLME year. I appreciate your influence in creating a flexible program that emphasizes compassion and kindness when training physicians. Thank you for your service in training hundreds of physicians. ”
“ Dean Ip was the best mentor I could have asked for as a pre-medical PLME student! Compassionate and knowledgeable, she exemplified for me, at an early point in my medical career, what a physician can, and should be. I wish her a well-deserved retirement!! ”
“ Dear Juli, Congratulations on a marvelous career. I did have the pleasure of watching your speech at the White Coat ceremony and reminisced with you about the “old” times. By the way, I don’t think I ever got the $10 deposit back for that coat. Before you leave, could you please ask Brown to send it to 40 Hals Drive, Upper Holland, PA? Congratulations on a marvelous career. I did have the pleasure of watching your speech at the White Coat ceremony and reminisced with you about the “old” times. By the way, I don’t think I ever got the $10 deposit back for that coat. Before you leave, could you please ask Brown to send it to 40 Hals Drive, Upper Holland, PA? All kidding aside, Diana and I just wish for you the best. And you’re right-even in retirement, one never stops being a physician in one way or another. ”
“ I started the PLME program at Brown well over a decade ago (matriculated in 2008, class of '12 and '16), and I still fondly remember Juli. She did such a great job shepherding all the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed undergraduates through a whirlwind period filled with growing independence and scholarly growth. Thank you for all your warmth and guidance, Juli! I wish you all the best. ”
“ Dean Ip, in my opinion, IS the very definition of PLME advisory. Though she was not my assigned advisor or the advisor assigned to many of my friends, she became all of our moms, advisors and confidantes. Her retirement is so truly well deserved but she will be so very missed. She is irreplaceable in her genuine, kind hearted approach to all students in their most formative yet sometimes most vulnerable stages of life and is gifted in connecting with and lifting up the spirits of those around her. No one is more deserving of recognition for a career dedicated to, caring for, advising and fostering an entire cohort of doctors who are serving their communities today. Thank you Dean Ip, for everything you’ve done. I cannot ever thank you enough for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself and always listening to me when I needed someone to talk to and for always saying exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you for inspiring so many of us!! ”
“ When I arrived at Brown in 1985, an unsure, sheltered, immigrant Chinese girl from Taiwan by way of Tennessee, the first thing I remember was how wonderful it was to have Dean Ip as one of our two Deans. Her calm, welcoming, nonjudgmental manner, her quietly supportive way of suggesting classes and guiding me on my academic path, it all added up to put me at ease and give me the confidence to feel that I really did belong. I had never met an Asian adult who spoke accent-less English, and looking back, I am so grateful that she was there as a guiding light and an incredible mentor, showing me that I, too, could succeed as a physician. Thank you, Dean IP! You will be sorely missed, but I know you will wholeheartedly enjoy your well-deserved retirement! ”
“ I came to Brown in the fall of 1987 and Dean Ip was one of the most important and trusted advisors for me in my undergraduate years. She encouraged me to pursue undergraduate classes that were not obviously related to medicine, encouraged me to become a varsity athlete, and told me I was smart enough to become a physician when my undergraduate science grades were mediocre. As an educator, I have strived to channel her no-nonsense, compassionate, nurturing and low-drama way of interacting with students. Whenever I met with her as a student, it was about me and what I needed, not about her agenda, and I try to emulate that approach as an advisor and teacher of students and residents. Her legacy is hard to quantify given how many students she advised and encouraged, but it is probably one of the most significant in the Northeast at this point given her longevity at Brown. She will be missed on campus. ”
“ Thank you Thank you Thank you to an amazing teacher - and role model!! Hugs from Maine! ”
“ As a classmate of Juli's, I remember well our time together in the basement of the BMC, learning medicine while also helping Brown develop its new school and its traditions. In those memories, I see Juli always with a smile and an infectious laugh, someone who was serious in her studies but balanced in her life and perspective. She was able to model a mature professional physician well before some of our more gregarious classmates, yet still be collegial, humble, and humorous. I have watched her career from a distance and seen it develop in concert with Brown medicine, from a promising start to its current state of success. In both of these, the emphasis on the humanity of each patient, and empathetic caring as informed by a life well-grounded in a liberal education have been defining features. As a Brown Medicine graduate, I am proud to have Juli as a classmate and of the medical education program she has helped build. I wish her health and happiness in her next adventures, and look forward to seeing her at our next big reunion, 45th in 2023! ”
“ Dean Ip put the heart into my medical school experience. I appreciated her gentle demeanor and kindness and saw her as a force for good. Best wishes on your retirement Juli! ”
