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Perspective

“Shooting Ghosts” – confronting the invisible injuries of warAfter Marine Sgt. Thomas ("TJ") Brennan was hit by the blast from a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan in 2010, he suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him unable to recall much of his immediate past — including, at times, the name of his own daughter…

12 truths I know for sure…a look at one woman's look back at her life at age 61

23 Weeks 6 DaysWhen Kelley Benham and her husband Tom French finally got pregnant, after many attempts and a good deal of technological help, everything was perfect. Until it wasn't. Their story raises questions that, until recently, no parent had to face… and that are still nearly impossible to answer. This hour, we spend the entire episode on the story of Kelley and Tom, whose daughter was born at 23 weeks and 6 days, roughly halfway to full term. Their story contains an entire universe of questions about the lines between life and death, reflex and will, and the confusing tug of war between two basic moral touchstones: doing no harm…and doing everything in our power to help.

A birth plan for dyingHanna Neuschwander grapples with ending a wanted pregnancy, and finds that “right” or “wrong” fail to describe the moral reckoning.

A First Person Narrative of the Challenges of Homelessness by Ronald DavisDo we respect our fellow human beings? This narrative by Ronald Davis, who has been homeless for the past 2 years, demonstrates that all too often the answer is no.

A Gene for Alcohol Dependence? (2 min)Scientists may have narrowed down on a gene that seems to allow some people to metabolize alcohol more quickly, which may lead to a higher likelihood of dependence. What does this mean for how we manage this condition going forward?

A Physician Asks: Is Being Black Bad For Your Health?Fresh Air- Terry Gross interviews Damon Tweedy, MD about his new memoir "Black Man in a White Coat". Reflections on race and how it factors in health care for black patients and becoming a black physician.

Are human brains hardwired to recognize some groups of people as friends and others as enemies?The concept of tribalism dates back hundreds of centuries, evolving from violent warfare to aggressive sports. Humans exhibit an innate need to relate and group, subsequently leading to issues of both minor subconscious and major conscious prejudice.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder by Dr. Nancy SnydermanPhotographer Rick Guidotti is a renowned fashion photographer who has worked in Milan, Paris and New York. Fifteen years ago, he saw the images of patients in medical textbooks and the experience changed his life.

Can Doctors See Beyond Patients’ Weight?A sibling shares his account of his sister's weight loss, the commentary and judgment that accompanied it, and the terrible outcome of its aftermath.

Cancer Diagnosis Galvanizes a Medical StudentHow a support network—and a special bond with his doctor—helped a 22-year-old med student fight lymphoma.

Confront harm and prevent medical casualties (~10min) – LtGen HorohoPatricia Horoho, retired Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army and the first woman and first nurse to serve as the Army’s Surgeon General, reveals how healthcare can cause harm by sins of commission and omission.

Confronting War’s Invisible Injuries

Conundrum by Matthew HirschtrittA third-year medical student’s narrative of wrestling with the discord between the patient he pictured when reading her medical record and the patient he met after walking into the exam room. A contemplation of chronic illness and hidden strengths.

Cultivating the inner life of physicians through written reflectiona look at how reflection in residency helps shape growth and development as a physician

Deconstructing White Privilege (22min)Dr. Robin DiAngelo is the author of What Does it Mean to Be White? Developing White Racial Literacy and has been an anti-racist educator, and has heard justifications of racism by white men and women in her workshops for over two decades. This justification, which she calls “white fragility,” is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation.

Diary of an Injury by Craig BashIn 1984, while a 4th year medical student playing for his medical school's Rugby team, Craig Bash's sustained a C6-C7 subluxation, injuring his spinal cord. This diary, written from his hospital bed in the weeks immediately thereafter, is a thoughtful and poignant description of the challenges he faced and his thoughts about them in the aftermath of his injury.

Doctor Priorities vs. Patient Priorities by Danielle OfriDoctors and patients can have contrasting agendas, viewed through different lenses. The key is not trying to change someone else’s lens, but rather, appreciating the value of their perspective.

Doctors with disabilities – why they are important.

