The Doctor's Art

Henry Bair and Tyler Johnson

The practice of medicine–filled with moments of joy, suffering, grace, sorrow, and hope–offers a window into the human condition. Though serving as guides and companions to patients’ illness experiences is profoundly meaningful work, the busy nature of modern medicine can blind its own practitioners to the reasons they entered it in the first place. Join resident physician Henry Bair and oncologist Tyler Johnson as they meet with doctors, patients, leaders, educators, and others in healthcare, to explore stories on finding and nourishing meaning in medicine. This podcast is for anyone striving for a deeper connection with their medical journey. Visit TheDoctorsArt.com for more information.

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Top 10 The Doctor's Art Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Doctor's Art episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Doctor's Art for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Doctor's Art episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

In Service of a Greater Cause | Dean Winslow, MD

The Doctor's Art

05/10/22 • 42 min

Dean Winslow, MD has led an extraordinarily multifaceted career as an infectious disease specialist and former US Air Force colonel. In his pioneering work at the front lines of the AIDS epidemic, he headed one of the first HIV clinics in the country and created HIV treatments and diagnostics still used today. During his multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq as a flight surgeon, he commanded field hospitals that treated military personnel and local civilians alike. As a long-time professor of medicine at Stanford, he has been a popular mentor to hundreds of medical professionals. In this episode, with his trademark cheerful and humble demeanor, Dr. Winslow shares the colorful, poignant, and amusing stories he has collected over his decades of service.

In this episode, you will hear about:

Dr. Winslow’s personal path that led him to medicine and his initial work during the early days of the AIDS epidemic - 2:51
How Dr. Winslow manages the emotional burden that comes with treating seriously ill patients with HIV - 20:24
Dr. Winslow’s experiences in military medicine and how they have shaped his medical career - 25:31
A humorous story on solving a tough infectious disease case through medical detective work - 32:09
Dr. Winslow’s advice to medical trainees who may be struggling with burnout, and what improvements should be made to the healthcare system to take pressure off medical professionals - 36:51

A narrative essay by Dr. Winslow about his military medical career: Treating the Enemy.

Follow Dr. Winslow’s work at StanfordHealthcare.org

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to [email protected].

Copyright The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2022

Choosing Happiness | John Leland

The Doctor's Art

02/07/23 • 51 min

In 2015, New York Times journalist John Leland set out to follow the lives of six people over the age of 85. What John learned shattered his preconceived notions about aging, loneliness, and loss. The resulting 2018 book, Happiness is a Choice You Make, became an international bestseller and delved into how these older individuals found wisdom and joy in the later stages of life. In this episode, John joins us to discuss the transformational exploration he undertook and lessons on living well he has discovered from this journey.

In this episode, you will hear about:

How a college music reviewer came to write for The New York Times - 1:41
How John’s exploration of aging began when he was initially—reluctantly—assigned to write a series of articles on old age and retirement - 5:04
Reflections on how John’s expectations of aging — including loss, sadness, loneliness — were transformed over the course of this writing project - 9:01
How John discovers his interview subjects - 11:38
A discussion of John’s book, Happiness is a Choice You Make, and the lessons he learned from his subjects -14:44
Advice to young clinicians on finding moments of happiness in their careers - 26:19
John’s surprising realization that elders are not “depressed all the time” - 33:53
A discussion of John’s recent article, in which he was documents the last days of Shatzi Weisberger, a nurse and prominent death educator - 36:53
Reflections on how John’s relationships with older adults have changed his perception of death - 40:07
Advice to clinicians on how they can better help older patients connect with what makes their lives meaningful - 45:03

John Leland is the author of the book Happiness is a Choice You Make: Lessons from a Year Among the Oldest Old.

He is also a staff writer at the New York Times . In this episode we discussed his articles How Loneliness is Damaging Our Health, and She Preached About Death Without Fear. Could She Practice it?

You can follow John Leland on Twitter @JohnLeland.

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

Copyright The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2023

The (Small-P) Politics of Medicine | Josh Sharfstein, MD

The Doctor's Art

10/24/23 • 49 min

For many people, the idea of politics in healthcare conjures up hyperpartisanship, where power and party loyalty trump public interest. But Joshua Sharfstein, MD is passionate about politics and health care because to him, these are opportunities to bring together wide-ranging expertise and navigate seemingly irreconcilable interests to implement changes that change the lives of millions. Dr. Sharfstein has led a career reflective of this passion. He has served as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health, the Principal Deputy Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, and the Commissioner of Health for Baltimore City, and is currently Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Sharfstein discusses why public health matters, how he handles partisanship in politics, and his career highs and lows and lessons learned on effective crisis management.

