Making a Tangible Difference

On April 21, 2026, Norman J. Beauchamp, M.D., the executive dean of the School of Medicine at Georgetown University, joined the Georgetown community for a conversation during Conversations in Health: Global-Local class. The conversation spanned topics including guiding values and ethical dilemmas, with a consistent tone of hope and human goodness present throughout.

Dr. Beauchamp detailed his childhood on a rural farm, where he first learned responsibility and the role of caring for other living beings. He then reflected on his undergraduate experience at Michigan State University, where he both solidified his commitment to pursuing a career in medicine and learned that it is essential to ask for help and stay curious, a lesson especially relevant to students in this class as we think about our own paths and values. Dr. Beauchamp remarked that this is when he began to identify his guiding purposes and values.

Dr. Beauchamp’s perspective is a breath of fresh air for the medical field, which often faces burnout and systemic challenges. He reminded us of the importance of following our guiding light and spoke with striking optimism about humanity and our intrinsic goodness, even stating that “people want to do good for others; we just have to make it easier for them.”

As Dr. Beauchamp detailed his transition from clinical work and research to leadership positions in hospitals and medical schools, he explained that his focus throughout his career has been on bridging gaps and maximizing his impact. While he openly admitted that he misses clinical work immensely, he expressed his willingness to begin work in a different niche of the field because this is where he felt his skills would be most impactful.

As the executive vice president for health sciences at Michigan State University, Dr. Beauchamp led an initiative to centralize the medical programs on one campus so that they could be more connected. He highlighted the shared purposes and goals across these programs, and this moment reinforced the intrinsic goodness of the medical field and our shared goals to alleviate the pain of those suffering.

Dr. Beauchamp later fielded important questions about ethics and leadership, quoting John Adams to remind us that “if [our] words and actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, [we] are leader[s].” In a time when it can feel like people are fighting for power for the wrong reasons, this was a welcome reminder of the true meaning, role, and importance of leadership.

A final message Dr. Beauchamp left us with that feels particularly important in today’s world is that “you can’t simply sit with what is awful […], therefore the only way to react is to […] make it better.” I hope this serves as a reminder to readers that there is always more that can be done, and that if we remember our guiding values, we can make a tangible difference.

Maya Merhige (C’29) is an undergraduate student majoring in psychology and sociology at Georgetown University.