Mindful Medical Learner: Recent Episodes
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The Mindful Medical Learner initiative interviews physicians across the field about mindfulness and how it relates to their practice. Unique experts, course leaders, and mindfulness advocates - we’re bringing them all to our circle! We are a team of medical learners who have come together to offer meditation and mindfulness-based resources to our colleagues – created by learners, for learners. This initiative is being done in collaboration with the McGill WELL Office, which seeks to support learners throughout their training by creating, promoting and sustaining a culture of wellness and resilience. Research shows that mindfulness-based practices can be hugely beneficial for mental well-being. This is particularly pertinent for medical trainees who are consistently operating in high-stress environments. We hope to create a community around mindfulness and meditation and promote awareness about the role that it can play on both a personal and professional level.
In this episode, co-hosts Avery and Jude speak with the wonderful Pascale Gendreau from the McGill Office of Medical Learner Affairs.
Dr. Victor Do is a staff hospital paediatrician at Stollery Children's Hospital and a current co-chair of the Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative. In this episode, we discuss how the Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative is working to create a culture of health, wellbeing, compassion, respect, safety, and self-care in Canadian Medical Institutions, and where mindfulness can fit into this initiative!
In this podcast we discuss:
1:53 - Dr. Do's path to medicine, paediatrics, and equity work.
3:58 - The beginning of the Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative.
6:57 - Adapting the Okanagan Charter to medical education.
9:47 - Aspects of the historical and current culture of medicine that Dr. Do would like to see changed (discussion of burnout, discrimination, and health-promoting learning environments).
13:59 - Why is personal wellness important in medicine?
15:07 - The importance of personal growth in medical training.
17:57 - Mindfulness in medicine; what it means to Dr. Do.
22:30 - What does it mean to be resilient?
27:15 - Closing Thoughts + How do get in contact with CAMI if you're interested in learning more or helping with their initiatives.
Website: https://cami-icmu.ca/
Email: cami@afmc.ca
Dr. Kaffash will begin his career in July 2024 as a rural family physician in the James Bay territory. He recently completed his residency in family medicine at McGill University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Concordia University and a medical degree from McGill University’s class of 2022. Outside of medicine, Dr. Kaffash is interested in fitness, martial arts, and podcasts (lucky us!)
In this podcast we discuss:
2:50 - Arshi’s path to rural family medicine
4:56 - Arshi explains the ease and sense of community in the rural environment
6:27 - Arshi recounts a day in the life as a medical learner in James Bay
9:15 - Some downsides of a rural practice: seclusion and distance from loved ones
11:04 - The clinical challenges of working in a remote indigenous community
12:30 - The unique sense of support between healthcare staff in James Bay
15:25 - Weaving together western medicine and culturally sensitive care
19:00 - Arshi describes the continuous state of learning in rural medicine
20:40 - Palliative care in rural medicine
21:48 - Goosebreak, a Cree holiday for going out on the land to hunt, and other cultural practices
24:08 - Arshi shares some of his favorite formal mindfulness practices
28:54 - How rural family medicine incorporates informal mindfulness principles into practice, and the power of walking to work
31:23 - Advice for medical students - do a rural rotation!
Dr. Phoebe Friesen is a philosopher and medical ethicist working within the Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University. We talk about her research and thoughts within the realms of the placebo effect and female pelvic examinations under anesthesia.
In this podcast we discuss:
0:40 – Introducing Dr. Friesen.
1:35 – How she reached the career landscape she is in now.
2:49 – Defining social studies of medicine and medical ethics.
4:29 – Overlap between mindfulness and social studies of medicine.
10:49 – The placebo effect in medical school curriculums.
16:00 – Describing the open label placebo.
19:35 – Discussing the meaning response.
22:36 – Discussing Dr. Friesen’s research in female pelvic examinations under anesthesia.
25:39 – Canadian guidelines on the practice.
27:35 – The practice within medical education.
41:57 – Closing thoughts.
In this episode we are joined by Dr. Preetha Krishnamoorthy, a staff in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at the Montreal Children’s Hospital since 2003. Dr. Krishnamoorthy is heavily involved in medical education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She is also the Director of Pediatric Undergraduate Education at McGill. We talk about her strategies in finding a professional relationship with patients and their families as well as how she exemplifies and discusses healthy life habits with them.
1:03 – Introducing Dr. Krishnamoorthy by exploring her interests.
