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Join Arthur Lazarus, an adjunct professor of psychiatry and the author of Every Story Counts: Exploring Contemporary Practice Through Narrative Medicine. In this episode, we delve into the profound significance of storytelling and narrative in the medical …
It was some time into practice before I understood how being a therapist contributes to one’s own growth. I found this assurance from my best mentors rather mysterious. Sure, I’m a better listener, but what did they really mean? From my vantage point now, it seems obvious, and it is more than being attuned. On the surface, it is about being able to hear stories of suffering and watch someone …
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Join Carlene MacMillan, chief medical officer at Osmind, to explore the evolving role of primary care physicians in addressing mental health challenges, particularly in the context of emerging therapies like ketamine. We delve into misconceptions surrounding ketamine …
While preparing yet another talk about burnout, I had a brainstorm. I created a counterpoint PowerPoint (or tongue-in-cheek complementary model) to The Stanford Model of Professional Fulfillment. Perhaps it was a particularly irreverent or flippant stage of my own stuttering burnout. Maybe it was passive-aggressive pent-up frustration. Whatever it was, I came up with a “new and improved” model for physician burnout. I’ve gotten rather burned out on burnout. …
Some of the most brilliantly funny men have the saddest personal lives. John Belushi, Chris Farley, and Sam Kinison were all preceded by Jerome Lester Horwitz, otherwise known as Curly of the Three Stooges: n’yuk-n’yuk-n’yuk. Why, soitenly the tragic life of a comedic legend deserves a great biography, and while Curly’s niece (Moe’s daughter) did her best to amass a wealth of Curly memorabilia – a mixture of …
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Join Sarah Samaan, a retired cardiologist and a Master Certified Physician Development Coach. We’ll delve into the complex world of work-life balance for physicians, exploring the difference between work-life balance and integration, drawing insights from art theory, …
High incidences of burnout, quiet quitting, suicide, workplace violence, excessive and relentless stress, and chronic staffing shortages reveal a huge need for resilience among health care workers. Resilience is a complex competency involving flexibility of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in response to adversity. Adversity, especially when it comes to working in health care, involves individuals and the cultures they work in. We must keep the culture in mind because, as …
“Oh, I didn’t know you’re a writer,” my neighbor said as I handed her a complimentary copy of my recently published book.
“Not really,” I replied. “I’m just a physician who likes to write.”
The conversation ended, but later, I began to think: What’s the difference between a physician writer and a writer who is a physician? What should I say to somebody else who makes a comment like my neighbor? I …
An excerpt from Mars Hospital: A Doctor’s Novel.
“Patient’s ready. This one will be interesting,” Sally said with a smirk. “Mom brought her nineteen-year-old son in, and she says he’s the devil.” I rolled my eyes.
Terrific. I entered the room with trepidation and saw the patient sitting quietly on the exam …
“Fine lines” in medicine often refer to situations where decisions are not clear-cut and require careful judgment. Perhaps the most tenuous of lines is the one between “real” childhood illnesses and those caused by Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP), also known as factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA), refers to a specific form of child abuse in which a caregiver, typically a parent or guardian, fabricates, exaggerates, …
Have you ever wondered why some people always seem to be in pain? Or why someone can receive a prescription for a minor procedure and immediately feel drawn to drug use?
Scientists may have recently figured out one of the reasons for these behaviors, and they may start early in life. The developing neuron is remarkably similar to a tree. The branches are the dendrites that receive electrochemical signals from the …
Meditation is a hot topic with deep roots, but sometimes it feels like it’s being pushed as a modern-day version of snake oil for what ails the spirit. Often touted as an antidote to burnout, many of us know that a meditation app won’t solve the systemic issues plaguing health care today, leading some physicians to be skeptical.
I was introduced to mindfulness meditation years ago while practicing yoga. Initially, making …
In recent years, there has been an exponential growth in global awareness surrounding the subject of mental health. As it becomes increasingly evident that mental well-being is just as crucial as physical health, community interventions such as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) have gained prominence. Originally conceived in Australia in 2000, MHFA has since been adopted in various countries and tailored to meet the specific mental health needs of different …
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I met Dr. David Zylneck through a mutual friend when he was in the final year of his pediatrics residency. Even as a trainee, he was heavily involved in international relief work and had made several trips to Southern Africa. Over time, Dr. Zylneck and I lost contact as our careers took us in different directions. Several years later, as I was about to move to a new location to …
October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the United States. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, nearly 20 people in the United States are physically abused by an intimate partner per minute.
It is important to remember the vital role that health care practitioners can play in raising awareness about this issue and contributing to efforts to prevent it and care for patients impacted by intimate partner …
In a recent essay, I marveled at the qualities that will set apart tomorrow’s physicians from previous generations. And while everything I wrote I believed to be true, I suppose I neglected a major concern, a big blind spot as it were. In order to become clinicians, medical students must first enter practice. That seems obvious, but a recent report gives reason to pause and reflect on medical students’ …
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In 2009, the famed NPR radio series This American Life aired an episode that would forever change how we looked at college life. “#1 Party School” featured Penn State University and shed light on the rampant alcohol abuse in higher education. Over a decade later, this issue remains a persistent challenge on college campuses. This article delves into the legacy of the “#1 Party School” episode …
Many surveys and reports have acknowledged that physicians are unwell, and their numbers have reached crisis proportion. “We aren’t going to fix this problem by noting that canaries are dying in the coal mine and … sending out for tougher canaries,” remarked Gary Price, MD, an attending surgeon at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut and president of the Physicians Foundation, a physician empowerment organization.
Price’s remarks were actually …
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Justice, 37 percent of the people in prison have a history of mental health problems. This was not always the case. The United States at one time had state mental health facilities, where those with mental illness could be treated. From 1870 to 1955, these numbers increased until it peaked at almost 600,000. This was 0.36 percent of the then population …
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Join Dike Drummond, a family practice physician, burnout survivor, and executive coach. In this episode, we’ll delve into the future of health care in the United States, discussing workforce demographics, the impact of burnout, the role of …
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