Mindy Stern

I was raised in Brooklyn, NY, the eldest daughter of two Holocaust survivors. Their spirit of survival combined with the American “can-do” ethos, convinced my sister and me that if we set goals for ourselves, anything was possible. Now, one of my favorite sayings is “I worked very hard to get this lucky.”

I had a wonderful, long career in social work, the last twenty years of which were in Seattle, teaching medical residents the art of “behavioral science,” and then developing and leading a wellness program for residents and fellows (physicians in training) and their life partners. During this time, I wrote articles for academic journals, and produced The Wellness Corner, a wildly popular weekly e-blast for the University of Washington School of Medicine, highlighting free, fun, and low-cost things to do.

Meanwhile, my husband and I raised two sons, and enjoy gatherings with close friends and our growing family, which includes (so far) two adorable grand-daughters.

Since retiring in 2019, my focus is on writing. I have published essays in magazines and newspapers around the country on topics including food and wine, Jewish content, and general interest. Current projects include a non-fiction book, Behind the White Coat: The Hidden Lives of Residents and Fellows, which reveals what it’s really like to be in medical training. I’m also laying the groundwork for a memoir, How We Fell in Love and What We Ate, the story of meeting my husband in Israel when I was sixteen years old, and reconnecting with him thirteen years later.