2:00 – How her relationship with physical activity has changed over the years.
4:30 – Accountability with physical activity.
5:38 – Balancing commitments in resident and attending life.
7:18 – Dr. Krishnamoorthy’s involvement with physical activity and how it relates to her role as a pediatric endocrinologist.
9:20 – Exemplifying and discussing healthy life habits with patients.
12:35 – Nutrition and body image within patient care.
14:32 – Strategies on approaching conversation around making lifestyle changes with pediatric patients.
16:22 – Reflecting on the parallels between her role with patients and with medical learners.
17:32 – Relationships with patients and parents of patients and setting boundaries.
24:35 – Managing challenges within these relationships.
26:45 – Incorporating medical teaching into her career.
32:35 – Dr. Krishnamoorthy’s future goals.
35:48 – Strategies in managing her many roles and closing thoughts.
Dr. Asli Buyukkurt is a fourth year resident in Neurology at McGill. Dr. Buyukkurt completed a B.Sc. in neuroscience and went on to pursue her medical training at McGill University. She has a profound interest in medical education. In addition to acting as the co-chief resident in Adult Neurology, Dr. Buyukkurt lectures and leads group discussions in the Faculty of Medicine. She has also been involved in the CaRMS selection process, and discusses her experiences, both as an applicant and as a reviewer in this episode of our podcast. Beyond medicine, Dr. Buyukkurt is a tap, jazz, and hip-hop dancer and a paint-by-number enthusiast.
Dr. Singh-Saluja is an Emergency Physician at the McGill University Health Centre. He completed his undergraduate medical training at McGill and went on to complete his residency in Family Medicine with additional training in Emergency Medicine at McGill. To date, his work has varied from time in the Intensive Care Unit, practicing Northern Medicine in Puvirnituq and work in sports medicine. As a former chief of Emergency Medicine, he continues to be heavily involved in residency training at McGill.
More recently, Dr. Singh has become involved in administration of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), forming the basis of our conversation in this podcast. Outside of medicine, Dr. Singh-Saluja is a lover of sports including soccer, football and kayaking, an avid gym goer and passionate about spending time with his family.
Madison Le Gallee is a first year Family Medicine resident at McGill and practices at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Montreal, QC. Madison completed her undergraduate medical degree at McGill. She has a soft spot for matcha lattes and fall hikes, and enjoys folding origami and finishing novels after hours. Madison also has a special interest in mental wellness initiatives and skin health. Gray Meckling is a second year psychiatry resident at the University of Ottawa. He completed his undergraduate medical degree at the University of Toronto after completing a Bachelor of Science at the University of British Columbia. He is passionate about mental health and meditation.
Dr. Sanders is a Family Doctor and the chair of Palliative Medicine at McGill University. In this episode of the podcast we discuss the various decision points in his life and how they have influenced his career and outlook today. We talk about challenges and failures, and how these can be viewed constructively. Dr. Sanders shares advice he has received during his career and we talk about promoting a culture of wellness in medicine.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the compatibility of spiritual practice and striving professionally and the role of work in one's life (and when it can become pathological). We also explore mindfulness and deep meditative states that can be achieved on retreat. Dr. Soham Rej invites us to critically reflect on the role of physicians as healers, and whether our modern understanding of the profession is compatible with its original intention. Tune in to hear more of this fascinating conversation with Dr. Soham Rej.
Dr. Soham Rej is a Geriatric Psychiatrist and Assistant Professor at the Jewish General Hospital/Lady Davis Institute at McGill University. He completed medical school and his residency training at McGill, and then went on to do a geriatric psychiatry clinical and research fellowship at the University of Toronto. He currently runs a lab doing research in three areas including the use of AI, mind body interventions (like mindfulness and yoga) and psychedelic assisted therapy for improving mood, anxiety and cognitive disorders in older adults.
Dr. Sabina Freiman is a Vancouver-based Internal Medicine resident who originally completed her medical education at the University of Toronto. She has experience in the mentorship and guidance of medical students and currently co-chairs the residency wellness committee at UBC. In this podcast we discuss common challenges during training and some useful strategies to overcome them.
Juliana Mahood is Montreal-based McGill University-affiliated family physician who originally completed her medical education at McGill. She is extensively engaged in the mentorship and guidance of medical students at McGill university, particularly through her role as an Osler fellow, where she mentors 5 medical students throughout the students’ 4 years of training.
