See, Hear, Feel: Recent Episodes

Professor Christine J Ko, MD

See, Hear, Feel - many of us do these without thinking much about them. Experts in psychology explain important concepts that will improve your ability to observe, listen, and manage emotions. Listen to amazing researchers and authors on subjects like emotional intelligence and everyday illusions, and also hear from doctors how they apply principles of cognitive psychology for better doctoring, health, and wellness.

Identity, Endurance, and Choosing Your Path with Dr. Valencia Thomas

This episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide features Dr. Valencia Thomas, a Black dermatologist and professor at UTHealth Houston and MD Anderson, who discusses her extensive training path and how identity shifts across places and career stages. She describes growing up in Fort Worth, being the only Black student in her class, and arriving at Harvard amid racial violence and inflammatory remarks, while valuing active dialogue and trusting an inner voice for safety and direction. Dr. Thomas emphasizes being race-conscious but not race-limited, and notes that people may say off-color things through ignorance rather than malice, sharing a story from Dr. Harley Haynes about learning respect and the “us vs. them” divide. She highlights lessons on communication from Ted Lasso, explains that about 16% of people are “never adopters,” and advises endurance—“adapt, migrate, or die”—and making decisions knowing they can often be changed.

00:00 Meet Dr Valencia Thomas

01:07 Texas Roots and Moving Around

01:53 Identity and Being Black

03:54 Harvard and Racial Reality Check

05:42 Learning Across Differences

06:50 Ted Lasso and Hard Conversations

07:53 One in Five Never Adopters

09:20 Endurance and Career Thriving

10:37 Changing Paths in Medicine

12:09 Wrap Up and Thanks

Love Language Audiobook Sample Featuring Narrator Da Eun Yoon

Christine shares an audio sample from the audiobook Love Language, narrated by Da Eun Yoon, and encourages listeners to check out Yoon’s earlier podcast episode and pre-order the audiobook via Amazon and other retailers. The excerpt follows a family arriving in South Korea, meeting relatives at the airport, and driving through heavy traffic as the narrator’s mother reflects on how the city has changed over fifteen years and how her memories of home connected to loneliness in America. The narrator expresses excitement to meet family and hints the trip will influence a future decision to move. They stay in a cousin’s small apartment, play video games despite language barriers, and spend days sightseeing palaces, temples, mountains, and a palace in Gwangju with traditional architectural details and customs like leaving shoes outside.

00:00 Welcome and Audiobook Intro

00:30 Arriving in South Korea

01:02 A Changed City

02:01 Family Apartment Bonding

03:12 Sightseeing Across Korea

03:26 Palace Details and Farewell

Dr. Carolyn Lee on Comfort Zones, Identity, and Creating Your Own Path in Medicine

Christine welcomes her friend and colleague Dr. Carolyn Lee, MD, PhD, a Yale- and Georgetown-trained dermatologist and Stanford residency graduate now at UVA, who is an epithelial biologist and entrepreneur focused on high-risk skin cancer and developing new anti-cancer therapeutics. Lee shares a childhood anecdote about avoiding the unknown and reflects on how growth happens at the edge of comfort, despite intimidation and failure. They discuss juggling multiple identities and interests, parenting mixed-race children after moving from the diverse Bay Area to Charlottesville, and the importance of maintaining hobbies and “many legs” of identity beyond work and family. Lee describes how being an Asian American woman shaped her experiences later in her career, including stereotypes, feeling “betrayed,” and learning to create her own path without templates, ending with advice: take opinions as opinions and do what you want to do.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:12 Comfort Zone Story

03:05 Growth at the Edge

03:42 Wearing Many Hats

05:54 Keeping Identity Beyond Work

07:25 Asian American in Medicine

09:10 Stereotypes and Belonging

11:47 No More Templates

12:40 Mentor Advice and Wrap Up

Dr. Hensin Tsao on Mentorship, Writing, and Defining Success Beyond Titles

Christine welcomes Dr. Hensin Tsao, Harvard Dermatology Professor and Director of melanoma programs at Mass General, who shares a pivotal early-career moment: stepping in for a WHO Melanoma Congress talk on genetics that led to new opportunities and reinforced the value of serendipity and mentorship. He advises giving every talk full effort regardless of audience size, focusing on turning “light bulbs” on for learners, and building an academic career through continual writing and strong communication, which he argues AI cannot fully replace in crafting persuasive, poetic narrative. Tsao reflects that titles are responsibilities, not validation, and warns that career moves can carry disruptive family costs. He discusses leadership lessons about recognizing differing goals in trainees, and describes his identities as explorer, clinician-guide using evidence to reduce suffering, and youth soccer coach. He closes by urging listeners to choose their own “destination” in life and work.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:44 Serendipity Breakthrough Story

04:16 Give Every Talk Your Best

06:18 Write to Thrive in Academia

08:29 Titles Versus Responsibility

13:31 Identity as Explorer Clinician Coach

17:27 Final Advice Pick Your Destination

Dr. Kate Gfeller on Cochlear Implants, Music Perception, and Becoming Yourself

On The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Dr. Kate Gfeller, PhD, Professor Emerita at the University of Iowa, about her career studying music perception, enjoyment, and rehabilitation for people with hearing loss, including NIH-funded work with cochlear implant users. Gfeller shares growing up on a rural Iowa farm amid a “tall poppy” culture of fitting in, and a pivotal moment when her father told her being like everyone else is not a life goal. She describes early mentors, scholarships, sexism in academia, and how she entered cochlear implant research by quickly preparing for an interdisciplinary opportunity and learning from surgeons and engineers. She discusses patient-centered research and offers strategies for living with hearing loss: accessible information, clinician coaching to apply it, building self-efficacy and self-advocacy with community support, and recognizing the impact of fatigue. She closes with reflections on identity, mentorship, kindness, and freedom of thought.

00:00 Meet Dr Kate Gfeller

01:52 Farm Girl Big Dreams

04:12 Tall Poppy Lessons

05:22 Path to a PhD

06:41 Breaking Into Research

08:57 Imposter Syndrome to Strength

09:58 Patient Centered Hearing Loss Insights

11:16 Three Keys to Self Advocacy

13:45 Growth Mindset and Asking for Help

14:47 Identity Kindness and Closing

New Roles, Shifting Identity, and Belonging

July 1 marks a common transition time for medical trainees, faculty, and others moving into new roles. Identity can shift when ending one chapter and starting another, a theme also present in Christine's middle-grade novel-in-verse, Love Language, releasing August 4th. Da Eun Yoon, the narrator of the audiobook, was featured on last week’s podcast and touched on how being bilingual and living in or visiting other countries can affect identity.

00:00 Welcome Back

00:02 New Roles July 1

00:09 Identity Shifts Ahead

00:16 Love Language Preview

00:26 Audiobook Narrator Spotlight

00:39 Support the Podcast

00:44 Holiday Sign Off

Da Eun Yoon on Names, Voice Work, and Living Between Cultures

Christine interviews multilingual actor, voice artist, and audiobook narrator Da Eun Yoon, announcing her as the narrator of the middle grade novel in verse Love Language (out August 4). Da Eun shares the meaning of her Korean name and her changing English names, describing challenges introducing “Da Eun” at Northwestern and eventually embracing it. She recounts moving to New York after graduating from Northwestern (2023), being encouraged to try voiceover, and discovering audiobook narration as a career. The conversation explores her upbringing in Korea speaking English at home, identity crises and accent work in both languages, the “shadowing” method for learning pronunciation, and feeling different across Korea and the U.S. She discusses passion as acting despite fear, her work as storyteller/translator bridging cultures, uncertainty about where to live, and how narrating Love Language resonated with her.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:07 The Story Behind Her Name

01:55 English Names and Identity

04:06 Announcing Love Language

04:37 Career Path to Audiobooks

06:34 Living Between Cultures

09:27 Relearning Korean and Shadowing

11:32 Northwestern and Family Talk

12:24 Finding Passion and Fear

14:10 Where to Live Next

15:18 Final Thoughts on Love Language

16:14 Thanks and Goodbye

Redefining “Normal” After Traumatic Brain Injury: Dr. Maria Stella Bonn on Disability, Advocacy, and Checklists

On The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Maria Stella Bonn, Associate Professor of Information Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, discusses her 2011 bicycle accident–related traumatic brain injury and her writing on disability and “normal,” including the idea that everyone’s baseline varies. She reflects on unpredictable health changes, including a breast cancer diagnosis two years after her TBI, and how recovery reshaped her views on capability and judgment. Bonn says she wishes others would assume people are okay and let actions demonstrate abilities, offering a story of walking her kindergarten-aged child to school during recovery. She emphasizes the importance of an advocate, describing how her husband ensured therapies occurred, pushed her to persist, and helped expedite replacement of her skull flap after an emergency craniectomy. She also discusses improving information handoffs in healthcare and co-parenting through simple checklists.

00:00 Meet Dr Maria Bonn

00:35 The Bike Accident

01:27 Normal Versus Disabled

03:26 Life Can Change Fast

05:05 Cancer After TBI

07:02 What Disability Means

08:37 Recovery With Her Child

09:17 Why You Need An Advocate

11:29 Medical Handoffs And Checklists

13:28 Closing Thanks

Dr. Jason L. Hornick on Balancing Academic Pathology, Parenting, and Personal Passions

Christine interviews Dr. Jason L. Hornick, a senior soft tissue and bone pathologist and academic leader, about balancing a demanding academic career with family and self-care. Hornick shares a personal love of cats and discusses parenting twins while managing work, emphasizing the importance of an understanding partner, being fully present at home, and separating clinical work from family time. He describes waking early to write and edit, prioritizing about seven hours of sleep, and critiques medical training culture that normalizes self-neglect and fatigue. Hornick highlights cooking and returning to rock music after a long break as key outlets that reduce burnout and model a well-rounded life for children. Professionally, he describes shifting from primary research to editing journals and textbooks and advises learning to say no to invitations to protect time and wellbeing.

00:00 Meet Dr Hornick

01:09 Cats And Family

02:01 Parenting And Academia

04:11 Early Mornings Sleep

06:00 Self Care In Medicine

07:39 Cooking As Therapy

08:37 Returning To Rock Music

10:12 Hobbies Prevent Burnout

12:31 Work Life Culture Shift

13:35 Evolving Academic Focus

16:16 Research Without Goals

17:07 Learning To Say No

18:46 Closing Thoughts Mentorship

Finding Your Niche in Medicine with Ophthalmic and Dermatopathologist Dr. Anna Stagner

Christine interviews Dr. Anna Stagner, a Harvard Associate Professor and Massachusetts Eye and Ear director who is board certified in ophthalmology, anatomic pathology, and dermatopathology and has authored nearly 100 publications. Stagner shares her background growing up in a small town in northern Arizona and her path from ophthalmology to ocular pathology, anatomic pathology, and dermatopathology. She advises exploring interests even if unconventional, prioritizing what you enjoy over what you’re merely good at, and not fearing major training changes. For productivity, she recommends saying yes to meaningful projects, changing environments to work effectively, and using daily Post-it task lists. She discusses aligning career choices with personality, seeking helpers, her trainee-focused sign-out workday, and cautions that choosing a subspecialty makes you the destination for difficult cases in that area.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:12 Podcast Chit Chat

01:32 Small Town Origins

02:38 Finding Your Passion

04:24 Productivity Habits

07:08 Changing Paths and Self Insight

09:18 Choosing the Unconventional Route

10:38 Specialty Planning Resources

12:18 A Day in Ocular Pathology

14:14 Picking Your Niche Wisely

15:45 Wrap Up and Thanks

Dr. Paul Han on Uncertainty in Medicine and Building Tolerance Through Adaptation

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Dr. Paul Han, an NIH Senior Scientist specializing in risk communication, medical decision-making, and uncertainty in healthcare, whose career shifted from general internal medicine and palliative care to research via an NCI cancer prevention fellowship. Han shares that persistent “gray zone” questions in primary and end-of-life care, plus personal circumstances like spousal support and financial stability, enabled his mid-career leap into the unknown. He explains uncertainty as two-sided: something healthcare tries to reduce but also a necessary source of curiosity for clinicians and hope for patients, especially in serious illness. Han connects uncertainty to cognitive biases as flawed attempts to regain certainty, and reframes “uncertainty tolerance” from merely enduring anxiety to situation-specific adaptation, emphasizing virtues such as humility, flexibility, and courage; he also notes his own recent prostate cancer diagnosis.

00:00 Meet Dr Paul Han

01:31 Midcareer Leap to Research

03:58 Drawn to Gray Zones

04:40 What Enables a Big Switch

06:48 Uncertainty as Friend and Foe

11:15 Why Uncertainty Feels Scary

13:48 Biases Born From Uncertainty

15:37 Rethinking Uncertainty Tolerance

18:32 Virtues for Adaptive Care

21:15 Letting Go of Outcomes

23:22 Closing Thoughts

Dr. Sook-Bin Woo on Adventure, Mentorship, and High Standards in Oral Pathology

Christine interviews Dr. Sook-Bin Woo, DMD, an expert in oral and maxillofacial pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, about her career, training, and life lessons. Woo shares a formative post–dental school adventure climbing Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia and a dangerous trip across Borneo, and describes later solo travel to Turkey. She explains pursuing oral pathology far from home and being shaped by rigorous “old school” mentorship emphasizing exacting standards and articulating what you do know, while also valuing humility when diagnoses remain uncertain. Woo advises early-career academics to collaborate with peers slightly ahead, discusses the importance of emotional and cultural intelligence in training and patient care, and reflects on challenges as a woman and immigrant, including limited maternity leave, wage disparities, and raising two children with long commutes and childcare support. She closes by urging curiosity and kindness.

00:00 Meet Dr Woo

00:52 Mount Kinabalu Adventure

03:32 Wasp Stings and Jeep Ride

05:11 Solo Travel in Turkey

05:53 Choosing Oral Pathology

06:51 Old School Training Standards

08:38 Rigor with Kindness

10:34 When You Truly Dont Know

12:28 Career Advice and Allies

13:39 Emotional Intelligence Matters

15:35 Women Immigrant Challenges

17:30 Raising Kids and Commuting

20:13 It Will Work Out

21:20 Curiosity and Kindness

Planning for the Unexpected: John J. Choi on Guarantees, Diversification, and Distribution

Christine interviews John J. Choi, a New York Life Wealth Management Financial Advisor with experience in corporate finance and marketing, startups, nonprofits, and pastoral ministry, about investing amid life’s unpredictability. Choi shares a nonlinear career path shaped by major life events, including divorce, becoming a single dad, and losing his wife to ovarian cancer, which led him to advise individuals rather than companies. He emphasizes that peace of mind is priceless and argues investors should plan for success while also planning for the unexpected through diversification and “guarantees” such as life insurance and fixed annuities to cover future living expenses, allowing other assets to be invested more aggressively. He highlights the often-overlooked importance of distribution strategies alongside accumulation, including potentially passing assets to loved ones during one’s lifetime, and notes his satisfaction in educating clients and reducing financial anxiety.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:17 John’s Unexpected Journey

02:50 Planning for the Unexpected

04:37 Guarantees Explained

05:31 Accumulation vs Distribution

06:26 Legacy and Gifting Tips

07:20 Advisor Mindset and Planning

07:57 Pastor Skills and Expectations

11:20 Why Advising Feels Rewarding

12:13 Final Takeaways and Counsel

Motherhood and Medicine: Burnout, Balance, and Building a Village

In a Mother’s Day compilation for The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine announces her book Love Language releasing August 4 and dedicated to her mother, then shares reflections from multiple episodes on being a physician and a mother. Dr. Tom Helm notes a family legacy of physicians and observes medicine’s shift to female trainees, while acknowledging the difficulty of combining family and career. Dr. Ilona Friedan and others describe how parenting can feel harder than clinical work, the lack of a “manual” for childcare and compromises, and the myth of having it all at once. Dr. Oksana Babenko frames burnout as widespread and individualized, emphasizing autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Guests stress self-kindness, self-care (including exercise), asking for help, supportive colleagues, outsourcing and childcare “villages,” supportive partners, and accepting that doing one’s best is necessary.

00:00 Mothers Day Intro

00:28 Generations of Women Doctors

01:25 Becoming a Mom in Medicine

03:28 Burnout and Basic Needs

04:11 Physician Mom Realities

06:40 Self Compassion and Limits

07:45 Personalized Burnout Recovery

09:01 Self Care and Exercise

09:45 Ask for Help and Coverage

10:34 Build Your Village

11:50 Supportive Partner Matters

12:40 Best Is Good Enough

13:08 Closing Thanks

Reproductive Empowerment and Fertility Clarity with Dr. Vasiliki Moragianni

Christine interviews Dr. Vasiliki Moragianni, a double Board-certified fertility physician and Johns Hopkins Medical Director of the Fertility Center, about fertility, infertility, and reproductive empowerment for high-performing women. Moragianni shares her personal experience of secondary infertility, miscarriage, diminished ovarian reserve, and unsuccessful IVF after having her first child, emphasizing that “control” looks different for everyone and requires information and options. She explains infertility definitions and earlier evaluation after age 35, highlights that age is the most important predictor of fertility decline, and urges patients to seek care sooner. The conversation addresses stigma and professional silence around infertility and pregnancy loss, especially in demanding careers and medicine, citing higher infertility and complication rates among female physicians. Moragianni recommends optimizing overall health, stress management, and sustainable habits while giving oneself grace. Find Dr. Moragianni on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

00:00 Meet Dr Moragianni

01:37 Her Fertility Story

04:22 What Infertility Means

06:19 Age Options And Stigma

10:44 Workplace Silence And Shame

14:14 Physician Fertility Data

15:55 Optimizing Health For Pregnancy

18:04 Stress Self Blame And Grace

19:30 Final Takeaways And Hope

Failure, Error, and Self-Compassion in Dermatopathology: Lessons from Dermpedia

This episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide shares reflections after Dr. Artur Zembowicz’s Dermpedia course in Boston on failure, mistakes, and improving in dermatopathology. Dr. Zembowicz emphasizes being prepared to fail when starting new ventures and notes that sports can build resilience by exposing people to stronger competitors. Dr. Alejandro Gru argues that error is intrinsic and unavoidable, encourages careful, unrushed case review, open discussion of mistakes with clinicians, seeking second opinions, learning from errors, and moving forward without becoming paralyzed—especially when patient management may be affected. Dr. Philip LeBoit challenges the “aura of infallibility” expected of experts and stresses balancing best effort with honesty. Dr. Yu Tse Heng explains other compassion and self-compassion as noticing suffering, empathizing/common humanity, and acting with kindness, noting small practices can strengthen both.

00:00 Welcome and Course Highlights

00:56 Meet Dr Zembowicz

01:31 Embracing Failure to Innovate

02:20 Meet Dr Gru

02:39 Handling Errors and Feedback

04:31 Recovering and Improving After Mistakes

05:33 Meet Dr LeBoit

06:06 Experts Aren’t Infallible

06:41 Self Compassion at Work

08:54 Practicing Compassion Daily

10:09 Final Takeaways and Thanks

DEIAB and Educational Interpreting with Christina Stevens

Christine interviews Christina Stevens, a nationally certified sign language interpreter working mainly in Connecticut public schools for nine years, with degrees in American Sign Language and Theater and leadership roles in state and national interpreter organizations. She shares how she discovered interpreting in college through theater performances, later attending Columbia College Chicago, and ultimately becoming an educational interpreter despite initially thinking she would not. Stevens discusses boundaries and the central role interpreters play for students, noting that about 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents and about 50% of those parents learn sign language, affecting home communication. Stevens advocates expanding DEI to “DEIAB” (Accessibility and Belonging), emphasizing early budgeting, bringing Deaf people to planning tables, and recognizing different interpreting approaches. She encourages learning ASL from Deaf or native users through community involvement.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:01 How Christina Found ASL

01:56 Training and Career Path

02:57 Why School Interpreting Is Hard

03:58 Classroom Visit and Book Talk

04:49 Day to Day Interpreter Role

06:42 DEIAB Accessibility and Belonging

09:00 Deaf Awareness and Learning ASL

10:35 Final Thoughts and Thanks

In this brief episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine shares that it is another week with a bit of a break and shows two aquarium photos: one of fish in an aquarium at Smilow Cancer Center and another of a manta ray seen at Atlantis in the Bahamas.

Just a quick update! Spring break travel!

Defining Investing Success: Goals, Asset Allocation, Diversification, and Consistency with John Shanley, CFP

On The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews John Shanley, CFP, Partner and Managing Advisor at Connecticut Wealth Management, who shares how he connected with founders Dennis Horrigan and Kevin Leahy, and sought a fiduciary approach where client and firm interests align. Christine discloses Shanley is her family’s advisor and frames the episode for physicians who want to plan better, referencing Dr. Adam Rubin’s points on compounding. Shanley says successful investing starts with defining personal goals and understanding yourself, then building an integrated plan that includes taxes, estate, charitable intentions, and risk management like disability coverage. He discusses asset allocation (stocks for long-term growth, bonds for stability), diversification as accepting uncertainty, and cautions on private equity due to illiquidity and “too good to be true” promises. He contrasts investing with gambling, emphasizes minimizing downside, staying disciplined through market cycles, starting now even if late, and concludes: “Get organized before you get fancy.”

00:00 Meet John Shanley

00:37 Finding a Fulfilling Career

01:19 Fiduciary Values and Serendipity

02:58 Why Physicians Need a Plan

04:14 Define Investing Success

06:00 Personalized Planning Beyond Rules

07:11 Staying the Course

09:37 Asset Allocation and Diversification

11:47 Private Equity and Lockups

12:44 Asymmetric Risk and Consistency

14:34 Starting Late Still Works

15:31 Money Mindset and Psychology

16:42 Final Takeaways

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as personalized investment advice. The information provided does not present a complete picture of every material fact related to the companies, securities, and industries discussed. The information provided will not be updated any time after the date of publication. The owner of The Girl Doc Survival Guide is a client of the firm. Their participation does not constitute an endorsement of our services, and all discussions are focused on business insights rather than personal financial matters.

Founded in 2010, Connecticut Wealth Management, LLC (CTWM) is a registered investment advisor (RIA) that provides holistic financial planning, tax planning, and investment advice for high-net-worth individuals, including business owners, executives, and multigenerational families. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training and does not imply the endorsement or approval of the qualifications of Connecticut Wealth Management and its representatives.

Decision Fatigue, Perception, and Making Better Choices

This compilation episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide explores metacognition, limits of explaining perception, and how fatigue affects decision making. Dr. Claudia Mello-Thoms notes that while cognition can be studied, perception cannot be directly accessed; eye-tracking shows clinicians’ explanations often come after perception, which matters for visually based diagnosis in dermatology and dermatopathology. She suggests difficulty deciding can signal the need to step back or ask for help, and cites mammography research where cases not recognized within 5–10 seconds are best set aside and revisited with “fresh eyes.” Dr. Bulat Ibragimov reports fatigued users overlook more and make faster decisions with less information. Dr. Mary Steffel emphasizes delaying important decisions if you are not fresh, while warning that opting out is still a costly decision; she also notes decisions are social and delegation/support increases choosing. The episode closes with advice to involve others and stay curious and open-minded in complex problems.

00:00 Decision Making Overview

00:10 Perception vs Metacognition

02:21 Fresh Eyes Strategy

03:32 Decision Fatigue Signals

04:52 Don't Avoid Choosing

05:41 Decide With Others

Dr. Lisa Sanders on Diagnosis, Cognitive Bias, and Making Time to Listen

Christine interviews Dr. Lisa Sanders, Yale School of Medicine professor and Medical Director of Yale’s Long COVID Multidisciplinary Care Center, known for the New York Times “Diagnosis” column and consulting on House. Sanders describes switching from Emmy-winning CBS News producer to physician after seeing a sports medicine doctor perform CPR and save a drowning woman, and realizing she wanted to save lives. She discusses avoiding diagnostic cognitive bias by staying aware you can be wrong, keeping a differential diagnosis, and “trust but verify,” sharing a case where she accepted a patient’s self-reported POTS diagnosis and later found hyperthyroidism. Sanders argues diagnostic errors often stem from rushed visits and urges physicians to demand more time, noting she secured hour-long new-patient visits and 30-minute follow-ups. She addresses patients not being believed, especially with post-infectious syndromes like long COVID, POTS, MECFS, and fatigue, and advises support for non-linear career paths.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:00 From TV News to Medicine

01:31 The CPR Moment That Changed Everything

03:42 Fighting Diagnostic Bias

04:45 Trust but Verify POTS Mix Up

06:49 Reclaiming Time With Patients

10:45 Why Patients Aren't Believed

12:11 Fatigue and Post Infectious Syndromes

13:45 Advice for Nonlinear Careers

14:43 Final Thoughts and Farewell

Dr. Adam Rubin on Adapting, Coalition-Building, and Time in a Dermatology Career

Christine hosts Dr. Adam Rubin, Director of Dermatopathology at NYU Langone and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology, reviewing his extensive roles in nail disorders, dermatopathology organizations, and major textbooks. Rubin shares an anecdote about taking a medical dermatology fellowship with Dedee Murrell in Sydney after discovering a fellowship listing was a misprint, and describes learning to adapt to different clinical cultures, emphasizing that individuals must adjust to existing systems. He advises building forward momentum in small steps, using coalition-building and organized meeting processes learned at the AMA, and focusing on relationship-centered leadership and big-picture decisions in journal work despite resource limits. Career tips include doing work you love while maintaining non-work interests, learning investing basics early to benefit from compounding, and being selective with time by thoughtfully saying no.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:39 A Fellowship Misprint

03:05 Adapting to New Systems

03:48 Career Progress and Coalitions

05:40 Leading a Journal

06:51 Do Work You Love

07:40 Investing and Compounding

08:31 Protect Your Time

09:10 Host Reflection on Stress

Dr. Kevin Ko on Biomarkers, Oral Dysplasia, and the Limits of H&E Diagnosis

Christine interviews Dr. Kevin Ko (DMD, MD), a pathologist at the BC Cancer Agency with training in oral and maxillofacial pathology, anatomic pathology, and dermatopathology. They discuss his ASDP 2025 lecture on using p53 in oral dysplasia as a potential new approach and the broader problem of diagnostic discordance and over-diagnosis when relying on H&E alone. Dr. Ko shares examples from practice, including recognizing oral porokeratosis (previously followed as dysplasia for years) and a chemotherapy-related lip lesion initially suspected to be severe dysplasia but supported by wild-type biomarker results and clinical history, resolving after stopping chemotherapy drugs. He emphasizes the need for reproducible biomarkers and possibly molecular-based classification to improve consistency and patient outcomes, while also describing the pressure to be near-perfect in pathology, the risk of burnout, and efforts to build sustainable systems (QA sessions, colleague consultation, protected time). The conversation closes with his approach to presentations as storytelling, interest in prospective multi-center research, and a final message about balancing perfectionism with rest while remaining open-minded to new diagnostic methods to improve patient care.

