Catchin' Up with a Cookie: Carrie Moore

Photo taken inside Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center - a lot of moose in New Hampshire!

Carrie Moore

2001 Young Scholar; 2006 College Scholar, Cedar Crest College; 2011 Graduate Scholar, Grand Canyon University

Back in 2015, I believe I was the first alum to answer the “Five Questions,” and I’m honored to have the opportunity again! My life has changed significantly since then, and the Foundation’s influence remains strong.

2021 was a particularly turbulent year for me. I was let go from an organization I intended to stay with my entire life due to COVID-related financial strains, and the gut punch was real. I then started not one but two new jobs, voluntarily leaving the first after only six months because it was not a good fit. Prior to 2021, I would have been embarrassed to discuss both the termination and the short stint, but having those experiences has shown me how important it is to find a workplace where you are respected, valued, and challenged to grow.

I work as a physician recruiter for Dartmouth-Hitchcock (the health system affiliated with Dartmouth College in New Hampshire), and helping medical professionals find fulfilling work is extremely rewarding. I’m also a doctoral candidate at Liberty University, and I start work on my dissertation in March. I will focus my research on what is being called the “Great Resignation” and how the demand for fair compensation and work/life balance has dramatically changed staffing trends in healthcare.

What does being a Cooke Scholar mean to you?

The Cooke Scholarship experience is about gaining a family of supporters and transformational financial aid, but it’s also deeply personal. Being a Cooke Scholar means that I, a young girl who struggled with confidence under the pressures of perfectionism and who shied away from trying new things or dreaming big dreams because she might not get it right the first time, am now thriving at an ivy-league health system and embracing the future with enthusiasm. It has meant a complete transformation to me and has been one of the greatest blessings of my life.

Tell us about a memorable moment while in undergrad or graduate school.

A breakthrough undergrad moment for me was when I gathered up enough courage to audition for an acting role in a mainstage production. Up until that point, my experience onstage had been completely mute. The Foundation funded professional ballet training for me through high school, and my bachelor’s degree is also in Dance. There’s a sort of assumption in the classical ballet world that dancers don’t speak, and I believed it was something I wasn’t good at. I graduated as valedictorian of my high school class but refused to give a speech because I had zero confidence in my public speaking abilities. For me, auditioning for and getting cast in a major role for this production was a huge breakthrough. I started second-guessing my former assumptions about what I couldn’t do. It was liberating!

What is one thing you did to help you transition to your first year out of college?

In contrast to my amazing Cookie cousin Jonathan’s response last month, my transition was helped by the fact that I did not stay in school immediately after graduating with my bachelor’s degree. I took a year off and focused solely on working full-time before starting grad school, and this break was important. I took quite a few years in between receiving my master’s degree and starting my doctorate as well.

For anyone considering additional education, I recommend taking it slow. You will know when the time is right. This pattern also echoed a third time in my life. I am currently taking a three-month break before starting my dissertation, and I did this to focus on starting my new job (the second new one I started in 2021!)

I work with physicians and advanced practice providers and have noticed that some of the most skilled and highly-employable clinicians are those who took time between their residency and fellowship or between their RN and NP training. Getting your boots on the ground between cycles of education helps you determine the direction you should head. Without that year off between my bachelor’s and master’s, I never would have known that advanced business degrees were right for me.

What was the last book you read or movie/show you watched that you really enjoyed and highly recommend?

Oh dear. I can give the academic answer or the real answer.

Carrie at a medical convention - who says conferences can’t be fun?

My academic answer is that I particularly enjoyed The Fabric of this World by Lee Hardy, a required text for one of my doctorate’s Human Resources courses. It dives into different philosophies about human work, from the ancient Greeks to the Catholic theology and the protestant ideas of Martin Luther and John Calvin. These theories are then applied to the topics of job satisfaction and career trajectory. As both a professional recruiter and self-identified nerd, it was a great read!

My personal answer is that I’m a sucker for sappy Hallmark/PBS programs and if anyone has not been watching All Creatures Great and Small, you need to get caught up on them immediately. There have been two seasons, and it is the most feel-good, historically interesting, and animal-centric series you could imagine. It’s about a veterinary practice in the Yorkshire Dales set in the 1930s. Watch it!

If you were to create your own cookie, what would it consist of and what name would you give it?

I’m currently working on plans to build a house, so my cookie would be composed of the least expensive ingredients possible! There’s nothing like adulthood to teach you how to watch your pennies! 😊