It was 7:45 a.m., and I stood frozen in the middle of a sidewalk on campus, barely awake undergrads shuffling past me on their way to morning classes. My daily walk to work cut through a part of the university where the college of medicine sits beside student dorms. It is a path I’d tread as a wide-eyed student, a determined trainee, and now, a weary attending. That morning, I …
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Physician coach and marriage and family therapy graduate student Jillian Rigert discusses her article, “Fear of other people’s opinions nearly killed me. Here’s what freed me.” Jillian shares her harrowing journey through …
There’s a sacred irony in medicine: Those who care for hearts often forget their own.
This truth came into sharp focus for me this past weekend, where I found myself in a room of women cardiologists at The American College of Cardiology in D.C.
The women in attendance were brilliant and compassionate. They spend their days pacing hearts, restarting them, and stenting them open. They are experts in life’s most vital rhythm. …
As a psychiatrist deeply committed to my patients’ well-being, there are moments etched into my memory—moments of profound suffering, struggle, and ultimately, redemption. I vividly recall Sarah (name changed for confidentiality), a 45-year-old teacher whose severe depression had drained all joy from her life. “Dr. Rifai, I just want my life back,” she told me, tears streaming down her face. Her plea echoed the silent anguish of countless patients I’ve …
There’s a quiet rebellion happening in medicine. A movement of physicians no longer willing to sacrifice their humanity for productivity quotas, administrative burdens, or the illusion of perfection. We wrote White Coats, Courageous Hearts with thirteen other physicians to shine a light on this shift—voices reclaiming agency in a system that often forgets that doctors are human, too.
Alae Kawam, DO:
There has been a profound cultural shift—and an emerging rift—in the …
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Entrepreneur, AI enthusiast, and wellness advocate Vaishali Jha discusses her article, “Gen Z is already transforming mental health care—are we listening?” The conversation explores the vital need for new perspectives in health …
I know what I’m about to say is unpopular, and maybe even controversial within our field — but I need to say it.
I’ve been a nurse for 18 years. I care deeply about my patients, and I care about the future of this profession. But I’m increasingly disheartened by what I see inside our own ranks. There’s a phrase we all know: “nurses eat their young.” We repeat it so …
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Retired surgeon, psychotherapist, and author Patrick Hudson discusses his article, “Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself.” The conversation explores the profound difference between the biological act of dying and …
Professional coaching can contribute to personal growth and development by providing encouragement and support using a handful of simple techniques designed for deepening exploration in a co-created working relationship. Focuses can be wide ranging and include development and clarification of goals, refining communication, boundary setting, and conflict management skills. A coaching stance typically seeks improved performance, for example increased efficiencies at work or navigating executive function more effectively. It can …
The first rule of being a doctor is not “do no harm.” It’s “mind your own business.”
You won’t find it in the ethics textbooks. It’s not part of any formal curriculum. But ask around—quietly, privately—and most seasoned clinicians will tell you the same thing: the people who ask too many questions don’t last long.
You learn this not from lectures, but from observation. A colleague flags a safety concern. A note …
The next major health epidemic in the U.S. will not come from a pathogen. This plague has a potential patient population in the tens of millions, limited effective treatments, and is not widely studied in the medical community.
I’m referring to sports gambling, an activity that deeply alarms me as a physician who specializes in addiction. Problem gambling can increase the incidence of depression and anxiety and can lead to bankruptcy, …
When I was working full time in emergency medicine, I didn’t think much about the systems in my personal life. I had just enough clarity to show up for the next shift, keep my kid fed, work out, stay married, and try to remember where I parked the car. I wasn’t stupid. I wasn’t lazy. I was underwater. So I did what a lot of physicians do when they’re trying …
The solution to the physician burnout crisis isn’t more diagnoses or interventions. The antidote isn’t more modules, surveys, screenings, or questionnaires. What’s needed is cultural healing: One that we have so far been unwilling and/or too depleted to attempt.
Over the past decade, physician wellness has been medicalized. We’ve absorbed it into the very system that made us unwell. We’ve labeled it as pathology—when in fact, it’s a predictable outcome of …
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“Some people learn. Some don’t.
For the former, growing old is a joy.
For the latter, it is hell.”
I’ve seen both.
In exam rooms, break rooms, ORs, and coaching sessions. One physician softens—more present, less defended. Another hardens—brittle, often angry.
The difference isn’t intelligence, training, or temperament.
It’s whether they’re willing to learn—not just from books or trials, but from life itself.
What happens when physicians refuse to learn
Medicine does not require emotional growth to function. …
Disclosure: This should not be considered as evidence-based mental health literature. These are the observations of a surgeon with extensive experience being angry.
Introduction
Many physicians are finding themselves strained from ongoing sociopolitical crises. Dealing with the frequent or continuous consequences of unsustainable practices in health care systems, global systems issues like racism or sexism, or other large problems that are difficult to impossible …
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Anesthesiologist Maire Daugharty, who expanded her expertise by earning a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, discusses her article “Why ADHD isn’t just a childhood disorder and what that means for …
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Licensed clinical psychologist and health care ethicist Jenny Shields discusses her article, “DSM-5 doesn’t name it, but moral distress is everywhere in medicine.” Jenny illuminates the pervasive issue of moral distress among …
What is the purpose of psychotherapy? What are the goals?
Psychotherapy is a talking process between a patient and a psychotherapist that involves looking at feelings, behaviors, impulses, and thoughts through a process of self-reflection. The purpose of psychotherapy is to explore life patterns and to learn what works and what gets in the way of feeling successful and fulfilled. The goals are to reach one’s fullest potential. This is done …
Administrative violence in medicine is often understood as harm to patients due to systemic issues; however, administrative violence in medicine is also a process used to inflict harm on physicians, destabilizing the medical field on both systemic and individual levels. While much attention is given to how institutions and governments perpetuate administrative violence, it can also be enacted by individuals toward individual physicians with great harm, particularly by other physicians …
I remember the first time I was shamed for asking a question. It was during my OB/GYN clinical rotation in PA school. I asked my attending physician something about a patient, not out of laziness, but because I genuinely needed clarity. But instead of guiding me, he shut me down. “You should be doing your research. You should be telling me about the patient, not the other way around.” I …
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