00:00 Welcome & Meet Dr. Kevin Ko (DMD/MD, Dermpath at BC Cancer)

01:00 The Controversial Idea: Using p53 Biomarkers in Oral Dysplasia

01:18 Oral vs Skin Pathology: Discovering Porokeratosis in the Mouth

02:07 Diagnostic Error & Overdiagnosis: Why Reproducible Biomarkers Matter

05:19 Case Study: “Severe Dysplasia” vs Toxic Erythema of Chemotherapy —Context Changes Everything

06:36 The Perfectionism Trap in Pathology (and Why 95% Isn’t Good Enough)

08:04 Burnout, QA Systems, and Building Sustainable Workflows

09:14 Work–Life Balance, Kids, and Choosing Priorities (Family vs Research)

11:14 How to Build a Great Talk: Storytelling, Cases, and Future Studies

11:38 Final Takeaways: Balance, Open-Mindedness, and Better Diagnostics

Dr. Raymond Barnhill on Diagnostic Drift, Uncertainty, and the MPATH-Dx V2.0 Approach to Melanocytic Lesions

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Dr. Raymond Barnhill, a world-recognized dermatopathology expert known for work on diagnostically challenging melanocytic lesions, melanoma pathology references, and contributions to WHO skin tumor classification and AJCC melanoma staging. Dr. Barnhill shares career anecdotes and key communities at Yale and in Boston, collaborations with numerous melanoma leaders, and the founding of the North American Melanoma Pathology Study Group and the International Melanoma Pathology Study Group, as well as participation in the NIH-funded MPATH Study Group. The discussion focuses on overdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, and diagnostic discordance in melanocytic lesions, including evidence of diagnostic drift toward calling more lesions melanoma over time and the overlap between melanoma criteria and atypical/dysplastic nevi. He describes MPATH research, explains the revised MPATH-Dx V2.0 schema, explicitly recognizing uncertainty along a continuum rather than a strict benign/malignant threshold. He emphasizes practical diagnostic approaches including measuring lesion size (noting a 4 mm threshold associated with conventional dysplastic nevi and increasing concern at larger sizes), focusing on key architectural features (junctional nest variation/disarray and lentiginous proliferation), using nuclear size relative to keratinocyte nuclei (including a 1.5× threshold and counting atypical cells per high-power field) while accounting for site-specific pitfalls such as scalp nevi. The conversation also covers “gestalt” versus systematic review, the importance of due diligence using full clinical and morphologic information before ancillary testing, and cautions against overreliance on immunohistochemistry or molecular tests. Dr. Barnhill closes with career advice ends with a message that setbacks can be opportunities for growth.

00:00 Welcome + Meet Dr. Raymond Barnhill (Dermatopathology Legend)

01:51 Career Origins & Melanoma Pathology Mentors (Yale → Boston)

03:59 Building Melanoma Pathology Study Groups (North American & International)

05:57 Overdiagnosis, Diagnostic Drift & Why Discordance Happens

09:43 Inside the MPATH Study: Measuring Interobserver & Intraobserver Agreement

11:39 MPATH-Dx V2.0 Explained: Standardized Classes & Treatment Guidance

13:59 Redefining “Low-Risk” Melanoma: Stringent pT1a Criteria + Embracing Uncertainty

18:47 Practical Grading Tips: Lesion Size, Architecture & Nuclear Atypia Thresholds

22:42 Gestalt vs Due Diligence: Avoiding Traps + Using IHC/Molecular Wisely (PRAME)

28:39 Career Advice: Passion, Mentors, Community + Final Reflections

Balancing Careers and Family: Insights from Dr. Thomas Helm

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine invites Dr. Thomas Helm, MD, for his second appearance on the podcast. Dr. Helm, former Head of Dermatology and Director of Dermatopathology at Buffalo Medical Group, now working at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, shares his extensive experience and personal anecdotes. They discuss generational changes in the medical field, challenges faced by women in medicine, and the importance of work-life balance. Dr. Helm emphasizes the significance of understanding work culture, making intentional career decisions, and maintaining work-family harmony. He reflects on his career transition to academia and the rewarding relationships he has built along the way. The conversation delves into the importance of community, mentoring, and the profound impact of prioritizing meaningful relationships over individual autonomy.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:45 Personal Anecdotes and Family Influence

01:22 Changes in Medical Field Demographics

02:10 Challenges for Women in Medicine

02:39 Balancing Career and Family

04:50 Mentorship and Career Advice

06:46 Prioritizing Relationships and Community

10:53 Transition to Academia and Personal Growth

18:52 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Overcoming Decision Paralysis: Insights from Dr. Mary Steffel

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, we welcome Dr. Mary Steffel, an Associate Professor of Marketing at Northeastern University. Dr. Steffel delves into the phenomenon of decision paralysis, drawing from her extensive research on consumer judgment and decision making. She shares personal anecdotes, including her illustrative experience playing Cinderella, and discusses practical strategies for managing complex decisions. Key solutions include delegating decision-making to others and simplifying choices. Dr. Steffel also offers advice for healthcare providers to help patients navigate medical decisions. The conversation covers the importance of recognizing decision fatigue and planning decision-making for optimal times.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:56 Personal Anecdote: Cinderella and Decision Paralysis

02:15 Understanding Decision Paralysis

03:54 Real-World Example: Medicare Drug Plans

05:25 Delegating Decisions: A Practical Approach

09:58 Medical Decision Making: Simplifying Choices

14:07 Overcoming Decision Fatigue

15:49 Conclusion and Farewell

In Conversation with Dr. Wolfgang Weyers: The Complexities of Dermatopathology Diagnosis

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine welcomes Dr. Wolfgang Weyers, a highly respected dermatopathologist and author, to discuss his experience and perspectives on medical diagnosis. Dr. Weyers shares a personal anecdote about his influential mentor, Dr. Bernie Ackerman, and dives into a critical discussion on overdiagnosis, the importance of specific diagnosis in dermatopathology, problems caused by partial samples, and the criteria for diagnosing melanoma. He emphasizes the importance of experience, proper training, and the need to biopsy adequately developed lesions. The conversation also touches on the complexity of biological classification and the role of behavior and molecular studies in understanding diseases.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Wolfgang Weyers

00:46 Personal Anecdotes and Influences

02:05 Discussion on Overdiagnosis

05:04 Criteria for Melanoma Diagnosis

08:34 Challenges in Diagnosis and Solutions

16:48 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Overdiagnosis and Medical Decision Making with Dr. Kathleen Kerr

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Kathleen Kerr, a Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Washington, discusses overdiagnosis and medical decision making. Dr. Kerr delves into how patients perceive mammogram results, the difference between overdiagnosis and overcalling, and the challenges pathologists face in diagnosing cancer. She also shares findings from her research on the influence of prior opinions on second diagnoses and the cognitive processes involved in interpreting pathology images. The discussion highlights the complexities and subjectivity in pathology diagnoses and the implications for patient care.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:33 Personal Anecdote on Mammograms

01:25 Understanding Screening and Its Limitations

02:24 Exploring Overdiagnosis

05:59 Research on Dermatopathologists' Perceptions

08:20 Second Opinions in Medical Decision Making

12:26 Pathologists' Diagnostic Process

15:42 Final Thoughts on Diagnostic Criteria

The Impact of Gaze and Fatigue on Medical Decision-Making with Dr. Bulat Ibragimov

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Dr. Bulat Ibragimov, an Associate Professor of Machine Learning and Medical Imaging at the University of Copenhagen. Dr. Ibragimov shares personal anecdotes and discusses his research on the role of artificial intelligence and eye tracking in medical decision-making. Key topics include the impact of gaze patterns and fatigue on diagnostic accuracy, the potential for AI to recognize when doctors may make errors, and how individualized gaze patterns can indicate the level of expertise and certainty in medical professionals. The conversation explores the implications of this research for improving the integration of AI in medical practices and enhancing training and decision-making processes for healthcare professionals.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:49 Personal Anecdote and Background

01:46 Eye Tracking and Medical Decision Making

03:18 Patterns in Gaze and Error Prediction

11:00 Fatigue and Its Impact on Accuracy

16:09 AI and Gaze Analysis in Medical Training

20:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Exploring Wellbeing, Motivation, and Lifelong Learning with Dr. Oksana Babenko

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine welcomes Dr. Oksana Babenko, an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta, to discuss themes of wellbeing, motivation, and lifelong learning. Dr. Babenko shares her personal journey from the Soviet Union to Canada, her academic inspirations, and how her experiences in sports have shaped her approach to challenges and burnout. The conversation delves into her research on the importance of exercise in managing burnout among medical students and professionals. Dr. Babenko emphasizes individualized approaches to maintaining psychological needs, the significance of a mastery mindset, and the value of staying curious in a complex world.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:35 Personal Anecdotes and Academic Journey

02:36 Path to Canada and Research Interests

04:19 Wellbeing, Motivation, and Lifelong Learning

05:09 Exercise as a Preventive Measure for Burnout

10:27 The Importance of Consistency and Intentionality

12:19 Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness

14:36 Mastery Mindset and Need Crafting

15:42 Final Thoughts and Staying Curious

The Girl Doc Survival Guide: Wellbeing in Medicine

In this New Year's Eve 2026 short, Christine highlights the focus of this podcast on work-life balance, physician wellbeing, burnout, and self-care; as well as compassion, empathy, career development, and emotional experiences in healthcare. Upcoming episodes will feature conversations with Dr. Oksana Babenko on preventing burnout with exercise and mindset, and Dr. Bulat Ibragimov on decoding decisions using eye tracking.

00:00 Introduction and New Year Greetings

00:20 Upcoming Topics and Expert Interviews

01:03 Special Guests and Future Episodes

01:25 Closing Remarks and Holiday Wishes

Embrace the Present: Insights from Sadhguru

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine extends holiday greetings and delves into the teachings of Indian guru Sadhguru. Highlighting his Miracle of Mind meditation app, the episode discusses the practice of daily seven-minute meditations aimed at reinforcing the ideas that we are not merely our bodies or minds, but life itself. Christine reflects on the notion that life's essence is found in our breath, rather than the external 'drama' of our experiences. The episode encourages viewers to seek exuberance, live with a sense of wonder, and stay present in each moment.

00:00 Welcome and Holiday Greetings

00:12 Introduction to Sadhguru

00:29 Miracle of Mind App

00:44 The Essence of Life

01:35 Living with Exuberance

01:59 Final Thoughts and Holiday Wishes

Navigating Dermatopathology with Dr. Ronald Barr: An Inspiring Career Journey

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Dr. Ronald Barr, a seasoned pathologist, dermatologist, and dermatopathologist. Dr. Barr shares his intriguing journey from his time in the Navy to his pivotal mentorship with Dr. James Graham. He explores the complexities of diagnostic discordance, the evolution of dermatopathology, and offers heartfelt advice for thriving in one's career. Personal anecdotes and insights into the field make this a compelling listen for both medical professionals and enthusiasts.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:39 Dr. Barr's Journey into Dermatopathology

03:35 The Influence of Dr. Graham

04:50 Consistency in Diagnosis

05:30 Thoughts on Diagnostic Discordance

11:32 Advice for Thriving in Your Career

13:54 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Questioning Overdiagnosis: A Conversation with Dr. H Gilbert Welch

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine speaks with Dr. H Gilbert Welch, a general internist and senior researcher at the Center for Surgery in Public Health at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Welch is known for his critical views on the medical profession, particularly around the issue of overdiagnosis in cancer screening. He explains the concept of overdiagnosis, shares a compelling personal anecdote from his career, and discusses the complexities and consequences of early cancer detection. They also explore the differing patient perspectives on diagnosis and treatment, emphasizing the importance of balanced understanding between medical professionals and patients. The conversation sheds light on the unintended impacts of too much medical care and advocates for a more thoughtful approach to screening and diagnosis.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. H Gilbert Welch

01:31 Understanding Overdiagnosis

03:24 A Personal Anecdote on Overdiagnosis

07:48 The Complexity of Overdiagnosis

11:09 Challenges in Medical Screening

20:24 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Thanksgiving Reflections and Insights on Perception and Overdiagnosis

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine expresses gratitude for listeners and contributors, especially highlighting recent enlightening discussions. Dr. Claudia Mello-Thoms shared insights on subconscious perception in dermatopathology, while an upcoming episode will feature Dr. H. Gilbert Welch discussing over-diagnosis and the limitations of static tissue samples in cancer diagnosis. The importance of accurate diagnosis and mindful treatment in dermatopathology is emphasized. Listeners are encouraged to tune into these valuable conversations.

00:00 Introduction and Thanksgiving Gratitude

00:25 Subconscious Perception in Dermatopathology

00:48 Upcoming Conversation with Dr. H. Gilbert Welch

01:19 Overdiagnosis in Pathology

01:38 Dynamic Nature of Cancer Diagnosis

02:07 Closing Remarks and Community Thanks

Dr. Scott Binder on Life Lessons and Medical Philosophy

Dr. Scott Binder, MD, shares his journey from a dermatopathology residency at UCLA to directing his own practice. He recounts challenges such as his first autopsy during the AIDS crisis and discusses overcoming prejudice, emphasizing the significance of resilience and putting patients first. Dr. Binder highlights the importance of moral integrity in medicine, continuous learning, and staying relevant through life's stages. He also touches on coping mechanisms like meditation, understanding the big picture, and the necessity of letting go of control. The conversation underscores the unique doctor-patient relationship and the enduring pursuit of purpose and passion in both personal and professional life.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Scott Binder

01:04 A Personal Anecdote: First Autopsy Experience

02:44 Overcoming Challenges and Prejudice

04:22 The Importance of Putting Patients First

07:36 Balancing Career and Personal Life

09:05 Adapting to Different Career Stages

10:50 Finding Purpose and Fulfillment

13:39 Final Thoughts on Control and Resilience

Understanding Visual Perception in Medical Diagnoses: A Deep Dive with Claudia Mello-Thoms

In this episode, Christine continues the conversation with Claudia Mello-Thoms, an expert in visual perception as it relates to medical diagnosis. The discussion delves into the use of templates by experts to quickly recognize abnormalities in medical images, despite their large size and complexity. Claudia explains how perception operates at a subconscious level, often leading to perceptual errors in medical practices like radiology and pathology. The conversation underscores the need to understand the human element in diagnostics to reduce errors and improve accuracy. The episode also explores the difference between rapid (fast) and deliberative (slow) processing in the assessment of medical images, emphasizing the importance of fresh perspectives when diagnostic clarity is lacking.

00:00 Introduction to Visual Perception in Medical Diagnoses

00:40 Understanding Templates in Medical Imaging

01:34 Expert vs. Novice Diagnoses

02:13 The Role of Clinical History in Pathology

06:48 Fast vs. Slow Processing in Diagnoses

09:42 Perception and Cognition in Medical Imaging

10:31 Teaching and Learning in Medical Imaging

21:48 Challenges and Future Directions in Radiology

23:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Visual Expertise and Diagnostic Accuracy with Claudia Mello-Thoms, PhD

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Claudia Mello-Thoms, PhD, an Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa. Claudia discusses her research on visual search, medical image perception, and why errors occur in reading radiological images. Key topics include the use of eye tracking to detect unconscious viewing patterns, the different diagnostic approaches of experts and novices in pathology, and the concept of visual templates aiding rapid diagnosis. Claudia shares insights into how experts efficiently use low magnification to guide further detailed inspection, and the cognitive load differences between experienced and inexperienced diagnosticians.

00:00 Introduction to Claudia Mello-Thoms

00:47 Eye Tracking in Radiology

02:12 Pathologists and Microscopic Slides

06:56 Visual Search Strategies in Medical Imaging

09:42 Expert vs. Novice: Cognitive Processes

11:35 Templates and Rapid Recognition

20:48 Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser

The Sacred Duty of Healthcare: A Conversation with Theresa Brown

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Theresa Brown, PhD, RN, a registered nurse, New York Times bestselling author, and cancer survivor. The discussion delves into Brown's experiences as both a clinician and a patient, highlighting the emotional challenges and the need for compassion in healthcare. Brown shares insights from her books, 'The Shift' and 'Healing,' and talks about her upcoming book, 'A Nurse Finds Hope in Healthcare.' The conversation explores the significance of listening to patients, the emotional toll of illness, and the struggles healthcare professionals face within a corporatized system. Both agree on the importance of empathy, self-care, and the need to improve the patient-caregiver relationship.

00:00 Introduction to Theresa Brown, PhD, RN

00:52 Theresa's Journey from Academia to Nursing

01:09 Insights from 'Healing': A Nurse's Perspective as a Patient

01:56 The Emotional and Physical Challenges of Cancer Treatment

04:06 The Importance of Compassion and Communication in Healthcare

05:20 Balancing Information and Emotional Support for Patients

06:16 Personal Stories and Reflections on Patient Care

07:14 The Impact of Personal Illness on Healthcare Professionals

17:23 Finding Hope and Purpose in Healthcare

20:28 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Career Planning and Wellbeing for Doctors with Dr. Naomi Elton

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Naomi Elton, a systemic therapist and retired consultant psychiatrist, discusses her career journey and the importance of career planning and self-care for doctors. She talks about her new book with co-author Caroline Elton, PhD: 'Career Planning for Doctors: An Evidence-based Guide,' which provides practical exercises and methods inspired by Daniel Kahneman's cognitive decision-making strategies. Dr. Elton emphasizes the value of mentoring, coaching, and addressing emotional labor in career development. She also highlights the differences between therapy, coaching, and mentoring and provides tips for defining career success. The episode concludes with a recommendation for another career advice book, 'A Job to Love.'

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:57 Personal Anecdote: Career Support in the 1980s

02:31 The Harsh Culture of Medical Training

03:54 Career Planning and Wellbeing

04:22 Tips for Effective Career Planning

11:33 The Importance of Mentoring and Coaching

14:48 Defining Career Success

16:30 Final Thoughts and Book Recommendations

Navigating Autism and End of Life: A Conversation with Dr. Caroline Elton

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, host Christine invites back psychologist Dr. Caroline Elton, who has extensive experience supporting doctors' emotional wellbeing. Dr. Elton discusses her new book, Looking After: A Portrait of My Autistic Brother, and touches on end-of-life care.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:59 Discussing 'Looking After: Portrait of My Autistic Brother'

01:22 Lionel's Early Life and Autism Diagnosis

02:51 Mother Blaming and Historical Context

05:09 Lionel's Leukemia Diagnosis and End of Life Care

05:57 Challenges of Communicating About Death

11:42 Autism Hospital Passport and Caregiving

13:03 Reflections on Lionel's Life and Impact

16:42 Final Thoughts on End of Life Care for Autistic Individuals

Cultivating Joy in Medicine: Dr. Madeline Lagina on PERMA and Positive Psychology

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Madeline Lagina, Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan, delves into the importance of joy in education and medicine. Drawing from her paper on the PERMA model—a framework for well-being comprising Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment—Dr. Lagina shares personal anecdotes and insights on how joy and other positive emotions can significantly impact both educators and learners. The discussion explores how fostering joy can counteract burnout and enhance professional fulfillment, especially among physician educators.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:34 Personal Anecdote: The Impact of a High School Teacher

02:48 The Concept of Communicable Emotions

04:02 Exploring the PERMA Model

06:13 Applying PERMA to Physician Educators

12:57 Tips for Flourishing in Career and Life

15:34 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Exploring Physician Grief and Burnout with Dr. Annia Raja

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine chats with Dr. Annia Raja, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in therapy for high achievers, including physicians. Dr. Raja shares insights from her own experiences as a physician's spouse and dives deep into the many facets of grief that physicians encounter, including personal losses, changes in identity, and professional sacrifices. The discussion also touches on the interconnected nature of grief and burnout, the importance of emotional intelligence, and the need for social support in the grieving process. Dr. Raja emphasizes the idea that acknowledging and naming grief are essential steps to finding purpose and meaning beyond the medical profession. Dr. Raja offers therapy for physicians, link here.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Annia Raja

01:04 Personal Anecdote: Grief in the Medical Profession

02:23 Understanding Physician Grief

07:51 The Link Between Grief and Burnout

10:20 Emotional Intelligence and Grief

13:35 Final Thoughts on Grief and Connection

A Journey with Dr. Luiza Laborne Kalil

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine speaks with Dr. Luiza Laborne Kalil, a dermatologist specializing in hair loss and an Assistant Professor at Yale. Dr. Kalil shares her inspiring journey from Brazil to the US, including her rapid completion of the USMLE tests while balancing work and family life. They discuss the challenges of work-life balance, finding motivation, and the importance of pursuing one's dreams. Dr. Kalil emphasizes the value of dedication and the lessons she hopes to impart to her daughters through her actions. The conversation also touches on the pressures of perfection in medicine and the importance of doing what makes you happy.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:40 Personal Anecdote: Choosing Dermatology

02:31 Journey from Brazil to the US

07:51 Balancing Career and Family

12:41 Final Thoughts and Advice

Dr. Hafeez Diwan: The Power of 'Meh', Writing Passions, and Handling Obnoxious People

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Hafeez Diwan, Professor of Pathology, Immunology, and Dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, shares insights on his diverse writing endeavors, from self-help books to a young adult sci-fi fantasy novel co-authored with his daughter. Highlighting ideas from his books 'The Power of Meh' and 'How to Love Obnoxious People,' Dr. Diwan discusses strategies for managing emotions, overcoming willpower challenges, and promoting mindfulness. He also reflects on his medical journey and the interplay between his writing and his medical practice.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Hafeez Diwan

00:58 Anecdote from Residency

02:50 The Writing Journey Begins

05:18 The Power of Meh

07:26 Loving Obnoxious People

11:12 Mastering Willpower

14:40 Final Thoughts and Advice

Navigating Grief with Dr. Tony Subtil: Acceptance, Processing, and Adjustment

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine explores the topic of grief with Dr. Tony Subtil, a Clinical Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of British Columbia and author of the textbook Diagnosis of Cutaneous Lymphoid Infiltrates: A Visual Approach to Differential Diagnosis and Knowledge Gaps. Dr. Subtil shares his personal experiences with grief, discusses the common misconceptions physicians may have about it, and provides insights into understanding and managing grief as both a personal and universal experience. They touch on the importance of accepting, processing, and adjusting to loss, and highlight the value of self-compassion, therapy, and community support in the grieving process. Dr. Subtil also talks about integrating new activities, like pottery, and shares his perspective on grief as a form of praise for the love and connections we experience in life.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Tony Subtil

01:01 Personal Anecdotes and Early Life

02:09 Understanding Grief: A Personal Journey

03:29 The Broader Scope of Grief

04:48 Coping Mechanisms and Healing

06:22 The Role of Community and Support

07:00 Accept, Process, Adjust: A New Paradigm

10:23 Practical Tips for Processing Grief

13:04 Balancing Career and Grief

13:38 Final Thoughts on Grief and Love

Career and Family: A Conversation with Dr. Jane Grant-Kels

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Dr. Jane Grant-Kels, a prominent dermatologist and Professor at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Dr. Grant-Kels shares insights from her extensive career in dermatology, including founding the UConn Dermatology residency program and receiving numerous accolades. She offers personal anecdotes about balancing her demanding career and family life, the importance of mutual support in marriage, and lessons on ethical medical practice. The discussion also touches on how societal expectations shape professional and personal roles and the significance of choosing a supportive life partner. The episode is rich with valuable advice for women navigating dual-career marriages and work-life balance.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Jane Grant-Kels

01:17 Anecdotes from Early Career and Marriage

04:16 Balancing Career and Family Life

10:10 Lessons Learned and Advice for Young Women

13:57 Ethics in Medicine

19:14 Final Thoughts and Reflections

A Conversation with Dr. Jag Bhawan: Career, Challenges, and Lifelong Learning in Dermatopathology

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Jag Bhawan, a distinguished dermatopathologist from Boston University School of Medicine, shares his journey and accomplishments in the field. Dr. Bhawan recounts a significant anecdote from his early career, emphasizing the importance of maintaining an open mind, the value of perseverance, and the necessity of clinical-pathological correlation. He also discusses the inevitability of errors in medicine and the importance of owning up to mistakes. Additionally, Dr. Bhawan offers advice on achieving a work-life balance, the influence of serendipity in career success, and the enduring value of mentorship.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:41 Early Career Challenges and Anecdotes

05:49 The Importance of Open-Mindedness in Medicine

09:19 Handling Mistakes and Learning from Them

13:00 Career Advice and Work-Life Balance

17:13 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Medicine and Motherhood with Dr. Eliza Lo Chin

This episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide features Dr. Eliza Lo Chin, Executive Director of the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) and former AMWA President. Dr. Chin, an internist with a focus on women's health, shares her personal journey balancing her career, motherhood, and marriage. She discusses the inspiration behind her anthology, 'This Side of Doctoring: Reflections from Women in Medicine,' and reflects on her path to becoming the Executive Director of AMWA. The conversation touches on the challenges of achieving work-life balance, the importance of community and mentorship, and the evolving role of women in medicine. Dr. Chin emphasizes the diverse opportunities available within the medical profession and encourages female physicians to forge their unique paths.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:43 Motherhood and Medicine

01:57 Inspiration Behind the Book

02:58 Challenges and Historical Perspectives

05:47 Path to Leadership in AMWA

08:40 Reflections on Work-Life Balance

10:40 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

The Balance of Work and Passion with Dr. Edward J Gutmann

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine welcomes Dr. Edward J Gutmann, MD, a cytopathologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. They discuss Dr. Gutmann's career path which includes studying English and history, and how these experiences inform his work in pathology. Dr. Gutmann shares a memorable anecdote about choosing a Bob Weir concert over an academic lecture, highlighting the importance of personal passions alongside professional commitments. They explore the roles of pathologists, the transient nature of their work compared to tangible products like zippers, and the significance of mentorship and networking in their field. The conversation also addresses the challenges faced by introverts in medicine and the impact of stereotypes among medical professionals. The episode concludes with reflections on the importance of relationships and positive communication in fostering better patient care.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Edward J Gutmann

00:51 Anecdotes and Personal Stories

05:00 The Importance of Networking in Medicine

06:59 Reflections on a Zipper Factory Visit

08:46 The Impact of Pathologists

12:26 Balancing Personal and Professional Life

14:05 Final Thoughts on Medical Stereotypes

Insights on Success, Optimism, and Emotional Intelligence with Dr. William James

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Dr. William James, an Emeritus Professor of Dermatology with a distinguished career spanning over four decades. Dr. James shares his extensive medical background, personal anecdotes, and the importance of forming lasting relationships. He discusses key skills that have contributed to his thriving academic career, such as optimism, listening, and respect for others. The conversation also delves into emotional intelligence, handling medical errors, and the evolving nature of professional and personal growth. Dr. James emphasizes gratitude, altruism, and the value of human connections in achieving happiness and success in both life and dermatology.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

01:42 Personal Anecdotes and Relationships

02:48 Skills for a Successful Academic Career

04:50 Finding Meaning Beyond Work

05:28 Dealing with Mistakes in Medicine

08:08 Emotional Intelligence and Building Rapport

11:16 Career Reflections and Serendipity

12:30 Final Thoughts on Happiness and Gratitude

Embracing Change: From Breast Cancer to Being Nice to Yourself

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine edited an episode from the Lean Out Podcast with Dr. Dawn Baker. The conversation covers Christine's journey with a breast cancer diagnosis and its impact on her work. They discuss the importance of self-care, the fixed mindset, and having hobbies. Christine shares insights from her journey as a parent of a young patient and her reflections on medical decisions, emphasizing the value of patient education and listening to one's intuition.