Empathy: The Human Connection to Patient CareIf you could put your feet into your patient's shoes–see what they see, hear what they hear, and feel what they feel–would you treat them differently?

Everything Doesn’t Happen for a ReasonAn essay on the importance of grieving and avoidance of "platitudes cloaked as sophistication" from "The Adversity Within" – a blog dedicated to examining the topic of resilience in the face of adversity

Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong

Finding EmilieImagine if you were in a tragic accident that left you unable to communicate to the outside world that you were alive. Imagine if you were this person's loved one, and you tried to convince the doctors that your loved one was still alive. This is the triumphant story of two family members not giving up on their loved one even though doctors made a brain dead prognosis.

For People with Disabilities, Doctors Are Not Always Healers by Leana S. WenSome of the hardest (and most valuable lessons) come during internship year. Such was the case for Dr. Leanna Wen, who faced her fears about medical discrimination when caring for the patient in ER bed #3.

Helping patients face death, she fought to liveA palliative care doctor, faced with extensive metastatic cancer, grappled with what she recommended for patients and what she wanted for herself – which was treatment and cure, at all cost.

How ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ is still an issue 25 years laterHere’s a look back at how the DADT policy was put in the place, what the reaction to it was when it was introduced and how the conversation surrounding it has changed over the last two decades.

How Doctors Diea look at how – and why – doctors often choose differently from their patients when making decisions about their own deaths.

How long have I got left?A young neurosurgeon describes his struggle with living and dying, in the framework of incurable cancer.

How Measurement Fails Doctors and TeachersAn op-ed looking at how we measure and reward doctors and teachers, and how that doesn't really get us the outcomes we want from those professionals.

How We See Ourselves, How We See Others by Emily ProninDoes our ability to know our own volition give us accurate insight into the volition of others? This article argues that the answer is a definitive "No".

Human Error in Volatile SituationsA look at what the tiniest bit of human error can do in the most delicate situations. MILITARY CENTRIC!!

I lied to my patient, and she was thankfulA millennial physician chooses to postpone the truth for her patient…here's why.

I’ll Get That Checked Out SoonIn busy professional lives, and in an area where burnout is a hot-button item, our lack of self-care can lead to health care practitioners not really practicing what they preach. The consequences can be fatal.

In praise of SlownessJournalist Carl Honore believes the Western world's emphasis on speed erodes health, productivity and quality of life. But there's a backlash brewing, as everyday people start putting the brakes on their all-too-modern lives.

It’s a terrible day in the neighborhood… and that’s ok.Mr. Rogers may have been a children's television notable, but his lessons in emotion acknowledgement, acceptance, and management are as pertinent for adults as they are for kids.

It’s Not Rude: These Portraits Of Wounded Vets Are Meant To Be Stared AtIt's impolite to stare. But when it comes to severely injured soldiers, maybe we don't look enough; or maybe we'd rather not see wounded veterans at all.

It’s a Terrible Day in the Neighborhood, and That’s O.K. – (aka why we do reflective practice)Fred Rogers’s belief that we should validate emotions, not suppress them, is wisdom for all ages. This is why we do a course on Reflective Practice. We have feelings – and it turns out, it's ok.

Letting goWhat should medicine do when it can't save you? Dr. Atul Gawande examines the way doctors try to approach death and dying – sometimes well, often inadequately.

My near missA doctor relays a close call with a patient's diagnosis…the "near miss" – a mistake that could have cost the patient serious harm, but didn't.

Narrative HumilityNarrative humility is a philosophy of listening which holds potential beyond health care as well, in any situation where more powerful individuals engage with stories of those who are socially, culturally or politically less powerful. It acknowledges that the listener — be that a clinician, reporter, policy maker, or teacher — must willingly place herself in a position of some transparency. The witness must not only see, but be seen, and by doing so, enable herself to see even more clearly.

Near-Death Experience Leads Physician to Promote EmpathyDr. Rana L.A. Awdish's near-death experience due to an occult adenoma rupturing in her liver gave her a brand new perspective based on the lack of empathy she received as a patient. Her experience as a patient totally changed the way she practices, cares and treats her patients and she realized the vital importance of incorporating empathy in the medical field.