In this episode we discuss:

2:16 - How medicine and politics ended up being a twin focus of Dr. Sharfstein’s career

5:07 - The milestones of Dr. Sharfstein’s career in healthcare leadership

8:39 - Why healthcare arouses such intense partisan political feelings

13:51 - How public health’s messaging and communication must change in light of current advancements in information technology

18:42 - The formative public health crises that Dr. Sharfstein has dealt with throughout his career

26:33 - Ideas for strengthening the US’s weak public health system

29:28 - How COVID-19 revealed the flaws of our public health system

33:55 - Dr. Sharfstein’s advice for clinicians who are interested in working in public health

38:00 - Sustaining drive and momentum amid bureaucracy in public health

41:56 - A sampling of the unsafe products that Dr. Sharfstein has successfully gotten taken off of the market

Dr. Sharfstein is the author of The Public Health Crisis Survival Guide: Leadership and Management in Trying Times.

You can follow Dr. Joshua Sharfstein on Twitter @DrJoshS.

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

Copyright The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2023

Being (Im)Mortal | Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD

The Doctor's Art

12/19/23 • 52 min

From ancient myths to science fiction, humans have long been fascinated by the idea of transcending the limits of our natural lifespan. But what does modern medicine say about the practical, actual possibilities of extending human life? Joining us to explore this tantalizing question is Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD, a neuroscientist and director of the Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience at Stanford University. While his research focuses on age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease, his work has involved identifying the “biological age” of various organs and its implications on various diseases, and treating old animals with the blood of young animals to halt, and even reverse, aging of the body.

Over the course of our conversation, we not only discuss the mysterious mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, but also venture beyond the lab to explore the philosophical and ethical dimensions of life extension. We ask: how does our understanding of aging affect our perception of self and identity? Is aging a disease to be treated? What are our social and moral obligations when it comes to prolonging life or enhancing brain function? Is immortality even desirable?

In this episode, we discuss:

2:30 - How Dr. Wyss-Coray became drawn to neuroscience

4:45 - Defining neurodegeneration and aging

9:26 - The studies that led Dr. Wyss-Coray and his team to finding the gap between biological age and chronological age

21:06 - Is reversing the aging of an organism’s body a realistic goal?

28:31 - The possibilities and limits of treating neurodegenerative conditions

33:49 - Dr. Wyss-Coray’s groundbreaking work in treating old animals with the blood of young animals to reverse aging

38:51 - The philosophical and moral implications of life extension

48:57 - Dr. Wyss-Coray insight into the “secrets” behind some people’s longevity

Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray can be found on Twitter/X at @wysscoray.

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

Copyright The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2023

Transcendence in the Age of Science | Alan Lightman, PhD

The Doctor's Art

09/12/23 • 45 min

When we gaze at the stars and wonder at our place amid the expanse of the universe, or when we witness the birth of a child and marvel at the miracle of existence itself, or when we listen to music that seems to touch our soul — there are moments in life when we feel a transcendent connection to things larger than ourselves. But how are we to make sense of these experiences in the age of science? In perhaps our most meditative episode yet, we speak with Alan Lightman, PhD, a theoretical physicist and humanist who holds a unique vantage point on topics fundamental to our existence: time, space, matter, and human consciousness. Dr. Lightman is Professor of the Practice of the Humanities at MIT, the author of numerous novels and books on science and philosophy, and the creator and subject of the 2023 PBS documentary series Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science. Over the course of our conversation, we discuss where our sense of awe comes from, the role of spirituality in a materialist world, whether or not human consciousness will ever be understood on a physical basis, the interplay of faith and reason in modern scientific practice, and more.

In this episode, we discuss:

3:58 - How Dr. Lightman found himself at the intersection of physics and creative writing

5:46 - The ways in which physics is the most “philosophical” science

9:13 - The definitions of ‘materialists’ and ‘vitalists’

11:56 - How Dr. Lightman conceptualizes his position as a ‘Spiritual Materialist’

16:07 - Contending with materialism despite awe-inspiring, transcendental experiences

22:30 - Whether or not Dr. Lightman considers himself a ‘reductionist’

25:28 - Where our sense of awe and appreciation of beauty come from

32:17 - The role of faith in scientific pursuits

34:20 - Finding meaning in a materialist world

In this episode, we discuss Bertrand Russel’s Free Man’s Worship.