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:31 Unexpected Directions in the Interview

00:58 Balancing Work and Life Post-Cancer Diagnosis

02:37 Exploring New Hobbies and Interests

03:02 Writing and Parenting Influences

03:34 Navigating Medical Challenges with a Child

07:19 Reflections on Parenting Decisions

09:11 Fixed Mindset and Personal Growth

11:41 Being Kinder to Yourself

13:26 Conclusion and Podcast Outro

The Rejuvenating Power of a Well-Planned Vacation

In this short and sweet summer episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine shares her rejuvenating experience from a girls' vacation to Italy. The trip was a graduation gift from her sister to her daughter and included highlights such as exploring Rome, biking through Tuscany, and visiting Florence. Christine emphasizes the benefits of taking a vacation planned by someone else, visiting a new place, and engaging in the right amount of activity to disconnect from work and rejuvenate.

00:00 Welcome to the Girl Doc Survival Guide

00:07 A Memorable Girl's Vacation to Italy

00:40 Three Reasons This Trip Was Special

01:12 Vacation Tips for Doctors and Parents

01:25 Happy Summer!

Exploring Life with Cochlear Implants: A Conversation with Paul Bass and Owen Whang

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, we have excerpts from Dateline New Haven, in which host Paul Bass interviews Christine and her son Owen Whang about their picture book, SOUND SWITCH WONDER. The book, inspired by Owen's experiences with cochlear implants, aims to fill a gap in children's literature by featuring a character with the implants living his daily life. Christine, a Professor of Dermatology and Pathology at Yale, discusses the challenges and decisions they faced during Owen's early diagnosis and treatment for auditory neuropathy. Owen shares his perspective on the book and the unique advantages and challenges of having cochlear implants. The episode also delves into the creative process behind the book and the importance of representation and diversity in children's literature.

00:00 Introduction to the Episode

00:21 Meet the Authors: Christine Ko and Owen Whang

00:51 The Inspiration Behind SOUND SWITCH WONDER

01:20 Creating a Children's Book

02:28 Understanding Cochlear Implants

04:57 The Decision and Its Impact

05:53 Owen's Experience with Cochlear Implants

07:57 Funny Moments and Final Thoughts

Unveiling the Connection: Dr. Keira Barr on Stress, Skin Health, and the Mind-Body Paradigm

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Keira Barr, a dermatologist specializing in somatic psychodermatology, shares her personal journey of discovering early melanoma and the ensuing health challenges that led her to explore the mind-body connection. Dr. Barr discusses the critical role of stress in skin and overall health, highlighting the importance of recognizing and addressing body signals. She emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to wellness that includes proper diet, mindful movement, and adequate sleep. The conversation delves into adaptive strategies for handling stress, such as breath work and recognizing personal triggers, to maintain equilibrium in the face of the demands of medical training and professional life.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Keira Barr

00:26 Personal Journey: From Dermatologist to Somatic Psycho Dermatology

01:09 The Wake-Up Call: Diagnosing Her Own Melanoma

01:56 Connecting the Dots: Mind-Body Medicine

04:12 Lifestyle Changes for Better Health

06:13 The Impact of Medical Training on Health

07:26 Understanding and Managing Stress

11:01 The Nervous System and Stress Response

17:10 Practical Tips for Stress Management

19:57 Final Thoughts on Skin and Mental Health

Redefining Success and Survival for Physician Moms with Dr. Toya

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. La Toya Luces-Sampson, aka Dr. Toya, shares her top five tools for navigating motherhood while being a physician. She emphasizes the importance of redefining one's own values around motherhood, building a supportive village (both paid and unpaid), maintaining a healthy marriage, prioritizing self-care, and trusting oneself. Dr. Toya also discusses how the culture of medicine impacts physician well-being and the necessity of sustainable careers. She advocates for personal growth, getting necessary help, and recognizing the challenges within the medical system, particularly concerning physician parents.

00:00 Introduction to The Girl Doc Survival Guide

00:08 Top Five Tools for Physician Moms

01:27 The Importance of Outsourcing and Support

02:19 Focusing on Marriage and Self-Care

06:07 Redefining Success for Physician Moms

11:06 Challenges in Medicine and Motherhood

14:45 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Overcoming Burnout and Redefining Physician Motherhood with Dr. La Toya Luces-Sampson

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. La Toya Luces-Sampson, also known as Dr. Toya, an OB/Gyn, perinatal mental health specialist, and transformational coach, shares her personal journey through three periods of burnout during her medical career and postpartum experience. Dr. Toya discusses the pressures of being a physician mom, the challenges of career and family, and the importance of redefining success in physician motherhood. She emphasizes the need for self-care, the value of therapy, and the importance of realistic expectations. Join us to hear how Dr. Toya turned her struggles into a mission to support other physician moms through coaching and her podcast, Stethoscopes and Strollers.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Toya

00:52 Personal Anecdote: Burnout and Resilience

04:26 The Impact of Motherhood

07:30 Redefining Success and Overcoming Anger

19:14 Healing and Growth in Marriage

21:43 Conclusion and Next Steps

Navigating A Stellar Career in Pediatric Dermatology: Dr. Ilona Frieden

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Ilona Frieden, a distinguished leader in pediatric dermatology, shares her journey and insights. Dr. Frieden discusses her personal background, the challenges she faced growing up in California, and her unexpected path into medicine. She underscores the importance of balancing career aspirations with personal well-being and family, talking about her own experiences with social activism, feminism, and motherhood. Dr. Frieden also highlights the significance of finding meaning and community in one's work, her pragmatic approach to problem-solving, and the vital role of humility and collaboration in medical practice. This episode offers valuable lessons on work-life balance, career development, and the evolving nature of professional fulfillment.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

01:27 Personal Anecdotes and Early Life

03:13 Career Journey and Achievements

05:13 Work-Life Balance and Parenting

09:55 Mentorship and Professional Insights

16:37 Reflections on Medicine and Legacy

23:28 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

The Importance of Awareness, Boundaries, and Support in Medical Culture

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, we continue our compilation from the last 40 episodes, focusing on critical topics like error and diagnostic discordance, dealing with mistakes, the toxic culture in medicine, the necessity of self-awareness, and prioritizing personal well-being. Featuring insights from various medical professionals, the episode emphasizes the importance of honesty, boundaries, emotional processing, and seeking help. The discussion also touches on the psychological toll medical training can take and the role of humanities in improving doctor-patient relationships. Ultimately, this episode aims to increase listeners' awareness of their passions, ways to ask for help, and the significance of setting boundaries.

00:00 Introduction and Recap

00:14 Confronting Errors in Medicine

00:56 Awareness and Emotional Intelligence

01:15 The Pressure of Medical Training

02:04 Balancing Personal and Professional Life

04:32 The Toxic Culture of Medicine

09:27 Prioritizing Self-Care

13:33 The Role of Humanities in Medicine

15:32 Maintaining Passion and Setting Boundaries

16:43 Conclusion and Call to Action

Embracing Imperfection: Navigating Error and Diagnostic Discordance in Medicine

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine reflects on key insights from various experts across multiple episodes that discuss the inevitability of errors and diagnostic discordance in medical practice. Featuring quotes from Dr. Philip McKee, Dr. Ale Gru, Dr. Rose Elenitsas, Dr. Gauri Agarwal, and others, the transcript emphasizes the human aspect of medicine where perfection is impossible yet striving to mitigate errors and understanding diagnostic differences is crucial. The discussion extends to emotional intelligence, self-compassion, and the importance of creating a supportive environment where physicians can safely process and confront their mistakes, ensuring continuous improvement and better patient care.

00:00 Introduction and Purpose

00:10 Understanding Diagnostic Error

00:40 Expert Opinions on Error

02:12 The Concept of 'Good Enough'

03:49 Diagnostic Discordance

05:14 Facing Failure and Self-Compassion

06:07 Changing Behavior and Resilience

07:31 Emotional Intelligence in Medicine

12:43 Confronting and Processing Error

15:24 Conclusion and Call to Action

Balancing Medicine and Motherhood with Dr. Wendy Stead

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Wendy Stead, the Program Director for the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Infectious Diseases Fellowship, discusses her dual roles in medical education and as a mentor for residents. She provides a personal anecdote about her experiences as a mother of two. The conversation explores gender bias in academic advancement, the challenges female medical providers face, and the importance of humane parental leave policies. Dr. Stead emphasizes emotional intelligence and resilience, offering her perspective on navigating a medical career while balancing family demands. She shares her hopes for her daughter's future in medicine and reflects on the intrinsic rewards and difficulties of the profession.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:54 Personal Anecdotes and Family Life

02:12 Challenges of Women in Medicine

04:38 Parental Leave and Work-Life Balance

17:36 Emotional Intelligence and Parenting

24:41 Final Thoughts and Advice

Thriving in Pediatric Emergency Medicine: Insights from Dr. Tessa Davis

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, we are joined by Dr. Tessa Davis, a pediatric emergency medicine consultant at the Royal London Hospital and co-founder of the pioneering educational platform Don't Forget the Bubbles. Dr. Davis shares her unique journey from Glasgow to Sydney and back to the UK, detailing her experiences in building a balanced and sustainable career. She offers practical advice on medical interviews, public speaking, and leveraging technology effectively. Additionally, Dr. Davis discusses the importance of mindset, self-advocacy, and fostering supportive professional teams for career success. She also highlights the challenges and strategies for managing high-stress situations and balancing family life, including raising three kids and two dogs. This conversation is a rich resource for anyone looking to excel in pediatrics or any demanding medical field.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Tessa Davis

00:55 Tessa's Journey to Sydney

01:57 Founding Don't Forget the Bubbles

05:08 Balancing Roles and Responsibilities

05:34 Mastering Medical Interviews

13:28 Challenges in Pediatric Emergency Medicine

14:27 Building a Sustainable Career

22:19 Embracing Failure and Learning

25:35 Final Reflections

Navigating Medicine with Dr. Celeste Royce: Mentorship, Motherhood, and Advocacy

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Celeste Royce, a Harvard Medical School OB/GYN educator with over 35 years of experience, shares insights from her comprehensive career. Dr. Royce discusses her journey from initial medical school fears to her love for OB/GYN, shaped by camaraderie and a pivotal surgery block experience. She reflects on her challenges as a female physician, including balancing motherhood and her profession in a male-dominated field. Dr. Royce highlights the significance of mentorship, equitable access to hidden medical curriculum knowledge, and advocating for academic freedom. The episode also delves into her personal experiences with maternity leave, the importance of choosing the right time to have children, and the pivotal role support systems play. Furthermore, Dr. Royce discusses her advocacy work, particularly a legal challenge with the ACLU over censorship of her gender-inclusive research on endometriosis. She emphasizes the importance of speaking out, mentorship, and understanding that life’s different phases dictate the focus and balance in one's career and personal life.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Celeste Royce

00:59 Dr. Royce's Journey into OB/GYN

02:22 Mentorship and Leadership in Medicine

04:27 Balancing Motherhood and a Medical Career

08:37 Advice for Aspiring Physicians

15:35 Advocating for Academic Freedom

19:19 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Finding Authentic Balance: A Conversation with Dr. Dawn Baker on Burnout and Rediscovery

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, host Christine interviews Dr. Dawn Baker, a board-certified anesthesiologist and lifestyle design coach. Dr. Baker shares her journey from burnout and significant health issues, including a pituitary tumor, to finding a sustainable path forward. They discuss the perils of the 'treadmill of achievement,' the importance of self-compassion, and practical tools for achieving personalized work-life harmony. Dr. Baker emphasizes the value of self-reflection, mindfulness, and developing confidence to break free from societal and professional expectations. The conversation offers valuable insights and actionable advice for professionals struggling to find fulfillment in their careers.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Dawn Baker

01:02 The Treadmill of Achievement

02:31 Burnout and Health Scare

04:11 The Wake-Up Call

07:03 Self-Compassion and Diagnosis

09:48 Infertility and Stigma

12:13 Work-Life Harmony Tools

14:51 Mindfulness Practices

15:55 Building Confidence and Clarity

22:00 Final Thoughts and Message

Reimagining Mental Health in Medicine with Dr. Robert C. Smith

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine hosts Dr. Robert C. Smith, a University Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry Emeritus from Michigan State University. Dr. Smith discusses his journey from a traditionally trained internal medicine doctor to an advocate for integrating mental health care into primary care. He shares his experiences and the development of important works like Smith's Patient-Centered Interviewing and Has Medicine Lost Its Mind. Dr. Smith critiques the prevalent 'mind-body split' in modern medicine, arguing for a bio-psychosocial model that addresses both physical and mental health. He also emphasizes the importance of self-awareness for doctors and provides actionable steps for the public to advocate for better mental health care. The episode ends with Dr. Smith encouraging listeners to visit his website and engage with policymakers to drive change.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Robert C. Smith

00:49 Dr. Smith's Journey in Medicine

03:34 The Mind-Body Split in Medicine

07:59 Bio-Psycho-Social Systems Approach

12:26 Challenges in Modern Medicine

17:41 Personal Reflections and Self-Awareness

23:38 Call to Action and Final Thoughts

None

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Balancing Hematology, Oncology, and Parenthood with Dr. Annie Im

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Annie Im, a hematologist oncologist and Program Director for Hematology Oncology Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, shares her insights on balancing a demanding medical career with personal sustainability. She discusses the unrealistic expectations of 'doing it all,' the importance of work-life integration, and the challenges women physicians face with childcare and career advancement. Dr. Im emphasizes the need for prioritizing and being realistic about time management while advocating for systemic changes to support working mothers and parents.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Annie Im

00:36 Balancing Family and Career

02:34 Work-Life Integration Strategies

06:54 Challenges and Boundaries for Women Physicians

08:38 Advocacy and Speaking Up

11:27 Personal Experiences and Overcoming Stigma

20:38 Advice for Aspiring Women in Medicine

23:13 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Thriving as a Savvy Working Mom: Insights from Whitnee Hawthorne

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine welcomes Whitnee Hawthorne, Global Head of Travel and Hospitality at Snowflake and author of The Savvy Working Mom: A Guide to Prioritization, Delegation, and Making Time for Cocktails. Whitnee shares her personal journey from New York to Georgia, detailing how she and her husband juggle careers, family, and self-care. She introduces key concepts from her book, including the Shine, Manage, Surrender framework and the Grace and Joy morning routine, offering practical advice for working moms to thrive rather than just survive. Whitnee emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries, delegating effectively, and focusing on self-care to create a joyful and fulfilling life.

00:00 Introduction to Whitnee Hawthorne

00:55 Personal Anecdotes and Career Journey

02:39 Balancing Career and Family

06:13 Setting Boundaries and Self-Care

12:37 Shine, Manage, Surrender Framework

23:50 Grace and Joy Morning Routine

28:50 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

The Intersection of Medical Humanities and Physician Wellness with Dr. Amanda Finegold Swain

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Amanda Finegold Swain, MD, Faculty Director for UME Medical Humanities and Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses her advocacy for incorporating medical humanities into medical education to teach empathy, perspective taking, and improve communication skills. Dr. Swain shares personal anecdotes about her love for reading and the importance of setting personal boundaries. She speaks about her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, discusses balancing work with personal passions, and elaborates on the significance of writing and narrative medicine in understanding oneself and supporting others. The conversation touches on the cultural expectations within academic medicine and the need to be brutally honest with oneself to achieve fulfillment and maintain mental wellness.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Amanda Finegold Swain

01:03 The Importance of Reading in Medicine

03:13 Setting Boundaries as a Mother and Physician

07:31 Balancing Part-Time Work and Patient Care

10:14 Living with Multiple Sclerosis

13:52 The Role of Writing and Narrative Medicine

19:33 Finding Fulfillment in Medicine

25:30 Final Thoughts on Fulfillment and Self-Care

Balancing Healing and Doctoring: Insights from Dr. Dympna Weil

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Dympna Weil, a former Ob/Gyn hospitalist, discusses her experiences with vestibular migraine and how these challenges reshaped her approach to physician wellness. Dr. Weil highlights the complexities of navigating the healthcare system as a physician-patient, the emotional toll of health-related identity crises, and the importance of self-advocacy and coaching. Through her journey, she founded The Physician Wayfinder to support healthcare professionals in cultivating resilience. Insights on the importance of harmony over balance and the need for emotional support in the medical field are shared, emphasizing the shared humanity among physicians and patients.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Dympna Weil

00:39 The Unspoken Struggles of Physicians

01:31 The Dual Identity of Doctor and Patient

02:40 Personal Health Battles and Professional Identity

04:19 Therapy, Coaching, and Mindset Shifts

06:22 Redefining the Role of a Physician

08:42 Navigating the Healthcare System as a Patient

13:24 The Birth of The Physician Wayfinder

18:26 Wellness Practices and Self-Advocacy

21:28 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Navigating Intimacy and Connection in High-Stress Professional Lives

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Alexandra Stockwell, a physician turned relationship expert, shares her journey and insights into nurturing passionate and fulfilling relationships for high-achieving professionals, particularly those in medicine. Dr. Stockwell discusses the challenges faced by physician couples, emphasizing the importance of transitioning from a sympathetic nervous system-driven state to a more relaxed parasympathetic state to foster intimacy. She introduces the concept of Uncompromising Intimacy, highlighting the need for honest self-expression and shared vulnerability in relationships without compromising personal truths. Practical strategies are provided for maintaining and improving emotional connections, including the significance of curiosity, setting boundaries, and effective communication techniques. The episode stresses that cultivating a healthy and fulfilling relationship is a continuous, learnable process that requires intentional effort and attention.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Alexandra Stockwell

00:49 Personal Anecdotes and Early Marriage

02:15 The Journey to Intimacy

04:16 The Role of the Nervous System in Intimacy

08:22 Uncompromising Intimacy: A New Approach

18:56 Practical Strategies for Better Communication

27:43 Balancing Medicine and Relationships

34:24 Final Thoughts on Building Better Relationships

Uncompromising Intimacy: Turn your unfulfilling marriage into a deeply satisfying, passionate partnership

Breaking Stereotypes in Orthopedic Surgery: A Conversation with Ms. Deepa Bose

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Ms. Deepa Bose, a consultant in Orthopedic Trauma and Limb Reconstruction at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, UK. With over 13 years of experience, Ms. Bose shares her journey in the traditionally male-dominated field of orthopedics. She discusses her upbringing in Guyana and India, her training and career in the UK, and the challenges and triumphs she faced as a woman in surgery. The conversation includes insights on gender stereotypes, the importance of mentorship, work-life balance, and recent changes in the work culture to support female surgeons. Ms. Bose also emphasizes internal resilience and the rewards of pursuing a career in surgery despite its demands.

00:00 Introduction

00:03 Meet Ms. Deepa Bose: A Trailblazer in Orthopedic Trauma

00:40 Understanding the Title 'Ms.' in UK Surgery

01:17 Ms. Bose's Journey: From Guyana to the UK

02:28 Choosing Orthopedics: A Personal Insight

03:17 Gender Challenges in Orthopedic Training

07:52 Balancing Career and Family in Surgery

23:49 The Importance of Mentorship in Medicine

27:12 Final Thoughts and Advice for Aspiring Surgeons

Emotional Intelligence in Healthcare: Insights from Dr. Robin Stern

In this episode of 'The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine welcomes Dr. Robin Stern, a key authority on emotional intelligence. They discuss the vital role emotional intelligence plays in healthcare, exploring its impact on patient interactions, workplace challenges, and the parallels between parenting and medical practice. Dr. Stern emphasizes the importance of recognizing and managing emotions through practical strategies such as self-talk, emotional regulation, and creating internal space. The conversation highlights the psychological aspects of emotions, the empathy trap, and effective ways for healthcare professionals to maintain emotional balance while providing compassionate care.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Robin Stern

01:14 Parallels Between Parenting and Doctoring

02:51 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Healthcare

04:30 Impact of Emotions on Daily Life and Decision Making

07:56 Recognizing and Managing Emotions

17:16 Balancing Empathy and Professional Detachment

22:02 Strategies for Emotional Well-being

27:26 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

The Power of Emotional Connection in Medicine: A Conversation with Dr. Laurie Lyckholm

In this episode of the Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Laurie Lyckholm, a hematologist oncologist, discusses her three-decade journey challenging the notion that doctors should emotionally distance themselves from patients. Despite traditional training advocating emotional detachment as a professional strength, Dr. Lyckholm's experiences and mentors inspired her to value emotional connection in patient care. She shares personal anecdotes from her nursing and medical career that highlight the importance of empathy, active listening, and emotional presence. Dr. Lyckholm emphasizes that emotional engagement can energize healthcare professionals and improve patient outcomes, encouraging reflection and emotional expression as essential components of medical practice.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Laurie Lyckholm

00:35 Challenging Emotional Distance in Medicine

01:06 The Power of Patient Connection

03:21 Transition from Nursing to Medicine

05:11 Emotional Boundaries and Personal Stories

07:54 The Role of Emotions in Patient Care

13:04 Techniques for Being Present with Patients

16:24 Final Thoughts and Reflection

Overcoming Burnout: Insights from Dr. Kathy Stepien

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Kathy Stepien, founder of the Institute for Physician Wellness, shares her journey from experiencing burnout as a physical therapist to thriving as a pediatrician and coach. She discusses the importance of self-compassion, setting boundaries, and recognizing one's own capacity in order to prevent burnout. Dr. Stepien offers practical advice, such as pausing before making commitments, being mindful of emotional exhaustion, and monitoring irritability. The conversation highlights the significance of human connection and reaching out for support in overcoming feelings of being stuck.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Kathy Stepien

00:36 Breaking Free from Self-Sacrifice

01:49 The Silver Lining of Burnout

02:44 Skills to Prevent Burnout

04:41 Setting Boundaries and Saying No

12:17 Recognizing and Addressing Survival Mode

14:37 Message to Those Feeling Stuck

16:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Navigating Work-Life Balance in ENT Surgery with Dr. Nina Shapiro

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, we chat with Dr. Nina Shapiro, MD a seasoned pediatric surgeon from UCLA who has over 25 years of experience and has successfully balanced her demanding career with raising a family. Dr. Shapiro shares her journey, discussing the unrealistic advice on work-life balance she received, the challenges of internalizing societal expectations, and practical strategies for setting boundaries in a high-pressure medical career. She also emphasizes the importance of asking for help, maintaining mental health, and the value of appreciating mutual support in a dual-surgeon household.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Nina Shapiro

00:22 Unrealistic Work-Life Balance Advice

01:16 Navigating Career and Family Expectations

05:08 Setting Boundaries in a Medical Career

13:40 The Importance of Buffer Zones

14:51 Asking for Help and Managing Stress

16:20 Final Reflections and Advice

The Intersection of Dermatopathology and Emotional Intelligence with Dr. Maxwell Fung

In this episode, Christine welcomes Dr. Maxwell Fung, a seasoned dermatologist and dermatopathologist, who shares his insights from over 25 years of experience. Dr. Fung discusses pivotal 'soft skills', such as communication and active listening, that have shaped his career. He also delves into the challenges of error and lifelong learning in the medical field, and addresses issues of burnout and thriving within a demanding profession. The conversation explores mindfulness, perspective, and emotional intelligence as essential tools for maintaining professional and personal well-being.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Maxwell Fung

00:05 Dr. Fung's Career and Achievements

01:27 Soft Skills in Medicine

01:48 The Importance of Communication

03:46 Learning from Mistakes

06:02 Dealing with Burnout

08:10 Mindfulness and Perspective

09:59 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Empowering Women Leaders in Medicine: An Interview with Dr. Susan Hingle

In this episode, Dr. Susan Hingle, Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, discusses the ongoing gender gap in medical leadership. Dr. Hingle emphasizes the importance of combining data with personal stories to drive change, shares her journey in medicine, and highlights the significance of relationships and strategic mentoring. She also explores the concept of power in leadership, the necessity of self-care, and the role of reflection and gratitude in maintaining physician well-being. Here is a link to the book, The Power Code, a recent read of Dr. Hingle's. And here is a link to an article about The Power Code.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:33 The Gender Gap in Medical Leadership

02:41 Dr. Hingle's Personal Journey

06:13 The Importance of Strategic Mentoring

08:33 Integrating Medical Humanities

10:45 Addressing Moral Injury in Healthcare

14:33 Empowering Women Leaders in Medicine

16:50 Prioritizing Self-Care for Better Leadership

23:34 Final Thoughts and Reflections

None

Navigating Healthcare: Mentorship, Wellbeing, and Innovation with Dr. Vineet Arora

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Vineet Arora, Herbert T. Abelson Professor of Medicine and Dean for Medical Education at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Arora discusses her career trajectory, emphasizing the importance of preparation, passion, and leadership in medical education. She talks about the significance of mentorship, addressing how to advance both personal and professional goals. Dr. Arora also delves into the challenges of physician wellbeing, the balance between patient care and self-care, and the cultural shift needed in medical training to prioritize physician health. The conversation covers the compression of work, the potential impact of AI in medicine, and the crucial role of emotional intelligence in patient-doctor relationships. Finally, she shares insights on handling constant change in the medical field.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:57 Dr. Arora's Career Journey

02:56 Mentoring and Coaching in Healthcare

05:40 Challenges in Physician Well-being

09:32 The Impact of Duty Hours and Work Compression

14:05 The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Medicine

15:28 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Transforming Physician Well-being: Mindfulness and Awareness with Dr. Jessie Mahoney