We discuss:
0:12 – Introduction
00:38 – What Dr. Mahood does at McGill University and Saint Mary’s Hospital
1:05 – What led Dr. Mahood to pursue medicine and to be where she is today
3:40 – How Dr. Mahood chose Family Medicine as a specific career path
5:04 – The inspiration for mentoring medical students
8:25 – An important moment of failure in medical school, and its key lessons
15:20 – Strategies for staying well mentally and physically, as a medical professional
20:16 – The role of mindfulness in medicine
25:02 – Developing mindfulness in everyday life outside of the medical environment
30:16 – The role of hobbies and extracurricular interests in having a healthylifestyle
34:34 – Concluding remarks
Dr. Golda Tradounsky is a family and palliative care physician who oversees care for patients and their families as the Head of the Palliative Care Services at Mount Sinai Hospital Montreal. She was previously the Director of Education for Palliative Care McGill and she currently serves as the Director of Research in palliative care at Mount Sinai. She is passionate about her palliative care practice and mentoring residents and medical students.
00:12 – Introduction
00:27 – What Dr. Golda does at McGill University and Mount Sinai Hospital
04:10 – Why Dr. Golda chose to pursue family medicine and palliative care
10:05 – Defining palliative care and its importance
15:44 – The importance of personal wellness as medical providers
24:24 – How to maintain physical and psychological wellness
31:44 – Defining grief and how to cope with it
39:59 – Communicating about grief
47:28 – Advice for facing loss in life
50:58 – Final thoughts and what students entering palliative care should know
Dr. Mark Smilovitch is a Cardiologist and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. His involvements in medical education at McGill are not limited to contributions to the physicianship program, professionalism, Whole Person Care and Mindful Medical Practice (MMP).
In this episode of the podcast, we discuss:
00:50 Introduction – Dr. Smilovitch’s professional life
2:10 How Dr. Smilovitch became interested in mindfulness
3:20 Dr. Smilovitch’s definition of mindfulness
4:40 Informal and formal meditation practices that Dr. Smilovitch engages in such as morning pages by Julia Cameron and improv
8:00 Improvisation and mindfulness
11:10 Mindfulness and mcgill medicine
14:05 The Mindful Medical Practice Course and how it has been adapted to the pandemic
18:18 Mindfulness as a clinical competence
22:20 Exercises done in the MMP course
25:15 Whole person care and mindfulness
28:00 Healing and the experience of illness in medicine
30:00 Examples of when mindfulness in patient interactions
34:00 Dr. Smilovitch’s personal practice during the pandemic
38:80 Final thoughts from The House of God by Samuel Shem
Bienvenue à notre deuxième partie de notre balado avec Léa Levert-Gagnon. Aujourd’hui, nous discutons les notions d’usure d’empathie et de traumatisme vicariant, comment le yoga peut nous en protéger, et bien plus encore… Pour nos nouveaux auditeurs, n’oubliez pas d’écouter la première partie de notre conversation avec Léa sur notre site web Mindful Medical Learner!
Léa est la conseillère en bien-être du Bureau SOURCES (WELL office) de la Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé de l’Université McGill, Campus Outaouais. Après un baccalauréat en psychologie de l’Université d'Ottawa, elle a ensuite poursuivi sa maîtrise en Counselling et Spiritualité à l’Université Saint-Paul. En tant que membre de l'Ordre des psychothérapeutes autorisés de l'Ontario, Léa possède une expertise de soutien aux individus qui vivent de l’anxiété, de la dépression, des difficultés relationnelles, le perfectionnisme, les difficultés académiques, le deuil, les traumatismes et les questionnements au niveau de l’identité.
Lors de sa maîtrise, elle a étudié le rôle du yoga et de la pleine conscience dans la prévention de la fatigue de compassion et du traumatisme vicariant.
Léa adopte une approche de type intégrative et une vision holistique centrée sur les besoins de ses clients. Dans cette démarche, Léa vise à aider ses clients à découvrir leurs propres ressources et à développer des outils afin d’être plus créatifs et flexibles dans leurs façons de s’adapter aux différents obstacles de la vie.
