Afleveringen
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Today, we are joined by Dr. Janine Kirby, an integrative medical doctor, homeopath and mindfulness teacher based in East London.
After completing her medical degree, she obtained a Diploma in Child Health, a Diploma in Obstetrics and a Masters in Family Medicine. She worked in the public sector for many years before starting her own integrative medical practice and acquiring professional qualifications in Homeopathy. She has a passion for helping her patients understand the importance of the intimate connection between the body, thoughts and emotions in healing.
Janine enjoys teaching, having facilitated both under- and post-graduate Family Medicine training. She has been teaching the 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) with psychologist Barbara Gerber since 2010. She also co-facilitates mindfulness-informed programs for healthcare practitioners dealing with stress and burnout, and is the current Chairperson of IMISA, the Institute for Mindfulness South Africa, involved on national and international levels in promoting mindfulness programs and developing teacher training standards.
In the conversation, Dr. Kirby shares the profound impact of her early life experiences and the environment of apartheid South Africa on her journey into medicine and mindfulness.
We also cover:
How her brother's illness shaped her holistic understanding of healingThe challenges of integrating traditional and modern medical practicesHer work with the Institute for Mindfulness of South Africa (IMISA)Dr. Kirby’s mindfulness programsThe balance between professional challenges and personal fulfillmentShe concludes by sharing her desire to expand mindfulness programs and contribute to the global mindfulness conversation and reflecting on the balance between professional challenges and personal fulfillment.
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:31) Dr. Kirby’s Medical Journey
(04:39) Janine's Experiences with Her Brother’s Illness
(08:52) Traditional Healing in South Africa
(14:19) Challenges in South African Healthcare
(22:54) Burnout and Mindfulness in Medicine
(26:33) Janine's Personal Journey with Mindfulness
(38:17) Future of Mindfulness in South Africa
(43:14) Conclusion
Guest: Janine Kirby, MBChB
Family Practitioner / Homeopath in private practice; Chairperson of IMISA (Institute of Mindfulness SA)
LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-kirby-525b595a/
Institute for Mindfulness South Africa website: https://mindfulness.org.za/
Facebook Page, Institute for Mindfulness South Africa: https://www.facebook.com/instituteformindfulnesssouthafrica/
Resources/References:
Kirby JM, Milligan PD, Conradie HH, McIntosh BM. A mindful approach to physician self-care. S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2024;66(1):e1-e4. Published 2024 Jan 30. doi:10.4102/safp.v66i1.5836
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Our guest today is Sara C. Charles, MD, a psychiatrist, and professor emerita at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. In 1976, Dr. Charles endured a six-week trial for medical malpractice in federal court which resulted in a defense verdict. The experience of the trial so profoundly affected her that she began to study the mental, emotional, and physical effects of malpractice litigation on physician defendants. Her pioneering research published in the 1980s and 90s is relied on today by physicians, clinicians, and experts in physician wellness. A prolific writer, books co-authored by Dr. Charles include Defendant, A Psychiatrist on Trial for Medical Malpractice (written with her husband, Dr. Eugene Kennedy), and Adverse Events, Stress and Litigation (written with her dear friend and attorney, the late Paul Frisch).
Retired from active practice, Dr. Charles remains engaged in promoting the wellness of all healthcare professionals who become involved in malpractice litigation and in this conversation, she shares her journey into medicine, shaped by her upbringing in a large Irish Catholic family that valued education. Despite initial thoughts of pursuing social work, she pursued a path in biology and chemistry, ultimately finding her calling in psychiatry due to her ability to connect with patients. She recounts a pivotal event in their career when a patient sued her, sparking an interest in addressing the emotional toll of malpractice litigation on physicians. Her experiences during the lengthy malpractice proceedings highlighted the lack of support and isolation physicians face, driving her advocacy for cultural change within the medical community to better address the psychological impact of litigation. Her interest, research, and investigations about this topic led to the publications of several seminal books about the experience of physicians of being sued and the establishment of the Physician Litigation Stress Organization.
Emphasizing the importance of peer support and cultural change within medicine, Dr. Charles advocates for a deeper appreciation of the moral and existential nature of medical work in medical education, aiming to address the emotional toll of malpractice litigation and improve physician well-being. Her varied interests and deep social connections underscore the role of community, the importance of medical work, and the cultivation of an integrated social fabric in finding flourishing in medicine and in life.
Guest: Sara Charles, MD
Founder, The Physician Litigation Stress Resource Center
Website: https://physicianlitigationstress.org/
Resources/References:
Charles SC and Frisch PR.
Adverse Events, Stress, and Litigation: A Physician’s Guide
New York. Oxford University Press, 2005.
Charles SC, Kennedy EC.
Defendant: A Psychiatrist on Trial for Medical Malpractice New York. Random House, (Vintage Books), 1986.
Plumb EJ. World changing. Ann Intern Med. 2015 Apr 21;162(8):594-5. doi: 10.7326/M14-2076. PMID: 25894031.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Our guest today is Dr. Jane Fogg, a physician leader and executive with broad experience leading health care delivery, focusing on primary care, systems redesign, and value-based delivery models and a Senior Physician Advisor for the division of Professional Satisfaction & Practice Sustainability at the American Medical Association. Prior to this, she was the Executive Chair of Internal Medicine Family Medicine at Atrius Health, an innovative value-based healthcare leader in Massachusetts, and a member of Optum, responsible for the care delivery and outcomes of a practice with 350 physicians and advanced practice clinicians caring for 400,000 patients. She implemented advanced primary care redesign for reliable systems that are team-based, patient-centered, innovative, and return joy to the practice of medicine. Dr. Fogg is a Lecturer at Harvard Medical School, Affiliate Faculty at the Center for Primary Care, and speaks internationally and locally on value-based care delivery, innovation in health care, physician wellbeing, and in basket reduction.