In this episode, Dr. Jessie Mahoney, a pediatrician turned physician wellness expert, shares her extensive experience and practical wisdom on how doctors can move from merely surviving to thriving in their practice. Dr. Mahoney discusses common, yet often unrecognized, detrimental mindsets such as self-sacrifice, over-responsibility, toxic independence, catastrophizing, and self-doubt. She emphasizes the importance of mindfulness and self-compassion in overcoming these patterns and improving overall well-being. The episode also delves into actionable mindfulness practices and self-compassion techniques aimed at helping physicians address these ingrained behaviors, reduce burnout, and enhance their personal and professional lives.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:25 Common Patterns in Physician Struggles

01:30 The Impact of Medical Training

04:18 Recognizing and Addressing Harmful Patterns

08:27 Mindfulness and Self-Compassion

16:22 Practical Tips for Self-Compassion

21:10 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Breaking the Stigma: Mental Health and Burnout with Dr. Anita Everett

In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine engages in a profound conversation with Dr. Anita Everett, a psychiatrist and mental health advocate. They discuss the importance of reducing stigma, improving mental health support systems for healthcare providers, and separating burnout from mental illness. Dr. Everett shares her personal experiences and insights on thriving in a demanding career, the value of community and support, and highlights initiatives like the 988 emergency service. The episode emphasizes the significance of self-care and balanced living for healthcare professionals.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Anita Everett

00:38 Thriving in a Public Service Career

01:34 Balancing Career and Personal Life

02:49 Addressing Physician Burnout and Mental Health

04:01 The Stigma of Mental Health in Medicine

05:28 Identity and the Physician's Role

06:14 The Evolution of Physician Burnout Awareness

12:35 Influence and Impact in Medicine

14:16 SAMHSA and Mental Health Services

21:13 Advice for High-Pressure Careers

22:08 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Pursuing Passion in Medicine: Dr. Neda Frayha's Journey from Academia to Audio Storytelling

In this episode, Christine hosts Dr. Neda Frayha, who shares her journey from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and her work in academic medicine to a career in audio storytelling. With a deep passion for humanizing medicine through education and storytelling, Neda discusses her transformative experience at an audio storytelling workshop and her fulfilling role as a Senior Medical Editor at HIPPO Education and host of the Primary Care Reviews and Perspectives Podcast. The conversation delves into the importance of following personal passion, the significance of caring and listening in medicine, and how setting healthy boundaries (also check out Only Human - the Boundaries episode! on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Hippo Education) and prioritizing self-awareness can significantly impact one's professional and personal life.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:04 Dr. Neda Frayha's Background and Achievements

01:50 Journey into Audio Journalism

03:50 Transition to Freelance Reporting and Career Change

04:40 Lessons Learned from Career Shift

06:19 Challenges and Reflections in Medicine

10:43 Importance of Caring in Medicine

15:48 Balancing Personal and Professional Life

24:02 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Show notes

Revitalizing Healthcare: Coping Strategies and Empathy with Dr. Andrea Austin

In this episode, Dr. Andrea Austin, a distinguished emergency physician and author of the book 'Revitalized,' joins to discuss the challenges and coping mechanisms in healthcare. Dr. Austin shares her unique journey through military and emergency medicine, her experiences with stress and burnout, and how she revitalized her career by taking a sabbatical. She delves into the differences between empathy and compassion, effective coping strategies, the importance of setting boundaries, and utilizing objective data like heart rate variability to manage healthcare stress. Dr. Austin emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to prioritize their well-being and offers valuable insights for thriving in high-stress medical environments.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:37 Dr. Austin's Journey in Emergency Medicine

01:16 The Impact of Stress and Maladaptive Coping

02:07 Revitalization and Sabbatical

04:38 Understanding Empathy and Compassion

06:18 Signs of Burnout and Taking a Break

15:57 Setting Boundaries and Coping Strategies

19:48 The Importance of Self-Care and Monitoring

23:35 Final Thoughts and Resources

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Exploring Burnout Prevention with Diane Shannon

In this episode, Christine interviews Diane Shannon, a former physician turned coach and writer, who shares her journey from experiencing severe burnout in clinical practice to her current role in addressing systemic healthcare issues. Diane highlights the importance of recognizing burnout, the interplay between individual and systemic factors, and the power of small, intentional changes in preventing burnout. They discuss strategies for setting boundaries, making micro changes, and advocating for supportive workplace environments, especially for women physicians. Diane emphasizes the significance of having a growth mindset and not settling.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:29 Diane's Journey from Physician to Writer

02:28 Understanding Burnout

03:46 Systemic Issues and Individual Responsibility

05:13 Balancing Personal and Professional Life

12:22 Supporting New Physician Parents

15:23 Strategies for Managing Burnout

22:31 Final Thoughts and Advice

Authenticity in Medicine: A Conversation with Dr. Markus Boos

In this episode, Christine interviews Dr. Markus Boos, a pediatric dermatologist at Seattle Children's Hospital and Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Boos shares his personal journey of coming out at 37 and discusses the importance of authenticity in both personal and professional life. The conversation delves into the challenges of maintaining one's true self within the structured and often conformity-driven environment of medical training and practice. Dr. Boos emphasizes the value of empathy, personal connection with patients, and the need for doctors to be genuine, not just as professionals but as human beings. The discussion also touches on the impact of social expectations, personal struggles with identity, and the significance of providing a supportive and inclusive educational environment for medical residents.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:11 Personal Journey and Coming Out

01:58 Reflections on Identity and Authenticity

03:02 Challenges of Conformity and Self-Acceptance

04:30 Balancing Professional and Personal Life

07:49 Parenting and Identity

10:55 The Importance of Empathy in Medicine

15:42 Final Thoughts on Authenticity

The Human Side of Dermatopathology: A Conversation with Dr. Victor Prieto

In this episode, Dr. Victor Prieto, a pathologist and dermatopathologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the fallibility of experts, the importance of addressing mistakes in medicine, and the crucial balance of experience and humility in clinical practice. He shares insights into improving patient care by learning from errors, the significance of self-care, and the profound impact of a doctor's work on patients' lives. Dr. Prieto also offers advice on finding mentorship and reinforces the value of passion and dedication in the medical profession.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:45 The Fallibility of Experts

03:07 Addressing Mistakes in Medicine

05:46 Work-Life Balance in Medicine

07:44 The Rewards of a Medical Career

09:39 Final Thoughts and Advice

Navigating Perfectionism and Burnout in High-Stress Professions with Dr. Chrissy Cammarata

In this episode, Dr. Chrissy Cammarata, a licensed psychologist specializing in obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and related disorders, shares her insights on managing stress, finding balance, and overcoming perfectionism and burnout in high-stress fields like healthcare. Through evidence-based treatments such as CBT and ACT, Dr. Cammarata provides practical strategies for healthcare providers to set boundaries, improve emotional resilience, and maintain a growth mindset. The conversation also touches upon the unique challenges women face in medicine, the systemic issues contributing to burnout, and the importance of seeking support from mentors, colleagues, and therapy.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:51 Understanding Perfectionism in High-Performing Professionals

02:56 Perfectionism's Impact on Women in Medicine

05:44 Recognizing and Addressing Thinking Traps

07:53 Strategies for Managing Perfectionism and Burnout

11:03 Practical Tips for Healthcare Providers

19:22 Balancing Career and Personal Life

22:47 Final Thoughts and Advice

Thriving in Medicine: A Conversation with Dr. Amy Oxentenko

In today’s episode, we sit down with Dr. Amy Oxentenko, MD, a Professor of Medicine and gastroenterologist specializing in celiac disease and malabsorption. Dr. Oxentenko shares her journey from surviving to thriving in the medical field, emphasizing the importance of self-care, particularly adequate sleep and exercise. She highlights her leadership roles, including her current positions at the Mayo Clinic and the American College of Gastroenterology, and shares insights into fostering diversity and equity in the workplace. Dr. Oxentenko also discusses the pivotal moment in her career influenced by Dr. Julie Silver’s leadership course and the importance of patiently pacing oneself through career opportunities and learning to say no. This episode provides valuable lessons on balancing professional and personal life for sustained success.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Amy Oxentenko

01:07 Thriving in Medicine: Tips and Tricks

04:15 Balancing Family and Career

06:03 The Importance of Self-Care

13:11 Leadership and Career Development

22:22 Fostering an Equitable Workplace

26:33 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Navigating Career and Emotional Intelligence with Dr. Artur Zembowicz

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Artur Zembowicz, an accomplished dermatopathologist, medical director, and educator. Dr. Zembowicz shares his insights on emotional intelligence, the importance of mentorship, and the challenges of making judgments in medical practice. He discusses his personal experiences in improving emotional intelligence, dealing with burnout, and the critical role of preparation and adaptability in both career and personal life. The conversation also touches on the intricacies of providing second opinions in dermatopathology and the value of balancing professional commitments with personal interests.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

01:37 Discussing Emotional Intelligence

03:46 Navigating Career Challenges

07:17 Midlife Crisis and Burnout

11:06 Consultant Dermatopathologist Insights

13:54 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Breaking Free from Burnout: Insights with Dr. Tamara Beckford

In this episode, we host Dr. Tamara Beckford, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, burnout coach, and CEO of UR Caring Docs. Dr. Beckford shares her journey into burnout prevention, highlighting strategies for managing emotional wellbeing, work-life harmony, and creating healthier environments for healthcare providers. She discusses the three D's of burnout—depletion, depersonalization, and detachment—and emphasizes the importance of addressing burnout to prevent severe mental health issues. Dr. Beckford also explores the generational differences in medical work culture and suggests practical approaches, such as coaching and self-assessment, to foster harmony and longevity in medicine.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:03 Dr. Beckford's Journey to Burnout Coaching

01:43 Understanding Burnout: The Three D's

02:48 The Impact of Burnout on Mental Health

04:11 Challenges in Healthcare Training and Culture

07:12 Finding Harmony in Medicine

16:48 The Role of Coaching in Burnout Prevention

18:50 Therapy vs. Coaching vs. Friends

22:24 Overcoming Fear and Discomfort

26:27 Visualization and Journaling Techniques

28:08 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

In this episode, Dr. Danielle Ofri, a renowned physician and author with extensive experience at Bellevue Hospital and NYU, delves into the critical issue of medical mistakes discussed in her latest book, When We Do Harm. She provides insights into her journey of understanding the prevalence of medical errors, the emotional toll on healthcare providers, and the importance of balancing professional duties with emotional well-being. Dr. Ofri also shares personal experiences and advocates for systemic changes and honest communication to improve patient safety and care.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:00 Discussing 'When We Do Harm'

01:53 Understanding Medical Errors

03:50 The Human Element in Medicine

07:08 Personal Experiences with Medical Errors

11:35 Emotional Impact and Coping

17:43 Strategies for Improvement

28:29 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error

The Emotional Realities of Medicine: Conversation with Dr. Caroline Elton

In this insightful episode, Dr. Caroline Elton, author of Also Human, explores the psychological and emotional challenges that doctors face due to high societal expectations and insufficient mental health support. The discussion addresses how these pressures contribute to burnout and the importance of recognizing and accepting imperfections, akin to the concept of a 'good enough mother'. Dr. Elton sheds light on the stresses of balancing a medical career with personal life, particularly for female physicians, and the cultural pressures within medical training and hospitals. The episode also delves into the necessity of emotional detachment for medical professionals, the concept of 'splitting', and the value of systematic, confidential mental health support. It emphasizes the role of senior clinicians in reducing mental health stigma and advocates for open discussions about mistakes and personal growth, benefiting both doctors and their younger colleagues.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:06 The Unrealistic Expectations on Doctors

02:08 Psychological Impact on Doctors

02:34 The Concept of 'Good Enough'

05:14 Gendered Challenges in Medicine

08:02 Medical Culture and Psychological Toll

11:38 The Concept of Splitting in Medical Training

12:34 The Importance of Reflective Practice

13:02 Group Reflection and Its Impact

13:37 The Role of Feedback in Medical Practice

14:50 Addressing Physician Mental Health

16:46 Support Systems for Doctors

19:00 The Importance of Second Chances

20:04 Balancing Personal and Professional Life

21:02 Final Thoughts and Reflections

In this episode, the multifaceted emotional challenges faced by physicians and medical trainees are explored through the expert insights of Dr. Tamara Greenberg, a clinical psychologist specializing in adult mental health. Dr. Greenberg delves into the impact of early trauma, stress management, and the culture of emotional suppression in the medical field. Discussions encompass vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and the necessity of emotional integration. Practical advice on coping strategies, the importance of emotional intelligence, and the role of therapy highlight how medical professionals can balance personal well-being with professional demands. Additionally, the episode touches on the value of supportive social networks, understanding personality disorders, and the essential nature of objectivity in therapeutic relationships. Link to Dr. Abigail Zuger's article

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Tamara Greenberg

01:10 Challenges Faced by Medical Trainees

01:49 Experiences with Trauma in Medical Training

04:34 Understanding Vicarious Trauma

10:21 Coping Strategies for Vicarious Trauma

12:25 The Importance of Emotional Awareness

14:17 Addressing Anger and PTSD

15:27 Challenges in Diagnosing Personality Disorders

15:47 Understanding the Whole Person Beyond Symptoms

16:35 The Complexity of Personality Disorders

17:18 The Role of Narcissism in Personality

17:44 The Impact of Trauma and Adverse Experiences

18:47 The Importance of Self-Understanding

22:28 Balancing Professional and Personal Life

24:30 The Value of Therapy and Social Support

30:05 Final Thoughts on Physician Well-being

Navigating Gender Equity, Mental Health, and Personal Resilience in Medicine with Dr. Dara Kass

In this comprehensive episode, we join Dr. Dara Kass—strategic consultant, healthcare communicator, and emergency medicine physician—as she delves into her advocacy for gender equity and mental health within the medical field. Dr. Kass sheds light on her efforts to support women in medicine through initiatives like FeminEM and Time's Up Healthcare. The discussion covers the systemic challenges in healthcare, the emotional toll of the profession, and the necessity for work-life balance, especially for parents and those undergoing reproductive health processes. Dr. Kass also shares personal experiences, such as the emotional journey of donating a liver to her son, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability, self-care, and emotional intelligence. The episode concludes with an exploration of peer support, mentorship, and systemic reforms essential for combating burnout and fostering a supportive medical environment.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Bio

01:18 Discussing Emotional Exhaustion in Medicine

01:47 Challenges of Scheduling in Emergency Medicine

03:42 Navigating Job Changes and Work-Life Balance

04:40 Advocating for Maternity Leave and Support

06:30 The Culture of Silence in Medicine

07:47 Shifting Clinical Comfort and Career Focus

09:30 Addressing Reproductive Health Policy

14:42 Personal Struggles and Transparency

17:00 The Importance of Openness and Vulnerability

17:37 Cultural Influences on Emotional Expression

18:03 Emotional Intelligence and Parenting

18:32 The Role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

19:17 Self-Advocacy and Asking for Help

20:44 Balancing Work and Personal Life

23:42 Mentorship and Peer Support in Medicine

25:25 Advocating for Reproductive Health in Emergency Medicine

27:32 Final Thoughts on Staying in Medicine

Understanding Sleep with Dr. Christine Won: Importance, Disorders, and Practical Tips

In this episode, Christine welcomes Dr. Christine Won, an Associate Professor of Medicine at Yale University and a leading expert in sleep medicine. Dr. Won shares insights on how sleep disorders uniquely affect women, the importance of sleep, common misconceptions about sleep deprivation, and practical strategies for mitigating fatigue. They explore the differences in individual sleep needs, the potential inaccuracies of consumer sleep tracking devices, and the impact of sleep on emotional regulation. Dr. Won also discusses sleep disorder symptoms, the influence of hormonal changes on women's sleep, and provides tips for healthcare professionals dealing with sleep deprivation. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how to prioritize sleep for better health and productivity.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:15 The Importance of Sleep and Misconceptions

03:00 Understanding Personal Sleep Needs

04:30 Wearable Devices and Sleep Tracking

06:35 Stages of Sleep Explained

10:44 Sleep and Emotional Regulation

11:44 Challenges in Medical Training and Sleep

13:05 Fatigue Mitigation Strategies

16:28 Sleep Disorders in Women

20:18 Signs of Poor Sleep Health

22:31 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

In this episode of the Girl Doc Survival Guide podcast, Dr. Jessi Gold, a board-certified psychiatrist and Chief Wellness Officer at the University of Tennessee, discusses the critical issue of mental health among healthcare professionals. Dr. Gold delves into the stigmas that prevent doctors from seeking help for burnout, depression, and anxiety. She shares her personal journey with mental health, including overcoming internalized stigma around psychiatric medication. Dr. Gold offers practical advice on setting boundaries, recognizing early signs of burnout, and finding support systems. She also talks about her new role at the University of Tennessee, aiming to improve wellness through both systemic and preventive approaches. The conversation emphasizes the need for cultural change in medicine to support the mental health of doctors.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:46 Understanding Physician Mental Health

01:11 The Stigma Around Doctors Seeking Help

03:11 Personal Experiences with Mental Health

04:24 Overcoming Internalized Stigma

07:37 Self-Care Practices and Burnout Prevention

11:16 Setting Boundaries and Emotional Capacity

14:46 Advocating for Systemic Change

17:08 Role of Medical Education in Mental Health

20:38 New Role and Future Plans

25:27 Final Thoughts and Book Promotion

https://www.drjessigold.com/

Dr. Jessi Gold is a board-certified psychiatrist and Associate Professor and Chief Wellness Officer in the Department of The University of Tennessee. She specializes in the mental health of healthcare professionals, focusing on the high rates of burnout, depression, and anxiety they face. Dr. Jessi Gold is dedicated to destigmatizing mental health issues in the medical community, with a focus on promoting open conversations about burnout, depression, and anxiety among healthcare professionals. She’s passionate about creating systemic change within hospitals and healthcare organizations to make mental health resources more accessible. Dr. Gold frequently advocates for early intervention, self-care strategies, and peer support systems, aiming to shift the culture of medicine to one that prioritizes physician well-being as a critical component of quality patient care.

Introducing the Girl Doc Survival Guide: A Rebranding Journey and Embracing Transformative Experiences in Healthcare and Life

In this episode of the newly rebranded podcast, Girl Doc Survival Guide, host Christine and producer Jamie Slevin introduce the rebranding from SEE HEAR FEEL. The conversation delves into the reasons behind the change and discusses the challenges and transformative experiences faced by doctors, particularly focusing on stress, managing work-life balance, and the impact of parenthood. The episode highlights the importance of emotional intelligence, growth mindset, and the evolving perceptions of newer generations of doctors towards healthcare. Christine shares personal stories and insights about motherhood, particularly the challenges she faced raising a child diagnosed with profound deafness, and the shift in her priorities from work to her family. The episode sets the stage for upcoming guests who will discuss innovative approaches to improving physicians' well-being.

00:00 Introduction and Rebranding Announcement

00:18 Meet the Producer: Jamie Slevin

01:10 The Challenges of Medical Training

04:02 Balancing Parenthood and a Medical Career

05:37 Transformative Experiences and Personal Growth

11:35 Work-Life Balance and Flourishing in Healthcare

19:01 The Impact of COVID-19 on Young Doctors

21:44 Looking Ahead: Future Guests and Themes

In this inaugural rebranding episode, Christine announces changing SEE HEAR FEEL to the Girl Doc Survival Guide podcast. The focus will be on navigating the high-stress, high-stakes world of healthcare, aiming not just to survive but to flourish. Featuring discussions with doctors, psychologists, and mental health experts, the podcast will explore the challenges and rewards of a medical career, offering tools and strategies to balance professional duties with personal life.

00:00 Introduction to the Girl Doc Survival Guide Podcast

00:08 The Reality of Survival Mode in Healthcare

00:22 Balancing High Stakes and High Stress

00:32 From Surviving to Flourishing

00:39 Conversations with Experts

01:08 Tools for a Fulfilling Medical Career

01:18 Join Us on This Journey

In this episode of SEE HEAR FEEL, host Christine speaks with Dr. Yemi Sokumbi, a dermatologist and dermatopathologist at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, who is also the head of medical business development. They discuss key takeaways for innovation in healthcare, including the importance of embracing failure, solving familiar problems, and cross-pollination across medical disciplines. Dr. Sokumbi shares insights from her journey, emphasizing the value of tenacity and perseverance in bringing novel ideas to market, and touches on the nuances of encouraging diversity in innovation, particularly among women.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Yemi Sokumbi

01:47 Defining Innovation in Medicine

02:34 Lessons in Innovation and Failure

05:25 Applying Innovation Lessons to Parenting

07:19 Gender and Innovation

10:14 Challenges and Perseverance in Innovation

12:53 Final Thoughts on Innovation

Dr. Olayemi (Yemi) Sokumbi, MD is a dermatologist and dermatopathologist who is currently working at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida where she also serves as Medical Director for Business Development. Additionally, she is involved with medical student and resident education in addition to her clinical work. She completed dermatopathology fellowship in 2014 at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was chief resident in dermatology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She has won numerous awards, including a 2022 Dean’s Recognition Diversity & Inclusion Award from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, a 2018 Outstanding Medical Student Teacher Award from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the 2013 Richard K. Winkelmann Excellence in Research Award.

This episode of SEE HEAR FEEL is an edited version of an episode from the podcast, The Pursuit of Health with Dr. Eric Fethke. Dr. Fethke and I talk about my journey in healthcare, professionally and personally. The discussion emphasizes the importance of improving doctor-patient connections through empathy and psychological understanding. Key topics include the impact of emotional perceptions in medical interactions, the role of metacognition in healthcare, and practical strategies for physicians to foster meaningful relationships with patients. We highlight the need for incorporating these concepts into medical education to enhance overall healthcare efficacy.

00:00 Introduction

00:49 Personal Experiences and Realizations

02:30 Challenges in Doctor-Patient Relationships

03:49 Emotional Perception and Patient Advocacy

09:19 Metacognition and Its Importance

11:59 Implementing Metacognition in Medical Practice

14:26 The Pursuit of Health and Relationships

In this episode of SEE HEAR FEEL, Dr. Dennis Proffitt, Commonwealth Professor of Psychology, Emeritus at University of Virginia, shares insights from his expansive research on perception and interoception. Dr. Proffitt discusses how social, emotional, and physical factors influence how people perceive space, including practical examples from his research on the steepness of hills and the impact of physical fitness and companionship. He also delves into the significance of social relationships on perception and explores the emerging field of interoception, explaining how our internal and external perceptions shape our emotions and responses. The episode highlights how both perception and interoception are intertwined with our experiences and actions.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Dennis Proffitt

00:49 Personal Anecdote: NASA and Perception of Hills

02:32 Research Findings: Perception and Physical Fitness

05:04 Social Relationships and Perception

08:40 Understanding Interoception

12:45 Final Thoughts on Perception and Experience

In this episode of SEE HEAR FEEL, Christine J. Ko welcomes Dr. Gregory A. Hosler, president of the Dermatopathology Division of Sonic Healthcare USA. The conversation delves into his recent study on diagnostic discordance in dermatopathology, exploring its implications for patient management and highlighting the importance of ancillary testing and second opinions. Dr. Hosler also shares insights on emotional intelligence, emphasizing the significance of self-awareness and continuous improvement in pathology practice.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

01:54 Personal Anecdote and Career Journey

02:31 New Role and Responsibilities

03:38 Diagnostic Discordance Study

07:20 Improving Diagnostic Practices

10:55 Emotional Intelligence and Self-Reflection

12:42 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Gregory A. Hosler, MD, PhD is President of the Dermatopathology Division of Sonic Healthcare USA (SHUSA). Before taking this role, he was at ProPath, which joined SHUSA in 2021, and at ProPath, he served as partner, board member, and Director of Dermatopathology. He is a Clinical Professor in the Departments of Dermatology and Pathology at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW). He has held numerous leadership roles in local and national societies, including serving on the Executive Board for the American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP, 2021-present), as President of the Texas Society of Pathologists (2019), President of the North Texas Society of Pathologists (2015), and President of the Educational Foundation of the TSP (2020).

Dr. Hosler obtained his B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering at Princeton University and completed his medical degree and graduate work at UTSW in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Immunology (MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program). He completed his residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (JHMI), and his fellowship in dermatopathology, also at JHMI.

Dr. Hosler is very involved in education, teaching at the fellowship, residency, and medical school levels. He is the Director of the ACGME-accredited Dermatopathology Fellowship Program at ProPath. He actively speaks, writes, and directs courses on dermatopathology. He is the editor and co-author of two dermatopathology textbooks - Molecular Diagnostics in Dermatology: practical applications of molecular testing for the diagnosis and management of the dermatology patient (Springer) and Diagnostic dermatopathology: a guide to ancillary tests beyond the H&E (JP Medical Publishers). He is also the author of the melanocytic chapter in Weedon’s Skin Pathology (4th, 5th, and 6th Eds, Elsevier) and many peer-reviewed journal articles and reviews.

In this episode of SEE HEAR FEEL, host Christine welcomes Dr. Benno Torgler, a Professor of Economics at Queensland University of Technology. They discuss Dr. Torgler's fascinating journey from mechanical engineering to economics and his significant research on heart rate variability (HRV). The conversation delves deep into the integration of physiological measurements with psychological and emotional activities, providing insights on how HRV can be used to understand human behavior and stress. Dr. Torgler also shares personal anecdotes and offers practical advice for using wearable technology to monitor HRV.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Benno Torgler

01:09 A Personal Journey: From Engineering to Economics

03:54 Understanding Heart Rate Variability

08:21 Applications and Implications of Heart Rate Variability

12:01 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Dr. Benno Torgler, PhD is a Professor of Economics in the School of Economics and Finance as well as Director of the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Behavioural Insights for Technology Adoption (BITA) in the Queensland University of Technology in Queensland, Australia. He is a social scientist that studies human decision making and human nature via integrating economics, social and evolutionary psychology, sociology, and biology. He has co-written an article titled, “Positive affect and heart rate variability: a dynamic analysis” which looks at physiologic measurements (for example, heart rate variability) and self-reported measures to better understand human behavior and interactions. His research is helpful in understanding how to collect such physiologic data like heart rate variability as well as how to model and interpret it.

