Stimulus - Learn Tools to Crush It in Your Medical Career

Phantasia Kataleptike, a lesser-known gem from Stoic philosophy, offers a transformative approach to life's challenges. This practice of 'objective representation' strips away the layers of subjective judgment that often cloud our perceptions. Imagine the power of viewing a setback not as a disaster but simply as a fact of life, a moment ripe with potential for growth. How does this shift affect o...

Have you ever found yourself deep in “The Pit” where the mere thought of going back to work triggers an existential crisis? You wonder if your current job is the right choice. Sometimes, all it takes are a few adjustments to the current job and you'll feel fully refreshed and stoked to tackle that next shift. It may also, however, be time for The Trade. In this episode, we delve into the critical...

The interplay between the Default Mode Network (DMN) and the Task Positive Network (TPN) is crucial for our cognitive and emotional health. The DMN, active during restful states and wandering mind, facilitates introspection, memory recall, and creativity, serving as a foundational element in our mental processes. On the other hand, the TPN takes charge during focused, goal-oriented tasks, enabling...

Moral injury, a term initially used in the military context during the Vietnam War to describe the psychological trauma soldiers experienced, has become increasingly relevant in medicine. In this episode, we discuss how moral injury manifests as psychological distress when healthcare professionals' actions, or inactions, contradict their moral or ethical codes, leading to feelings of guilt, inadeq...

There’s no getting around the surges and potential chaos of an emergency department. The good news is that these events are predictable, you know they’re going to happen, just not when. So how do you prepare and then navigate the storm once you’re in the thick of it? In today’s episode, we start with a discussion with Thom Mayer, MD exploring strategies to steel yourself for the inevitable chaos,...

We all have an internal drive that propels us forward, inspiring us to achieve and create. Yet, there's also an innate anti-drive, a subtle yet powerful force that holds us back. This episode delves deeply into the nature of this anti-drive. We explore the foundations of resistance, drawing insights from Stephen Pressfield's 'The War of Art' and linking it to entropy and the Second Law of Thermody...

When a critical patient lands on your department's doorstep without prior notice, even the most seasoned professionals can find themselves momentarily at a loss — wondering what steps to take first and how to prioritize actions in those crucial initial seconds. What do I do first, what do I do next? What’s REALLY important in the first few seconds? In this episode, emergency intensivist and physic...

The specter of medical malpractice lawsuits looms large for many clinicians, but according to Mark Brown, MD, JD, this anxiety may be disproportionate to the actual risk. In this discussion, we explore the contrasting nature of law and medicine, the unpredictable and capricious nature of legal proceedings, the systemic elements that fuel the high number of medical malpractice lawsuits in the Unite...

None of us are born with the skills to build and sustain healthy relationships. These things are learned. In this episode, our guest is Ryan Cheney, an experienced psychotherapist and behavioral leadership coach, guiding us through the intricacies of healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics. Our conversation will explore the importance of interdependence, the negative impacts of codependency, a...

Burnout is not a foregone conclusion. While individual efforts play a pivotal role, continually battling systemic challenges can be exhausting. In this episode, we delve into a simple and cost-effective systemic intervention that not only mitigates burnout but also enhances job satisfaction. We then discuss how you can recognize when your colleagues might be in distress, what to do about it, what...

What’s the impact of private equity’s increasingly large footprint in medicine? The results so far have not been promising.  We dissect: what is private equity, the recent bankruptcy of the largest emergency medicine staffer in the US and how that impacts clinicians, can corporations practice medicine,  the American Academy of Emergency Medicine has jumped into the fray, does profit-driv...

In this real-life coaching session, we walk Dr. Brit Long through building a framework to help navigate being overwhelmed during the middle part of an emergency department shift. Since this session, he has become more efficient, gotten home earlier on a consistent basis, lowered his stress level, felt less burnout, and experienced more joy in his career.  Guest Bio Brit Long is an assistant p...

