Welcome back everyone!
After much deliberation I have decided to relaunch the podcast. I had originally intended to do so about 18 months ago but found that I did not want to limit the conversation to clinician burnout alone.
The podcast is now called the 'Dr Paddy Barrett Podcast' and will be an exploration of topics much closer to home from a professional perspective as a preventive cardiologist.
For me, health is about optimizing 3 parts. Lifespan, health span and soul span.
The length of your life. The Quality of your life. Your sense of meaning and purpose.
The first two are largely where I have spent my professional scientific life and the later, soul span, is much more aligned with what I learned during my explorations of clinician burnout and relates more to psychology, philosophy etc.
This is just a quick 5 minute explainer.
I hope to release new episodes in the coming months.
Paddy Barrett
Dr Peter Acker is a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford School of Medicine. In addition to his work in the ER, he is an active member of the Stanford Emergency Medicine International Team whose work it is to assist in the provision of emergency medical care around the world. Dr Acker is also a key member of the organization, 'Surfing Doctors' and gets to combine his love of surfing with his passion for medicine.
The topic of surf medicine has been requested multiple times by listeners. So finally, here it is.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Stanford Emergency Medicine International Team
'Checklist Manifesto' by Atul Gawande
Email: peteacker@gmail.com
Dr Abeyna Jones is an Occupational Medicine Registrar in London and is also the founder of Medic Footprints, a site dedicated to physician wellness and alternative careers in medicine. Dr Jones has travelled the world with her medical training and even spent time as a trauma surgeon in Africa in not exactly ideal conditions but garnered more satisfaction from that experience than her conventional surgical training in the UK at that time.
This is a fantastic conversation about the challenges of stepping outside the conventional frameworks of traditional medical practice and carving a path less travelled. Even if you have never considered an alternative career in medicine, this is a worthwhile discussion about why we choose what we do and where we derive satisfaction from our careers.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Med Net
Twitter: @DrAbeynaJones
Dr Robin Youngson is a practicing anesthesiologist and international advocate for promoting compassion in healthcare. Dr Youngson has worked for many years on developing the concepts of rehumanizing healthcare at a clinical and leadership level. In addition to being the CoFounder of 'Hearts in Healthcare', a global social movement for physicians, he is also the author of several books, his most recent being the highly acclaimed 'Time To Care: How to love your patients and your job'.
This is a fantastic conversation on how we desperately need to bring humanity back to medicine and how we might go about doing so.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Compassionate Happiness Inventory
Dr Pamela Wible - Ideal Medical Care
The lost art of healing: Practicing Compassion in Medicine by Dr Bernard Lown
'Time to Care' by Dr Robin Youngson
Twitter: @HeartsInHealth
Prof Russell Foster is a circadian neuroscientist and heads the Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford, UK. He has spent his career exploring the issues of sleep, from why we sleep to what its relationship is with mood disorders and abnormal cognitive behavior.
This is a conversation I have wanted to have for quite some time and a topic I wanted to include on the show as sleep, or more accurately, its absence is an ever present concern for most physicians.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Prof Russell Foster - Circadian Neuroscientist
Selected Publications - Prof Foster
The Oxford Online Program in Sleep Medicine - Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Twitter: @OxNeuro
Dr Anthony Montgomery is an organizational psychologist and an internationally recognized expert on burnout. Currently he is an Associate Professor of Work & Organizational Psychology at the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece. He has studied the individual and organizational elements of burnout for many years and his findings are fascinating.
I came across Dr Montgomery's work after reading an article he wrote entitled 'The Inevitability of Physician Burnout'. This is an enlightening conversation as to why we need to refocus the issue of burnout from the individual level to the ecosystem level.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
'The inevitability of physician burnout' by Dr Anthony Montgomery
Dr Stephen Beeson is the founder of the Physician Effective Project at Practicing Excellence and a nationally recognized leader in physician and healthcare performance. Dr Beeson is a family medicine physician of 20 years and played a pivotal role in transforming the Sharp Rees-Stealy Healthcare group from a lowest tertile group to the highest, over several years. He is the author of 2 national best selling books on physician performance: Practicing Excellence and The Engaging Physician.