In this episode of SEE HEAR FEEL, Dr. Rosalie Elenitsas from the University of Pennsylvania shares her extensive experience in dermatopathology. She discusses her career journey, the importance of daily consensus conferences, learning from junior colleagues, and managing work-life balance. Dr. Elenitsas also offers valuable advice on building a support system, continuous learning, dealing with errors, and the significance of simple yet effective practices in both professional and personal life.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:12 Personal Anecdote: Learning to Ride a Bike

02:08 Advice for a Successful Career

05:15 Work-Life Balance and Support Systems

08:52 Dealing with Errors and Continuous Improvement

13:08 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Dr. Rosalie Elenitsas, MD is the Herman Beerman Professor of Dermatology and Pathology and the Director of the Penn Cutaneous Pathology Services since 1999 at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Elenitsas has been a faculty member at Penn since 1991 and has been director of the Dermatopathology Fellowship Program since 1998; she recently transferred the directorship to Emily Chu just this year. She has published more than 200 manuscripts/chapters, and has given more than 100 invited lectures. She is associate editor of Lever's Histopathology of the Skin and the past president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Dermatology and past president of the American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP). She received the Nickel Award for teaching in Dermatopathology by the ASDP, and has also been elected to the Academy of Master Clinicians at Penn Medicine, a coveted honor for practicing physicians in the Penn health system.

In this episode of SEE HEAR FEEL, Dr. Gauri Agarwal, an associate professor and associate dean of curriculum at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, discusses the importance of integrating visual thinking strategies into medical education. Dr. Agarwal shares a touching anecdote about a hospital chaplain during the pandemic to explore the intersection of humanity and technology. She explains the origins and applications of visual thinking strategies in healthcare, highlighting the benefits in empathy, communication, and cognitive flexibility. Dr. Agarwal also reflects on what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the irreplaceable role of love and true human connection in medicine.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Gauri Agarwal

00:53 A Touching Pandemic Anecdote

02:12 The Intersection of Humanity and Technology

03:31 Visual Thinking Strategies in Medical Education

09:08 Integrating AI in Medical Training

11:55 The Role of Humanities in Medicine

12:41 Final Reflections on Humanity in Medicine

Dr. Gauri Agarwal, MD received her MD from the University of Miami in 2000 and trained in internal medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and the Associate Dean of Curriculum at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. Her research interests include the impact of visual thinking strategies on medical education. She also has a passion for the medical humanities. In 2017, she received the Leonard Tow Humanism Award from the Gold Humanism Honor Society. The Gold Foundation also supported her recent work exploring the intersection of the humanities with artificial intelligence.

Show notes

Exploring the Intersection of Humanities and Technology in Medicine with Dr. Gauri Agarwal

In this episode of SEE HEAR FEEL, Dr. Gauri Agarwal discusses her background and current roles at the University of Miami, with a focus on the integration of visual thinking strategies in medical education. She shares a touching anecdote about a chaplain's dedication during the pandemic, highlighting the human elements that technology cannot replace. The discussion delves into the importance of empathy, communication, and the humanities in medicine, particularly in the context of artificial intelligence. Dr. Agarwal outlines the methodology of visual thinking strategies and their impact on medical students, stressing the need for human connection and reflection in healthcare.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Gauri Agarwal

00:52 A Touching Pandemic Anecdote

02:11 The Intersection of Humanity and Technology

03:29 Visual Thinking Strategies in Medical Education

08:57 The Role of Humanities in Medicine

11:35 Final Reflections on Humanity in Medicine

I absolutely loved speaking with Dr. Alejandro Gru on burnout, improving, accepting and moving on from error (but also feeling appropiately bad about it), and the relationships that we should cherish. I learned so much! Dr. Alejandro Gru is the Leonard C Harber Professor of Dermatology and Director of Dermatopathology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He was previously at the University of Virginia, where he was Professor of Pathology and the Dermatopathology Section and Fellowship Program Director. He attended the Universidad de Buenos Aires, School of Medicine and did residency at Washington University in Saint Louis in Anatomic and Surgical Pathology. He has completed dermatopathology and hematopathology and surgical pathology fellowships. He is an expert in skin lymphomas and melanocytic pathology and currently serves as the President of the United States Cutaneous Lymphoma Consortium.

Dr. Phillip McKee is a renowned pathologist and dermatopathologist who needs no introduction in dermatology and pathology. At age 76, still very active in the dermatopathology community, he shares his thoughts with me on burnout, relationships, and error. Dr. Philip McKee is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and received his medical degree from Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.He trained in pathology at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and completed a dermatopathology fellowship at St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin in London. He has authored and edited many books, including the amazing Pathology of the Skin. And that edition that I fell in love with won several medical book awards. He was awarded the Elson B Helwig Lecture Award in 2003 by the American Society of Dermatopathology. He is married to a retired cytopathologist, who was also a Professor at Harvard Medical School. She is now a full-time artist. He also has four adult children with very varied interests.

This is a very important conversation on failure, what it can mean (and what it should not mean), and how it can be liberating to lean into it. Dr. Olayemi (Yemi) Sokumbi, MD is a dermatologist and dermatopathologist who is currently working at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida where she also serves as Medical Director for Business Development. Additionally, she is involved with medical student and resident education in addition to her clinical work. She completed dermatopathology fellowship in 2014 at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was chief resident in dermatology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She has won numerous awards, including a 2022 Dean’s Recognition Diversity & Inclusion Award from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, a 2018 Outsanding Medical Student Teacher Award from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the 2013 Richard K. Winkelmann Excellence in Research Award.

I think we all had dreams as teenagers (or younger selves) - do you remember what yours were? Are your dreams the same now? Do you remember who you were vs. who you are now? This part of my conversation with Dr. Yemi Sokumbi touches on questions like these - the dreams she had an immigrant teen from Nigeria, the pressure she used to put on herself due to stereotype threat, and how it has been important for her to separate her identity from what she does at work. Dr. Olayemi (Yemi) Sokumbi, MD is a dermatologist and dermatopathologist who is currently working at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida where she also serves as Medical Director for Business Development. Additionally, she is involved with medical student and resident education in addition to her clinical work. She completed dermatopathology fellowship in 2014 at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was chief resident in dermatology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She has won numerous awards, including a 2022 Dean’s Recognition Diversity & Inclusion Award from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, a 2018 Outsanding Medical Student Teacher Award from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the 2013 Richard K. Winkelmann Excellence in Research Award.

"Don't get furious, get curious!" is where we end up at - listen in to hear about whittling, making meaning, and avoiding burnout. This is Part 2 with Dr. Dean Gianakos where we focus more on the medical humanities. Dr. Dean Gianakos MD, FACP is currently Chief Academic Officer at Centra Health, a Central Virginia regional healthcare system. Wellness is important to him, and he has been chairman of Centra’s Physician Wellness Committee. He is trained as an internist with previous certifications in Pulmonary Medicine as well as Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and he has taught many family medicine residents and medical students for almost 3 decades. Dr. Gianakos is interested in the medical humanities as well as end-of-life care, the patient-physician relationship, and communication. He is currently on the editorial board of The Pharos, a medical humanities journal. He is also a writer, and he has written, “Practicing medicine can be addictive. The daily praise and gratitude from patients feed the fragile egos of physicians.” Links to a few of his articles: the lonely physician, Whittling: The Last Class, leadership.

It's so easy to forget to be self-aware! especially when I am stressed, busy, or sick. I had a busy last 6 months with one child finishing junior year, one child finishing 8th grade, and work-related responsibilities that were maybe a little bit too much on top of everything else. But I got through, and putting this together was a chance to reflect on the last couple of months. I do think it is good to remember (in no particular order): 1. Set goals (and say no), 2. Try to stay self-aware, 3. Keep in mind that we make up stories (for good and bad), 4. RELATINOSHIPS are key!, 5. Admit limitations without shame, 6. Seek beauty. This compilation goes over some key moments in various conversations where we cover those things in a bit more depth. Thanks for listening in!!!

Dr. Dean Gianakos has been practicing medicine for almost 3 decades. He has many interests, including leadership skills, communication, and medical humanitis. In this first episode with Dr. Gianakos, we cover the DiSC assessment of leadership styles and how emotional intelligence is key to good leadership. He also touches on difficult conversations and how we can get better at them. Dr. Dean Gianakos MD, FACP is currently Chief Academic Officer at Centra Health, a Central Virginia regional healthcare system. He is trained as an internist with previous certifications in Pulmonary Medicine as well as Hospice and Palliative Medicine,

= Therefore, let us rejoice! This is a poem by Dr. John Stone, and every time I read it, I am reminded of some of the essential parts of doctoring, both good and bad. It's graduation season (schools as well as training programs) - please share with your graduates, particularly those in healthcare. Dr. Benjamin Doolitle (who was on episode 97) shared this poem with me and my department at our recent annual departmental retreat. Somewhat related to EP117 and William Deresiewicz's concept of being an excellent sheep that has lost the power of creativity, this poem reminds me that it is a continuous striving (at least for me) to focus on the truly important things.

What kind of life do you really want to be living? What kind of life has meaning for you? And if you have children, and even, like me, have ones thinkinga about college, what kind of life should they be thinking about? This was a true privilege to speak with William Deresiewicz and hear his thoughts on these questions. William Deresiewicz is an American author and essayist who has written the New York Times bestseller Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life, published May, 2024 in a 10th-anniversary edition. Some of his essays are published in his recent book The End of Solitude: Selected Essays on Culture and Society. Mr. Deresiewicz has won the Hiett Prize in the Humanities, the National Book Critics Circle’s Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing, and a Sydney Award. He taught English at both Yale and Columbia and is currently serving as an inaugural Public Fellow at American Jewish University. Here's a link to the article that introduced me to his work.

Dr. Art Papier believes we are focusing on the wrong questions in medicine, and for the best care of patients, we need augmented intelligence. Dr. Art Papier, MD is Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of VisualDx. He is a dermatologist, medical informatics expert, and Associate Professor of Dermatology and Medical Informatics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Dr. Papier graduated from Wesleyan University, the University of Vermont College of Medicine, and completed graduate medical training at the University of Rochester Medical Center. His interests span healthcare costs as related to clinical accuracy, clinical decision support systems, diagnostic error reduction, cognitive error, medical education, and empowering patients.

I didn't really know chemo brain is "real" until just recently. Dr. Todd Horowitz has done research on "chemo brain" - with the better term being "cancer-related cognitive impairments", or CRCI. CRCI is real, find out how it manifests, and what can help. (Spoiler alert: it is mental and physical exercise!) Todd Horowitz, PhD, is a prominent cognitive psychologist with a keen interest in understanding how the human mind processes visual information and the complexities of perception and attention. He has made significant contributions to our understanding of visual memory, visual search, and attentional mechanisms with over 70 peer-reviewed papers. He is currently Program Director in the Behavioral Research Program’s Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch, located in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National Cancer Institute.

There is so much that we don't know in medicine, plus there is human error, and it would be great if AI could help. Dr. Todd Horowitz is an expert in attention and research on medical image perception. We talk about what you can see in a quick glance, how computer algorithms can fail, and how best to figure out how AI can help us. Dr. Todd Horowitz, PhD, is a prominent cognitive psychologist with a keen interest in understanding how the human mind processes visual information and the complexities of perception and attention. He has made significant contributions to our understanding of visual memory, visual search, and attentional mechanisms with over 70 peer-reviewed papers. He is currently Program Director in the Behavioral Research Program’s Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch, located in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National Cancer Institute.

I've always thought that (a) book(s) can change the world. Books have definitely changed me. Picture books are a format that I got more familiar with as an adult reading to my children, and as a genre, I think they are hugely important. Dr. Krista Aronson is a psychologist whose work bridges my interest in picture books with my attempts to more fully see, hear, and feel the world around me. Dr. Krista M. Aronson, PhD is Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean of Faculty at Bates College. She researches how we come to understand constructs like race and ethnicity and how best to discuss the topic with children. She also looks at how picture books can be effectively used in such conversations. Dr. Aronson herself is a citizen of the African diaspora and helps host the Blackbird Children’s Book Festival. She has established a Diverse Book Finder, and the Diverse BookFinder's Collection Analysis Tool (CAT) can be shared with libraries in the US and on US military bases to assess what stories/races/identities are represented in a given collection. CAT link: https://cat.diversebookfinder.org/

360 degree leadership evaluations are common in the corporate world. Really thinking about the meta-skills of leadership (and learning them) is not something that I typically do in my position as a dermatologist/dermatopathologist without a formal leadership role in. my academic department. Through this conversation with my sister, whose job is to evaluate leadership skills, I more fully understand how I can improve in informal leadership positions like being a mother, teacher, mentor. 1. Ask what energizes me, and 2. Ask for feedback on what I could do more of or less of. Join me in this conversation on leadership! Dr. Susan Ko, PhD recently joined Vantage Leadership Consulting as a partner in 2023. She's applying her past experience at a venture backed high growth biotech company and her cross industry private equity work to leadership excellence at the individual, team, and organizational levels. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Brown University and pursued her Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Dr. Duje Tadin studies visual perception, and his take on what we see is that it is messy. I enjoyed hearing his thoughts on System 1 and System 2 as they relate to what we see in different domains. Dr. Duje Tadin, PhD is a neuroscientist renowned for his groundbreaking research in the field of visual perception. He is currently Professor and Chair, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and the Director of Training, Center for Visual Science, at the University of Rochester. After obtaining his doctoral degree at Vanderbilt University, Tadin delved into investigating the intricacies of human vision, focusing particularly on perceptual learning and plasticity and how the brain processes visual information and adapts to changing environments. Tadin's contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including prestigious grants and awards, solidifying his reputation as a leading authority in neuroscience.

I am still turning this over in my head, that Dr. Ricardo Nuila says the purpose of Arts and Humanities is...beauty. I have not thought of it in that way before, and he has really made me think about the role of beauty in my life, in my work, in small and big spaces of good and bad. I think this is a must listen! Dr. Ricardo Nuila, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and sees patients at Ben Taub hospital in Houston, Texas as part of the Harris Health System. Ben Taub is a safety-net hospital where the focus in on a given individual’s healthcare problem. He is also a writer, and his pieces on health disparities, politics and medicine, and art and medicine have been published in VQR, The Atlantic, The New York Times Sunday Review, The New Yorker, and The New England Journal of Medicine.

Emily Dickinson was one of the first poets that I was introduced to when I was younger, and Dr. Ricardo Nuila refers to one of her lines, Tell the truth but tell it slant. We talk about this, about nuance and context, and how that relates to algorithmania. It comes back to metacognition, gestalt vs algorithmic thinking. Dr. Ricardo Nuila, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and sees patients at Ben Taub hospital in Houston, Texas as part of the Harris Health System. Ben Taub is a safety-net hospital where the focus in on a given individual’s healthcare problem. He is also a writer, and his pieces on health disparities, politics and medicine, and art and medicine have been published in VQR, The Atlantic, The New York Times Sunday Review, The New Yorker, and The New England Journal of Medicine.

I love talking about metacognition, in hopes of improving how I think, how I diagnose, and how I learn. Dr. Smoller loves to teach and is interested in learning theory, and he has active research experience in learning/teaching visual recognition through pattern recognition, fast thinking. And yet, algorithmic thinking (slow thinking) is important, too. Our conversation is based on a lecture he gave at the recent March, 2024 International Society of Dermatopathology meeting. Don't miss this conversation! Dr. Bruce Smoller MD trained in anatomic and clinical pathology at Harvard's Beth Israel Hospital and in dermatopathology with Dr. Scott McNutt at Cornell Medical School/ New York Hospital. He has worked at Stanford University, rising to the rank of Professor of Pathology and Dermatology as well as at the University of Arkansas, where he was Chair of the Department of Pathology and the Director of Dermatopathology from 1997 to 2011. In 2011, he became Executive Vice President of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. Since 2014, he has been Professor and Chair, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Services and Professor of Dermatology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Dr. Smoller is a former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology and served as the President of the American Society of Dermatopathology, receiving the Nickel Award, which recognizes lifetime excellence in teaching, from the American Society of Dermatopathology. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the College of American Pathologists in 2022. He has written over 300 articles and has primary involvement in 18 books.

Three magic words to help conquer fear, that may also be a secret to having a long and productive career. I really enjoyed this conversation with Dr. Bruce Smoller, a giant in the field of dermatopathology and pathology. Also tune in next week for Part 2! Dr. Bruce Smoller MD trained in anatomic and clinical pathology at Harvard's Beth Israel Hospital and in dermatopathology with Dr. Scott McNutt at Cornell Medical School/ New York Hospital. He has worked at Stanford University, rising to the rank of Professor of Pathology and Dermatology as well as at the University of Arkansas, where he was Chair of the Department of Pathology and the Director of Dermatopathology from 1997 to 2011. In 2011, he became Executive Vice President of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. Since 2014, he has been Professor and Chair, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Services and Professor of Dermatology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Dr. Smoller is a former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology and served as the President of the American Society of Dermatopathology, receiving the Nickel Award, which recognizes lifetime excellence in teaching, from the American Society of Dermatopathology. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the College of American Pathologists in 2022. He has written over 300 articles and has primary involvement in 18 books.

I am always curious about how others continually improve, and Dr. Thomas Brenn gives good insights on this. Learning in whatever way works for you, getting exposure to new things in ways that you can remember, discovering true mentorship...it's definitely a fun journey. Dr. Thomas Brenn MD PhD received both his doctorate degrees in Germany. He completed postdoctoral fellowships in Genetics and Pathology at Stanford University, residency training at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and dermatopathology and soft tissue pathology fellowships with Dr. Phillip McKee and Dr. Christopher Fletcher. He has worked in the United Kingdom, Canada, as well as the US and is currently based at the University of Michigan.

I love to talk to people who are honest and confident in their honesty! Dr. Richard Carr is an internationally known expert in dermatopathology and pathology, and he speaks honestly about emotional intelligence as a muscle, recognizing our own weaknesses, and tailoring emotional intelligence to the individual. Being hypercritical can be a strength in that you think deeply about things, and it is worth hearing how he deals with hypercritical thoughts. Dr. Richard Carr trained in dermatopathology with Dr. Phillip H. McKee and Dr. Eduardo Calonje at St Thomas’ hospital and the St John’s Institute of Dermatology. He received the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) Diploma in Dermatopathology (set at expert referral level) and consults on cases throughout the United Kingdom. After being educated in Sheffield which is north of London, he started practicing in London with “big city ways”. He has now been practicing in the same community for 25 years in Warwick, England. He is a dedicated teacher, locally, nationally, and internationally. He is married with two daughters.

Dr. Ron Stotts has been meditating for decades, and he shares some of the foundational building blocks of being able to transformatively lead. Learn about "big mind", "STOP", and how to breathe. We touch on emotional intelligence, self-compassion, other compassion, and more. Dr. Ron Stotts, PhD explores what is possible for individuals, organizations, nations, and the world. He guides people into the highest levels of conscious leadership where they create a 40% percent increase in productivity and profit through creating what are referred to as “learning” or “developmental” organizations to bring out the best of all the stake holders involved. Dr. Stotts is a three-time best-selling author, has a Ph.D. in psychology, is a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic, and has been a meditation teacher for decades.

Dr. Mitesh Patel is a physician and behavioral scientist! He helped found the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit, a first for healthcare. We talk about behavioral nudges, both for healthcare and home life, and the small things that we can each do to nudge behavior. Dr. Mitesh Patel MD MBA is a physician executive and behavioral scientist. He is currently Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at Ascension , the largest non-profit healthcare system in the US. He works on strategic vision and implementation of programs to transform clinical care using behavior nudges, EHR Apps, machine learning, artificial intelligence, remote patient monitoring, and virtual care. Previously, he was the Founding Director of the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit, the world’s first behavioral design team embedded within health system.

LOOK AGAIN! A world full of colors can become gray due to habituation. Waking ourselves up to truly see the amazing things around us, as well as the problems that should be fixed, takes dishabituation. This conversation focuses on habituation and dishabituation, how they are defined, and what we can do to get life to resparkle. Cass R. Sunstein is the nation’s most cited legal scholar and is also a prolific writer of popular nonfiction. His most recent book, which he coauthored with Dr. Tali Sharot, is Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There, which will be hitting bookstores on 2/27/24. He is also the coauthor of Nudge with Dr. Richard Thaler as well as the coauthor of Noise with Drs. Daniel Kahneman and Olivier Sibony. He served in multiple different capacities in the US government and has advised the United Nations as well as the World Health Organization. He is currently the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School.

Dr. Angelina Hong wrote about love and medicine, describing “the blurry spectrum, balancing out physical, mental, and emotional pain with the immense honor of saving and cherishing human life, while simultaneously struggling to reconcile our altruistic goals with realistic but necessary human incentives.” Her writing resonates with me. Dr. Angelina Hong, MD, is currently an internal medicine resident at HCA Healthcare in Florida. She attended the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine and the University of Houston for her undergraduate degree. She is a poetess who has written about love and medicine, and in honor of Valentine’s Day, she is here today.

2023 was a tough year for me (if you've been listening, you know some of the reasons why). My memory was somewhat affected, and it was hard for me to hold things in my head (thankfully, this has gotten better). Listening back to these past episodes was a treat for me, and I hope that this compilation might help other listeners as well.

Dr. Ashley Wysong is a force of nature, and I recently had the pleasure of hearing her lecture at Yale. She seamlessly integrated practical advice in a presentation full of clinical pearls. She's learned a lot to help her be successful, and she shares some of her useful tips with me. Dr. Ashley Wysong, MD is the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Dermatology Founding Chair, Professor, and William W. Bruce MD Distinguished Chair of Dermatology. She is a nationally recognized leader, Mohs micrographic surgeon, and translational researcher. She is passionate about educating and mentoring others.

Dr. Jeffrey Cohen took a course called Mindful Medicine as a medical student, and it continues to influence him today. He learned about metacognition and cognitive biases, and he emphasizes approaching all interactions with humility, curiosity, and grace. Dr. Jeffrey M. Cohen, MD is a board-certified medical dermatologist and the Director of the Psoriasis Treatment Program at Yale School of Medicine. Graduating from Harvard Medical School, Dr. Cohen completed his dermatology residency at New York University School of Medicine. His current research focuses on skin condition epidemiology, the links between skin disorders and other medical issues, and improving the delivery of dermatologic care. He has over a hundred peer-reviewed articles and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Medical Board of the National Psoriasis Foundation.

Dr. Doolittle has a Master's in Divinity as well as an MD, and his research spans hepatitis, HIV, and wellness and burnout. He'll often ask his trainees, "How is your spirit?" It was a pleasure to talk to him about the intersection of medicine and spirituality, the inner life, how it might relate to burnout, insights on how to stave off burnout, and the connection among curiosity, wonder, and love. Dr. Benjamin Doolittle, MaDiv MD is a Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Divinity, the Director of the Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program, Medical Director of the Faculty-Resident Continuity Clinic, and a Professor of Religion and Health at Yale University. He has special expertise in addition, hepatitis C, HIV, and primary care. His research focuses on the intersection of medicine and spirituality, wellness, and burnout. Dr. Doolittle is an ordained minister and serves at New Haven’s Pilgrim Congregational Church. He is quoted as saying, “The medicine is easy, but everything else is hard,” and, “Faith offers…mystery, wonder, love – which are not illogical, but are not logical either.” More on Dr. Doolittle as well as an article on bio-psycho-social-spiritual training for trainees.

It's always instructive to hear how someone who started a movement, like that of Narrative Medicine, defines it. Listen in to how Narrative Medicine began for Dr. Charon, why narrative capacity is a better term than narrative competence, and what burnout might really mean. Dr. Rita Charon, MD PhD is a physician, literary scholar, and founder of the narrative medicine program at Columbia University. She is a Professor of Medicine and Professor of Medical Humanities and Ethics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. She has received numerous awards, including a Kaiser Faculty Scholar Award, a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Residence, a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, the Virginia Kneeland Frantz Award for Outstanding Woman Doctor of the Year, Outstanding Woman Physician of the year in 1996, the National Award for Innovation in Medical Education from the Society of General Internal Medicine in 1997, and the 2018 Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Please join me in Part 1 of my conversation with Dr. Rita Charon, where we talk about what she is reading, death, the humanities, ontology, the industrialization of medicine, and reasons to be optimistic still. Dr. Rita Charon, MD PhD is a physician, literary scholar, and founder of the narrative medicine program at Columbia University. She is a Professor of Medicine and Professor of Medical Humanities and Ethics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. She has received numerous awards, including a Kaiser Faculty Scholar Award, a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Residence, a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, the Virginia Kneeland Frantz Award for Outstanding Woman Doctor of the Year, Outstanding Woman Physician of the year in 1996, the National Award for Innovation in Medical Education from the Society of General Internal Medicine in 1997, and the 2018 Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This conversation really helped me understand why I am having more trouble understanding my own self these days. Laurie also shares how taking responsibility, but not blame or praise, and openness can help us make decisions. Dr. Laurie Ann Paul, PhD (publishes under the name L.A. Paul) is the Millstone Family Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Cognitive Science at Yale University. Her main research interests include metaphysics, cognitive science, decision theory, and the philosophy of mind. She has written several books, including one titled, Transformative Experience, in which she suggests that living “authentically” requires occasionally leaving your old self behind “to create and discover a new self.” Part of being alive is awaiting the “revelation” of “who you’ll become.”

Learn how it is that Dr. Lipoff and I ended up connecting to have this conversation! (for the impatient ones [like me], find this info at 5:44). Dr. Jules Lipoff, MD is a dermatologist practicing in northwest Philadelphia and Clinical Associate Professor (Adjunct) in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. He runs a PRIDE clinic (PRoviding Integrated Dermatology for Everyone) serving both LGBT patients and patients living with HIV for every major health system and LGBT center in the Philadelphia area. He also serves as senior subspecialist telemedicine consultant for Medecins Sans Frontieres and writes as a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. In addition to his over 100 published academic articles, his creative work includes podcasts, screenplays, short films, medical consulting for television, and beyond the Inquirer, his writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Slate, Vox, The Hill, STAT News, and JAMA.

Dr. Jason Lee has written and presented on how we think, cognitive bias in medical diagnosis, and errors in the pathologic pathway of a biopsy from clinic to final report. The latter was recently published in the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology. It is truly a pleasure to hear Dr. Lee talk with ease about errors, including his own. Dr. Jason B. Lee, MD is Professor, Director of the Jefferson Dermatopathology Center, Director of the Dermatopathology Fellowship, and Director of the Jefferson Pigmented Lesion Clinic at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. He interned at the University of California, Irvine and then did his residency and fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals. He has a recent article in the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology that focuses on error in the pathologic diagnostic pathway.

Dr. Jeremy Howick has spent his career studying evidence-based medicine as well as placebo effects. In part, this started from when he was a competitive rower, developed an allergy to a cat, and was prescribed ginger tea as a treatment. Dr. Jeremy Howick, PhD is the Director of the Stoneygate Centre for Excellence in Empathic Healthcare and a Senior Researcher at Oxford University. He is the author of Doctor You and The Philosophy of Evidence-Based Medicine as well as a book released November 14, 2023, The Power of Placebos: How the Science of Placebos and Nocebos Can Improve Health Care.He obtained his PhD from the London School of Economics.

