Director of Graduate Medical Education, CMU Medical Education Partners 
Instructor of Education, Medical Sciences Discipline 
Central Michigan University College of Medicine 

Editor’s note: On a regular basis, we publish profiles of librarians who have been an integral part of Doody Enterprises, whether they have served on our Library Board of Advisors, as a Librarian Selector for Doody’s Core Titles, or on the editorial board/as a List Selector for Doody’s Special Topics Lists. This month, we are profiling a librarian who has served as a Librarian Selector for Doody’s Core Titles since 2015: Bethany Figg of Central Michigan University.   

Where do you currently work and what is your position?  

I am the Director of Graduate Medical Education for Central Michigan University Medical Education Partners in Saginaw, Michigan.  

Provide a brief description of your library and its services.  

Our Knowledge Services Medical Library in Saginaw provides a study space, medical texts for patrons, virtual services such as literature searching, and a massive offering of ebooks and databases. Knowledge Services provides support for the M3 and M4 medical students at the CMU College of Medicine, the resident physicians of our 10 residency and fellowship programs, as well as the physicians, nurses, and staff of the two major hospitals in our area.  

When did you start in health sciences librarianship? What was your position? With what institution? 

I started out as a Library Assistant in Knowledge Services in January of 2012. The library director encouraged me to pursue an MLIS at Wayne State University and promoted me to Library Reference Assistant until I completed the program. The library director retired a few months before I graduated, and the new library director advocated for me to become a medical librarian upon commencement. One year later, I accepted a position in Graduate Medical Education for CMU Medical Education Partners where I continue to support the residents and faculty with scholarly activity.  

Name two of the most important issues facing the profession today.  

Libraries are great at helping people but tend not to promote themselves. We need to show our worth and remind the medical community of how valuable our resources are rather than just look at the library expenditures. 

There are so many excellent minds out there that would make incredible librarians and we need to work on mentoring these prospects to keep the profession alive and thriving.  

Why do you serve as a Doody’s Core Titles Librarian Selector?  

I believe Doody’s utilization of librarians in the field is a brilliant and important method for ensuring the best medical texts are presented to the medical library community. This helps those who are still learning the field, as well as those who do not have the resources to purchase all the medical texts and must choose the critical resources needed to support their patrons. If I can support that cause, I will do so as long as I can! 

Anything else you’d like to share?  

I would not be where I am today without my many mentors and advisors throughout the years. If you can mentor someone, do it! You never know what lives you will change!