“Facul-tea” 

Drinking tea or chai, the warm liquid containing tea leaves, herbs, and/or spices, is ubiquitous across cultures and often surrounded by ritual and tradition. Tea ceremonies, Afternoon Tea, and the less structured cuppa alone or with friends. I grew up in a tea-drinking family and enjoyed many an afternoon cup over the years at my grandparents’ kitchen table. My grandmother’s colorful demitasse cups clinking on the saucer, with a side of cookies and Triscuits, was an anchoring point in my visits with them. Black, green, and herbal teas are always stocked in my family’s cupboards. I suspect many of you have your own tea memories.  And perhaps you would agree that while tea is a beverage, it’s also an event.  

As a pathologist, much of my work is done in isolation within the four walls of my office. Outside of a handful of subspeciality peers, days and even weeks can pass without seeing some of my colleagues. And, as with many pathology departments, there is a physical separation between anatomic pathology (AP) and clinical pathology (CP) areas of the laboratory which accentuates the divisions within the department. Our work, making life-altering diagnoses, managing blood products for complex patients and so on, can be stressful and wearying and without much opportunity to engage with one another.   

In January 2017 I started a Friday Faculty Tea, occurring monthly to quarterly, as a way to try to create an enticing time at the end of the week for faculty (AP and CP) to meet over snacks and tea or coffee to simply talk with one another. A social bridge of sorts. It was a manifestation of my own desire and need for more community in a place where I spend so much of my time. I wanted to bring people out of their offices, create a shared experience, and provide motivation to show up. It is true, provide snacks, and they will come. Naming it “Tea” was intentional; an invitation to come together, slow down, relax, and enjoy one another’s company.  

The response was better than I could have hoped. My colleagues attended and enjoyed themselves. For weeks after the first Tea, when I’d encounter people in the hallways, they’d thank me for making it happen, ask when the next one would be held, and how they could contribute. 

When COVID hit, it all halted for three years. Then, in the summer of 2023, Tea was revived/again served. Another faculty member now co-hosts with me. We’ve had a renaming, “Facul-Tea”, thanks to her cleverness, and the gathering is now financially supported by our Chair.   

Recently, we’ve also invited our residents and fellows to join Tea celebrations and to celebrate the end of year holidays. We’ve enjoyed their presence, and I think they will become a more permanent part of forthcoming Teas.   

While the Tea does not completely diminish the isolation some may feel at work, it’s a small space for communion in my department. I invite you to consider creating your own rituals of community in your workplace. 

The author would like to thank her colleague, Dr. Edward Gutmann, for thought-provoking conversations and helpful comments on the first draft.

This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.