Many of the guests on this podcast have emphasized the importance of awareness. Awareness of how we think can help improve how we think. Awareness of implicit bias can improve how we implement our true values. Awareness of emotions can improve how we react or don't react to different situations. I find awareness difficult to cultivate, and I have always admired Dr. Earl Glusac's ability to be present, calm, and steady. Dr. Glusac has been meditating regularly since 2005 (as well as when he was younger), and he shares his view on meditation as well as tips for a productive career in academic medicine. Dr. Earl J. Glusac, MD is a distinguished dermatopathologist and esteemed professor at Yale University School of Medicine. He has actively shaped the field through his roles on various medical board. He has served the American Boards of Pathology and Dermatology and the editorial boards of the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology and the American Journal of Dermatopathology; he was program director and president of the American Society of Dermatopathology, and he is an author for the World Health Organization’s Classification of Tumours of the Skin. He attended Michigan State University for his medical degree, spent time in California for his residency training as well as dermatopathology fellowship, and has spent the majority of his dermatopathology career at Yale. Much of his research relates to the problem of overdiagnosis, especially as related to benign lesions that mimic malignant melanoma.

Dr. Doris Day tells a powerful personal story that she carries with her, a story that has motivated her to get a degree in journalism before becoming a doctor. Together, we explore emotional intelligence, metacognition, and deliberate practice. We end up at self-compassion and the phrase, "but I still love you"! Dr. Doris Day, MD is a Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at New York University Langone Medical Center, is director of Day Dermatology and Aesthetics on the Upper East side of Manhattan, and also hosts Doctor Radio on SiriusXM radio. A Columbia University graduate in English Literature, she completed a master's in journalism and science reporting at New York University. After earning her MD at Downstate Medical School in New York, she became Chief Resident during her dermatology residency at Cornell University College of Medicine. Dr. Day is an author of four books and a clinical monograph on hyperpigmentation. As a wife and mother of two adult children and now new grandmother, she values family time, travel, educating herself and others and reading. You can find her on Instagram @drdorisday.

Join Dr. Waters and host Christine Ko in this insightful conversation that delves into the emotional and human side of healthcare, offering guidance for both patients and healthcare providers. Discover practical tips for developing and teaching empathy to healthcare professionals and the positive impact it can have on patient care. Learn about the challenges patients face when navigating the complex healthcare system and how having an informed advocate can make a significant difference. Explore the joy and humanism in the field of medicine as Dr. Waters shares his passion for the profession. Discover the therapeutic benefits of writing as a form of self-expression and reflection for healthcare professionals, and how it can contribute to their overall well-being. Dr. Daniel J. Waters, DO, MA, retired in 2019 after three decades as a cardiothoracic surgeon and medical educator. He graduated from Rowan SOM and earned his advanced writing degree from Lenoir-Rhyne University. He is the author of six novels and numerous published scientific papers, stories, essays, poems and opinion pieces spanning more than 40 years. In 2019, he received the Charles L. Ballinger Distinguished Osteopathic Surgeon Award from the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. He has also received writing awards, including the Nancy Pearl Award for Best Book for his title, Ship Bottom Blues, as well as first place in Creative Nonfiction/memoir for his piece, “Breathe for Me”, by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Annular Literary Contest.

This episode provides a valuable perspective on imposter syndrome, emotional intelligence, and personal growth within the medical field while offering relatable insights for listeners from all walks of life. Learn about Paige Porter's inspiring journey from an athlete with a biology degree to a fourth-year medical student with aspirations in dermatology. Her experiences and path offer valuable insights into the world of medical education and career progression. Paige Porter grew up in the Metro-Atlanta area and received an athletic scholarship for soccer at the University of North Alabama where she completed a degree in biology with a minor in chemistry. She then completed an MS in Foods and Nutrition at the University of Georgia. Currently, she is a fourth-year medical student at Mercer University School of Medicine in Savannah, Georgia. She is interviewing for Dermatology residency in 2023-2024. She was originally drawn to the field of dermatology because of her family's profound skin cancer experiences. During medical school, she was astonished at the impact dermatologic pathologies can have on patients' quality of life and mental health. She has written on impostor syndrome, which is why I asked her to come on today. Link to article here.

Anyone who makes critical decisions needs to be aware of dual process theory and the heuristics we use and are subject to. Dr. Pat Croskerry, Dr. Christopher Chabris, and Dr. Itiel Dror are all experts in critical thinking about how our minds work. This episode is also available for Yale CME credit (1.0 hour). Dr. Pat Croskerry, MD PhD, is a professor in emergency medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. For the past 10 years, he has been Director, Critical Thinking Program, Division of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, at that same institution. 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 is one of the world's foremost experts in safety in emergency medicine and in diagnostic errors. He is humble, honest, and thoughtful; read this interview for more insight into his background and work in the emergency department (https://psnet.ahrq.gov/perspective/conversation-withpat-croskerry-md-phd). Other recent key links to his work include https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068044/rr-1 and The Cognitive Autopsy (https://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-Autopsy-Analysis-Medical-Decision/dp/0190088745/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UQIRFBZTX6JH&keywords=croskerry+cognitive+autopsy&qid=1648025342&sprefix=%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-1). Dr. Christopher Chabris, PhD is one of the originators of a famous psychology experiment (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo); he is currently Professor and Co-director of the Behavior and Decision Sciences Program at Geisinger Health System. His book with Daniel Simons, The Invisible Gorilla (link: http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/) is a bestseller that goes into much greater depth on the everyday illusions of attention, memory, confidence, knowledge, cause, and potential; as well as the myth of intuition. Dr. Itiel Dror PhD is a senior cognitive neuroscience researcher at the University College London. He received his PhD in Psychology at Harvard University. He researches information processing involved in perception, judgment, and decision-making. Dr. Dror has dozens of research publications, which have been cited over 10,000 times. His academic theoretical work is complemented with applied worked in healthcare, policing and aviation --to improve human training and decision making. More information and publications are available here. Links to some papers: 1) Short piece from Science, 2) A bit more 'meat' explaining bias sources & fallacies, 3) A 'solution' too, and 4) 'Hot off the press', just published, a new paper on forensic pathology decisions.

The Cognitive Autopsy: A Root Cause Analysis of Medical Decision Making

Hopefully we are all lucky to know the feeling of being lit up. Dr. Ed Vessel studies how neural networks in the brain light up when we are aesthetically moved. I think of this as a type of awe or wonder - when we experience being moved in this way, our so-called "default mode network" becomes very active. The default mode network is generally suppressed unless we are being introspective. Activating this default mode network via experiencing deeply moving artwork can perhaps be a source of renewal, with relevance to living healthfully. Dr. Edward Vessel, PhD is the Eugene Surowitz Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, City College of New York, The City University of New York. Previously, he was a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Germany. He has also spent time as a Fellow, Professor, and Scientist at New York University. He studied under Irving Biederman at The University of Southern California for his PhD in Neuroscience and obtained his undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science with Honors at The Johns Hopkins University. He researches neuroaesthetics and how self-relevant visual art impacts emotion and cognition in a positive way. He has written about his work in American Scientist.

I loved talking to Ellen because her research seems to so nicely cover both System 1 and System 2 thinking - how small feelings should influence us and at the same time how actual numbers and thinking about numbers should also influence us. Dr. Ellen Peters, PhD is the Philip H. Knight Chair and Professor and Director, Center for Science Communication Research, at the University of Oregon. Dr. Peters is an academic expert in decision making and the science of communication. She researches how people judge and decide and how communication can improve healthcare decisions. She has researched how emotions and number abilities link to human judgment and decision making. She is interested in how numeracy (number ability) can improve decision making. She is the author of Innumeracy in the Wild: Misunderstanding and Misusing Numbers.

As an aside, learn why Dr. Bhan is now Mr. Bhan! Mr. Kavyansh Bhan has written a review article on emotional intelligence and good medical practice, and he talks with me about what he has learned about emotional intelligence through writing the article and through practicing. Mr. Kavyansh Bhan is training in Orthopaedic Surgery at Bart’s Hospital in London.

This special three-episode bundle is available for continuing medical education credit, if desired. Dr. Marie Angele Theard, Dr. Kyle Harwell, Dr. Jong Sung Yoon, and Dr. David Caruso speak about the growth mindset and courage and curiosity, deliberate practice of skills, and emotions as data. We can use deliberate practice to interrogate and develop courage and curiosity rather than fear and shame. Dr. Marie Angele Theard, MD, is an anesthesiologist with over 20 years of experience in the field of neuroanesthesiology. She was educated at the University of Illinois where she also completed her residency, and she then went on to complete a fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Theard is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and is a member of The Society of Education in Anesthesia, American Society of Anesthesiologists, and she is on the Board of Directors of the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care. She is currently a neuroanesthesiologist in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington, and an Associate Director of the Education Training Core at Harborview Injury Prevention Center in Seattle, WA. She has a very well-written article on the growth mindset (10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100972). Dr. Jong-Sung Yoon PhD is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of South Dakota. He received his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Florida State University in 2015, during which time he overlapped a little bit with Kyle. He has both an MA and BA degrees from Yonsei University in South Korea. His research interests include memory, cognitive aging, human factors, and the development of expertise. Dr. Kyle Harwell, received his MA from Florida State University and his PhD in Cognitive Psychology. His undergraduate degree is from the University of West Florida. Both doctors Yoon and Harwell are grounded in the study of expert performance, the essence of deliberate practice, and applying the ideas of deliberate practice and the expert performance approach to the study of human performance in various fields, including in healthcare. Dr. David Caruso, PhD, is a management psychologist who develops and conducts emotional intelligence training around the world. He co-authored the Mayer, Salovey, Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test; he co-wrote several books including The Emotionally Intelligent Manager with Dr. Peter Salovey and A Leader’s Guide to Solving Challenges with Emotional Intelligencewith Lisa Rees. He has been an executive coach to leaders around the world.

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The Emotionally Intelligent Manager: How to Develop and Use the Four Key Emotional Skills of Leadership

It is always refreshing to be reminded that it is not easy to learn communication skills, and leaning in vs. out in the workplace is easier if you can be authentically yourself. Dr. Samantha Dodson and I talk about these concepts as well as the importance of having relationships that can help you grow. Samantha Dodson, PhD received her doctorate in Management from the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. She researches how employees’ cognitions and emotions affect their interpersonal outcomes as regards interpersonal distress (e.g. discrimination), social effects of gender stereotypes, and understanding suffering at work. Her undergraduate degree is from Brigham Young University. She is currently at the Montalbano Centre for Responsible Leadership Development in the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. She has written on why women don't lead. For more on Dr. Dodson, visit her website. For more on the "lean in" concept, Dr. Dodson recommends this article.

The theme from the last 20 episodes is togetherness. We all need meaningfulness, and while meaning can come from work or outside work, those of us lucky enough to find meaning in work last longer in that work if we work together. Emotions become important in the workplace because they help bond us together, create trust, understanding, and meaning. I send thanks out to all the guests who have been willing to talk to me about emotions, meaning, burnout, and how we think.

I am interested in being able to think better, and at my department's recent retreat, we took the Neethling Brain Instrument, which assesses thinking preferences. There are different quadrants, left vs right brain - cognitive vs. affective. Laurie Zorn helped teach us about the Neethling Brain Instrument as well as our thinking preferences and whole brain thinking. I wanted to learn more, and Laurie was willing to speak with me here! Laurie Zorn is an executive coach and leadership strategist with expertise in the Neethling Brain Instrument, a tool that measures thinking preferences and can give insight into an individual or a team's style of thinking. She specializes in helping leaders who work in complex environments quickly focus on key issues and make intentional decisions toward their goals with more ease. She brings two decades of experience in organizational strategy, talent development and transformation across a wide range of industries and companies from startups to Fortune 100s around the globe. She has an MBA from Columbia Business School, a BS from Boston University and has coaching certification from both Columbia University as well as the International Coaching Federation. She is a Licensed NBI® Consultant and can be reached at laurie@lauriezorn.com.

We often think more choice is better, individuals should only decide for themselves, and a bigger paycheck is motivating. Dr. Barry Schwartz has researched and written about these things, indicating that choice can actually be paralyzing, practical wisdom needs to be tailored to individuals, and most people are more satisfied when work gives meaning, not just money. We also touch on maximizing vs satisficing and why a good challenge is to be a satisficer regarding more decisions. Dr. Barry Schwartz, PhD is an emeritus professor of psychology at Swarthmore College and a visiting professor at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley. He has spent fifty years thinking and writing about the interaction between economics, psychology, and morality. He has written several books that address aspects of this interaction, including The Battle for Human Nature, The Costs of Living, The Paradox of Choice, Practical Wisdom, and most recently, Why We Work. Dr. Schwartz has written for sources as diverse as The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Slate, Scientific American, The New Republic, the Harvard Business Review, and the Guardian. He has spoken four times at the TED conference, and his TED talks have been viewed by more than 25 million people.

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less

Why We Work (TED Books)

Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing

Many consider it unprofessional to express emotions, particularly one like grief, in the workplace. Dr. Ellie Stillwell researches work and nonwork relationships and the emotions that are involved, including grief. Grief is a signal of caring, and we touch on how less grief can perhaps be detrimental in terms of less caring and more burnout. Dr. Ellie Stillwell, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Management in the Department of Management at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She obtained her PhD in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota and was previously a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Management and Organizational Development Group at Northeastern University. She has expertise in employee mental health, stress, well-being, organizational culture, identity, and inclusion. She has written on the effects of grief and compassionate action at work. In addition to grief as an emotion, she also is interested in gratitude, pride, envy, and remorse.

This is a continuation of my conversation with Dr. Stephanie Preston, and she covers what she means by an altruistic urge (we are hardwired to help when someone is clearly vulnerable, there isn't high risk, we have the skill, and we know we can make a difference). The bystander effect and burnout can be combatted by understanding this altruistic urge and recognizing that it is not empathy that leads to burnout but rather a lack of controllability. Dr. Stephanie Preston is a researcher of emotions and decision making, and she talks about how not displaying emotion is also a type of emotional contagion and is likely a consequence of the fact that we don't want to transmit out-of-control or negative emotions in a professional setting. It's a fascinating peek into altruism, empathy, and feelings. Dr. Stephanie D. Preston, PhD is Professor of Psychology and University of Michigan Faculty Ombuds. She received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research is on the interface between emotion and decision making, focusing on how people process others’ emotions and how this affects offerings of help and on how people allocate resources. She has written a book titled, The Altruistic Urge: Why We’re Driven to Help Others.

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"Sports hysteria" is a type of emotional contagion, where fans of the same team are all carried away by the same emotion. Dr. Stephanie Preston is a researcher of emotions and decision making, and she talks about how not displaying emotion is also a type of emotional contagion and is likely a consequence of the fact that we don't want to transmit out-of-control or negative emotions in a professional setting. It's a fascinating peek into altruism, empathy, and feelings. Dr. Stephanie D. Preston, PhD is Professor of Psychology and University of Michigan Faculty Ombuds. She received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research is on the interface between emotion and decision making, focusing on how people process others’ emotions and how this affects offerings of help and on how people allocate resources. She has written a book titled, The Altruistic Urge: Why We’re Driven to Help Others.

Bottom line (spoiler alert!): You just have to say no! Start with one time...and go from there. Saying no is important to combatting the system problem of burnout while we wait for the system to make changes. I (and others I know, especially in academia) have trouble saying no, and starting small with one thing does help. Dr. Schukow also recently wrote an article related to his intern year (in press) and feeling the symptoms of burnout - important for all trainees and those past training to do the work of such self-reflection. Dr. Casey P. Schukow, DO is currently in his first year of pathology residency training at Corewell Health in Royal Oak, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Prior to that, he attended Hillsdale College and played football (defensive line unit), graduating in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. He is a Co-Ambassador for the Pathology Outreach Program, reaching out to students before medical school to increase awareness of pathology as a discipline. He is also an Ambassador for Knowledge In, Knowledge Out (or KiKo), where he promotes digital pathology, social media, and medical education.

A lot of the topics that are covered in this podcast are things that I never learned in medical school or training, and yet concepts that I think are very useful as a physician, mother, and person. Dr. Whang listens in every week, and as a surgeon, the concept that he has found most useful is emotional intelligence - that emotions can be used as a source of strength. Dr. Whang agrees with me that the podcast topics are universal enough for physicians of different specialties that, for the first time ever, listening to this episode and reflecting on the ideas can earn you CME. This CME experience is powered by CMEfy – an AI-powered platform that directs learners along a pathway to capture reflections at the point of inspiration, point of care. Clinicians may earn CME/CE credit via ReflectCE, the accredited activity portal. click here to reflect and earn credits:https://earnc.me/kVhrSK. Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info. Dr. Peter Whang, MD is an Associate Professor in the Yale Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation. He attended Harvard University for his undergraduate degree in biochemistry and Duke University School of Medicine. We first met during our internships at the University of California, Los Angeles, where Dr. Whang also completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery. We actually shared a patient named Mrs. Hip, who had broken her hip. He completed fellowship in neurosurgical spinal surgery at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA.

Dr. Gigerenzer explains to me how to make better decisions under uncertainty via use of heuristics, intuition, and narratives. Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer, PhD is Director of the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at the University of Potsdam, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg and partner of Simply Rational - The Institute for Decisions. He is former Director of the Center for Adaptive Behavior and Cognition (ABC) at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and at the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research in Munich, Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago and John M. Olin Distinguished Visiting Professor, School of Law at the University of Virginia. Awards for his work include the AAAS Prize for the best article in the behavioral sciences, the Association of American Publishers Prize for the best book in the social and behavioral sciences, the German Psychology Award, and the Communicator Award of the German Research Foundation. His award-winning popular books Calculated Risks, Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious, and Risk Savvy: How to Make Good Decisions have been translated into 21 languages. His academic books include Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart, Rationality for Mortals, Simply Rational, and Bounded Rationality (with Reinhard Selten, a Nobel Laureate in economics). In Better Doctors, Better Patients, Better Decisions (with Sir Muir Gray) he shows how better informed doctors and patients can improve healthcare while reducing costs.

Risk Savvy: How to Make Good Decisions

Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious

I was confused about "heuristics"! It is always so exciting when I learn something new that makes things clearer to me. According to Dr. Gigerenzer, heuristics are NOT the same as cognitive bias. Cognitive bias describes PAST behavior, often in situations of so-called "risk" (the economic term) (that actually means that all variables are known). Heuristics guide what can be DONE in the FUTURE and are helpful in situations of uncertainty. Dr. Gigerenzer is an international expert on judgments under uncertainty, and this is part 1 of my conversation with him on heuristics. Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer, PhD is Director of the Harding Center for Risk Literacy at the University of Potsdam, Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg and partner of Simply Rational - The Institute for Decisions. He is former Director of the Center for Adaptive Behavior and Cognition (ABC) at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and at the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research in Munich, Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago and John M. Olin Distinguished Visiting Professor, School of Law at the University of Virginia. Awards for his work include the AAAS Prize for the best article in the behavioral sciences, the Association of American Publishers Prize for the best book in the social and behavioral sciences, the German Psychology Award, and the Communicator Award of the German Research Foundation. His award-winning popular books Calculated Risks, Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious, and Risk Savvy: How to Make Good Decisions have been translated into 21 languages. His academic books include Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart, Rationality for Mortals, Simply Rational, and Bounded Rationality (with Reinhard Selten, a Nobel Laureate in economics). In Better Doctors, Better Patients, Better Decisions (with Sir Muir Gray) he shows how better informed doctors and patients can improve healthcare while reducing costs.

Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious

Risk Savvy: How to Make Good Decisions

I initially misinterpreted Dr. Goodale's research on the duplex account of high-level vision (listen to hear how), and yet his insights into visual perception are fascinating. We also touch on gas lighting (not gaslighting) and how that relates to visual perception of form; ultimately, it is humbling to recognize that there is much that physicians don't know (and didn't know) about neuroanatomy, physiology, and pathomechanisms of disease. Dr. Melvyn Alan Goodale, PhD, FRSC, FRS is a Canadian neuroscientist. He is a Distinguished University Professor and the founding Director of the Brain and Mind Institute at the University of Western Ontario. He holds appointments in the Departments of Psychology, Physiology & Pharmacology, and Ophthalmology at Western. Goodale's research focuses on the neural substrates of visual perception and visuomotor control; his research has demonstrated that visual perception is functionally independent of the visual control of action. He developed the “duplex” account of high-level vision with his colleague, David Milner. He was awarded the Donald O. Hebb Distinguished Contribution Award (CSBBCS) in 1999, the Hellmuth Prize for Scientific Achievement (Western) in 2007, and the Richard C. Tees Award for Distinguished Leadership (CSBBCS) in 2008. He is the author of Sight Unseen: An exploration of conscious and unconscious vision, 2nd edition.

It is much easier for us to have compassion for others as compared to self-compassion. Dr. Yu Tse Heng studies self-compassion and humannizing the workplace, and her research supports that self-compassion helps promote other compassion, and vice versa. Speaking with Yu Tse has made me even more willing to be self-compassionate; maybe the same will be the case for listeners. Dr. Yu Tse Heng, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce. She received her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Her research program uncovers ways in which we can humanize the workplace by acknowledging, appreciating, and wherever possible, harnessing employees' full humanity. She has been awarded the William H. Newman All-Academy Best Dissertation Award (2022) and was runner-up for the Organization Science/INFORMS Dissertation Proposal Competition (2020). Yu Tse's popular press writing has been published in Harvard Business Review and Harvard Business Publishing (Education). Her work has also been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Financial Times, and CNBC Make It.

Shame is overrated, according to Dr. Towery, who recently won the 2022 Shame Attacking World Championship! Dr. Towery also goes over mindset shifts as related to the growth mindset, and how thoughts shape feelings as well as behaviors. Dr. Jacob Towery, MD is Adjunct Clinical Faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine. He has been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post. He received his Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Duke University and then attended the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He completed residency as well as a fellowship in adolescent psychiatry at Stanford Hospital and Clinics. He is extensively trained in TEAM-CBT and is the author of The Anti-Depressant Book. He is also the winner of the 2022 Shame Attacking World Championship.

The Anti-Depressant Book: A Practical Guide for Teens and Young Adults to Overcome Depression and Stay Healthy

Dr. Irwin Braverman conceptualized visits to an art museum and observation of an unknown painting as a useful visual exercise for doctors to improve observational skills. He touches on the backstory behind this program, what he thinks emotional intelligence is, why he doesn't think it can be taught, and having no regrets. Dr. Irwin Braverman, MD is Professor Emeritus of Dermatology at Yale University. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and his MD from Yale University in 1955 and trained as an intern, resident, and fellow at Yale as well as Yale-New Haven Hospital and Medical Center. He is board certified in dermatology as well as dermatopathology. He retired from being a full-time faculty member in the Department of Dermatology in 2010 after 48 years of service. His research focused on the cutaneous microcirculation, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and aging. He is the author of Skin Signs of Systemic Disease.

Dr. Vinh Chung continues our conversation on inspirational leadership, the barriers that physicians often face in leading well, and acts of service. Dr. Vinh Chung, MD is a dermatologist and Mohs surgeon who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. He obtained a BA in biology at Harvard University and earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He was a Fulbright Scholar and also earned a Master’s of Theology from the University of Edinburgh. He received the Theodore Tromovitch Award from the American College of Mohs Surgery as well as the Young Investigator’s Award from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. He has written a memoir titled, Where the Wind Leads, and has a recent article in Practical Dermatology on moral injury and burnout. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and four children.

Where the Wind Leads: A Refugee Family's Miraculous Story of Loss, Rescue, and Redemption

Dr. Vinh Chung introduces me to the concept of moral injury and how that leads to physician burnout. He also begins to talk about leadership that goes beyond power and authority to a place of trust and inspiration. Dr. Vinh Chung, MD is a dermatologist and Mohs surgeon who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. He obtained a BA in biology at Harvard University and earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He was a Fulbright Scholar and also earned a Master’s of Theology from the University of Edinburgh. He received the Theodore Tromovitch Award from the American College of Mohs Surgery as well as the Young Investigator’s Award from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. He has written a memoir titled, Where the Wind Leads, and has a recent article in Practical Dermatology on moral injury and burnout. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and four children.

Where the Wind Leads: A Refugee Family's Miraculous Story of Loss, Rescue, and Redemption

Compassion is one of the words that is variably defined, depending on who you talk to, and this is true in psychology vs. business/management circles. In this episode, Dr. Kira Schabram talks about compassion as a process of noticing, empathizing, and DOING. She also covers what it means for compassion to be a muscle, and how self-compassion and other compassion actually are working that SAME muscle. Dr. Kira Schabram, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia, her Masters of Science from Concordia University, and both a Bachelors of Science and Bachelors of Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Her academic expertise centers on compassion, meaningful work, and teamwork. Here are links to two different articles about her work, one on burnout and one on meaningful work.

I last spoke with Dr. Michi Shinohara on burnout, and this episode delves into burnout and how self-care vs. other care can be a remedy for the particular symptoms of burnout: exhaustion, inefficacy, and cynicism. Dr. Kira Schabram, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia, her Masters of Science from Concordia University, and both a Bachelors of Science and Bachelors of Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Her academic expertise centers on compassion, meaningful work, and teamwork. Here are links to two different articles about her work, one on burnout and one on meaningful work.

A "calling" is defined as something that gives you personal, social, or moral significance. For me, and for many physicians, the practice of medicine is a calling. Those in pursuit of a calling generally are on one of three different paths: the identity path, the contribution path, and the practice path. Dr. Kira Schabram goes over her research in this area and talks about why the practice path is the one to be on. Dr. Kira Schabram, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia, her Masters of Science from Concordia University, and both a Bachelors of Science and Bachelors of Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Her academic expertise centers on compassion, meaningful work, and teamwork. Here are links to two different articles about her work, one on burnout and one on meaningful work.

I love Dr. Heymann's concept of a red file and a sunshine file - listen in to hear how the red file relates to deliberate practice! I also appreciate how he recites the Maimonedes prayer about every 3 months, and his insight into growing emotional intelligence over a lifetime. Dr. Warren R. Heymann, MD is Head of the Division of Dermatology as well as a Professor of Dermatology and of Pediatrics at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University where he was named a Master Educator in 2015. He attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine, did his internship at Bellevue-NYU Medical Center and his residency in dermatology at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA. He completed a dermatopathology fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he remains a Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine. He is the editor of DermWorld Insights and Inquiries, co-Editor of the textbook Treatment of Skin Diseases, and serves as a Director of the American Board of Dermatology. He is a past editor of Dialogues in Dermatology and has a column on “A Clinician’s Perspective” in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. He received the inaugural Practitioner of the Year Award from the Philadelphia Dermatological Society in 2011. He has also received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 from the Medical Dermatology Society and the Thomas G. Pearson Memorial Education Achievement Award from the American Academy of Dermatology in 2019.