During this conversation, Dr. Fogg recounts her interest in a medical career that was spurred by experiences as a medical assistant in oncology, where she experienced the pivotal role of relationships in healthcare. Reflecting on her over three-decade career hence, she has grown increasingly aware of systemic deficiencies in the organization of healthcare, especially in primary care, which have fueled her commitment to addressing these issues in her many leadership roles. While grappling with physician burnout and systemic challenges, Dr. Fogg advocates for fundamental changes in healthcare deliver, in particular promoting and implementing value-based care which aligns financial incentives with quality patient care. She emphasizes quite persuasively that the transition to value-based care and data-driven decision-making while optimizing clinical operations can enhance physician wellbeing as well as practice efficiency. She shares actionable strategies such as in-basket workload reduction while championing honesty, gratitude, and joy in healthcare practice and leadership.
Guest: Jane Fogg, MD, MPH, Lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Affiliate Faculty, Center for Primary Care, Harvard Medical School
LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-f-fogg-md-mph-52a61349/
Resources/References:
AMA STEPS Forward® practice innovation strategies offer real-world solutions to the challenges that your practice is confronting today. Gain the tools you need to overcome barriers and restore the joy in your practice of medicine: https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/ama-steps-forward
Jane Fogg, MD, MPH, and Christine Sinsky, MD: In-Basket Reduction: A Multiyear Pragmatic Approach to Lessen the Work Burden of Primary Care Physicians Published April 19, 2023, NEJM Catal Innov Care Deliv 2023;4(5)
DOI: 10.1056/CAT.22.0438 https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/CAT.22.0438?download=true
“Participant joyfully in the world…” a quote by Campbell from the book This guidance occurred in the 1991 book Reflections on the Art of Living: A Joseph Campbell Companion which consisted of material selected and edited by Diane K. Osbon.
Anthropologist Angeles Arrien re the four questions a healer would ask (YouTube video of Dr. Arrien): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUJQlVeGZzY&t=34s
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The guest today is Pat Croskerry, MD, PhD, is a professor in emergency medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Trained as an experimental psychologist, Dr. Croskerry went on to become an emergency medicine physician and found himself surprised by the relatively scant amount of attention given to cognitive errors. He has become one of the world's foremost experts in safety in emergency medicine and diagnostic errors. Dr. Croskerry is currently Director of the Critical Thinking Program within the Division of Medical Education, Dalhousie University. His interests lie primarily in clinical decision making, diagnostic failure, and the role of cognitive and affective bias in decision making. Recent work is aimed at cognitive bias mitigation.
During this fascinating conversation, Pat shares his unique path to medicine, stemming from a background in psychology that instilled a focus on critical thinking and cognitive biases, and the discipline to study medicine, informed by his brief rowing career during which, as a member of the Canadian National Team he competed in the Olympic Games. He delves into specific biases affecting medical decision-making, such as emotional affective, anchoring, and search satisficing biases, stressing the need to mitigate these biases for accurate diagnoses. Furthermore, he explores the impact of cognitive load and decision fatigue on physician well-being, advocating for a reconsideration of critical thinking's role in modern medical practice to ensure optimal performance and professional satisfaction.
Guest: Pat Croskerry, MD, PhD, FRCP
LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-croskerry-199a8132/
Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Croskerry
NEJM Interview: https://www.nejm.org/action/showMediaPlayer?doi=10.1056%2FNEJMdo002218&aid=10.1056%2FNEJMp1303712&area=
Other references:
Croskerry P, Clancy M. Advancing diagnostic excellence: the cognitive challenge for medicine. BMJ. 2022 Mar 29;376:o799. doi: 10.1136/bmj.o799. PMID: 35351777.
Olson A, Rencic J, Cosby K, Rusz D, Papa F, Croskerry P, Zierler B, Harkless G, Giuliano MA, Schoenbaum S, Colford C, Cahill M, Gerstner L, Grice GR, Graber ML. Competencies for improving diagnosis: an interprofessional framework for education and training in health care. Diagnosis (Berl). 2019 Nov 26;6(4):335-341. doi: 10.1515/dx-2018-0107. PMID: 31271549.
Croskerry P. From mindless to mindful practice--cognitive bias and clinical decision making. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jun 27;368(26):2445-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1303712. PMID: 23802513.
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The guest today is Justin Klamerus, MD, MMM, Executive Vice-President and Chief Clinical Officer for McLaren Health, a fully integrated, nonprofit health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 14 hospitals in Michigan, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering approximately 700,000 lives in Michigan and Indiana. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of only 51 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. McLaren maintains academic affiliations with medical schools at Wayne State University, Michigan State University and Central Michigan University. McLaren’s GME campuses offer residencies and fellowship programs that train over 650 future physicians annually.
A medical oncologist by training who joined McLaren in 2009, he went on to hold numerous positions at McLaren including president of McLaren Cancer Institute and principal investigator of the McLaren Center for Research and Innovation. Following the acquisition of Karmanos Cancer Institute by McLaren in 2014, Klamerus served as chief quality officer and later president of the Karmanos Cancer Hospital and Network. in 2020, he was appointed to the Public Health Advisory Commission by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and in 2022 he became Chief Clinical Officer for all of McLaren Health.
During this conversation, Dr. Klamerus discusses his leadership in McLaren Health, highlighting the organization's dedication to its medical staff as well as to many diverse communities, while navigating financial constraints and significant public challenges such as the Flint Michigan water crisis, gun violence, and maternal health delivery issues. He shares a vision for how large and complex healthcare systems can improve workforce stability and community engagement through fostering an environment where staff receive the support needed to excel in complex patient care delivery and to address social issues. He underscores the importance of transparent, authentic, and engaged leadership, mindfulness, and personal connections, alongside emerging technologies, in driving positive changes in healthcare delivery, community health outcomes, and physician and health professional well-being. I found his candor, humor, genuineness and warmth to be comforting, helping me to better understand the connection we can all have with true leaders.
Guest: Justin F. Klamerus, MD, MMM
Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, McLaren Healthcare
Faculty Profile: about Dr. Klamerus- https://www.mclaren.org/main/news/mclaren-health-care-appoints-justin-f-klamerus-md-3906
LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-klamerus-md-mmm-a42b293b/
About McLaren Health: https://www.mclaren.org/
3 Minute Meditation Session with Dr. Mick Krasner
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Our guest today is Rita Charon is a general internist and literary scholar and one of the founders of the field of narrative medicine. She completed the MD at Harvard Medical School and the PhD in English at Columbia University. She is the Bernard Schoenberg Professor of Social Medicine, Professor of Medicine, and founding chair of the Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons. Her research in narrative medicine has been supported by the NIH, the NEH, and many private foundations. She authored, co-authored, or co-edited four books on narrative medicine. She lectures and teaches internationally and publishes extensively in leading medical and literary journals.
