As the founding medical director of Palliative Care Services at Stanford Hospital, Stephanie Harman, MD is no stranger to death and grief. In this episode, she shares the story of how she discovered palliative care through the death of someone close and what it looks like to transform what are often the moments of greatest patient suffering into moments of profound meaning and humanism. In addition to her palliative care work, Dr. Harman is a clinical associate professor of medicine, a co-chair of the Stanford Health Care Ethics Committee, and Associate Chair for the Women in Medicine initiative in Stanford’s Department of Medicine.

In this episode, you will hear about: 

• How PBS, zebrafish, and comparative literature influenced Dr. Harman’s decision to enter medicine - 3:08
• How the death of someone close propelled Dr. Harman into palliative care and informs her philosophical focus on honoring a patient’s values and wishes - 8:09
• Why Dr. Harman felt drawn to a medical specialty that so often deals with the most painful part of medicine: witnessing patients dying - 15:53
• How Dr. Harman had to advocate for the legitimacy and dignity of palliative medicine, despite being told it was “a waste of her career” - 19:18
• How Dr. Harman processes the emotional weight of her chosen field with preventive and supportive measures - 22:20
• A discussion of how the COVID-19 pandemic has forced public and personal conversations about grief to the forefront - 27:24
• Dr. Harman’s vision for the future of medicine, and specifically the broader adoption of palliative care services - 33:33
• Dr. Harman’s advice to new medical professionals and students - 38:49

You can follow Dr. Harman on Twitter @Steph_HarmanMD

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