This episode is a fantastic conversation with someone who is deeply committed to improving the lives of physicians and transforming the world of healthcare today. I know that I will be coming back to this conversation again and again.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
'Practicing Excellence' by Dr Stephen Beeson
'The Engaging Physician' by Dr Stephen Beeson
Twitter: @SBeesonMD
Email: stephen@practicingexcellence.com
Dr Gavin Francis is a Scottish physician and award winning writer. He has practiced medicine across the globe from Africa, India, Greenland, the Arctic and Antartica. After a rigorous selection process he was chosen to be the sole physician for a 15 month period on the Halley Research station in Antartica. The Halley Research station is said to be harder evacuate a casualty in winter than the International Space Station.
This is a fantastic conversation with a physician who has used the platform of medicine to do a spectacular range of activities across the world. We get into what the section process is like, what life is like acting totally unsupported as a physician and what 3 months of darkness feels like.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Empire Antartica by Dr Gavin Francis
Halley Research Station - Selected Images
Prof Josh Cohen is a psychoanalyst and Professor of Modern Literature at Goldsmiths, University of London. Prof Cohen is the author of a recent article featured in The Economist entitled 'When Minds Turned To Ash' which explores the societal issue of burnout and why its possibly not a matter of working too hard.
This is a fantastic conversation with an incredibly insightful mind on the topic of burnout. I certainly learned an immense amount from this discussion and I would highly recommend this episode for anyone looking to get some insight on the causes and strategies to address burnout.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Minds Turned To Ash - The Economist
'A Burnt Out Case' by Graham Greene
Prof Josh Cohen - Selected Publications
'The Private Life: Why Remain In The Dark' by Prof Josh Cohen
Dr Mike Abernethy is full time Flight Physician and Clinical Professor at the University of Wisconsin. Having completed Medical School at the University of Cincinnati and Residency at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics. Dr Abernethy has been a practicing Flight Physician for 25 years and is an internationally recognized speaker on the topic.
This is a great conversation blending the topics of medicine and aviation. We get into the details of what it takes to be a flight physician and how to get there.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter Brown
Dr Douglas Mata is a Resident Pathology Physician at the Brigham & Women's Hospital and a Clinical Fellow at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended the University of Cambridge, UK on a Fulbright Scholarship and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Madrid, Spain. Dr Mata has also published extensively on the area of physician burnout and physician mental health, with his work appearing in the NEJM, Lancet Psychiatry and The New York Times.
I have read much of Dr Mata's works and was excited to have him on the show to share his professional and at times very personal insights on the field of physician burnout and depression. This is a fantastic conversation with a rare expert in the field.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Medicines Ten Greatest Discoveries by Meyer Friedman & Gerald Friedland
Twitter: @DouglasMataMD
Dr Srijan Sen is an Associate Professor at The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. Additionally, he is the Principal Investigator of the Intern Health Study which has tracked the biological and psychological features of thousands of early stage physicians over almost 10 years.
There are very few experts in the field of physician mental health but Dr Sen is certainly one of them. This is a fascinating conversation which touches on why physicians are at such risk of mental illness during the early stages of training, what the predictors are of those who suffer most, and what are the potential long term implications for those who encounter mental illness during their training.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Dr Mark Shapiro is an Internal Medicine physician here in the California area and is the host of the fascinating podcast 'Explore The Space'.
This is our second conversation on the show, mostly because I believe Dr Shapiro has such interesting perspectives to share and our first interview was not optimal because of sound quality which was entirely my own fault; lesson learned!