Phil Hansen: Embrace the ShakeArtist Phil Hansen discusses how he found a way to use his disability, rather then battle to over come it, when his hand tremors were devastatingly preventing him from creating the art he loved.

Pike County, OH: As Black as wish to be"Al Letson and guest producer Lu Olkowski visit a tiny town in the Appalachian foothills of Ohio where, for a century, residents have shared the common bond of identifying as African-American despite the fact that they look white. Racial lines have been blurred to invisibility, and people inside the same family can vehemently disagree about whether they are black or white."

Project ImplicitA series of implicit association tests that offer insight into our implicit biases.

Radiolab presents: WorthWhat is the value of one year of life?

Remembering Anaracha, Lucy and Betsey: The Mothers of Modern GynecologyA discussion on the enslaved women experimented on at the birth of modern gynecology and how some of the bias they experience still occur today in medicine.

Sex and Love in RetirementFor the elderly residents of Flushing House, finding one’s soul mate is something of a quaint notion. Mating, however, is not. Forming new relationships in the nursing home.

Shame, guilt, and the medical learnerShame and guilt are subjective emotional responses that occur in response to negative events such as the making of mistakes or an experience of mistreatment, and have been studied extensively in the field of psychology. Despite their potentially damaging effects and ubiquitous presence in everyday life, very little has been written about the impact of shame and guilt in medical education.

Something Only I Can SeeA woman named Jill Viles with muscular dystrophy tried to convince doctors (MD's & PhD's) that she has the same disorder as a Olympic athlete. Despite their denial and dismissing her as mentally ill, Jill was determined to prove to them and others that her belief was real.

Strong backs, soft fronts, wild heartsYou can listen or read the transcript of the podcast — discussion of belonging, race, the shields we put up that interfere with our conversation and how to overcome.

Suleika Jaouad“Health is about adding life to years, not years to life.” A personal website discussing various events, interactions, struggles and celebrations living with cancer and surviving afterwards.

Ted Radio Hour: CONFRONTING STIGMAa look at how we stigmatize mental illness, addiction, and other things – and ways to address that issue.

Tell Me I’m FatLet's change our perspective on how we view being fat.

The “Madman” is back in the buildingA look at mental illness in the office place.

The Art of Constructive worryingAiming for perfection generates a toxic by-product: we avoid admitting mistakes. Working toward a different culture is probably the answer.

The Art of Listening (first 5 min, last 20 min)Listening — to loved ones, strangers, faraway places — is an act of generosity and a source of discovery. In this episode, TED speakers describe how we change when we listen deeply.

The Case that Shook MedicineLibby Zion's death created a whirlwind of change that translated into looking at how doctors are trained, what kind of hours they keep, and how that translates into patient safety. This is the original story.

The Doctors Prescribed Me Pain Medication but Couldn’t Help Me Stop Them.a first person narrative about one patient's struggle to extricate himself from opioid pain medications, and where he did and DIDN'T find help.

The ForsakenRecounts several stories of LGBT youths losing the support of their families after coming out to them. Describes the epidemic of homeless LGBT youth in the United States today, and the unique struggle this population faces both in terms of losing the support of their families and unique difficulties they face as homeless youth.

The happy secret to better workWe believe we should work hard in order to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backwards? In this fast-moving and very funny talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive.

the inconvenience of being a woman veteran

The Last Person Out of the ClosetChallenges of being accepted as bisexual for a married man.

The murderer in the mirror (2 min read)A surgeon's reflection on the death of his patient.

The Opportunity of AdversityAimee Mullins, paralympian, model, advocate, describes the use of the word "disabled" and how changing our understanding of that word would help shape the experience of our patients in a positive way.

The Permission to FeelDr. Marc Brackett has dedicated his life to studying emotions and to teaching us what he’s learning. In this episode, we talk about how emotional literacy – being able to recognize, name, and understand our feelings – affects everything from learning, decision making, and creativity, to relationships, health, and performance.

The Privilege of Uncertainty by Dr. Daniel MaselliTo healthcare providers, uncertainty may seem to be something to be avoided, but perhaps it is actually something to celebrate.