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

Copyright The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2023

Confronting Inhumanity Through Medicine | Christos Christou, MD

The Doctor's Art

11/15/22 • 46 min

When it comes to medical humanitarianism, there is no bigger name than Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known in English as Doctors Without Borders. MSF is renowned for its work in regions affected by armed conflict, endemic diseases, and natural disasters. In this episode, we are joined by Cristos Christou, MD, a Greek surgeon who has served as the international president of MSF since 2019. As a field doctor, he has worked in South Sudan, Iraq, Cameroon, and various other conflict zones. Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Christou takes us into the trenches of his medical work in caring for some of the most vulnerable people in the world, shares how he finds meaning and hope amid the depths of human suffering, and discusses the challenges to global health today.

In this episode, you will hear about:

How the values of his self-described “rustic” childhood led Dr. Christou into medicine - 2:28
How Dr. Christou’s time in university shaped his life philosophy - 3:27
The history and mission of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders - 5:59
What it is like to practice medicine in regions affected by armed conflict and natural disasters - 8:13
Dr. Christou’s journey in MSF, from when he first heard of it to how he became its leader - 10:42
Lessons learned on finding meaning in medicine in some of the most resource-limited settings - 13:41
Dr. Christou’s stories of inspiring hope in patients even during incredibly challenging times - 16:19
A discussion of the dangers faced by clinicians who work with MSF - 19:54
The significance of bearing witness to suffering in giving a voice to vulnerable patients - 23:11
A discussion of the major threats to global health today: climate change, epidemics, and war - 26:25
Advice for new clinicians who wish to tackle issues in global health - 30:00

Follow Dr. Christos on Twitter @DrChristou.

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

Copyright The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2022

The Brain and All That Makes Us Human | Jay Wellons, MD

The Doctor's Art

09/13/22 • 45 min

Pediatric neurosurgeons manage some of the most complex diseases in children, operating on the delicate and precious organ that makes us essentially human. Jay Wellons, MD is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the author of All That Moves Us, a memoir that offers an intimate and gripping account of the triumphs, terrors, joys, and pathos he encounters on a daily basis. In this episode, Dr. Wellons joins us to discuss his path to neurosurgery by way of English literature and family medicine, his faith as an anchor amidst his challenging work, and reflections on what the human dramas involving the most vulnerable children he has cared for has taught him about resilience, courage, and grace under pressure.

In this episode, you will hear about:

A discussion of the range of procedures pediatric neurosurgeons perform - 1:58
How a fascination with neuroanatomy drew Dr. Wellons into neurosurgery, and how his literary studies have impacted his patient care - 3:58
The origin of Dr. Wellons’ book All That Moves Us and his experiences with a personal health crisis - 8:59
What it is like to operate on one of the most intricate and delicate parts of the human body - 18:00
How Dr. Wellons deals with the weight of unsuccessful procedures, and how he carries on - 27:51
Forming relationships with the families of very young and often very ill patients - 31:12
A discussion of spiritual faith and its place in the life of a surgeon who sees so much tragedy - 35:27
Dr. Wellons’ advice to students, trainees, and clinicians on how to stay connected and hopeful in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges - 40:52

Dr. Wellons is the author of a book All That Moves Us: A Pediatric Neurosurgeon, His Young Patients, and Their Stories of Grace and Resilience, as well as the article “How the Summer Camp Doctor Earned His Stripes ” for Garden & Gun magazine.

You can follow Dr. Jay Wellons on Twitter @JayWellons5

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

Copyright The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2022

A Physician-Engineer and His Patient Stories | Bryant Lin, MD, MEng

The Doctor's Art

08/30/22 • 42 min

Technological advancements have enabled us to accomplish medical miracles through novel medical devices, algorithms, and digital tools. At the same time, the exponential entanglement of tech with healthcare has led many clinicians to feel disconnected from the human element of medicine. Here to discuss this conundrum is Bryant Lin, MD, MEng, the director of Medicine and the Muse, the medical humanities program at Stanford Medical School, and a mechanical engineer by training who focuses on medical device development. Dr. Lin also conducts research in Asian population health and is the cofounder of Stanford’s Consultative Medicine Clinic, which evaluates patients with medical mysteries. In today’s episode, Dr. Lin shares his unique perspective at the crossroads of technology and the humanities, and discusses how storytelling can be a powerful instrument to keep physicians grounded in what truly matters for their patients.

In this episode, you will hear about:

How an early interest in engineering led Dr. Lin to medicine - 1:42
A poignant letter Dr. Lin received from one of his long-term aging patients that reaffirms why his medical career is meaningful - 4:10
A discussion of how medical bureaucratization has stolen away much of the human connection that underpins fulfilling medical work - 7:39
How Medicine and the Muse, the medical humanities program at Stanford, helps clinicians connect with the meaning in medicine - 12:40
What Dr. Lin hopes to achieve through teaching medical humanities to future clinicians - 25:45
How storytelling helps healthcare providers better connect with their patients - 27:28
How Dr. Lin integrates storytelling into medical device design, and why it is imperative to not allow technology to distance physicians from their patients - 31:24

Dr. Lin manages the forthcoming digital medical humanities newsletter Panacea Health.

