Elisabeth Wilson: Teaching the Heart of Medicine

Elisabeth Wilson, MD, MPH, isn’t one of those people who wanted to be a doctor since she was a child. A partner's illness propelled her into the world of medicine after working in the arts for many years. She went from advocating for artists to advocating for patients and their families.

Beth is the Director of Education in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, responsible for the coordination and integration of student, resident and faculty education programs in the department.  She is also the Co-Director of the Primary Care Leadership Academy and Mentorship Director for the Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved.  Beth is passionate about promoting family medicine, improving the health of underserved communities, and increasing workforce diversity through education, advocacy, and direct patient care.   

“We can advocate for people and populations in all sorts of ways,” says Beth. "Advocacy is being the voice for people who don’t have a voice, but mostly it’s actually working with people to help them find their voices. And that can be a real voice, like being able to speak up and ask questions.”

We are driven by the idea that when the best research, the best education and the best patient care converge, great breakthroughs are achieved. We pursue this excellence through our people. We are all UCSF, united by a driving passion to solve the most challenging health issues of our time and to redefine what's possible. Join the conversation at www.ucsf.edu/oneUCSF.