“ Hi Jules, Congratulations on a very full and rewarding medical career! I hope that you will enjoy your retirement and find it equally rewarding. I also hope to see you in 2023 at our Brown MD 45th reunion! ”
“ Dear Dean Ip- Thank you so much for all that you did to make sure Brown was truly my “home away from home.” Your warmth, compassion, support, encouragement, humor, and nurturing personality were so important to my well-being especially during my early days at Brown (but also all throughout college and medical school as well!). A favorite memory was a conversation I had with your son and one of my upper class advisors about roller coasters! Interactions like this helped to humanize the program and make us all feel like a family. Thank you for being instrumental in crafting the PLME and for being a role model to so many. You are such a wonderful positive influence and I am forever grateful for all of your advice and support. I wish you only happiness for a wonderful and well-deserved retirement. ”
“ Dean Ip will always be a staple of not only PLME, but also of Brown as a whole. She is an incredible mentor, teacher, and friend. She approached her job with compassion and enthusiasm and made PLME feel like home. She will be greatly missed, and I will be forever grateful for the impact that she has had on me and my colleagues over the past several years. ”
“ I just wanted to take a quick moment to speak about one of the most influential people in my life, Dean Juli Ip. Juli is perhaps the single best representation of all the amazing qualities that characterize Brown University. She is the embodiment of pure joy and genuine kindness. From the first day that I met her as a PLME student, I knew that she was special in every way. Juli was so much more than a mentor at Brown, she was my ‘go- to-person’ to cry to or rejoice with for anything and everything. She was by far my biggest advocate and most solid supporter during some of the hardest moments of my life at Brown. She was there cheering me on every step of the way and there is no doubt in my mind, that I am a better Pediatrician today, because of her. I’ll share this very special memory about Juli now: It was the spring semester of my 3rd year of med school at Brown and my mother was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. My mother was healthy and a never smoker, so the devastating news hit us very hard. I was alone crying my eyes out in Providence but, like every other difficult time in my life, I contacted Juli for solace. Juli, no stranger to grief herself, dropped everything at that time and made 2 calls to her vast PLME connections and by the end of the night I was on the phone with a top Lung Oncologist in Boston who was also a PLME Alumni. He then placed me in touch with one of the best Lung Oncologist at MSKCC in my parents home state of NY and the appointment that would have taken 2 months was scheduled for the following day. When my mother’s original oncologist told her she would have weeks to months to live, because of the diligence of Juli and the PLME connections, my mother lived for another 4 years after diagnosis. This is just one memory of the many times over my 8 years at Brown where Juli was there for me and for that I am forever grateful. I pray that she enters this new chapter in her life with an abundance of happiness and grace. Thank you Juli for all that you have done for the many many students that have come before me and those that followed. We will miss you dearly!! Hugs!! ”
“ I have fond memories of Dean Ip, she was so relational, warm and compassionate, she seemed to take such a genuine interest in me, my unique interests and aspirations. I also had the delight of meeting her son Christopher when I believe he was six years old at the time- who by now must have graduated college! Seeing Dr. Ip with her young son on the Brown quadrangle, as a physician, dean and parent was inspiring (and Christopher was hilarious, enthusiastically spelling out his name one letter at a time to make clear I would understand him). I recall she even invited me and I think some other students to visit a lake cottage a beautiful oasis away from campus to help keep some perspective. Dean Ip was fully present in the moment every time I spoke with her- even if we might talk about the past or future, she was truly present and grounding. Dean Ip will always have a special place in my heart. I send her my warmest wishes, ”
“ Congratulations on an extraordinary career and retirement, Juli! I still remember the first time we met over 15 years ago now (!). We were all exchanging phone numbers, and I had a brand new cell phone (flip-phone of course)! I didn’t know what my cell phone number was or how to even figure out what the number was! We all had a good laugh and from that moment, you took me under your wing. I was so young, 3000 miles away from home, scared and excited to start an amazing adventure, and you made Brown home. You invited me to your home for Thanksgiving (and had to hide your dogs because I was deathly afraid of dogs). You challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and to embrace challenges. You watched me grow up, discover my passions, and take my first steps as a physician. Thank you for being our Brown Mom. Your mentorship, friendship, and support have meant so much to me over the years. ”
