Latest Journal Posts
Step Out, Because Your Moment Has Arrived
I was asked recently to give a talk on leadership at a pre-meeting before the annual conference of the Orthopedic Trauma Association. A friend, also both an orthopedic surgeon and coach, is putting on this half-day symposium. I was, of course, honored to be asked and saw it as a great opportunity to do some networking, gain a new audience, and also get more experience in public speaking.
Abandon Every Tired or Painful Inner Script for a Happier Life
Humans have an inherent impulse and ability to teach, learn, and entertain through stories. We also naturally create internal narratives with our inner dialogue. It’s valuable to notice these internal stories to see if they serve us in creating the life we want or block us from believing it’s possible.
Honoring Grief's Season: A Guide to Embracing and Releasing Loss
This year I have become reacquainted with grief. Grief is not anyone’s idea of a desired companion. And yet, to be alive, to be in the world, to love, is to inevitably invite grief into your life. Grief is an interesting emotion. Unlike some which blaze and extinguish, grief rolls in and out like the tide, catching you off guard when you take your eye off it, it can slap you to the shore when a rogue wave hits you, unsuspecting and unprepared.
There Are Powerful Reasons to Craft Your Own Medical Oath
Toward the conclusion of medical school, an oath is usually taken by the graduates–a symbolic commitment to their calling and a promise to guide their medical careers. For years I had the impression that everyone either took the Hippocratic Oath or the Oath of Maimonides. However, in researching this blog I learned there are many more options and came upon some interesting statistics. Until recently, about half of medical graduates took some version of the Hippocratic Oath, with the other half adopting the Declaration of Geneva, the Oath of Maimonides, and various others.
Did You Receive Informed Consent for Medical School and Training?
Summer marked the start of medical school, with July being when clinical rotations commenced in the third year and when the transition to the fourth year occurred. July was when internship began, followed by each new year of residency. Fellowships began later but still in the summer. Each year brought advancement and a new role commenced, finally culminating in graduation to being an attending. An independent practitioner. Free to practice medicine out in the real world. With each advancement, I found myself thinking, “I’m not ready for this. And yet, I can’t imagine what would have prepared me further.” This makes me wonder, did I receive informed consent for medical education and training? Did you?
Doctor's Orders for a Cheerful And Healthy Internal Garden
There may be some seeds in your garden that you didn’t plant or mean to plant. Seeds of discontent and burnout, born out of stress and dissatisfaction due to the pressures of our daily lives.
I believe deep-seated systemic problems plant the seeds of burnout. When we feel powerless and devoid of agency, these seeds find fertile, moist ground in which to thrive. Focusing on what you can’t change brings nutrients and other growth elements. Because when you think you’re trapped, you feel trapped. And then the seedlings germinate and grow relentlessly. Like weeds.
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