Dans cette deuxième partie de notre balado, nous discutons:
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Fatigue de compassion et trauma vicariant… Qu’est-ce que ça signifie? (00:36)
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- Survol de l’histoire des termes (01:15) - Fatigue de compassion: un terme envoyé à la retraite! (03:45) - Usure d’empathie (04:06) - Traumatisme vicariant (09:23) - Notre expérience en médecine (10:44)
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Mémoire de maîtrise: Le yoga, un protecteur contre l’usure d’empathie? (15:51)
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- Leçons et résultats (19:56) - Le Yoga et son lien avec la pleine conscience (22:16) - Yoga = Union (24:43)
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Reconnaître ces syndromes chez nous-mêmes, ça peut être difficile... (31:16)
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- Manque de connexion avec soi (32:21) - Contexte de pandémie (34:31) - Changement de rotations et d’équipes de travail (35:55) - Quelques exemples d’usure d’empathie (40:51)
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Comment “soigner” l’usure d’empathie (44:16)
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- 1) Accepter la réalité qu’on n’est pas à notre meilleur en ce moment (45:31) - 2) Se traiter de la même façon qu’on traiterait un patient, un meilleur ami, un conjoint, un enfant (46:11) - 3) Pleine conscience, yoga, auto-compassion, bonnes habitudes de vie… - 4) Création de frontières entre travail et vie personnelle (47:25) * Exemples de rituels: marche, activité planifiée (48:52) - 5) Attention à ce à quoi on s’expose à l’extérieur du milieu de travail (47:53)
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Impact de la pandémie sur nos collègues (53:06)
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Quelques derniers conseils (58:39)
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- Yoga! - Pleine conscience - Auto-compassion et gratitude
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Futurs projets de Léa (1:01:21)
Léa est la conseillère en bien-être du Bureau SOURCES de la Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé de l’Université McGill, Campus Outaouais. Après un baccalauréat en psychologie de l’Université d'Ottawa, elle a ensuite poursuivi sa maîtrise en Counselling et Spiritualité à l’Université Saint-Paul. En tant que membre de l'Ordre des psychothérapeutes autorisés de l'Ontario, Léa possède une expertise de soutien aux individus qui vivent de l’anxiété, de la dépression, des difficultés relationnelles, le perfectionnisme, les difficultés académiques, le deuil, les traumatismes et les questionnements au niveau de l’identité.
Lors de sa maîtrise, elle a étudié le rôle du yoga et de la pleine conscience dans la prévention de la fatigue de compassion et du traumatisme vicariant.
Léa adopte une approche de type intégrative et une vision holistique centrée sur les besoins de ses clients. Dans cette démarche, Léa vise à aider ses clients à découvrir leurs propres ressources et à développer des outils afin d’être plus créatifs et flexibles dans leurs façons de s’adapter aux différents obstacles de la vie.
Nous discutons:
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- Un peu plus sur Léa (02:32)
- Pourquoi travailler avec des étudiants et résidents en médecine? (6:57)
- La découverte de la pleine conscience et de l’importance du bien-être pour Léa (12:21)
- Impact de l’anxiété de performance sur notre relation avec patient/client, et comment la pleine conscience peut aider à prioriser le savoir-être plutôt que le savoir-faire (14:41)
- Définition de la pleine conscience, selon Léa (20:41)
- Intention, Attitude, Non-identification
- “Mindfulness” versus “Mind-emptiness”
- Impact de la pleine conscience sur les relations thérapeutiques avec étudiants et résidents (25:11)
- Une meilleure présence authentique lors des rencontres, permettant des liens plus serrés
- “Notre premier outil de travail, c’est notre propre personne, l’être humain qu’on est. La pleine conscience nous aide à prendre soin de notre outil de travail.” (27:31)
- La capacité naturelle d’empathie de l’être humain (29:26)
- Rôle de la pleine conscience dans le bien-être des étudiants et résidents (31:21)
- Comparaison, anxiété de performance, mode “fight or flight”... Tout cela ne nous permet pas de profiter de notre expérience en médecine et d’en apprendre.
- La pleine conscience nous ramène vers le moment présent, nous permettant de porter attention à l’expérience vécue en médecine et avec notre patient, et d’y prendre plaisir!
- Approches thérapeutiques basées sur la pleine conscience (39:31)
- ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - Thérapie d'acceptation et d’engagement) (40:21)
- Les axes de l’ACT, dont la pleine conscience et la défusion cognitive (46:34)
- Exemples d’ACT et d’exercices qu’on peut faire (51:26)
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Exercice de visualisation que vous pouvez faire avec nous! (57:30)
Derek is a mental health therapist based in Montreal, Quebec. He completed his undergraduate training at Concordia and went on to receive a masters degree in Counselling psychology from Yorkville University. Derek has a particular focus on integrative harm reduction approaches for substance misuse and behavioural addictions.