This is a summary of the connections among all the conversations I've had in the last few months. This is for YOU! if you are short on time and have missed listening in. The ultimate message is that together we can change the existing cultures and systems around us, for the better.

Listen in as Tim talks about flexibility, bread, overdiagnosis and shame. Dr. Timothy McCalmont is Professor Emeritus of the Departments of Pathology and Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco. He was Co-Director of the UCSF Dermatopathology Service for 25 years as well as the Editor of the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology. His BS in Biochemistry and MD are from Iowa State University, he attended medical school at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, and his residency in anatomic pathology was completed at Wake Forest University Medical Center. He subsequently started residency training in dermatology at UCSF, where he did his dermatopathology fellowship training as well. He is internationally renowned for his diagnostic skills that span the breadth of dermatopathology. Dr. McCalmont is currently a dermatopathology consultant in the private sector at Golden State Dermatology Associates, active on Twitter @mccalmo, and on KiKo.

Greed should not be a factor in patient care, and yet more and more it seems to be. Dr. Donald Berwick has a wonderful article titled Salve Lucrum in JAMA, and I highly recommend it. He touches on how his father inspired and inspires him, the importance of community and connection, and the small steps we can take to fight greed. Dr. Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP, is President Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. He is former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Trained as a pediatrician by background, he has taught at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, and he has served on the staffs of Boston's Children's Hospital Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Brigham and Women's Hospital. He was Vice Chair of the US Preventive Services Task Force, the first "independent member" of the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees, and Chair of the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Institute of Medicine. Recognized as a leading authority on health care quality and improvement, Dr. Berwick has received numerous awards for his contributions, including from the British National Health Service in 2005, when he was appointed "Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire" by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Dr. Berwick is the author or co-author of over 160 scientific articles and six books. He currently serves as lecturer in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School.

If you are like me and are not totally familiar with the difference between narrative and medical listening, listening to this episode can make a difference in how patients are listened to. There is a difference between the medical story and the patient story, although they are closely intertwined. Dr. Johanna F. Shapiro, PhD was Director of the Program in Medical Humanities & Arts, in the Department of Family Medicine, at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. She is a Professor Emerita in Family Medicine. She received her PhD from Stanford University. Her research interests have been focused on the patient narrative and the doctor-patient relationship, communication skills, and literature and medicine. She has written extensively on teaching empathy in medical education. She is also a poet, and here is a link to one of her powerful poems.

Join me in a conversation with Dr. Johanna Shapiro, in which we talk about emotions and the importance of empathy and humanizing both patients and doctors. Dr. Johanna F. Shapiro, PhD was Director of the Program in Medical Humanities & Arts, in the Department of Family Medicine, at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. She is a Professor Emerita in Family Medicine. She received her PhD from Stanford University. Her research interests have been focused on the patient narrative and the doctor-patient relationship, communication skills, and literature and medicine. She has written extensively on teaching empathy in medical education. She is also a poet, and here is a link to one of her powerful poems.

Join me in my conversation with Dr. Rebecca Miller who has extensive experience in the healthcare arena, both as a highly trained psychiatrist and as a patient. We touch on a trip to the Pyrenees, parenthood, and cogntive bias as pertaining to the misdiagnosis of early onset Parkinson's disease. Dr. Rebecca Miller, PhD attended Barnard College-Columbia University as an undergraduate, received an MA and PhD at Long Island University in Clinical Psychology, and completed pre- and post-doctoral training at Yale University School of Medicine. She has received the Goldberg Leadership in Education from the American Psychological Association in 2019, and she is currently an Associate Professor Psychiatry as well as the Director of Peer Support and Family Initiatives at the Connecticut Mental Health Center. She is a strong believe in the power of the patient voice and has written on the lived experience with Parkinson’s disease as well as the lived experience of safe disclosure for mental health professionals. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 39 although first identified symptoms as early as age 26. For more information, visit https://www.rebeccamillerphd.com/. Links to articles on better care in the hospital, parenting with Parkinson's, and the body as public property for commentary.

It sounds overly simple, but hear why the question, How are you feeling? is so key in interactions like doctor-patient ones, but really, all of our relatinoships. An open-ended question like that can truly keep the door open on validating others' emotions, avoiding unintentionally suggesting that the way someone is feeling is not normative. Dr. Chris Cipriano is an expert in social and emotional learning and gives this tip as well as several others, to help me (and maybe you!) in every day interactions. Dr. Christina Cipriano, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the Yale Child Study Center and is the Director of Research at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Dr. Cipriano is an Applied Developmental and Educational Psychologist. Her research is focused on social and emotional learning intervention and assessment, particularly as it pertains to marginalized student and teacher populations. She has published more than 70 papers, commentaries, and reports on emotions, assessment, and social and emotional learning. She is the mother of four beautiful children and has a website drchriscip.com. Find her on Twitter @drchriscip and on linkedin.

Dr. Michael Dewsnap lends his insights as a medical educator in leadership on the role of reflection in integrating the lived experience and emotional intelligence. He addressed the hidden curriculum, and given that physician time is valuable and limited, channeling the lived experience is likely key in developing the skill of emotional intelligence. Dr. Michael Dewsnap, PhD, MSEd is the Executive Director of the Learning Environment Engagement Program in the central Office for Diversity at Texas A&M University. He is as an Instructional Assistant Professor in Humanities in Medicine in the School of Medicine. Dr. Dewsnap earned his M.S.Ed. in Educational Administration from Baylor University and his Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies with a specialization in Higher Education from Colorado State University. He teaches and is engaged in scholarly activity around leadership in medicine, especially as related to the lived experience of physicians. Dr. Dewsnap has a recent article on the lived experience of medical training and emotional intelligence.

The experience of being a patient is inextricably linked to the experience of being a doctor. Bess Siegal is one of my longest term friends (she's known me over half of my life!), and she was diagnosed with (presumed) lung cancer in 2020. We talk about the importance of tissue/pathologic diagnosis, the doctor-patient relationship, what we do with cell phone numbers (!), and how asking for help makes relationships stronger. Bess Siegal is a talented, intelligent, and savvy small business owner who has developed large-scale web applications, educational apps, and currently builds websites for authors and small businesses. She attended Princeton University, is married with three children, and founded siegalworks.com. Her recent projects include creating with her youngest an NFT collection, which when launched, will benefit causes that support play for children and resources for families and patients impacted by lung cancer. She, herself, is a stage 4 lung cancer survivor and shares her story to help others. Links to articles: Healthy Women and Lungevity.

Join me in a casual conversation with Dr. Misha Rosenbach, where we cover games, emotional intelligence, diagnosis, doing your best, and mention some great books (Think Again; Thinking, Fast and Slow; Children of Time; Stolen Focus). Dr. Misha Rosenbach, MD is Vice Chair of Education, Director of the Cutaneous Sarcoidosis and Granulomatous Disease Clinic, Dermatology Residency Program Director, and Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and in Medicine. He attended Cornell for medical school and completed dermatology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. His passions include complex medical and inpatient dermatology, and he has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles. You can find him on Twitter @MishaRosenbach.

Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

Children of Time

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Dr. Jennifer Stein is an expert in dermoscopy and diagnosis of melanocytic lesions. she is a mother as well as physician and shares her tips on continuous improvement. Dr. Jennifer Stein, MD PhD is a native New Yorker who grew up in Staten Island. She was an NYU medical student as well as dermatology resident, and she has been on the faculty at NYU Medical School since 2008. She specializes in melanoma care as well as general dermatology. Her efforts in patient care, teaching, and research were recognized in 2014, when she received the NYU School of Medicine’s Julia Zelmanovich Young Alumni Award. She is currently a Professor in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also serves as the Director of the Dermatology Medical Faculty Group Practice. You can find her on Twitter @JenniferStein MD.

Given the concept of emotions being OURS (OUtside of us, Relational, and Situational), work culture, home culture, national culture, gender culture...all of these cultural settings are relevant to how we individually do emotions. We can be more resonant with each other, and Dr. Batja Mesquita explains what this means and how we can do it. Dr. Batja Mesquita is the author of Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions. A social psychologist, an affective scientist, and a pioneer of cultural psychology, she spent much of her life in the Netherlands before moving to the United States for her postdoctoral years at the University of Michigan, where she was part of the “culture and cognition group” that played a key role in the start of cultural psychology. She subsequently worked in North Carolina at Wake Forest University. Currently, she is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Leuven, Belgium, where she studies the role of culture in emotions, and of emotions in culture and society. She directs the Center for Social and Cultural Psychology in Leuven. She has numerous honors and awards; most recently receiving the Outstanding Contribution to Advances in Cultural Psychology Award by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in 2022. You can find more information at www.batjamesquita.com.

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Emotions are OURS (OUtside of us, Relational, and Situational), rather than MINE (Mental, INside of us, and Essential; essential meaning always the same) (as in the movie Inside Out). The concept of emotions as OURS has revolutionized my thinking about emotions and how I do my emotions! Dr. Batja Mesquita is the author of Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions. A social psychologist, an affective scientist, and a pioneer of cultural psychology, she spent much of her life in the Netherlands before moving to the United States for her postdoctoral years at the University of Michigan, where she was part of the “culture and cognition group” that played a key role in the start of cultural psychology. She subsequently worked in North Carolina at Wake Forest University. Currently, she is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Leuven, Belgium, where she studies the role of culture in emotions, and of emotions in culture and society. She directs the Center for Social and Cultural Psychology in Leuven. She has numerous honors and awards; most recently receiving the Outstanding Contribution to Advances in Cultural Psychology Award by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in 2022. You can find more information at www.batjamesquita.com.

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Dr. Arnaud de la Fouchardiere is a leading expert in melanocytic lesions. His papers are always illuminating, and he has a YouTube channel dedicated to teaching, with some videos related to his Non-Artificial Intelligence in Pathology, whereby he shows a classic example and then has a video where one can channel deliberate practice and look at more examples. Dr. Arnaud de la Fouchardiere, MD PhD has received training in clinical dermatology, surgical pathology and molecular genetics. His position in the pathology lab of the cancer care hospital of Lyon, France is centered on second opinion cases limited to melanocytic tumors (>2000 cases/year). He is specialized in the molecular classification of such tumors especially in children and in rare variants. He has described a number of new entities and genetic finding in this field. You can find him on Twitter @melanopath.

Join us for Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Shapiro, where we focus more on metacognition - being aware of how you think and learn. Dr. Shapiro was mentored by Dr. Bernie Ackerman and shares some key practices he learned through that relationship. Dr. Philip E. Shapiro is a dermatopathologist and dermatologist in Meriden, Connecticut who founded Dermatopathology Laboratory of New England. He previously worked at Yale University and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including St. Francis Hospital and Yale New Haven Hospital. He received his medical degree from Albany Medical College and has been in practice for 34 years. He was formerly Director of Dermatopathology at Yale. He has numerous publications and has been a leading voice in dermatopathology throughout his career; his contributions include describing interstitial mycosis fungoides and pseudomelanocytic nests.

I've known Dr. Shapiro for more than 15 years. Join our conversation to hear about how he thinks about emotional intelligence and who thinks they have a D vs an F (not that it is a competition!)! We touch on two tennis greats, John Newcombe and Roger Federer, as well as what a ditch has to do with emotional intelligence. Dr. Philip E. Shapiro is a dermatopathologist and dermatologist in Meriden, Connecticut who founded Dermatopathology Laboratory of New England. He previously worked at Yale University and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including St. Francis Hospital and Yale New Haven Hospital. He received his medical degree from Albany Medical College and has been in practice for 34 years. He was formerly Director of Dermatopathology at Yale. He has numerous publications and has been a leading voice in dermatopathology throughout his career; his contributions include describing interstitial mycosis fungoides and pseudomelanocytic nests.

Dr. Esther Freeman started learning about outbreaks around the kitchen table! As a trained epidemiologist and dermatologist, she has become an "inadvertent" outbreak dermatologist during the COVID-19 pandemic. She shares her experience with emotions across cultures, the value of hard work in dermatology (and life), and a story about the refrigerator. Dr. Esther Freeman, MD PhD DTM&H is Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School. She is a board-certified dermatologist. She attended Dartmouth College and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine before receiving her MD from Harvard Medical School, where she also did her dermatology residency. She received her Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from the Gorgas Memorial Institute in Peru. Her research looks at HIV-associated malignancies like Kaposi sarcoma and consults for the World Health Organization.

Dr. H. Peter Soyer is a thoughtful voice in dermatology and dermatopathology who has been studying many different important issues like overdiagnosis and the utility of Fitzpatrick skin typing as a cancer risk factor. He also relates that emotional intelligence has been key throughout his career. Dr. H. Peter Soyer has over 30 years of experience in dermatology. He obtained his medical degree at the University of Graz. He has been the inaugural Chair in Dermatology at The University of Queensland since 2007. He has also been the Director of the Princess Alexandra Hospital Dermatology Department since 2008. His research areas include translational skin cancer research. He is internationally recognized and has particular expertise in dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy. He has over 600 publications and an h-index of 70 (Google Scholar). He has been awarded numerous grants, including the Medical Research Future Fund Next Generation Clinical Researchers Program Practitioner Fellowship, the NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship, and the Australian Cancer Research Foundation Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis. Here are links to some of his recent work: the Fitzpatrick scale and a call for diversity and inclusion, patient-led self-screening after a melanoma diagnosis, second opinions to reduce under- and over- calling of melanoma, and rethinking melanoma in situ and severely dysplastic nevi.

"The most important parts of life come from being able to access an emotional landscape." This quote from Brian Ferguson is in this episode, part 2 of my conversation with Brian, and if that doesn't tempt you to listen, we talk about skills that will help you be more physiologically, physically, and emotionally present. Brian Ferguson has built his career in high-performance organizations, including the military. He has continuously learned from leaders and decision-makers in US national security and technology, founding Arena Labs, a company pioneering healthcare’s first “Performance as a Solution” platform. Arena Labs brings the tools, training and technology of the world’s top performers into frontline surgical teams, ICUs and trauma environments. Brian served in the military as a Navy SEAL Officer where he deployed to Afghanistan and various parts of the Middle East. He received an MSc from The London School of Economics.

How to be a little bit less, just a little bit less, worried or stressed? Try the physiologic sigh. In Part 1 of my conversation with Brian Ferguson, we cover Brian's take on interoception, deliberate practice, and the growth mindset. Interoception is the bedrock of elite performance, according to Brian and his team at Arena Strive/Arena Labs. Interoception helps you become intentional with your attention, and deliberate practice (see episode 7) and having a growth mindset (see episodes 25 and 26) helps cultivate interoception (see episode 15). Brian Ferguson has built his career in high-performance organizations, including the military. He has continuously learned from leaders and decision-makers in US national security and technology, founding Arena Labs, a company pioneering healthcare’s first “Performance as a Solution” platform. Arena Labs brings the tools, training and technology of the world’s top performers into frontline surgical teams, ICUs and trauma environments. Brian served in the military as a Navy SEAL Officer where he deployed to Afghanistan and various parts of the Middle East. He received an MSc from The London School of Economics.

Summary episode! Some themes...CONNECT! HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS! USE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE THEM! SELF-CARE IS IMPORTANT! To save you time, if you missed any of these, each name is hyperlinked back to the relevant episodes. Thank you to Drs. Dirk Elston, Philip LeBoit, David Caruso, Henry Yang, Marie Angele Theard, Kevin Pho, Itiel Dror, Casey Schukow, Will Bynum, Gabriel Robles, Susan Ko, Ade Adamson, Robert Smith, Ian Katz, Eunice Yuen, Allison Osmond, and Thomas Helm!

If you care about work culture, having different perspectives, and the relationships in your life, listen in to Dr. Thomas Helm as he shares a bit about how he has managed to prioritize in his own life. Dr. Thomas Helm, MD has been Chair of the Department of Dermatology since 2017 and Director of Dermatopathology at Buffalo Medical Group since 1994. He received his MD from Albany Medical College and his BS from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is the author or co-author of more than 20 textbook chapters and 160-plus peer-reviewed scientific publications. He has received numerous awards for teaching excellence and is dedicated to service, including in medical missions as well as for the American Society of Dermatopathology, of which he was a past president.

I know...dialectical behavior therapy sounds complicated - but it is DBT for short, and Dr. Osmond does a great job of summarizing a key concept - wise mind being a combo of rational mind and emotion mind. This is an important concept for us all, relevant to home life and any decision-making task, including diagnostic work for physicians. DBT (first brought up to me by David Caruso in a prior episode) can also give insights into burnout (consider listening in to Michi Shinohara, if you haven't yet!). Dr. Allison Osmond is an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Osmond completed residency in Anatomic Pathology at Western University in London, Ontario Canada in 2015, followed by a Surgical Pathology Fellowship at Western, with a focus in gastrointestinal pathology. She then worked in a general Anatomical Pathology practice for one year and then completed Dermatopathology fellowship at the University of Toronto in 2018. Dr. Osmond has a keen interests include digital pathology and teaching dermatopathology to residents and medical students at the microscope and in particular via the global #dermpath Twitter community. You can find her on Twitter @redsnapperpath. Her colleague. Dr. Katelynn Campbell is on Twitter @KCampbellMD.

Emotional intelligence allows for self-compassion, which we can then extend to others. Giving ourselves permission to feel allows others around us to have permission to feel. Join me and Dr. Eunice Yuen in Part 2 of our conversation, where she talks about Yale CHATogether, which has links to the growth mindset and deliberate practice. The concept of CHATogether could apply to any relationship, not just parent-child, but also doctor-patient. Dr. Eunice Yuen, MD PhD is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry from the Yale School of Medicine and Child Study Center. She integrates clinical and research work in a bio-psycho-social cultural framework. She is interested in mental health, from genetic and neurobiological underpinnings to practical interventions and education within communities. She looks at acculturative stress, a stress common to many immigrants, affecting children and families in a cross-generational manner. Dr. Yuen is the Founder and Director of Yale Compassionate Home, Action Together (CHATogether), which is a program that uses interactive theater as an educational tool to increase wellness in Asian American families across generations.

We all have multiple identities, even if we did not move from Hong Kong to Florida at age 16 as a parachute kid, like Dr. Eunice Yuen. Dr. Yuen shares her story and how that has influenced her in her work as an adolescent psychiatrist and founder of Yale CHATogether. Navigating work and home culture can also produce acculturative stress, and this is an episode for us all. Dr. Eunice Yuen, MD PhD is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry from the Yale School of Medicine and Child Study Center. She integrates clinical and research work in a bio-psycho-social cultural framework. She is interested in mental health, from genetic and neurobiological underpinnings to practical interventions and education within communities. She looks at acculturative stress, a stress common to many immigrants, affecting children and families in a cross-generational manner. Dr. Yuen is the Founder and Director of Yale Compassionate Home, Action Together (CHATogether), which is a program that uses interactive theater as an educational tool to increase wellness in Asian American families across generations.

Dr. Ian Katz, MD is a pathologist and leading expert in skin cancer at Southern Sun Pathology, Australia’s largest dedicated skin cancer dermatopathology laboratory. Dr. Katz received his MBChB from the University of Cape Town in 1986, his BSc (Med) (Hons) from the same university in 1988, and has been a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia since 1996. Dr. Katz has many interests, including mentoring healthcare entrepreneurs, building medical practices, and teaching about skin cancer and UV exposure. You can learn more at driankatz.com and you can find him on Twitter @skincancerguru.

Have you heard of the NURS mnemonic? Dr. Robert Smith shares how to name, understand, respect, and support emotions in an empathic way. He also gives 3 other tips (silence/pausing, using open-ended questions, asking about emotion) that can help us all in our daily conversations as well as between doctor and patient. Dr. Robert C. Smith, MD, MACP is University Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry Emeritus at Michigan State University. He is an innovator in teaching and researching patient-centered communication as well as primary care mental health since 1985. Dr. Smith has 2 major textbooks being used in medical and nursing schools in the US and internationally, Smith’s Patient-Centered Interviewing: An Evidence-Based Method (4th edition, McGraw Hill, 2018)and Essentials of Psychiatry in Primary Care: Behavioral Health in the Medical Setting from McGraw-Hill in 2019. He has been interviewed and quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Ladies Home Journal, New York Times, Time, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The Today Show, and Elle. Dr. Smith has a blog in Psychology Today. He is also writing a trade book for general audiences, provisionally titled, Has Medicine Lost Its Mind? Dr. Smith also mentions a book by Dr. Robert Pearl, Uncaring. I also am grateful to Dr. Smith for having read my book, which he mentions at the end of this episode and in one of his blog posts.

Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors and Patients

There is an epidemic of overdiagnosis of malignant melanoma, a potentially deadly skin cancer. Dr. Ade Adamson speaks to why he has dedicated his career to studying this phenomenon, some of his initial feelings before the article was published, and what motivates him to continue to shed light on this problem. Dr. Adewole Adamson is a dermatologist, researcher, and advocate. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine (Division of Dermatology) and Director of the Pigmented Lesion Clinic at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. He attended Morehouse College and then earned his MD with honors at Harvard Medical School, where he also participated in the Health Sciences and Technology Program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He actively studies skin cancer, evidence-based medicine, and health policy. He is passionate about how effectively and efficiently care is delivered to patients with skin cancer. You can learn more at adeadamson.com and follow him on Twitter @AdeAdamson. Here is a link to his New England Journal of Medicine article on overdiagnosis.

I love the Alexander Hamilton song, Satisfied, particularly because of the phrase, "From your sister, who is always by your side...". Here is a conversation with my sister on two concepts in psychology, emotional intelligence and the growth mindset, that have really changed the way that I see the world. Dr. Susan J. Ko, PhD earned her Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Brown University. Over the past 20 years, a constant has been her direct work with patients, including couples, in her role as a clinical psychologist. While that was always ongoing, she has worn many hats: VP of People, executive coach, managing director; subject matter expert in areas including organizational development and culture, leadership development, performance management, training and education, recruitment and onboarding, assessment, product development, marketing, implementation, and dissemination. The consistent thread that ties all this together is her desire to hear peoples’ stories and find a way to help them address their questions, challenges, and pain by listening, hearing, and identifying tools and resources.

What is motivational interviewing? As with any skill, motivational interviewing can take time to learn (with formal evaluations including transcripts used to parse every word spoken). For this podcast episode, Dr. Robles breaks down a few of the techniques in motivational interviewing into simple things that we can all do in our relationships, including within the healthcare system. Build rapport! Self-reflect! These are basics, but if you have found them missing when you go see the doctor, Dr. Robles gives tips on how you can redirect conversations. Dr. Gabriel Robles, PhD (he/él) is Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work and the Chancellor's Scholar for Inclusive Excellence in Sexual and Gender Minority Health at Rutgers University. Dr. Robles is a clinical social worker, an experienced motivational interviewing clinician, and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. He conducts research on substance use prevention and sexual health among sexual and gender minorities (SGM). He has a strong interest in addressing health inequities among Latinx SGM populations. Dr. Robles received his PhD in social work at New York University, and his MSW and undergraduate degree in linguistics from California State University in Long Beach. Follow him on Twitter @GRoblesPhD.

There are different flavors of shame - any idea what they are? Shame, as any emotion, can be a signpost, and we can't get rid of shame completely (and maybe we don't even truly want to). But there is a type of shame that SHOULD be eliminated - Dr. Will Bynum explains this with elegance. Dr. Will Edwards Bynum, IV, MD, is an Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke University. Prior to that, he served 7 years of active duty in the US Air Force. His primary academic interest is focused on how medical learners experience self-conscious emotions such as shame, guilt, and pride across medical training. See episode 28 for more links to Dr. Bynums work. If you haven't yet, please do check out this wonderfully illustrated graphic perspective in the NEJM.

What is grief versus shame and does the difference matter? How can shame relate to a growth mindset, deliberate practice, and emotional intelligence? Dr. Will Bynum answers these questions and more. Dr. Will Edwards Bynum, IV, MD, is an Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke University. Prior to that, he served 7 years of active duty in the US Air Force. His primary academic interest is focused on how medical learners experience self-conscious emotions such as shame, guilt, and pride across medical training. In particular, Dr. Bynum’s research on shame suggests that shame may lead to negative outcomes. Importantly, shame is exacerbated by the learning environment and personal characteristics like perfectionism. Dr. Bynum has been exploring shame resilience in medical learners and providers. Here are links to several of his articles on shame: NEJM Perspective, Academic Medicine article on shame experiences in medical learners and one on triggers and effects of shame in residents, and a Medical Education article on the origins of shame in medical students.

Dr. Schukow played football for much of his life, and he experienced an identity change once he was no longer actively playing the sport. The growth mindset and vulnerability have been key to his transition from football to medicine. Dr. Casey P. Schukow, DO is currently in his first post-graduate year as a transitional year resident at ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital in Monroe, MI. He attended Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Prior to that, he attended Hillsdale College and played football (defensive line unit), graduating in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. He is a Co-Ambassador for the Pathology Outreach Program, reaching out to students prior to medical school to increase awareness of Pathology as a discipline. You can read more about Casey here.

Dr. Itiel Dror PhD is a senior cognitive neuroscience researcher at the University College London. He received his PhD in Psychology at Harvard University. He researches information processing involved in perception, judgment, and decision-making. Dr. Dror has dozens of research publications, which have been cited over 10,000 times. His academic theoretical work is complemented with applied worked in healthcare, policing and aviation --to improve human training and decision making. More information and publications are available here. Links to some papers: 1) Short piece from Science, 2) A bit more 'meat' explaining bias sources & fallacies, 3) A 'solution' too, and 4) 'Hot off the press', just published, a new paper on forensic pathology decisions.

Dr. Kevin Pho, MD is a board-certified, internal medicine physician who has been practicing medicine in Nashua, New Hampshire for 20 years. He started KevinMD in 2004, and it has grown into the leading platform for physicians and other healthcare workers to share their stories. Dr. Pho shares about his journey and the importance of the growth mindset in KevinMD, which has over 3 million monthly page views and has been cited in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Dr. Pho is an acclaimed keynote speaker, host of The Podcast by KevinMD, and co-author of the book, Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices. He attended Boston University School of Medicine.

Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices

How shame characterizes the fixed mindset and how warmth and curiosity characterize the growth mindset - this is an important conversation for everyone in medicine who has been affected by the hidden curriculum of perfectionism and other "-isms". Dr. Marie Angele Theard was educated at the University of Illinois, where she also completed residency. She went on to fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. She is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology, and she's a member of several societies in anesthesia, including the Society of Education in Anesthesia, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, as well as the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care. For that latter organization, she is on the Board of Directors. She's currently working as a neuroanesthesiologist in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington, and she's an Associate Director of the Education Training Core at Harborview Injury Prevention Center in Seattle, Washington. As you probably noted from the prior episode, if you had the chance to tune in, education is very important to Dr. Theard, and partly why she's so interested in the growth mindset and has an article written on it that I think would benefit really all physicians as well as trainees to read.

What is a "growth mindset"? What is the opposite, the so-called "fixed mindset"? How does this relate to racism and other "-isms"? Dr. Marie Angele Theard is an anesthesiologist with over 20 years of experience in the field of neuroanesthesiology. She was educated at the University of Illinois, where she also completed her residency. And then she went on to complete a fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Theard is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and is a member of the Society of Education in Anesthesia, American Society of Anesthesiologists, and she is on the Board of Directors of the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care. She is currently a neuroanesthesiologist in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington, and an Associate Director of the Education Training Corps at Harborview Injury Prevention Center in Seattle, Washington. She has a very well written article on the growth mindset. If you want to read more on the growth mindset, check out Dr. Carol Dweck's book, Mindset, or the one by the host of this podcast, How to Improve Doctor-Patient Connection: Using Psychology to Optimize Healthcare Interactions.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

How to Improve Doctor-Patient Connection: Using Psychology to Optimize Healthcare Interactions

Please excuse my voice - I recorded this towards the end of a several weeks-long illness!
Dr. HongYu (Henry) Yang has experienced many different cultures (Chinese vs US, academic vs private practice, research vs medical) and gives his advice on the importance of emotional intelligence in navigating different situations. Dr. HongYu (Henry) Yang, MD PhD is an experienced pathologist and dermatopathologist with a robust social media following. Dr. Yang was initially trained in China, finishing his MD/PhD (in Immunology) in the 1990s, did postdoctoral research in Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic for 5 years, then pursued residency/fellowship training in pathology/dermatopathology. His anatomic and clinical pathology fellowship was at the University of Missouri, Columbia; and his dermatopathology fellowship was at Mayo Clinic in 2004. He is currently a dermatopathologist and general pathologist in the Department of Pathology at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Evansville, Indiana. He has been a valued educator for many years and was awarded the James A Esterly Award for Resident Teaching at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2003 and 2004. He is one of the founding members, in 2015, and has been president of the North American Chinese Dermatologists Association since 2020.

In dermatopathology, we love our diagnostic names! Is it a "nevus with architectural disorder" or "atypical nevus" or "dysplastic nevus" or "Clark nevus"...? Similarly, in emotions research, there are distinct definitions for affect, feeling, emotion, and mood. Dr. David Caruso helps explain the gut feeling in relation to these definitions and to emotional intelligence; he refers to an important paper by Dr. Sigal Barsade. He also touches on the social emotion of shame and how shame, like any other emotion, can be used as a signal in our lives to get to the best decisions we can, or the so-called "wise mind". Dr. David Caruso, PhD, is a management psychologist who develops and conducts emotional intelligence training around the world. He co-authored the Mayer, Salovey, Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test; he co-wrote several books including The Emotionally Intelligent Manager with Dr. Peter Salovey and A Leader’s Guide to Solving Challenges with Emotional Intelligencewith Lisa Rees. He is married with 3 children and 4 grandchildren; he was raised Catholic and converted to Judaism. He has been an executive coach to leaders around the world.

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The Emotionally Intelligent Manager: How to Develop and Use the Four Key Emotional Skills of Leadership

Please excuse my voice - I recorded this towards the end of a several weeks-long illness!
What is the difference between late medieval and early Renaissance Italian painting? Dr. Philip LeBoit knows! (find out how!) (I still don't know the actual answer....) Dr. Philip LeBoit is Professor of Pathology and Dermatology as well as Division Chief of the Dermatopathology Service at the University of California, San Francisco. He founded the UCSF Dermatopathology and Oral Pathology Service in 1987. He trained in Anatomic Pathology at University of California, San Francisco and then in Dermatopathology at New York University under Dr. Bernard Ackerman and at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center under Dr. N. Scott McNutt. He has written several academic textbooks, including one of my favorites with Dr. Guido Massi, Histologic Diagnosis of Nevi and Melanoma. He was editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Dermatopathology from 1997-2006 and an associate editor of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Please excuse my voice - I recorded this towards the end of a several weeks-long illness!
Find out how we can all use dry erase boards at work to avoid "group think"! Additionally, Dr. Dirk Elston speaks to his approach to a slide and the importance of imagination - not being boxed in and enjoying the journey. Dr. Dirk Elston, MD is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston. He is a past-president of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatopathology, has served on the board of directors of the International Society of Dermatopathology and the American Board of Dermatology, and serves as the Editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Dr. Elston is a graduate of Jefferson Medical College, did his dermatology residency at Walter Reed Medical Center, and completed a dermatopathology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. He is the author of over 600 peer reviewed publications, is one of the authors of Andrews Diseases of the Skin, Associate Editor in Chief of eMedicine dermatology, and has a textbook of Dermatopathology with Dr. Tammie Ferringer that received the Highly Commended Award in the British Medical Association Medical Book Competition. He received the 2008 Walter Nickel Award for Excellence in Dermatopathology Education, the 2013 Founder’s Award of the American Society of Dermatopathology, and the 2021 Gold Medal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Please excuse my voice - I recorded this towards the end of a several weeks-long illness!
I wasn't entirely sure what I was setting out to do with this podcast, but ultimately I've been learning, connecting, and feeling more present. I hope that anyone listening in has gotten at least something out of tuning in. Reflecting on the different episodes and where to go now that I am officially at episode 20 (with a few bonus episodes thrown in), what I know so far is that there is truly a yin-yang, push-pull, paradox of emotions being unconscious vs conscious, the "gut feeling" being good vs. a negative affective bias; of deliberate practice giving a solid model of how to improve any skill vs. burnout; of mental schemas being important to avoid overwhelm vs. bias taking us away from the right diagnosis or thing to do. Here is a compilation of episodes 1-19 so far, with the transcript giving you the episode numbers, if you are so inclined to listen in (again). I hope you enjoy!

Have you ever been a patient? Do you remember any feelings of embarrassment or vulnerability? If you are a doctor, does it make sense to you that patients may feel shame? I started recently thinking about shame in medicine; this episode serves as an introduction to the topic. Professor Luna Dolezal, PhD, is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Medical Humanities at the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on three inter-related themes: (1) shame and self-conscious emotions; (2) embodiment and self-other relations; and (3) emerging medical and body-based technologies. Luna is currently the PI of the Shame and Medicine Project, an interdisciplinary research project investigating the role of shame in health and medicine. She is also the PI of the Scenes of Shame and Stigma in COVID-19 Project. She is author of the book The Body and Shame: Phenomenology, Feminism and the Socially Shaped Body(Lexington Books 2015), and the co-author of the book COVID-19 and Shame: Political Emotions and Public Health in the UK(Bloomsbury Academic 2023), which is available for pre-order. Her article, written with Dr Barry Lyons, Health-Related Shame: An Affective Determinant of Health.

We don't always get to hear the stories of the people that are around us, either in person or in social media. Dr. Pembe Oltulu has overcome many hardships, highlighting the barriers that may be in place for different individuals around the world. There is an instapath bio on Dr. Oltulu; link here. Dr. Pembe Oltulu, MD grew up in rural Turkey and is very active on social media. She lives in Konya City in Turkey. She overcame economic difficulties and attended Selcuk University Medical Faculty. She did residency at the same university. She is currently an Associate Professor of Pathology at Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine in Konya, Turkey; Twitter account @NEUniversitesi. She has four children – her eldest son is 19 years old, her eldest daughter is 17, her youngest son is 12, and her youngest daughter is 9. Her husband is an ophthalmology professor at the same institution and performs corneal transplant. You can find Dr. Oltulu on Twitter @pembeoltulu.

Hear why Christine wants to be reincarnated as a kid in Dr. Chen’s household, tips on how to teach emotional intelligence “up” any given hierarachy, and the importance of connecting with patients. Dr. Steven T. Chen, MD MPH MHPED is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School, one of several Associate Program Directors, Harvard Dermatology Program, and Co-Director of the Comprehensive Cutaneous Lymphoma Program at MGH Cancer Center. He is a dermatologist and hospitalist at MGH and Harvard Medical School. His main focus is complex medical dermatology, and he is an active member of the MGH Cancer Center’s Severe Immunotherapy Complications Service. He believes in harnessing the power of social media for medical education and is interested in improving traditional models of undergraduate and graduate medical education. You can find him on Twitter @DrStevenTChen (https://twitter.com/DrStevenTChen).

What is sex vs. gender? How visible are these? How does bias related to sex or gender play a role in medicine? I highly recommend listening in to Dr. McGregor, as everyone can make a difference. Dr. Alyson J. McGregor is a women’s health pioneer who is an expert in sex and gender differences in acute medical care. She was a Professor of Emergency Medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and is currently the Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Development and Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville. Dr. McGregor is also a Co-Founder for the national organization Sex and Gender Women’s Health Collaborative (https://sgwhc.org/). Her TEDx talk, “Why Medicine Often Has Dangerous Side Effects for Women,” (https://www.ted.com/talks/alyson_mcgregor_why_medicine_often_has_dangerous_side_effects_for_women) currently has over 1.7 million views, and she has over ninety peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals on the topic of sex and gender. She’s also the lead editor for the medical textbook, Sex and Gender in Acute Care Medicine (Cambridge University Press, 2016; https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/medicine/emergency-medicine/sex-and-gender-acute-care-medicine?format=PB).

“Medical gaslighting” of women and other groups has been described in popular media. As a physician, I never want to think that I am gaslighting, or purposefully dismissing, patients and their concerns. From a sociological perspective, medical decision-making has built-in bias or schemas or mental representations, and there are entire systems around this that need to be addressed for more equitable care. Listen in to a sociological analysis of medical decision-making and how more awareness of bias within systems can be beneficial. Dr. Karen Luftey Spencer, MA PhD is a Professor of Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver. She researches medical decision making, health disparities, and patient-provider relationships. She received her BA in Sociology/Anthropology from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1993, and her MA and PhD in Sociology from Indiana University in 1995 and 2000. She was recently quoted in a NYT article titled, “Women Are Calling Out ‘Medical Gaslighting’” (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/well/live/gaslighting-doctors-patients-health.html). Link to her article on social foundations of health care inequality and treatment bias https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karen-Spencer-5/publication/303482505_Social_Foundations_of_Health_Care_Inequality_and_Treatment_Bias/links/57ffd3a308aec3e477eac646/Social-Foundations-of-Health-Care-Inequality-and-Treatment-Bias.pdf.

What is a gut feeling? Should we trust it? There actually is a neuroanatomic basis for the so-called gut feeling – gut feelings exist and making decisions based on gut feelings is generally advantageous. Learn how gut feelings differ from emotions and how the state of the body influences the brain. Dr. Antoine Bechara, PhD is a Professor Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Southern California. Dr. Bechara received his doctorate from the University of Toronto and completed a fellowship in Behavioral Neurology from the University of Iowa. Dr. Bechara has published over 400 papers and has a Google Scholar H-index of 113. His research focuses on understanding the neural processes behind human decision-making and choices. Along with Dr. Antonio Damasio and Hanna Damasio, Dr. Bechara studied decision-making of patients with injury to the prefrontal cortex, ground-breaking work on the neuroanatomy behind emotion, and how emotion influences cognition. He has used the somatic marker hypothesis to show the relationship between emotion, decision-making, and memory; here is a link to one of his articles 10.1093/cercor/10.3.295).

Popular media suggests that emotional intelligence (EQ) is more important than IQ, and this conversation with Dr. Amy Paller gives insight into why this might be true. Dr. Paller says she uses emotional intelligence every day in all her interactions as a leader, mentor, researcher, and doctor. Listen for some practical tips, insights, and encouragement. Amy Paller, MD is Chair of the Department of Dermatology; Director, Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-Based Center; Walter J. Hamlin Professor of Dermatology; and a Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University. She is an internationally recognized leader in dermatology, pediatrics, and research in skin disease directed at translating findings toward new therapies. She has specific expertise in ichthyoses and epidermolysis bullosa, as well as immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. She has led more than 100 clinical trials and has published more than 600 peer-reviewed research articles. Her lab is on Twitter @paller_lab.

What are 3 golden rules of clinical care? And what really drives Dr. John McGrath, who has received numerous awards, including the exclusive and prestigious Fothergill Gold medal by the London Medical Society? The answers might surprise you. This conversation also touches on the ethos of medicine. Dr. John McGrath is Head of Department, St John’s Institute of Dermatology. He is Professor of Molecular Dermatology and head of the Genetic Skin Disease Group. He qualified from Guy’s Hospital in 1985, having trained in dermatology and dermatopathology at St. John’s Institute of Dermatology in London. He is a recent President of the European Society for Dermatological Research, serves on the editorial board of 9 international journals, and is the section editor for genetics for the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. He has published over 400 manuscripts, including reports of mutations in Nature Genetics. His group discovered mutant genes in lipoid proteinosis, Kindler syndrome, AEC syndrome, OC syndrome and many others. Read more about Dr. McGrath at https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/john-mcgrath.

About 50% of doctors have burnout, and burnout is increasing among dermatologists. Pathologists have been reported to have the least amount of burnout. In this episode, Dr. Michi Shinohara shares how you can recognize burnout, some steps to take to combat it, and the importance of letting go. Dr. Michi Shinohara is Associate Professor, Associate Chief of Dermatology, and Director of Dermatopathology in the Division of Dermatology at the University of Washington. She attended Reed College in Oregon, starting as an art major before majoring in chemistry. She got her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine. She has completed both an internal medicine and dermatology residency, and her dermatopathology fellowship was completed at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Shinohara runs the Cutaneous Lymphoma Clinic at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Her research interests are quality of life for patients with cutaneous lymphoma, and mentorship and sponsorship of women and those who are historically excluded in medicine. She has written on burnout, an important topic for us all to be familiar with: links https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(20)30165-1/fulltext and https://journals.lww.com/ijwd/Fulltext/2020/06000/The_emotional_toll___Burnout_impacts_men_and_women.60.aspx. Link to an implicit association test. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html. You can find Dr. Shinohara on Twitter @michi_shinohara.

In this episode, I have an epiphany about shame as related to feeling emotions, courtesy of Dr. Katie Jobbins! I have never connected shame with mothering or doctoring, and I need to think about it more. See what you think! Dr. Katie Jobbins, DO, MS, FACP is an Associate Program Director in the Internal Medicine Department at UMMS-Baystate in Springfield, MA, a primary care internist at High Street Health Center Adult, and an academic Hospitalist at Baystate Medical Center. Dr. Jobbins received her undergraduate degree in Nutrition Science from Syracuse University and her Masters in Science from Case Western Reserve University in Nutrition and Metabolism. She attended Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine where she graduated in 2010. Initially, Dr. Jobbins started her training in general surgery residency at the Cleveland Clinic--South Pointe but after 2 years found her true passion was in Internal Medicine. She completed 3 years of Internal Medicine at Baystate Medical Center and stayed on to be Chief Resident in 2015-2016. In her current role as Associate Program Director in the UMMS-Baystate Department of Internal Medicine, Dr. Jobbins serves as a primary care preceptor in the resident clinic, an academic hospitalist, director of the resident self-reflection, wellness, and ambulatory quality improvement curriculums, co-director of the humanities track, and director of the Chief Resident leadership curriculum for the health system. She also leads the “Be the Change Social Justice” working group focusing on health inequities in patient care and in medical education. Dr. Jobbins is also an Assistant Professor at UMMS-Baystate. She is an active member both nationally and locally in SGIM, AMA, AMWA, and the ACP. She currently serves as the Meeting Chair for the New England Regional SGIM chapter. In the Massachusetts ACP Chapter, she is the immediate past co-chair of the Early Career Physician Council (CECP) and was an active member of the Governor’s council. She currently is on the National CECP. She recently won one of the AMA Inspiration Awards for her work in medical education and was AMWA’s 2021 recipient of the Exceptional Mentor Award.

Dr. Xiaoyin "Sara" Jiang covers the importance of communication, deliberate practice in correlating cytopathology and histopathology findings, the metacognitive aspects of instant pattern recognition vs. teaching the diagnostic process, and humility. Dr. Xiaoyin "Sara" Jiang, MD, is Associate Professor of Pathology at Duke University, Chief of Head and Neck Service, and Director of the Duke Pathology Communications Group. Her areas of expertise are cytopathology, head and neck pathology, and novel applications of social media for medical professionals. She has been honored with awards including the ASCP 2017 "40 under 40" Top Five, Duke's Faculty Research Mentor Award, and the CAP Resident Advocate and Pathology Advancement Awards. Find her on Twitter @Sara_Jiang. Here are links to her quote in The Pathologist https://thepathologist.com/power-list/2016/sara-jiangand the College of American Pathologists https://yourpathologist.org.

Can you name simple strategies to help others know you are listening? This episode covers such strategies, including meta-talk, where your feet are pointing, and recording yourself to build awareness. Dr. Mary Dahm, MA PhD, has extensive translational experience with translational research in healthcare communication. Dr. Dahm is driven by her commitment to conducting innovative, translational research at the nexus of applied linguistics and health services research. She is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Communication in Health Care at The Australian National University. Her work includes a wonderful recent article titled, “More than Words: Interpersonal communication, cognitive bias, and diagnostic errors” published in 2022 in Patient Education and Counseling. DOI:10.1016/j.pec.2021.05.012

Back with a bit more on JDM bias. If you are not sure what JDM stands for, listen in (and consider listening to episode 5)! We cover the difference between racial bias and JDM bias; examples of the latter including anchoring and adjustment, fundamental attribution error, and ascertainment bias. Dr. Pat Croskerry, MD PhD, is a professor in emergency medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. For the past 10 years, he has been Director, Critical Thinking Program, Division of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, at that same institution. 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 is one of the world's foremost experts in safety in emergency medicine and in diagnostic errors. He is humble, honest, and thoughtful; read this interview for more insight into his background and work in the emergency department (https://psnet.ahrq.gov/perspective/conversation-withpat-croskerry-md-phd). Other recent key links to his work include https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068044/rr-1 and The Cognitive Autopsy (https://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-Autopsy-Analysis-Medical-Decision/dp/0190088745/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UQIRFBZTX6JH&keywords=croskerry+cognitive+autopsy&qid=1648025342&sprefix=%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-1).

The Cognitive Autopsy: A Root Cause Analysis of Medical Decision Making

This episode covers making a diagnosis (a type of decision) and optimizing that with emotional intelligence (episodes 1 and 2 for more), metacognition (episode 5 for more), deliberate practice (what mechanism can create an explosion of learning?; also see episode 7 for more), and working around inattentional blindness (Christopher Chabris’ illusion of attention, see episodes 6 and 8 for more). We also briefly touch on Drs. Antoine Bechara, Hanna Damasio, and Antonio Damasio’s work on emotions being necessary for decision-making (https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/10.3.295). Dr. Timothy McCalmont is Professor Emeritus of the Departments of Pathology and Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco. He was Co-Director of the UCSF Dermatopathology Service for 25 years as well as the Editor of the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology. His BS in Biochemistry and MD are from Iowa State University, he attended medical school at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, and his residency in anatomic pathology was completed at Wake Forest University Medical Center. He subsequently started residency training in dermatology at UCSF, where he did his dermatopathology fellowship training as well. He is internationally renowned for his diagnostic skills that span the breadth of dermatopathology. Recently, Dr. McCalmont has moved into a new role as a dermatopathology consultant in the private sector at Golden State Dermatology Associates.

How well do you think your mind works? We all have fluency of thoughts, but how much should you trust a confident person? Whether you are confident in your own mind or not, everyday illusions can be examined with the lens of metacognition. Tune in to hear from Christopher Chabris, PhD, co-author of The Invisible Gorilla (link: http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/). Dr. Chabris is also a chess master and previously wrote a monthly column in The Wall Street Journal on games. For more information, visit his website at http://www.chabris.com/.

We have all experienced failure or “hitting a wall” when we challenge ourselves. What should you do if you still want to improve? Deliberate practice provides an answer. Also, for anyone who tuned in to episode 7 and is interested in the "long haul" of fighting JDM bias, deliberate practice can help! Dr. Jong Sung Yoon, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of South Dakota; he is friends and colleagues with Kyle Harwell, who will receive his PhD in cognitive psychology in the summer of 2022. Kyle has the distinction of being the last graduate student of Dr. Anders Ericsson, PhD. Kyle Harwell has worked on several studies of the relationship between experts’ practice histories and their performance, as well as the use of video games for studying learning and skill development. A wonderful review of deliberate practice is in the Journal of Expertise, https://www.journalofexpertise.org/articles/volume4_issue2/JoE_4_2_Harwell_Southwick.pdf. Another important link is to one of Dr. Yoon’s papers: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10459-020-09963-0 A book that I love is Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Secrets-New-Science-Expertise/dp/0544947223/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UEU71HR7FBAQ&keywords=ericsson+peak&qid=1647749929&sprefix=ericsson+peak%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-1by Dr. Anders Ericsson, PhD a book that covers in depth expert performance and deliberate practice.

Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise

How good are you at paying attention? Test yourself with this experiment (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo), one of the most famous psychology experiments. Christopher Chabris, PhD is one of the originators of this experiment; he is currently Professor and Co-director of the Behavior and Decision Sciences Program at Geisinger Health System. His book with Daniel Simons, The Invisible Gorilla (link: http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/) is a bestseller that goes into much greater depth on the everyday illusions of attention, memory, confidence, knowledge, cause, and potential; as well as the myth of intuition.

Tune in to an international guest who brings his perspective on emotional intelligence and metacognition in his approach to his work. Dr. Olaleke Folaranmi, MD, is a pathologist who works at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in Ilorin, Nigeria. He is a singer and guitarist who is popular on Twitter for both his pathology knowledge and musical talent. Dr. Folaranmi has described the difficulty of working in an underfunded hospital, and social media is a way for him to enrich his education and practice. Through loans, he bought a microscope camera, computer, smartphone, and data plan. See https://pathology.med.umich.edu/news/795. Follow him on Twitter @DrGeeONE.

Do you know the HOW of making decisions? This is for everyone, as we all make decisions every day. Additionally, diagnosis is a decision, and it is one of the most treasured skills of physicians. To optimize decision-making and diagnosis, we must know about dual process theory and JDM bias. If you are not sure what those terms mean, listen in! We made every effort to break these complex topics down to a simple 15 minutes. Tune in for Pat’s final thought, which relates to how improving our knowledge of JDM bias might help prevent the extreme of diagnostic failure. Dr. Pat Croskerry, MD PhD, is a professor in emergency medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. For the past 10 years, he has been Director, Critical Thinking Program, Division of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, at that same institution. 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 is one of the world's foremost experts in safety in emergency medicine and in diagnostic errors. He is humble, honest, and thoughtful; read this interview for more insight into his background and work in the emergency department (https://psnet.ahrq.gov/perspective/conversation-withpat-croskerry-md-phd). Other recent key links to his work include https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068044/rr-1 and The Cognitive Autopsy (https://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-Autopsy-Analysis-Medical-Decision/dp/0190088745/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UQIRFBZTX6JH&keywords=croskerry+cognitive+autopsy&qid=1648025342&sprefix=%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-1).

The Cognitive Autopsy: A Root Cause Analysis of Medical Decision Making

Phillip McKee, MD, FRCP is an internationally recognized pathologist and dermatopathologist. Learn about his three loves, teaching in the US vs the UK, how he handled burnout, and two tips on work-home balance. Link to his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/people/Phillip-McKee/100009523280630/ and McKee’s Pathology of the Skin https://www.amazon.com/McKees-Pathology-Eduardo-Calonje-DipRCPath/dp/0702069833/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mckee%27s+pathology+of+the+skin&qid=1646970817&sprefix=mckee%27s+pathol%2Caps%2C75&sr=8-1

Kamran Mirza, MD, PhD is an academician and social media guru who affirms the importance of emotional intelligence for pathologists, who often are not directly patient-facing. He speaks on being aware of your emotions, sharing, and taking a moment to reset. Hear more about Dr. Mirza on https://anchor.fm/medicus/episodes/Ep24--Dr--Kamran-Mirza---twitterhomework--103--pathology--and-more-e52ia9; Twitter handle: @KMirza

Dr. Jonhan Ho, MD MS is the founder of KiKo https://kikoxp.com/feed, a place where doctors can connect, form a tribe, and retake medicine. Discover what emotion drives him (the one Christine forgets), what not to ask his kids, and how we can better connect.

Jerad Gardner, MD is a dermatopathologist and bone/soft tissue pathologist who has trailblazed educational efforts for pathologists and dermatopathologists with his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JeradGardnerMD/about. Listen to how he uses emotional intelligence by being aware, taking time to respond, and choosing what to say yes to. Twitter handle: @JMGardnerMD.

Dr. David Caruso, PhD, explains what it means to have a true, “How are you?” partner as well as other compensatory strategies to manage emotions and avoid compassion fatigue. Link to his book, A Leader’s Guide to Solving Challenges with Emotional Intelligence. Link: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Solving-Challenges-Emotional-Intelligence/dp/1945028203/ref=sr_1_4?crid=137JHN792RQBB&keywords=david+caruso+emotional+intelligence&qid=1646623318&sprefix=david+caruso+emotional+intelligence%2Caps%2C56&sr=8-4

Hear from Dr. David Caruso, PhD, a management psychologist who is one of the pioneers of the ability model of emotional intelligence. Tune in to find out how a college dropout eventually ended up at Yale as an emotional intelligence researcher. Link to his book, A Leader’s Guide to Solving Challenges with Emotional Intelligence. Link: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Solving-Challenges-Emotional-Intelligence/dp/1945028203/ref=sr_1_4?crid=137JHN792RQBB&keywords=david+caruso+emotional+intelligence&qid=1646623318&sprefix=david+caruso+emotional+intelligence%2Caps%2C56&sr=8-4

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Why this podcast? I see, hear, and feel a lot of overwhelm in myself and those around me, in my patients and healthcare, in my community and beyond. Observing, listening, and managing emotions can help. Learn from experts who have studied these topics for years, augmenting what the experts say with real-world application by doctors and others.