This is a super conversation where we dig into many of the topics Dr Shapiro has covered on his show, from the future of digital health, to gene editing and the opioid epidemic in the US.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Dr Louise Aronson is Professor of Medicine at University of California San Francisco and directs the Northern California Geriatrics Education Centre and UCSFs Medical Humanities. Having graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency at UCSF she has gone on to become a multi award wining writer and has contributed to a variety of outlets including The New York Times, JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine.
This is an fantastic conversation with someone who is truly changing how we communicate as physicians.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Dr Diana Anderson is an Internal Medicine physician and trained Architect. Having the unique opportunity to view the healthcare environment though the lens' of being both a physician and architect provides an incredible viewpoint on the world of healthcare. Dr Anderson is the founder of the website, Dochitect.com, where the worlds of medicine and design collide.
Dr Andersons work is truly emblematic for everything this show represents in so far as it illustrates how physicians can add value in healthcare in a variety of ways.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Effects of Healthcare Environmental Design on Medical Outcomes - Roger Ulrich
Fall Prevention Design Analysis
Tribe: On Homecoming & Belonging by Sebastian Junger
The Salk Institute, San Diego, California
Its Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden
Twitter: @Dochitect
Dr Kunal Patel is a Travel and Tropical Health Physician and Global Health Expert working at the intersections of Digital Health and developing world healthcare training and education. Among many things he is the Medical Director of iHeed, an online medical education platform.
This is a fantastic conversation about the possibilities in medicine and the opportunity for it to take you to far flung places such as leprosy clinics in India. We also get into dealing with the uncertainties of the road less travelled and the importance of mentorship.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
The man who mistook his wife for a hat by Oliver Sacks
Twitter: @KunalTheDreamer
Dr Ravi Komatireddy is an Internal Medicine Physician and Digital Health Innovator with a deep knowledge of clinical decision support software and how technology will ultimately augment the clinical work flow. The issue of algorithms replacing physicians has become increasingly controversial but the question is not how to resist it, but rather embrace it so as to allow us to what we do best as physicians and augment our relationship with patients rather than take from it.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Dr Ravi Komatireddy - 'The Now-ist' Youtube Channel
Vinod Khosla - Algorithms Will Replace Doctors
Lumiata - Clinical Decision Support System
Stanford Center For Medical Bioinformatics Research
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
Twitter: @RKomatireddy
Dr Al Muggia is a full time practicing gastroenterologist in Winchester, Massachusetts. After graduating from Medical School at Yale University he went on to practice at the hospital his father once worked at. In addition to his full time practice he is an ambassador for maximizing the patient care experience and recognizing and developing all the opportunities that patient care presents.
This episode is a wonderful illustration of so many of the challenges and opportunities we encounter as physicians and that with development of the soft skills of medicine we can enjoy our patient encounters so much more.
If you enjoyed this episode please Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Chelsea Sullenberger - Miracle on the Hudson
Practicing Excellence by Dr Stephen Beeson
Dr Scott Weingart is a physician who specializes in Resuscitation and Emergency Department Critical Care. He is the host of the immensely successful medical podcast EmCrit which is downloaded hundreds of thousands of times per month by physician across the globe.
On this episode we get into the role of medical podcasts in physician education and how the current Emergency Department system is broken in so many ways.
If you enjoyed this episode please ‘Subscribe‘ on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly
The Rise Of Superman by Steven Kotler
Twitter: @EmCrit
Dr Kate Granger is an Elderly Medicine Consultant in her early 30s in Yorkshire in the UK - 'Nothing unusual about that really' as she comments in her blog. What is different about Kate is that for several years she has been living with a terminal cancer diagnosis and how she has navigated that journey. She is the author of two books and has blogged to over a million readers on her blog. In addition to this she is the driving force behind the #HelloMyNameIs campaign for those in healthcare to always introduce themselves when meeting a patient - a simple but often overlooked act.
This is a wonderful conversation with someone who really has inspired me to reconsider and value so much in life.
