Author's posts
What my patients taught me about faith
When I was a teenager, I worked summer nights at the Funtown Amusement Park on the south side of Atlanta, Georgia. After work, as I drove home to the north side of Atlanta, I had to pass through “Cabbagetown.” In the early 1960s, during the…
Healing in a new land: the power of community and kindness
Howera is a twenty-nine-year-old Ethiopian woman. She saw me in the neurology clinic for headaches. Two years previously, she had come to America to join her husband. Since her arrival, he beat her physically and abused her sexually. Being a stranger i…
Healing in a new land: the power of community and kindness
Howera is a twenty-nine-year-old Ethiopian woman. She saw me in the neurology clinic for headaches. Two years previously, she had come to America to join her husband. Since her arrival, he beat her physically and abused her sexually. Being a stranger i…
Repaving your path: How clinicians can prevent burnout by embracing core values
Don’t blame others for the burned-out road you are on: It is your own “Ass-Phalt.” OK. I know that sounds harsh. We, physicians and other clinicians suffer under the demands of irrelevant EMR guidelines, insensitive hospital administr…
The myth of compassion fatigue
Here is a challenge: Review the schedule of patients you have seen today. As you recall each patient, ask yourself this question: Did I genuinely feel compassion towards my patient in that encounter? I will be brutally honest with you (and myself). For…
The secret life of physicians: work, home, and the battle for balance
When we physicians discuss “work-life balance,” we often imply that our dedication to our work is so consuming and imbalanced that we end up sacrificing time with our families. To achieve a better balance and promote a healthier family life…
The impact of religious-spiritual values on individual lives
A friend of mine recently went into the hospital for a surgical operation. Afterward, she told me about a conversation she had with her doctors. Meeting with her surgeon and her anesthesiologist before surgery, this retired lifelong Sunday school teach…
Why this doctor prefers perfectionist physicians
Your plane is about to take off. Like most folks, you are just a little anxious about flying. It is very rare, but you know a lot of bad things can happen to the machine that carries you at 30,000 feet above sea level. Consider this: Would you rather t…