In this interview, Dr. Rita Charon discusses how early experiences with her father's medical practice inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. She also reflects on her love of literature that led to her deep dive into that field, connecting profoundly with narrative theory. This instantly enriched her medical practice by enhancing her listening skills and her ability to unearth deeper meanings in patient interactions. She highlights the importance of narrative medicine in helping health professionals cope with the emotional challenges of their work, particularly during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, and reflects on the broader implications of narrative competency, the importance of listener trust, and the systemic challenges in healthcare that impact equitable access to care. The close reading of non-medical texts she maintains can help health professionals recognize and address structural inequities within the healthcare system. Rita emphasizes the importance of activism among clinicians and the need for providing models of activism for students of medicine while protecting clinicians from systemic pressures that erode the patient-clinician relationship. This fascinating, lively, and connecting conversation with Dr. Charon makes a compelling and inspiring call for all of us in medicine to consider a deeper literary engagement to enhance empathy and understanding in medical practice.
Guest: Rita Charon, MD, PhD
Bernard Schoenberg Professor of Social Medicine, Professor of Medicine, and founding chair of the Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons
Faculty Page, Columbia University: https://sps.columbia.edu/faculty/rita-charon-md-phd
Resources/References:
Dr. Charon’s Jefferson Lecture for the National Endowment for the Humanities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yI0rdQEAj8
About Luke Fildes painting The Doctor, 1891: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doctor_(painting)
David Rothman Strangers at the Bedside: A History of How Law and Bioethics Transformed Medical Decision https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315130286/strangers-bedside-david-rothman
About Henry James: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_James
About Hans-Georg Gadamer, philosopher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_of_horizons
Emily Dickinson:
“A word is dead when it is said…” https://www.americanpoems.com/poets/emilydickinson/a-word-is-dead/
“Tell all the truth but tell it slant…” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56824/tell-all-the-truth-but-tell-it-slant-1263
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Our guest today is Helen Riess, M.D. is Chief Scientist and Chairman of Empathetics. Dr. Riess is Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Empathy and Relational Science Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition, Dr. Riess is the author of The Empathy Effect and a core member of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (CREIO) and faculty of the Harvard Macy Institute. Dr. Riess is a psychiatrist who developed an empathy training approach based on research in the neurobiology and physiology of empathy that has been rigorously tested in pilot studies and a randomized, controlled trial at MGH. She completed her residency and Chief Residency at MGH and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Riess has devoted her career to teaching and research in the art and science of the patient-doctor relationship. Dr. Riess received her M.D. from Boston University School of Medicine and her B.A. From Wesleyan University.
In this conversation Dr. Riess shared the influence of her family's experiences as refugees from war-torn Europe, which sensitized her to trauma and resilience. Her interest in psychiatry began during medical school when she was drawn to understanding the mind and healing through narrative and empathy. While a small percentage of people lack the neural mechanisms for empathy, for most, empathy is a mutable trait influenced by their environment and mental state, and burnout among healthcare professionals diminishes their capacity for empathy, not because empathy is inherently harmful, but due to the overwhelming demands and flawed systems they work within. To address this, Dr. Riess speaks of the importance self-regulation and self-care skills, recognizing the human needs of healthcare workers, and creating supportive, empathetic organizational cultures. Helen discusses four pillars of what she describes as institutional resilience- supporting healthcare workers with safe environments, caring communication, community cohesion, and mental health normalization. The personal anecdotes she shared illustrate the profound impact of empathetic interactions, both professionally and personally, and the importance of meaningful connections for self-care and fulfillment, all reflections of her infectious passion and inspiration as well as her deep humanity.
Guest: Helen Reiss MD
Chief Scientist and Chairperson of Empathetics, Director, and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Empathy and Relational Science Program at Massachusetts General Hospital
LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-riess/
Website for Empathetics: https://www.empathetics.com/
Resources/References:
Dr. Riess’ TEDX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baHrcC8B4WM
The Empathy Effect: https://rb.gy/96awc2
The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (CREIO): https://eiconsortium.org/
Riess, Helen. Institutional Resilience: The Foundation for Individual Resilience, Especially During COVID-19. Glob Adv Health Med. 2021 Apr 6;10:21649561211006728. doi: 10.1177/21649561211006728. PMID: 33889440; PMCID: PMC8040559.
About Heinz Kohut and Self-Psychology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_psychology
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The guest for this podcast Ellen Langer, PhD, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, a Fellow of The Sloan Foundation; The American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, The American Association for the Advancement of Science; Computers and Society; The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues; The Society of Experimental Social Psychologists. She has been awarded a Guggenheim and the Liberty Science Genius Award among many others. In addition to her many honors, she has been a guest lecturer in Japan, Malaysia, Germany, and Argentina.
Langer has had a significant influence on the positive psychology movement. Along with being known as the “mother of positive psychology” her contributions to the study of mindfulness have earned her the moniker of the "mother of mindfulness." Her work helped to presage mind/body medicine, which has been regarded by many scientists to be an important intellectual movement and one that now has "considerable evidence that an array of mind-body therapies can be used as effective adjuncts to conventional medical treatment." She has co-authored experimental research indicating a connection between time perception and wound healing.
She has published over 200 articles and academic texts, was published in The New York Times, and discussed her works on Good Morning America. Additionally, in many introductory psychology courses at universities across the United States, her studies are required reading. She is the author of numerous books including her most recent one, The Mindful Body.