We discuss:
- The substance use and addiction landscape that Derek sees in his practice and treatment centre (3:00)
- Defining important terms: substance misuse and substance abuse and addiction (4:20)
- Defining behavioural addiction (6:15)
- Derek’s path to becoming a mental health therapist (8:50)
- How Derek got involved with populations who use substances (10:35)
- How Derek started incorporating mindfulness into his professional practice (13:00)
- Selecting patients for Mindfulness-based interventions (15:14)
- Specific treatments for patients being treated for substance use and how to introduce it to patients (18:05)
- Why Mindfulness based techniques work with this patient population (20:00)
- Challenges when using mindfulness-based tools with this population (22:30)
- What future clinicians should know about this population (25:10)
- The harms of labelling patients as drug seeking and how we should manage this (27:45)
- How patients access substance use counseling (31:20)
- Substance use amongst medical students (33:40)
Dr. Abraham Fuks served as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill from 1995 to 2006. He was trained at McGill, specializing in internal medicine and clinical immunology, with postdoc training at Harvard in the fields of immunogenetics and histocompatibility antigens. Dr. Fuks’ research explores the language of medicine and its metaphoric structure, notably the impact of language on the physician-patient relationship. He was recently named to the Order of Canada for his many contributions to the advancement of Canadian medical research, education and scholarship.
Dr. Joe Flanders is a clinical psychologist who obtained his PhD in Clinical Psychology from McGill University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is also an assistant professor in the McGill University Psychology Department and the founder and director of Mindspace, a well-being organization in Montreal.
In this episode, we dive into the role of mindfulness based interventions for anxiety, practical tips derived from mindfulness that can be used to manage anxiety and why this is all so relevant during the current Covid-19 pandemic!
Born and raised in Montreal, Dr. Liben graduated from McGill medical school in 1987 and completed a residency in pediatrics and subspecialty fellowship in pediatric critical care at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. He then became the medical director of the pediatric palliative care program in 1995, helping to develop the emerging new field with publications such as the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Care for Children, and bringing the program to its current form as the Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT/Palliative Care). He is a full professor of Pediatrics at McGill University and also a faculty member of McGill Programs in Whole Person Care.
Dr. Dzung Vo pursued his medical residency in the field of pediatrics and later specialized in adolescent medicine. He works at the British Columbia Children’s Hospital where his clinical and research work revolve around fostering resilience among young adults and strengthening their capacity to overcome adversity. He has developed many mindfulness-based curricula including Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents (MARS-A) for teens with chronic medical conditions and Mindful Healing for health care professionals. He also plays an active role as a member of the board of directors for the Mindfulness in Education Network (MIEN), a community of educators collaborating on mindful approaches to education for young learners. In this episode we discuss the effects of mindfulness on the developing brain, the general approach to mindfulness for teens, building a therapeutic alliance with young adults and incorporating mindfulness into clinical practise with patients.
Dr. Mark Sherman graduated from McGill medical school to complete a family medicine residency program at the University of British Columbia. Through his interest in the mind and body connection and mindfulness meditation, Dr. Sherman pursued a degree in Medical Acupuncture as well as training to offer  Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. He is the Executive Director of the BC Association for Living Mindfully (BCALM) as well as the founder of Living this Moment, a platform offering courses, retreats, workshops, and learning materials on mindfulness and meditation practises.
Aujourd'hui, nous rencontrons Dre Thanh-Lan Ngô, Dre Andréanne Elie et de Dre Suzanne Paquette qui sont psychiatres ainsi que Mentors en MBCT ou Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (Thérapie Cognitive de la Pleine Conscience). Elles nous parlent du rôle de la pleine conscience dans le bien-être des stagiaires et des médecins, ainsi que son importance dans les soins directs aux patients.
Dr. Allen Steverman is a physician at the Pain clinic at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital who practices in chronic pain and has an interest in mindfulness-based approaches to chronic pain management. He is also an assistant professor in the department of family medicine and emergency medicine at the Université de Montréal and an adjunct professor in the department of family medicine at McGill University.