Operate with Zen

Kyle Richards, MD, FACS is an Associate Professor and Urologic Oncologist at the University of Wisconsin.  This is his second OWZ podcast.  In this episode we talk about managing complications in a mindful way.  Starting with the emotions that arise when something bad happens to one of our patients, we discuss how to engage members of the team, the patient, and the patient's family to improve everyone's outlook and outcome.

To accompany the podcast, a great 10 minute practice great for all experience levels of meditation.

Neda Gould, PhD is a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins.  She is also the Director of the Mindfulness Program at Johns Hopkins for faculty and staff.  In this episode, we talk through the scientific foundations of meditation practice and how to incorporate them, practically, into your life as a busy surgeon or physician.  We talk through our own meditation practices and hope you feel more grounded and empowered to start your own practice after this episode. 

Resources:
Books: Mindfulness for Beginners by John Kabat-Zinn; Altered Traits by Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson.
Podcast: How to Train Your Mind by Chris Bailey, available on audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/How-to-Train-Your-Mind-Audiobook/B08N5C3QLB

Tait Shanafelt, MD is an outstanding human being and doctor.  In addition to being a well-respected and renowned medical oncologist, he is the Chief Wellness Officer at Stanford Medicine and one of the most prolific writers of medical literature regarding wellness and burnout in medicine.  In this episode of OWZ, we discuss both individual and institutional approaches to wellness highlighting both the responsibility of each of us, as surgeons, to our patients and institution, as well as the responsibility of the field of medicine, our institutions, and hospitals to us to promote a culture of wellness and well-being.  As we better understand well-being and all of its implications on patient care, satisfaction, job turnover, etc., we recognize the only recipe for success involves physicians, surgeons, administrators, and hospital working together.  We briefly touch on his concept of “Physician Well-Being 2.0” and the article link can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34607637/.  I really enjoyed speaking with Dr. Shanafelt, I hope you enjoy listening. (Music Credit: Sunshine, Simon Jomphe Lepine.)

Anne M. Suskind, MD, FACS, MS is an Associate Professor of Urology; Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; the Associate Chair of Faculty Affairs and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and the Chief of Neurourology, Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery at the University of California San Francisco.  She is an accomplished surgeon scientist and a wonderful human being.  She is strongly interested in faculty and personal development and, in this podcast, discusses the rationale and process of her recent online course "Unlock Your Power."  We discuss her personal background and interests in mindfulness, anthropology, and psychology.  We discuss how discipline and insight are needed to make positive changes in who we are and align our purpose with our passion.  Her course can be found at https://suskina.wixsite.com/unlockyourpower or you can email her at [email protected] if you are interested in learning more. (Music Credit: Sunshine, Simon Jomphe Lepine.)

Tracy M. Downs, MD, FACS is a Professor of Urology and Chief Diversity & Community Engagement Officer at the University of Virginia.  Tracy is a deeply thoughtful and compassionate surgeon and person.  His approach to life parallels his approach to patient care which parallels his approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion.  We explore the metaphor of endurance built during distance running to the endurance needed to overcome the struggles of a surgical career and, similarly, the long-term work toward a more inclusive medical community and world.  In addition, the relationships he models with his family parallels the care and compassion with which he approaches his patients, colleagues, and his profession.  Lots to learn from Dr. Downs, enjoy. (Music Credit: Sunshine, Simon Jomphe Lepine.)

Taylor Riall, MD, PhD, FACS is the real deal!  Accomplished academic hepatobiliary surgeon, executive coach, competitive athlete, and a genuine inspiration to all who encounter her.  Dr. Riall was a major inspiration in my (ongoing) path to wellness and the creation of this podcast.  We tackle a lot in this discussion but start with changing surgical culture one surgeon, one inspiration at a time, move to mindfulness and resilience.  "Sitting with the Pieces" refers to the Japanese art of Kintsugi where pottery is intentionally broken and put back together with gold.  The metaphor is incredibly strong - what once was broken can be beautiful and have form.  We are all made of pieces that, when assembled, define who we are. (Music Credit: Sunshine, Simon Jomphe Lepine.)

No one is born with a mindfulness practice.  It takes time to discover your needs, to personalize your practice, and to cultivate that practice as you evolve as a mindful person.  Dr. Sima Porten is a skilled urologic cancer surgeon and incorporates mindfulness into her everyday routine.  Both her surgical skills and her mindfulness practice developed over an extended period of time and minor adjustments are continually required to reach the expert levels at which she performs.  In this episode we talk about developing and refining a mindfulness practice as a surgeon – how to incorporate those skills into the operating room, clinical care, and our home lives.  Dr. Porten also recently completed a clinical trial investigating the impact of mindfulness on perioperative outcomes for patients undergoing a major cancer operation.  Her balance and positive attitude are an inspiration to all who know her, and hopefully to all who listen to this episode. (Music Credit: Sunshine, Simon Jomphe Lepine.)

Paul Maroni is a urologic oncologist at University of Colorado in Denver.  He also runs the American Urological Association course on “Winning the Battle Against Burnout.”  Paul is also an extremely thoughtful and mindful surgeon, physician, and educator.  In this episode of OWZ, we tackle a lot more than burnout.  We discuss extreme ownership of the good and bad that occurs in our surgical practices, we talk about putting successes and failures into perspective, and, in Paul’s own words, we seek to find “joy serving others.”  We would be lying if we said everyday as a surgeon is amazingly positive.  But everyday can be amazing with the right perspective and approach. (Music Credit: Sunshine, Simon Jomphe Lepine.)

Dr. Casey Seideman is a pediatric urologist at Oregon Health and Sciences University.  A few years ago, Casey never ran a complete mile.  Now she is an outspoken advocate for wellness in the operating room and beyond.  In this podcast we tackle small changes and their ability make big impact, how mental preparation promotes a health surgical community, and how, as a surgeon, you can achieve great things you never thought you could do. (Music Credit: Sunshine, Simon Jomphe Lepine.)