In this conversation, a rich exploration unfolds of the intersection between mindfulness and healthcare, beginning with Dr. Langer’s personal journey into health studies, catalyzed by a miraculous recovery in their family. This narrative weaves through the profound influence of the mind-body connection, drawing on examples like the "Counterclockwise Study" to underscore the potential for psychological factors to significantly impact physical health. She advocates for a healthcare approach that recognizes the unity of mind and body, emphasizes the importance of mindfulness beyond meditation, and addresses the dynamic nature of health with a flexible, engaged attitude towards patient care. The discussion also highlights the challenges of conventional medicine's problem-focused approach, proposing a shift towards leveraging patients' strengths and capacities through mindful observation to variability. By illustrating how mindfulness can transform both personal experiences and professional practices, the conversation champions a healthcare paradigm that values meaningful connections and fosters an environment of non-judgment and safety, suggesting a communal shift towards a more mindful, holistic view of health and well-being.
Guest: Ellen Langer, PhD
Professor of Psychology, Harvard University
Faculty Profile: https://scholar.harvard.edu/langer/home
Website: https://www.ellenlanger.me/
LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenjlanger/
Book titles by Dr. Langer: see https://www.ellenlanger.me/home#book-s
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This episode’s guest, Dr. Gail Gazelle, with 25 years as a practicing internist and hospice physician, combines practical, evidence-based strategies with her extensive medical and mindfulness expertise. She is a recognized figure in the media, featured in outlets like CNN, NPR, Oprah Magazine, and has been published twice in the New England Journal of Medicine as well as other leading medical journals.
Her latest book, “Mindful MD: 6 Ways Mindfulness Restores Your Autonomy and Cures Healthcare Burnout,” underscores her significant contributions to wellness. Utilizing mindfulness to become the master of the mind, she shares the keys to reducing reactivity, decreasing burnout, and restoring the true autonomy that we can all retain. Using dozens of real-life stories, she helps readers see that they don’t have to hand over their happiness to a complex and dysfunctional healthcare system.
In this podcast Dr. Gazelle shares insights into her work addressing physician burnout and fostering flourishing. Reflecting on her own journey, she discusses her initial interest in end-of-life care, shaped by complex family experiences. The conversation explores burnout roots in medical training, discussing self-critical thoughts, perfectionism, and the imposter syndrome among physicians. Dr. Gazelle advocates for mindfulness as a key tool in regaining autonomy, reconnecting with purpose, and challenging negative thought patterns. She introduces a coaching model incorporating mindfulness to help physicians find meaning and acknowledge positives, emphasizing individual empowerment and systemic healthcare challenges.
Gail defines mindfulness in terms of awareness and mind training. In addressing health professional burnout, she stresses the need to focus on present moment experiences and work with what is-how things actually are- accepting the current state in healthcare as lived reality as an honest and workable starting point for transformation. She also explores the impact of stories in our professional lives, differentiating between helpful stories that add meaning and purpose to our work and unhelpful narratives that keep us stuck with an unrealistic and unworkable view of ourselves and our situations. Finally, the conversation touches on the transformative power of flourishing in healthcare, both as a recipient of healthcare and as a provider of care to others.
Guest:
Gail Gazelle, MD
Website: www.gailgazelle.com
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: @gailgazelle
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/539466187211003
X: @gailgazellemd
Other resources:
Mindful MD: 6 Ways Restores Your Autonomy and Cures Healthcare Burnout- available at Amazon and free chapter download available at Dr. Gazelle’s website.
Other resources available on Dr. Gazelle’s website: The Daily Dose of Calm; Imposter Syndrome Guide; Everyday Resilience Book; Leading in a Time of Crisis; and 10 Steps to Avoid Physician Burnout
3 Minute Guided Meditation with Dr. Mick Krasner
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This episode continues an investigation of medical education that began with last episode’s interview with Dr. Bonvin, now with a 4th Year Medical Student, Malayna Hocker, who shares her journey into medicine as a career and evolution as a teacher. Initially resistant to the idea of pursuing medicine due to negative childhood experiences in hospitals, she explored various paths but eventually found her way back to medicine through teaching. Inspired by her love for science and a desire to serve the community, Before entering medical school Malayna taught in challenging environments, facing issues like student violence and family difficulties.
As she navigated this non-traditional path to medical school, Malayna's teaching experiences continued to shape her perspective, as her teaching focus has evolved into an advocacy role, addressing discomfort and questioning aspects of medical culture. Malayna emphasizes the need to break the stereotypes in medicine, challenging the notion of perfection and the acceptance of toxic aspects within the profession. She believes that open conversations about challenges, doubts, and well-being are essential in reshaping the culture of medicine. Malayna also sees teaching as a means to advocate for both patients and fellow trainees, fostering a culture of empathy, understanding, and collaboration.
Malayna emphasizes the need to break the cycle of isolation and shame ingrained in medical training and advocates for fostering a culture of support and openness. She believes that finding connection and breaking out of isolation are crucial for addressing burnout in the future. Malayna expresses joy in learning, helping patients live the lives they want, and engaging in teaching. She highlights the importance of maintaining one's personhood and finding fulfillment both in and outside of the medical profession.
Guest:
Malayna Hocker, 4th Year Medical Student
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Other resources:
America Reads Program: existing in amny institutions of higher education, this website describes the program at Arizona State University: https://communityengagement.education.asu.edu/programs/america-reads
Shame in Medical Education:
Bynum WE 4th, Varpio L, Lagoo J, Teunissen PW. 'I'm unworthy of being in this space': The origins of shame in medical students. Med Educ. 2021 Feb;55(2):185-197. doi: 10.1111/medu.14354. Epub 2020 Sep 13. PMID: 32790934.
The Shame Conversation: A short documentary film created by Dr. Will Bynum depicting conversations about experiences with shame in healthcare.
https://www.theshamespace.com/film
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This episode’s guest is Dr. Raphäel Bonvin, Vice President of Education, Section of Medicine at Université de Fribourg - Universität Freiburg and Professor of Medical Education, Fribourg, Switzerland. Raphäel discusses his journey into medicine, highlighting his initial interest in physics, biochemistry, and medicine, ultimately choosing medicine for its humanistic dimension. His early training in traditional Chinese medicine and parallel training in acupuncture and homeopathic medicine influenced his decision to continue his studies, as he recognized early on a disconnect between how he was being taught and the educational elements and approaches necessary to become a skilled physician. His interest in this topic deepened, and through a series of events, his career path turned toward a central focus on medical education. He has been an influential and effective leader in shifting the focus of assessments in medical education from knowledge-centric assessments to a system of formative assessments, ones that are designed as truly learning tools, and emphasizing the role of student reflection and the development of critical competencies beyond only knowledge and skills.
