Claudia Finkelstein
Director of Wellness, Resilience and Vulnerable Populations | Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI, UNITED STATES
Dr. Finkelstein's area of interest is that of physician health, believing that thriving physicians provide excellent care to their patients.
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Biography
Dr. Finkelstein earned her M.D.C.M. at McGill University in Montreal. Her current main area of interest is that of physician health, believing that well-adjusted, resilient, thriving physicians will provide excellent care to their patients, teaching to their trainees, and a positive presence to their loved ones. She is currently expanding the wellness work to include all of those involved in the dynamic world of medical education and research.
Areas of Expertise (6)
Mind-Body Interaction
Medical Education
Internal Medicine
Physician Health
Medical Research
Physician Wellness and Resiliency
Accomplishments (1)
Harborview CARES Award
2006
Education (4)
McGill University: Summer Program, Epidemiology 1996
Montreal General Hospital, McGill Teaching Hospital: Assistant Chief Residency, Internal Medicine 1990
Montreal General Hospital, McGill Teaching Hospital: Internship and Residency, Internal Medicine 1989
McGill University: B.Sc., MDCM, Medicine 1986
Links (2)
News (9)
How you and your family can cope with post-COVID anxiety
Popular Science
2021-06-18
It’s important not to bury anxious feelings, says Claudia Finkelstein, associate professor of family medicine at Michigan State University. Instead, make the effort to identify, name, and own your emotions and concerns. There is nothing wrong with feeling stressed during stressful times. When those inevitable moments happen, Claudia Finkelstein recommends the power of the 4-4-8 breathing technique — breathe in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, and then breathe out for eight seconds. “Where your body goes, your brain follows,” Finkelstein says. “If you can force your body to calm down, your mind will calm down as well.”
Anxious about going out into the world? You’re not alone, but there’s help
The Conversation online
2021-04-08
It’s the moment we thought we were all waiting for…or is it? We were cautiously optimistic about the end of the pandemic in view of increasing vaccine availability and decreasing case numbers after the peak in January.
How to use COVID-19 testing and quarantining to safely travel for the holidays
The Conversation online
2020-10-23
With the holidays approaching, many people are considering whether to visit relatives or friends in the coming weeks. At the same time, cases of COVID-19 are surging toward the highest levels since the beginning of the pandemic. As a physician, daughter of vulnerable seniors and mother of young adults, I have been thinking a lot about whether testing will help me decide if it’s safe to see my family.
Can you visit your dad safely on Father’s Day? A doctor gives you a checklist
The Conversation online
2020-06-17
As a physician, daughter and socially responsible human, I’m finding Father’s Day to be complicated for me this year, as it is for millions. Questions of whether and how to see my adult children and my own elderly father present medical and ethical quandaries. As an associate professor of family medicine with a focus on wellness, I’d like to share with you my thinking about this using some tools to aid discernment as Father’s Day approaches.
How to be as safe as possible in your house of worship
The Conversation online
2020-06-05
As a physician specializing in internal medicine, I suggest, for now at least, that we reexamine how we worship. After all, what better way to embody the values of your faith than to take steps to protect one another?
It is safe to go to a pool, the beach or a park? A doctor offers guidance as coronavirus distancing measures lifted
The Conversation online
2020-05-20
As a physician who has practiced for over 30 years, I find myself facing the decisions about safe outdoor recreation with some trepidation. The decision about whether to go to a beach, a pool or a park was previously pretty simple – now, not so much.
As reopening begins in uncertain coronavirus times, you need emotional protective equipment, too
The Conversation online
2020-05-12
As millions across the U.S. prepare to return to work – and maybe, a level of normalcy – the phrase, “We’re all in this together,” heard constantly in the media, turns out to be both true and untrue. Yes, the pandemic is a global experience. But it’s also very much an individual enterprise.
Is it safe to visit your mother on Mother’s Day? A doctor offers a decision checklist
The Conversation online
2020-05-07
As a physician, mother, daughter and socially responsible human, I’m finding Mother’s Day to be complicated for me this year, as it is for millions. Questions of whether and how to see my adult children and my own elderly mother present medical and ethical quandaries. As an associate professor of family medicine with a focus on wellness, as Mother’s Day approaches, I’d like to share with you my thinking about this using some tools to aid discernment.
MSU hires director to address wellness and vulnerable populations
MSU Today online
2018-11-09
“As a physician, my primary goal is to diminish suffering,” Finkelstein said. “I believe that much of the suffering of our patients and colleagues can be alleviated in the ways that we treat them both individually and collectively. I am confident that the current leadership in Health Affairs is committed to collectively acting to diminish this suffering and I am eager to help create these changes.”