“ Congratulations Dean Ip on your very well-deserved retirement! So happy for you and wish you and your family all the best as you embark on this next phase, the only regret, if one can call it that, is that future Brown and PLME students will not benefit the way I did from your mentorship and guidance. Your office was always open (with Christopher’s baby picture on it still vividly in my memory) and you were always willing to meet and chat no matter how busy you were, whether it was to share good news, give career pointers, or perhaps, most impactful, to be a caring ear and offer helpful perspective for some of the non-academic challenges of young adulthood and life… I am so grateful for all the advice and counseling you provided, not just an inspiring mentor and teacher, but also a bit the parent-away-from-home that many of us, and certainly I, needed from time to time. Thank you so much for how you cared for me and thousands of doctors-to-be through the years! ”
“ Congratulations Julie on your retirement from your “Mom on Campus” position. In so many ways I feel that we grew up together as classmates in the 4th class of the then 7 year Brown Medical Program. Your sense of humor and steadfast level-headedness (is that a word?) combined with an amazing amount of empathy has served all of us who have had the privilege of studying and working by your side. Not only have you been a good friend and colleague, but you also extended a steady helping hand to my daughter while she was in the PLME program. I know that the young doctors you have touched will all make the world a better place thanks to your guiding hand. ”
“ Thank you so much for all that you have done for Brown and for the PLME program and congratulations on your retirement! Working with you over my 8 (10) years in the PLME program (1999-2009) was a highlight and I often think of your kind, calm, patient, caring approach to mentoring students. I always try to imitate you. I learned a lot from you, and grew in your confidence and support. Thank you for helping me become the doctor I am today and it's an honor to walk in your footsteps. ”
“ Congratulations on a well earned retirement. You have left such a wonderful legacy at the PLME program. ”
“ Both my wife, Margie Thorsen, and I were fortunate enough to have Dean Ip as our undergraduate PLME advising dean. As both of us will attest, Dean Ip played an instrumental role in setting us up and helping us find love and success in our lives. I remember one particular moment in our freshman year when Dean Ip approached my wife and I at a PLME Whole Patient dinner and jokingly asked the two of us when we would go out on a date. At that point my wife and I were still just flirting and hadn’t made anything official yet, but that question stuck with me and got me thinking about the possibilities between us... A couple months later I asked her out and the rest is history. Dean Ip’s intuition as our “Mom on campus” never failed. Beyond setting me up with the love of my life, Dean Ip helped me through issues big and small. When I struggled to figure out what my fourth class should be, Dean Ip sat with me as I rattled through the choices. When I pontificated about what I wanted to do with my life, Dean Ip was my sounding board and helped me hone in on my passions. Throughout my academic and professional career, I have never met another advisor who cared for or was as invested in me as Dean Ip was. Reflecting back to her impact on my journey, I am inspired to mentor others as Dean Ip did for me. The PLME program would not be what it is today without her but her legacy will live on through the lives she has touched. Thank you, Dean Ip, for everything you have done for my wife, me, and the rest of your students. Thank you for always believing in us. ”
“ It is with great gratitude that I write this email today in honor of the wonderful dedication of Dean Ip's to the PLME program and to Brown in general. There were many ways her presence and her advice affected me: her warmth and approachability, her kindness and wise counsel as I and other students were trying to find our way, her modeling of the very very best behavior showing us integrity, concern, and dedication. Also her representation as an AAPI faculty member in a high position impressed me and my family so much. My father still talks about her to this day and it has been almost 25 years since he spoke with her when she assured him that it would be okay if I took some time off before going to medical school. He felt so much better hearing it from her. Dean Ip, Thank you, thank you, and thank you! May your retirement be filled with health, longevity, and happiness! ”
“ Dearest Juli, Your support and belief in me has meant the world to me all these years. Thank you for your mentorship, for picking me to be a Meiklejohn, for giving me responsibility, for seeing whatever potential you saw in me that made you think I could help others. Thank you for opening up and being yourself with me too, as our relationship changed over time. Thank you for loving me for who I really am and not who I "should" be. And for helping me to grow as a physician and as a person through college, medical school, residency, as an attending, and now into this new coaching career. I'm looking forward to continuing our relationship through this next chapter in your life. Laura, our girls, and I are sending you SUPER GIANT, WARM HUGS. ”
“ Thank you for being such a positive, wonderful presence during my early “formative” years in the PLME. You and Dean Beiser were truly inspirational to me, and many others for sure, and I am truly grateful. Enjoy a well-deserved retirement! ”