In his work at the University of Fribourg medical school, Raphäel discusses the programmatic assessment approach in medical education, emphasizing the importance of considering multiple sources of information rather than relying solely on grades. The speaker explains the concept of measuring points as pieces of information, like how we use multiple data sources in the clinical setting such as lab data, clinical interpretation, and personal experience to influence clinical decision-making. Here, multiple data points and sources are used to provide a holistic view of a student's progress. The program aims to move away from traditional grading and focus instead on providing this assessment information openly to students, with the expectation that they reflect on those data and use them to build learning plans to address key competencies necessary to be successful as a physician, including self-awareness skills and self-care.
Guest:
Raphäel Bonvin MD
Professor, Faculty of Medicine
Vice President of Education, Section of Medicine
University of Fribourg, Switzerland
PHD Candidate, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Faculty Page, University of Fribourg
https://www.unifr.ch/med/de/section/staff/prof/people/229455/d8dea
Other resources:
Bonvin R, Bayha E, Gremaud A, Blanc PA, Morand S, Charri I, Mancinetti M. Taking the Big Leap: A Case Study on Implementing Programmatic Assessment in an Undergraduate Medical Program.Educ. Sci. 2022, 12:425. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12070425
Rey A, Bonvin R, Cantin B. Étudiant-e-s en médecine face à la mort: chassez le spectre, il revient au galop [Medical students facing death: death is the only certainty in life]. Rev Med Suisse. 2023 Dec 20;19(855):2399-2401. French. doi: 10.53738/REVMED.2023.19.855.2399. PMID: 38117109.
Walker M, Grandmaison G, Bonvin R, Mancinetti M. Pédagogie de l’incertitude en médecine [How To Teach Uncertainty Management]. Rev Med Suisse. 2023 Feb 8;19(813):264-266. French. doi: 10.53738/REVMED.2023.19.813.264. PMID: 36753342.
Gustin MP, Abbiati M, Bonvin R, Gerbase MW, Baroffio A. Integrated problem-based learning versus lectures: a path analysis modelling of the relationships between educational context and learning approaches. Med Educ Online. 2018 Dec;23(1):1489690. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2018.1489690. PMID: 29966510; PMCID: PMC6041782.
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The guest for this podcast Ghazala Radwi MD, a hematologist and transfusion medicine specialist in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She also teachers widely through Canada on topics of trauma-informed leadership and Mindful Practice in Medicine. She shares here her journey into medicine, tracing it back to her early childhood influences, especially that of her father, who was a physician. From the age of four, Ghazala expressed a strong desire to become a doctor, driven by a sense of calling and a passion for healing. Her unwavering determination led her to pursue internal medicine and hematology. Reflecting on her path, she acknowledges the role of mentors and a sense of intuition, emphasizing the importance of trusting the journey.
The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by health professionals in Canada, particularly in Alberta, highlighting political turbulence, system changes, high rates of burnout, and issues related to racism and trauma within the healthcare system. The impact on physicians' well-being, including increased suicide rates, shortage of healthcare professionals, and the closure of medical facilities, paints a complex picture of the healthcare landscape in the region. Overall, the interview provides insights into Kala's personal and professional journey in medicine, as well as the broader challenges faced by healthcare professionals in Canada.
Speaking about the inevitability of encountering trauma during medical training and medical practice and advocating for a proactive approach to addressing and working with traum
Ghazal discusses the importance of transparency and context in organizations and leadership and the need for leaders to share their challenges and vulnerabilities, thus fostering a sense of connection and collaboration within healthcare teams. Exploring the themes of joy, play, and the need for intentional efforts to incorporate them into the medical field, she emphasizes the positive contribution of these qualities to teamwork and professional well-being, underscoring the human aspects of leadership, communication, and connection within organizations. Her commitment, broad experience from training in Saudi Arabia to sharing her talents and passion across Canada, and here engaging desire for supporting her colleagues led to a delightful interview that I hope you enjoy listening to.
Guest: Ghazala Radwi, MD
Hematologist, Transfusion Medicine Physician, Physician Leader, Mindfulness Practitioner, Trauma Informed Leadership. She is the Medical Lead, for Transfusion Medicine for North Sector at Alberta Precision Laboratories. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta, and the Wellness and Safety Representative on the Hematopathology Residency Committee. She collaborates with the Office of Advocacy and Wellbeing at the University of Alberta to help develop programs that support physician wellbeing.
LinkedIn Page:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghazala-radwi-md-7aab0881/?originalSubdomain=ca
Other mentions or references during the podcast:
WellDoc Alberta, www.welldocalberta.org
Bonobos studied in the Congo by Ethologist Isabel Behncke: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Behncke
Trauma Informed Approaches:
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
Help for the Helper: Preventing Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma in an Ever-Changing World, by Babette Rothschild
Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing
by David A. Treleaven, Willoughby Britton, et al.
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The guest for this podcast was Professor of Integrative Physiology and co-director of the Graduate Program in Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC). A graduate of Brooklyn College (CUNY), he received a PhD in Physiology from the University in Cincinnati College of Medicine, and came to Georgetown 38 years ago, after 5 years at Mayo Clinic. In 2013, he was named the Founding Director of the Center for Innovation and Leadership in Education (CENTILE) at GUMC. His research interests for over 25 years addressed renal and electrolyte homeostasis, but in the past two decades he has focused on medical education and rethinking how health professionals are trained.
Dr. Haramati has taught physiology for over 40 years and been recognized with 11 Golden Apple awards from medical and graduate students at Georgetown. In addition, he was awarded the Arthur C. Guyton Teacher of the Year award by the American Physiological Society, the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teaching Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Master Scholar Award from the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE), and named Distinguished Educator by the GUMC Teaching Academy for Health Sciences. He chairs the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies of the AAMC and currently serves on the AAMC Board of Directors. Dr. Haramati has advocated that mindful practices together with small groups be integrated in the training of health professionals to foster resilience and improve well-being in the learning and work environments at academic health centers. He has been a visiting professor at over 100 medical schools worldwide.