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

Fighting for Empowerment and Equity | Pamela Kunz, MD

The Doctor's Art

05/31/22 • 44 min

Pamela Kunz, MD is the Director of the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Yale Medicine. For 19 years, she was at Stanford University, most recently serving as Director of the Stanford Neuroendocrine Tumor Program. But in 2020, Dr. Kunz announced her departure, citing years of gender discrimination, microaggressions, and harassment. In this episode, Dr. Kunz opens up about the challenges she faced, how she overcame them, and how she now taps into a clear-eyed awareness of her values to lead health care settings that empower underrepresented individuals and to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic medicine.

In this episode, you will hear about:

How Dr. Kunz’s science-filled childhood led her to a career in medicine, and why she took on the daunting task of treating cancer patients - 2:21
What it is like to build relationships with patients who have life-limiting cancer diagnoses - 7:25
Dr. Kunz’s past struggles working in a toxic environment due to constant disrespect and denigration based on her gender - 12:18
How leadership coach Rebecca Merrill (our guest on Episode 7) helped Dr. Kunz realize why she was so unhappy in her work and what she could do about it - 16:15
The development of Dr. Kunz as an advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic medicine - 18:48
Dr. Kunz’s advice for women and other underrepresented individuals going into medicine on preparing against potential hostility in their chosen careers, and how to create a “tapestry” of mentors - 22:01
How Dr. Kunz addresses her own burnout, and how seeing oneself as an advocate can be a tool to self-empowerment - 32:25
The advice Dr. Kunz would give to her past self if she could go back in time - 41:02

Dr. Kunz mentions the book “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown as being especially transformational in her journey to overcome challenges in the workplace.

Follow Dr. Kunz on Twitter @PamelaKunzMD

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

Leading Through Crisis at the WHO | Soumya Swaminathan, MD

The Doctor's Art

05/23/23 • 43 min

When COVID-19 rapidly emerged, the World Health Organization (WHO) was thrust into an unprecedented challenge. The global pandemic response was in disarray; health care resources were limited and inequitably distributed; and misinformation burgeoned. At the center of this maelstrom was Soumya Swaminathan, MD, who served as the WHO’s first Chief Scientist, from 2019 until 2022. Dr. Swaminathan not only spearheaded efforts to disseminate the latest scientific findings about the coronavirus and vaccine development, but also became one of the major public faces of the WHO. In this episode, we discuss Dr. Swaminathan's formative years becoming a pediatrician in India, specializing in treating children with tuberculosis and HIV, as well as the challenges she faced as a leader at the WHO in a time of eroding public trust.

In this episode, you will hear about:

Dr. Swaminathan’s experiences training to become a doctor in India - 2:05
How Dr. Swaminathan discovered the balance between her interests in clinical medicine and research - 6:00
Dr. Swaminathan’s reflections on the challenges of caring for children with tuberculosis and HIV - 9:38
A discussion of global research funding disparity - 14:08
How Dr. Swaminathan joined the WHO and eventually came to fill such a critical leadership role there - 19:04
Dr. Swaminathan’s recollections of the arrival of COVID-19 from her perspective as the WHO’s first Chief Scientist - 21:28
Lessons learned in health communication from the pandemic - 27:46
The experience of being a lightning rod for online harassment and misinformation - 35:07
Dr. Swaminathan’s advice to new clinicians who are considering pursuing a career in global health - 39:25

You can follow Dr. Swaminathan on Twitter @DoctorSoumya.

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Doctor's Art have?

The Doctor's Art currently has 138 episodes available.

What topics does The Doctor's Art cover?

The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Medicine, Podcasts and Philosophy.

What is the most popular episode on The Doctor's Art?

The episode title 'Life and Death in 12 Hours | Christin Thankachan, BSN, RN-BC' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Doctor's Art?

The average episode length on The Doctor's Art is 51 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Doctor's Art released?

Episodes of The Doctor's Art are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of The Doctor's Art?

The first episode of The Doctor's Art was released on Feb 28, 2022.

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The Doctor's Art

Henry Bair and Tyler Johnson

Top 10 The Doctor's Art Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does The Doctor's Art have?

What topics does The Doctor's Art cover?

What is the most popular episode on The Doctor's Art?

What is the average episode length on The Doctor's Art?

How often are episodes of The Doctor's Art released?

When was the first episode of The Doctor's Art?

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