The Problem with Skinny Mena look at weight from a man who has difficulty keeping weight on, and how the weight debate for women affects men and their self esteem

The Tribal Nature of MedicineIn this video, Dr. Victoria Brazil discusses tribalism in medicine and how this affects healthcare teams and ultimately patient care. The article further discusses types of teams and offers guidance for building a cohesive and functional healthcare team that is inclusive, rather than exclusive to other "tribes." Note: Registrars in Australia are roughly equivalent to Residents in the US.

The Weight I Carry (10min read)The author shares an inside look on how he feels about the weight he carries, from the worry he has riding the subway to the way he plans which restaurants will have the right combination of tables and booths to seat him. He talks about what makes him eat and what makes him want to lose weight. It's gripping and honest. Worthwhile read.

This American Life: The TestThe coronavirus has now fully arrived in the United States. This week, stories of people trying to rise to that challenge, in some pretty extreme situations.

Try a Checklist (NPR’s Hidden Brain Series)A look inside the operating room with Atul Gawande — and reflection about a 1930s plane crash that inspired his obsession with checklists — as the podcast explores the subtle biases that cause very smart and very skilled people to become their own worst enemies.

Understanding Microaggressionsa brief look at defining microaggression – 2 min!

Unlocking Us: Comparative Suffering, the 50/50 Myth, and Settling the Ball (24min)We have collectively hit weary. This is especially true for the brave folks on the front lines of this pandemic and for the people who love and support them. And, it’s also true for all of us. In this episode, Brene Brown talks about strategies for falling apart, staying connected + kind, and giving ourselves permission to feel hard things.

Unusual NormalityA war veteran's story of a second chance at childhood and appreciation of what one has

Unwinnable HandsA great narrative that uses the metaphor of playing cards to the experience of life, dying & death. Life is not about always having a winning hand, its about being able to play the cards that are dealt and having the courage not to fold.

We might be able to end Sickle Cell Disease, but signing Black Americans up for the trials could prove difficultWe might be able to end sickle cell disease but only if we can test it on the population it affects the most.

What I learned from 4 years working at McDonaldsAuthor Kate Norquay writes about the implicit bias she had upon starting work at McDonalds

What makes a life worth living in the face of deathIn this deeply moving talk, Lucy Kalanithi reflects on life and purpose, sharing the story of her late husband, Paul, a young neurosurgeon who turned to writing after his terminal cancer diagnosis. "Engaging in the full range of experience — living and dying, love and loss — is what we get to do," Kalanithi says. "Being human doesn't happen despite suffering — it happens within it."

When a Child Says She’s TransAn article about how a child and her family is managing the idea of Claire being transgender.

When Doctors Become Patients by Eric D. ManheimerFew experiences have a greater impact on the perspective of healthcare providers than being in the patient role.

When Doctors Tell Patients What They Don’t Want To Hear

When Girls Won’t Be GirlsA look at the world of transgender individuals and of someone who transitioned…and then transitioned back.

When the Nurse Disagrees with the Doctor by Theresa BrownHow we engage in a dialogue when conflict exists between healthcare professionals is often the most important issue.

Why Black Mothers Die – 12 minA look at why black moms die at a higher rate than white moms, despite status and resources….

Why is skinny shaming ok?Emma Woof discusses her perspective as a woman who is not overweight, although struggled with anorexia.

Why Perfectionism is a 20-ton shield (~3min)Why we are driven by 'what people think'?

Why Reflect?(10 min) Exploration and review of the importance of reflection as a student/learner.

Why Women Still Can’t Have It AllA woman who had one of the most powerful jobs in the State Department stepped down to spend time with her family. She discusses the gender divide in making such a choice, and provides perspective on how the workplace for both women AND men might change if we approach the topic of career and family differently.

Wounded troops battle obstacles to sex and intimacyA Military Times piece looking at how the DoD is addressing sex/intimacy after injury and how they are faring.

Your Body Language Shapes Who You AreWhile we may be able to identify what body language implies about mood, we are less aware that body language can actually influence it. The implications for communication with patients and colleagues may be profound.