In this podcast Dr. Haramati shares his unique journey from studying physiology to becoming a leader in mind-body medicine education. He initially pursued physiology due to a fascination with the science underlying medicine, having no desire to work directly in a hospital setting. Over the years, he sought mentors and eventually transitioned into a role where education became a significant focus. The pivotal moment occurred during a meeting at Harvard Medical School, where the importance of medical education in training professionals was emphasized. This realization led him to integrate mind-body medicine into the curriculum, addressing the need for a more holistic approach in medical training. The conversation also touches on the evolving landscape of medical education, including the recognition of stress and burnout and efforts by organizations like the AAMC to address these challenges.
Guest:
Aviad Haramati, PhD
Faculty Page, Johns Hopkins University:
https://centile.georgetown.edu/aviad-haramati/
Other mentions or references during the podcast:
Vanderweele TJ. On the Promotion of Human Flourishing. PNAS (2017) 114 (31): 8148-8156
Kern National Network for Flourising in Medicine. https://knncaringcharactermedicine.org/
Goleman, Daniel. What Makes a Leader. Harvard Business Review, January, 2004.
CENTILE: The Center for Innovation and Leadership in Education:
https://centile.georgetown.edu/
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The guest for this podcast was Cynda Hylton Rushton, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Anne and George L. Bunting Professor of Clinical Ethics at the Berman Institute of Bioethics/School of Nursing and Professor of Nursing and Pediatrics, at the Johns Hopkins University. A clinician, educator, researcher and advocate for compassionate health care with decades of nursing experience, Dr. Rushton’s work focuses on clinical ethics, palliative and end-of-life care, particularly for children, as well as integrated organizational change and ethical leadership. She has led numerous initiatives to cultivate contemplative practices that foster awareness, inquiry and resilience in complex health care settings and to address the detrimental effects of moral distress on clinicians, patients and families. She designed, implemented and evaluated the Mindful Ethical Practice & Resilience Academy (MEPRA) for nurses and has published hundreds of articles and book chapters on related topics. Since 2001, she has served as a teacher and collaborator in Upaya’s Being With Dying Professional Training program and as core faculty in G.R.A.C.E.
Along with Roshi Joan Halifax and Al Kaszniak, she has collaborated in the development of a framework and strategies for addressing moral distress and understanding the process of moral discernment. She has received fellowships from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Executive Nurse Fellow), Mind and Life Institute and Kornfeld Foundation. Currently her research focuses on the cultivation of moral resilience in response to adversity created by ethical conflicts and designing a culture that fosters ethical practice. Her book, “Moral Resilience: Transforming Moral Suffering in Healthcare” is published by Oxford University Press.
Guest:
Cynda Hylton Rushton, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN, FAAN
Faculty Page, Johns Hopkins University:
https://nursing.jhu.edu/faculty-research/faculty/directory/cynda-rushton/
About the MEPRA Program at Johns Hopkins:
https://giving.jhu.edu/story/cynda-rushton-moral-distress/
Other mentions or references during the podcast:
Upaya Zen Center Being with Dying Program:
https://www.upaya.org/social-action/being-with-dying/
Research on the MEPRA Program:
Rushton, CH, et al. Mindful Ethical Practice and Resilience Academy: Equipping Nurses to Address Ethical Challenges. Am J Crit Care (2021) 30 (1): e1–e11., https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2021359
Moral Resilience Book:
Rushton, CH, ed. Moral Resilience: Transforming Moral Suffering in Healthcare. Oxford University Press; 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780190619268.003.0011
Warren Reich:
Reich, WT. Speaking of suffering: a moral account of compassion. Soundings 1989 Spring;72(1):83-108.
Monica Sharma’s Conscious Full Spectrum Approach: Radical Transformational Leadership
Strategic Action for Change Agents. North Atlantic Books; 2017.
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The guest for this podcast was Colin West, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Medical Education, and Biostatistics at the Mayo Clinics in Rochester Minnesota, where he also serves as Director of the Mayo Clinic Program on Physician Well-Being. Dr. West's research has focused on medical education and physician well-being and has been widely published in prominent journals including Lancet, JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, and JAMA Internal Medicine. Dr. West's research aims to improve patient care by promoting physician well-being and reducing physician distress. Healthier physicians can provide better care and communicate more effectively. By understanding the factors that contribute to both well-being and distress, Dr. West hopes to improve health care delivery. In addition, Dr. West's studies of medical education inform national policy decisions influencing physician training, which then directly impacts the health care system and patient care.
In this interview, Dr. West discusses how his journey into medicine, initially driven by a strong intellectual curiosity about science, led him to a greater awareness of the varying levels of wellbeing among medical professionals and the importance of addressing these issues. This began a career long exploration of researching and advocating for the wellbeing of healthcare professionals, particularly physicians. This conversation underscores the humanistic aspect of medicine and the need to improve the work environment to benefit everyone in the healthcare field. His and his colleagues’ work has had significant national impact and has helped create a broader discussion on the importance of professional wellbeing in healthcare.
The discussion highlights for all of us how physician well-being and excellent patient care are interconnected, forming a virtuous cycle.
Finally, in this interview Dr. West expresses a deep understanding that our health systems and organizations face tremendous pressures, very often to simply survive and continue to carry out their mission of being a source of healthcare for their communities. However, he points out that addressing physician and health professional well-being should nevertheless be a central part of their response to these pressures.
Guest:
Colin West, MD, PhD
Faculty Page, Mayo Clinic:
https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/west-colin-p-m-d-ph-d/bio-00027800
Program on Physician Well-Being at The Mayo Clinic:
https://www.mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/program-physician-well-being/overview
Other mentions or references during the podcast:
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Seneca
Three-part series on Teamwork in Medicine in the New England Journal of Medicine; Author- Lisa Rosenbaum, MD, February 14, 21, 28, 2019.