We wear many hats in life, and one of them can become disproportionately large: our professional identity. Don’t get me wrong, being a physician is amazing and the associated identity is imbued with meaning and purpose. The challenge comes when identity becomes calcified and too narrowly defined. When that happens, it can limit us.  In this episode, we delve into the diverse and often unfores...

It’s tempting to think of accepting the reality of the moment as acquiescence or giving up, but the opposite is true. Awareness and acceptance of what’s going on inside of you and around you is a recipe for equanimity. With this equanimity, you are able to operate at a higher level as well as be an effective agent for change in the system. Sounds like a paradox! In this episode, we look at mindful...

Investigative journalist Scott Carney is our guest as we dive into: Why you might want to consider getting in cold water, the technique for staying in cold water for more than a few seconds, how to take your first step into the freeze, brown fat, the power of lightly held beliefs, how people are dying with the Wim Hof method, and the law of speedy gains.  Guest Bio: Scott Carney is an anthrop...

The Drama Triangle identifies our roles in dysfunctional interpersonal dynamics. It can be a potent tool for understanding conflict and miscommunication within personal and professional relationships. In this episode, we break down the core components of the Drama Triangle, strategies to disentangle ourselves from ‘drama’, and explore practical tools to identify and navigate the dynamics of our ow...

How do you make important decisions? Do you go by your gut, some sort of defined process, or perhaps a combination of the two? When we're offered an opportunity to participate in something that seems amazing, it’s almost always associated with a cost. That cost is time. Every ‘yes’ is accompanied by even more ‘no’s’. In today’s episode, we take a look inside a real coaching session that addresses...

Are you often quick to give advice? You're not alone, but sometimes our advice may not be as helpful as we think. In this podcast episode, we explore the concepts of the advice trap and humble inquiry, which shift communication from telling to asking and encourage us to stay curious a little longer. Guest Bio: The late Edgar Schein, PhD. was a renowned figure in the field of organizational psychol...

How often do you walk into work hoping it will be a good day or at least not a bad one? What if it didn’t matter what happened and the good/bad was entirely in your control? In today’s episode, Christina Shenvi MD, MBA, PhD gives insight and specific strategies for a nearly perfect shift.  Guest Bio: Christina Shenvi MD, MBA, PhD is an emergency physician at the University of North Carolina,...

In this episode, we explore the 10% rule - the idea that in disagreement, the other person is at least 10% right. This is a tool for conflict abatement and resolution.  It’s easy to get caught up in the rightness of our own opinions and ideas – whether it’s in medicine, business, leadership, relationships, or any time we interact with others. However, this can be detrimental to collaboration...

Transitions, by their nature, involve ambiguity and disorientation. It's important to recognize that this zone is a natural part of the process of growth and change. In this episode we break down the nature of the being in a transitional/liminal space, embracing it as an identity, and navigating it through small and tectonic changes.  The liminal space is a transitional or in-between state wh...

Hidden in plain sight is the most important procedure we do. Listening. And not just listening, but listening to understand. Measurable, improvable, and, when done well, can have an incredibly positive impact. Intention is key with listening: are we doing it to understand or to win? In this episode, we break down specific strategies for quality listening, potential pitfalls, and how to know when y...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to reach the highest level of mastery? Are you a medical student looking for ways to achieve excellence in medical school or a physician wanting to become an expert in your field? If so, you’re in luck! Join us as we explore a fascinating conversation with Dr. Jeff Riddell, a leading expert in medical education as he talks about strategies to develop any skill,...

Have you ever had a day at work that was so difficult and draining, it felt like it took a toll on your entire being? You're not alone. Meet Dr. Sara Gray, an expert in wellness, resilience, and resuscitation team performance. In this episode, Dr. Gray dives deep into her special framework for coping with difficult days and how to recover and even come out of them a little stronger. She has outlin...

Part of practicing medicine is telling patients 'no'. It’s never fun to do so and it can be a draining daily task. It doesn’t have to be that way! In this episode, we break down pitfalls and pearls in these situations as well as specific scripting to help the medicine go down, The Spock Retreat - falling back on logic to solve an emotional situation, what happens when we get pushback on our logica...