Author's posts
No one taught us the skills to cope with feeling bad about ourselves
In her book Daring Greatly, Brené Brown says, “If we want to be fully engaged, to be connected, we have to be vulnerable. In order to be vulnerable, we need to develop resilience to shame.” If you’re a physician who is “not good at being vulnerab…
What if the hierarchy in medicine was dismantled?
About a year ago, before the pandemic hit, I was at the local fitness center, having just completed a group exercise class, when my former residency program director entered the room. I hadn’t seen him in 20 years. He looked exactly the same, give or t…
Long-term sequelae of a life in medicine
It’s a Friday in January 1997. Another two-week block of nights behind me, 75 hours a week with a weekend off in between. However, working 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. means waking at 4 p.m. to dress, grab 15 hours-worth of food, drive 20 minutes to the parking de…
Can physicians live wholehearted lives?
Brené Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection, has recently been re-released with a new cover and subtitle: 10th Anniversary edition, Including New Tools to Make the Work Your Own. I’ve had my original paperback copy for 8 years. It’s dog-eared, highl…
Despite struggles with my own mental health, I’d never exchange them for an ordinary existence.
What are you doing to take care of your mental health on World Mental Health Day? Tell me, is something eluding you, sunshine? Today, I’m listening to Pink Floyd for 2 reasons: 1. This morning, I did a 10-minute yoga flow with Denis Morton, who played …
If you really want to make a dent in physician suicide, talk about your own feelings
September, National Suicide Prevention Month, is coming to a close. National Physician Suicide Awareness Day was September 17. What happens now that September’s over? All month, I’ve wanted to write this post. I’ve been hesitant beca…
How health care revolutionaries can benefit from coaching
I know you don’t know me, but I feel like I know you from your transparency and radical honesty in all of your public communications. I know that you speak truth to bullshit while remaining civil. I know that you are more than aware of the lack o…
If you’re falling apart, should you still perform the pancreas biopsy?
Many radiologists choose the specialty because they don’t like interacting with sick people. As a highly sensitive person, I went into radiology to distance myself from patient suffering, as a means of self-protection. Radiology has allowed me to compa…
Are physicians martyrs or models?
This concept comes up in Glennon Doyle’s new #1 best-selling book, Untamed. In this memoir, she looks at her unhappy marriage through the eyes of her daughter. She has been staying in the marriage for her children, believing that getting a divorce woul…
Vulnerability is challenging but necessary for health care professionals
As someone trained in Brené Brown’s curriculum for helping professionals, vulnerability is my jam. As a physician? Not so much. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown already burned-out healthcare providers into the arena with more than just a shortage…