Danielle Ofri, MD, New York Times June 8, 2019: The Business of Healthcare Depends on Exploiting Doctors and Nurses: One resource seems infinite and free: the professionalism of caregivers.
Stiegler MP. A piece of my mind. What I learned about adverse events from Captain Sully. It’s not what you think. JAMA 2015 Jan 27; 313(4): 361-362.
Thomas LR, Ripp JA, and West CP. Charter on Physician Wellbeing. JAMA 2018 Apr 17; 319(15): 1541-1542.
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The guest for this podcast was Dr. Christine (Tina) Runyan, a clinical health psychologist, the Co-Founder of Tend Health, and Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. After starting her career as a psychologist in the US Air Force, she focused her research, clinical service, and teaching on behavioral science in family medicine as well as promoting models of integrated primary care. Dr. Runyan is also a mindfulness teacher at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness. At the height of the pandemic, recognizing the undeniable need for expert mental health services for healthcare professionals, she launched Tend Health.
During this conversation, Tina Runyan walked us through not only the collective effects on physicians and other health professionals of the COVID pandemic, but also highlighted how physicians, although remarkably resilient, resourceful, and empathic, have always had unique challenges in their continual facing into suffering and uncertainty. Not seeing even the most suffering among them as “broken,” she outlines the interrelated nature of systemic and individual responses to address these challenges. Calling upon our capacity to heal and make, as she describes it, that “U-turn” that moves our empathy forward towards compassion, she derives great joy in helping our most precious resource, the health professional, find value, purpose, meaning, and sustenance within the calling of medicine.
Knowing that systemic issues primarily drive their distress, she states, pragmatically: “My experience in working with a lot of distressed healthcare professionals is that the promise of that fix has been coming for a long time, right? It’s just around the corner, keep going, we’re going to get there. And it works at a fairly glacial pace. And there’s a lot of perverse incentives that are maintaining the status quo. And so, while I am very much in support of a lot of those systems fixing those systems drivers, in the meantime, we have a lot of people who are suffering.” Finally, she shared with us about Tend Health, a company which she began just a little more than 3 years ago with a colleague, that is exclusively dedicated to caring for the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals. It is a fully telehealth platform for the full continuum of mental health care, coaching, counseling, medication management, individual offerings, and group offerings.
Guest: Christine Runyan, PhD
Tend Health website where you can find out more about Dr. Runyan and about the work of Tend Health: https://tend.health/
You can hear more about her perspective on COVID and mental health here:
https://onbeing.org/programs/christine-runyan
https://www.cnn.com/videos
https://www.youtube.com
Other mentions or references during the podcast:
A Piece of My Mind: Several collections have been made over the years of wonderful essays of stories in medicine published in JAMA. Here is one of them, and others can be searched for on Amazon.
Instructions: Poem by Rudy Francisco. Can be found here: https://genius.com/Rudy-francisco-instructions-annotated
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The guest for this podcast was Dr. Tim Cunningham. Tim is Vice-President of Practice and Innovation at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta where he also functions as co-chief wellness officer for the Woodruff Health Science Center Office of Well-Being. In addition, he is an adjunct associate professor in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.
Before joining Emory, Cunningham served as the director of the University of Virginia’s Compassionate Care Initiative. Clinically, his background is as an emergency/trauma nurse and he’s worked at multiple level-one trauma centers in the U.S. while also having served clinically in humanitarian crises such as the West Africa Ebola outbreak, post-2010 earthquake in Haiti, and in the ongoing humanitarian crisis on the Myanmar (Burma)/Bangladesh border.
His research and publications focus on methods to advocate for well-being while measuring the impacts of specific wellness-related practices. Cunningham’s co-authored book, Self-Care for New and Student Nurses (2020), examines ways to keep well-being relevant for the individual as well as for health systems. (I was fortunate to contribute a chapter to that book, which honored Dr. Dori Fontaine, the now-retired Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Virginia.)
A registered nurse by clinical training with a specialty in emergency nursing, Tim holds a doctorate in Public Health from Columbia University. But perhaps his most important credential that gives him the authority to speak on flourishing is his work as a professional clown and involvement in Clowns Without Borders, where he has given humanitarian healing aide to some of the poorest and conflict-ridden settings on our planet.
In our conversation with Dr Cunningham, we explore how the burnout process touched his family and created a spark in him to become a health professional, and how important he has found staying connected with a sense of meaning to inoculate him against burnout. He discussed the challenges in his current role and challenges for chief wellness officers generally, with a practical approach of using empirical evidence to drive leadership innovation and change. He predicts that soon the return on investing in medical staff well-being will become a “no-brainer” with such strong evidence that he expects he will be out of this job at that point. And that will be just fine with him. You may find the parallels and connections he makes between clowning, theater, and healthcare not only entertaining, but also poignant as he shares personal stories of all.
His take on flourishing in medicine quite simply is about making space, as he says: “healing can really resonate when we create a space. Maybe it’s not us flourishing. Maybe this podcast should be about how we just let health flourish or healing flourish.”
Mentioned or referenced during the podcast:
Clowns Without Borders: clownswithoutborders.org
Unforgetting Compassion, TEDx Charlottesville:
Self-Care for New and Student Nurses by Dorrie K. Fontaine, Tim Cunningham, and Natalie May
Zen and the Brain: Toward and Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness by James H. Austin, M.D.
Media:
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-cunningham-rn
Instagram: @timcunninghamrn
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The guest for this podcast was Dr. Jillian Horton. Dr. Jillian Horton, a general internist who has served in multiple leadership positions at University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine in Winnipeg. These have included: the inaugural Director of the college’s Faculty of Health Sciences programs in Physician and Learner Wellness; Director of the Alan Klass Health Humanities Program; and Associate Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Horton has also served as the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs at the medical college. She has won numerous awards for mentorship, professionalism, and teaching.
Dr. Horton co-authored a poignant graphic novel, Medicine, which focuses on the intense challenges of a medical student. Her latest book, We Are All Perfectly Fine, a Canadian bestseller is a memoir about mindfulness, and reclaiming our full humanity – and a call to reimagining medical education. I encourage you to read this beautifully written, highly personal, provocative, humbling, and at times shocking look into bringing oneself completely to the serving of others in the medical profession.