“ Dean Ip is one of those few people you meet in life whose qualities and personality make a lasting impact on you, both when you are in close contact and when you are not. Her thoughtful and calming presence is always welcome, and immediately makes one comfortable in her presence. Her patience and ability to listen, as well as her humor, has made her achieve exemplary performance as Dean. Frankly, it has been 30 years since I was a medical student at Brown, and I still think of her fondly, and have been delighted whenever I have seen her again at alumni events. She is a remarkable person that holds a special place in my heart. Thank you, Juli, for all you have done as Dean, and I wish you all the best for your new beginning. ”
“ Congratulations Juli on a well deserved retirement. I hope you enjoy your retirement as much as I have since I retired 12/31/2020. ”
“ The PLME was and remains a jewel in US medical education. It has trained a generation of physicians to consider their role as more than medical practitioners, but rather as community leaders, human intellectuals, humanitarians, change agents, and whole people. unfortunately, this approach is increasingly uncommon in American medicine. The students of the PLME have been asked to do what they will not see most of their colleagues doing, and as such we always needed a role model to imagine who we could become when we grow up. Dean Ip was that for so many of us. In addition to serving us as a mentor, coach, teacher, and friend, she also represented how a physician could be more than the sum of their education. We wish her the best on her well-deserved retirement, and thank her deeply from the bottom of our hearts for touching so many of our lives in what will now be an unlimited extension of her influence. ”
“ Thank you for being such an integral figure in my 10s and 20s. You will always be our beloved mentor and PLME-mom! Your dedication to making each of us feel valued as budding physicians and also as young adults finding our paths was so impactful. I am so grateful for you! I wish you the best on this next chapter! ”
“ Dr. Ip - your presence during my time at Brown was always very warm and reassuring. Thank you for your many years of support and dedication to the PLME and medical education at Brown, which has touched so many lives and careers. Hope you enjoy a much deserved, long and healthy retirement! ”
“ Dear Dean Ip, congratulations on all the amazing work you've done! The Brown community has been a better place because of your presence. I personally remember being a 1st-year college student, walking onto campus and coming to your office for the first time. Thank you for all the guidance and mentorship throughout the years, during college, medical school and beyond. Best wishes on the next chapter! ”
“ What can I possibly say that would come close to honoring the deserving classmate of mine? The list is so long and will likely include adjectives that include at a minimum: dedicated student, colleague, physician, mentor; devoted to her PLME students over 3 decades, brilliant, compassionate, empathetic, generous in spirit, embracing of challenges, leadership skills, guiding light, to mention just a few.
I personally have the privilege and fond memory of being a member of Julianne's MEP 7 year Program out of high school in 1971 and studying and learning and observing alongside her until we both graduated with our MD degrees in 1978. I had nothing but respect and admiration for her as an undergraduate and medical student and witnessed her being helpful to all who surrounded her rather than overtly or covertly competitive. She exemplified the spirit of incorporating humanity into our Professional Identification process of becoming physicians with respect and caring for ill patients, maintaining health and well being of the students, residents and faculty before well-being became a current buzzword during this pandemic. She exuded diversity and inclusiveness before regulatory and accrediting agencies demanded them.
Although our paths diverged after graduation, Julianne's reputation of her professionalism and treasure to Brown's PLME program as a teacher and mentor became truly legendary among her classmates. Upon the occasional reunions that I was fortunate to attend, it was always Julianne who represented that bright shining lighthouse beacon of stability that was my metaphor for Brown's undergraduate and MD program for our classmates.
She will be irreplaceable by a single individual and I am confident the administration will appreciate the challenges in attempting to fill the void left by her retirement. I send my very best wishes for a healthy and happy retirement to Dr. Ip!
Sincerely yours,
”
“ Dearest Dean Ip-
You have been an incredible inspiration as a physician, a human being, a mom, a dean, an Asian American woman. I have always looked up to you and what you have accomplished. You were always a warm and welcoming face at the medical school when we were just a room in a basement of the BioMed Center with sixty classmates. You helped me navigate the complex waters of medical school and made it less daunting. They were four very incredible and formative years of my life that I will always remember. I can only hope that one of my children will follow in my footsteps there as it is a magical place that made me into the surgeon I am today. I hope you enjoy every moment of your retirement and find joy in all the things you love to do. I hope to keep in touch with you as time goes on to hear about your adventures.
Much love, ”
“ Dear Dr. Ip,
Thank you for being such a positive, wonderful presence during my early “formative” years in the PLME. You and Dean Beiser were truly inspirational to me, and many others for sure, and I am truly grateful.
Enjoy a well-deserved retirement!
Best, ”