<span itemprop="author">Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH

Author's posts

Unlock your freedom: Replace “should” with “could”

Intriguing question: What is one word that can free us? You might think it is love. Love is so powerful in lifting shame, sadness, and loneliness, but that’s not the kind of freedom I’m referring to. Instead, I’m referring to the free…

Discover the power of patience

This summer, my cousin Cindy has been raising Monarch butterflies. Two weeks ago, when I was visiting her for the weekend, she gave me a chrysalis to bring home. She’d already done the bulk of the work, feeding and caring for the caterpillar. I l…

Physicians have no autonomy. Here’s how to change that.

“Physicians have no autonomy.” I read and hear versions of this every day, expressed with anger, resignation, or both. It’s also called agency, control, and power (as in feeling empowered). I’m the first one to admit that physic…