If you enjoyed this episode please ‘Subscribe‘ on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
The Other Side by Dr Kate Granger
The Bright Side by Dr Kate Granger
The Diving Bell & The Butterfly by Jean Dominque Bauby
Twitter: @GrangerKate
Chase Jarvis is a world renowned photographer, director and artist who dropped out of medical school and took the road less traveled. Going against all convention, he didn't wish to be forced into a mold he knew was wrong for him and took off around the world with a camera his recently deceased grandfather had given him.
Chase has now spent over 20 years shooting film and video for some of the biggest names and wildest places on Earth, having worked with Apple, Google, Red Bull, Lady Gaga and more. He has been awarded numerous awards and was a contributor to the Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times piece 'Snow Fall'. Currently he is the CEO of Creative Live, an online educational platform based in Seattle.
I have followed Chase's work for quite some time and when I learned he had dropped out of medical school I knew I had to have him on the show to share his insights; he doesn't disappoint.
If you enjoyed this episode please ‘Subscribe‘ on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Dr Ian Williams is a physician, comic artist and writer and on completion of his medical training went on to do further studies in Fine Art and Medical Humanities. He is a co-founder of GraphicMedicine.org which explores all that is artistic in in medicine and is also the author of the recent graphic novel 'Bad Doctor'. He is also the co-author of the 'Graphic Medicine Manifesto' which has been nominated for an Isner award.
In addition to his work as an artist, Ian shines a light on mental health in physicians and indeed his own struggles with OCD during the early part of his training. This was a thoroughly enjoyable conversation on such a broad range of topics from the humanities to mountain rescue in Wales.
If you enjoyed this episode please ‘Subscribe‘ on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
The Bad Doctor by Dr Ian Williams
The Graphic Medicine Manifesto by Ian Williams
Michel Focault - French Philosopher
The Guardian - Dr Ian Williams
Thom Ferrier - Dr Ian Williams Pen Name
Ciaran Carthy is a Commercial Airline pilot of over 30 years with 13,000 hours of flight time on a variety of aircraft. He currently works as a flight instructor and airline safety auditor. In addition to these roles he works with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland exploring what can be learned from air accidents and how these findings can impact healthcare personnel training.
As a pilot I believe there is tremendous bidirectional crossover of knowledge from aviation and medicine. This is a topic I believe has the potential to impact clinical care in very meaningful ways and as Ciaran points out, the lessons learned cannot be 100% applied, but so much can be benefited by exploring what has been found.
If you enjoyed this episode please ‘Subscribe‘ on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
Ciaran Carthy Email: cicarthy@gmail.com
Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
Dr Erin Martin is a Primary Care physician with specialist interests in Integrative and Functional Medicine. She is the founder of the TrueMed Institute in Hood River, Oregon and was thrust into the healthcare spotlight with her role in the award winning documentary 'Escape Fire', which has been described by some as the 'Inconvenient Truth' of Healthcare.
I have wanted to have Erin on the show for quite some time after seeing the documentary, Escape Fire, and in the interview we deep dive into how identifying ourselves so much as physicians can have its draw backs and how to really recognize what it is you want out of your life as a physician.
If you enjoyed this episode please ‘Subscribe‘ on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle Laporte
Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine
Twitter: @DrErinMartin
Dr Liz O'Riordan is a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon in the UK. In 2015 she was diagnosed with the very illness she has spent her life treating and has chosen to chronicle her experiences in her truly wonderful blog liz.oriordan.co.uk .
This episode is a truly special one as it touches on so many of the issues that we fear as physicians; seeing yourself as a patient with the disease you know so much about to the challenges of choosing your own doctor, when almost all of them are your friends of colleagues.
If you enjoyed this episode please ‘Subscribe‘ on iTunes or Stitcher.
Enjoy!
Selected Show Notes:
World Health Organization Surgical Check List
The Other Side by Kate Grainger
The Bright Side by Kate Grainger
When Breath Becomes Air by Dr Paul Kalanathi
The Patient Will See You Now by Dr Eric Topol