During today’s conversation Dr Jillian Horton shares stories of how the resiliency within her family upbringing contributed to her choice of medicine as a profession and vocation. She speaks of how the character of Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series MASH and the persona of Alan Alda has been a blueprint for her survival. She challenges the pursuit of joy in medicine and has us instead examine deeply what is meant by joy and how we must first attend to foundational needs among the hierarchy of needs found in experiencing this human existence. She explores how relativism can often discount the need for humanism and the importance of meeting each person where they are in the medical encounter. The power of deep listening and the centrality of presence are messages she lives and offers as gifts for us to explore as we work towards flourishing in medicine.
Guest: Jillian Horton, MD
Mentioned or referenced during the podcast:
Med Life with Dr. Horton Podcast
Jillian Horton on Storytelling to Address Burnout, American Medical Association
Ask Dr. Horton Podcast
About the graphic novel Medicine, by Dr. Horton
Canadian bestseller We Are All Perfectly Fine: A Memoir of Love, Medicine and Healing by Dr. Horton
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The guest for this podcast was Dr. Ronald Epstein. Ron Epstein is an internationally recognized physician, educator, researcher, and writer. He has published groundbreaking research into communication in medical settings and developed innovative educational programs that promote mindfulness, communication, and self-awareness. His over 300 scholarly articles and his book, Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness and Humanity, show how health professionals can flourish, building strong connections with patients and colleagues, optimize the care they provide and become more resilient. Dr. Epstein co-directs the Center for Communication and Disparities Research and Mindful Practice in Medicine Programs at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry where he is Professor of Family Medicine, Oncology and Medicine (Palliative Care). A graduate of Wesleyan University and Harvard Medical School, he is recipient of numerous lifetime achievement awards relating to communication and humanism, a Fulbright fellowship in Barcelona, fellowships at the University of Sydney and the Brocher Foundation in Geneva, and the American Cancer Society’s highest award, the Clinical Research Professorship.
Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity is the first book about mindfulness and medical practice written for patients, their families, and for doctors and others providing health care. It is a groundbreaking, intimate exploration of how doctors approach their work with patients. From his early days as a Harvard Medical School student, Ronald Epstein saw what makes good doctors great, how they deliver more accurate diagnoses, make fewer errors, and build stronger connections with their patients. This set the stage for his life's work—identifying the qualities and habits that distinguish master clinicians from those who are merely competent. The secret, he learned, was mindfulness.
During today’s conversation, Ron spoke about some of his early experiences including his asthma that related to his choice of profession as well as his interest in meditation. He spoke of the ineffable quality of presence and how it is experienced in the medical context, with some ideas of how to cultivate it as a professional quality. He related flourishing to the way Walt Whitman speaks of the contradictions present in life experiences, and how medicine asks its health professionals to hold the dynamic tension as he put it between flourishing, joy, and suffering, and that his process involves radical acceptance. Reflecting on a famous talk given by Dr. Francis Peabody in 1927, he highlighted the difference between care of patients, caring for patients, and caring about patients.
Guest: Ron Epstein MD
Current Appointments Professor of Family Medicine, Oncology and Medicine (Palliative Care) American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor Co-director, Center for Communication and Disparities Research Co-director, Mindful Practice in Medicine University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Social Media:
www.ronaldepstein.com
www.mindfulpracticeinmedicine.com
Mentioned or referenced during the podcast:
Francis Peabody lecture: The care of the patient. By Francis W. Peabody, M.D. 1927; J Am Coll Health.1985 Apr;33(5):210-6. doi: 10.1080/07448481.1985.9939607.
A Brief for the Defense: From Collected Poems by Jack Gilbert. Copyright © 2012 by Jack Gilbert.
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The guest for this podcast was Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang, a mother of two, wife, cancer survivor, pulmonary physician, and mindfulness teacher. Dr. Liang is the Director of Pulmonary Integrative Medicine at Coastal Pulmonary Associates affiliated with the Scripps Health Network. She also serves as a Voluntary Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine while volunteering for the UCSD Medical Student-Run Free Clinic for uninsured patients. She attributes allopathic medicine and participating in a clinical trial for saving her life from cancer, but integrative therapies, such as mindfulness meditation, acupuncture, and yoga for continuing to maximize her quality of life.
She returned to medical practice after cancer treatment passionate about promoting physician wellness, and teaching mindfulness to patients, healthcare professionals and their students. She was voted as a San Diego Top Doctor in the annual San Diego Magazine “Physicians of Exceptional Excellence” survey in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022 and awarded the 2019 American Lung Association San Diego Lung Health Provider of the Year and Outstanding Mothers Award. She is also the founder of the Mindful Healthcare Collective, an organization that seeks to provide free wellness sessions during the global pandemic, and co-host of the Mindful Healer’s podcast.
During today’s conversation, Ni-Cheng shared some of her inspirations for a life in medicine and the reciprocal relationship of the healer and patient. She talks about the challenges of lack of time and spaciousness in medical work and how mindfulness, by helping her to be present, seemingly opens the space and slows time. On the importance of meaning and joy in medicine, she describes joy and connection and gratitude as balms for wounds that are in healthcare. The Mindful Healthcare Collective that she created with her colleague Dr. Jesse Mahoney in response to the predictable effects the pandemic was having on health professional well-being, continues to be one of many ways that Dr. Liang contributes to helping her colleagues flourish. In this podcast, she states “To be a healthy flourishing healer, we have to make healing ourselves part of our daily practice.” Part of how she heals herself includes dragon boat racing with other breast cancer survivors like herself. Poignantly and inspiring, she shares “There’s something to be said about bringing joy and feeling empowered after the shared experience of suffering.”
Guest: Ni-Cheng Liang, MD, ATSF
Current Appointments: Director of Pulmonary Integrative Medicine Coastal Pulmonary Associates, Scripps Health Network UCSD Voluntary Assistant Professor of Medicine Mindfulness Teacher
Media:
mindfulhealthcarecollective.com
AwakenBreath.org
X (Twitter): @DrNiChengLiang
Instagram: Awaken_Breath
LinkedIn
