Scalpel and Sword: Conflict and Negotiation in Modern Medicine

By Doctor Podcast Network, Lee Sharma MDSociety & Culture Medicine Health & Fitness Education Self-Improvement Personal Journals

Scalpel and Sword: Conflict and Negotiation in Modern Medicine episodes

March 16EP43 | The Daily Practice of Leadership with Dr. Jessica Bunin - Part 1
What if the most powerful leadership tool in medicine isn’t a new protocol or policy, but the courage to say “I don’t know… but I’ll find out”?
In this rich, practical conversation, retired Colonel Dr. Jessica Bunin, shares how a single residency remediation crisis became her leadership wake-up call. After 23 years in the Army, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and years as program director, assistant dean for faculty development, and associate dean for DEI and educational culture at the Uniformed Services University, she now teaches physicians the human skills that medical school never covered.
Key insights include:
Why military and civilian residents are far more alike than different : the hierarchy of medicine already does a lot of the heavy lifting.

How to build a true “scaffolding of support” around struggling learners, separating mentoring or coaching from evaluation so people feel safe to grow.

Why psychological safety is never “comfortable”, it’s the discomfort that creates real growth, innovation, and retention

The CLEAR framework for civil discourse (Create safety, Listen actively, Establish common ground, Adjust thinking, Respond skillfully) that turns disagreement into deeper understanding instead of debate or defensiveness

The power of role-modeling humility and follow-through, especially during uncertainty like the COVID-19 pandemic
Dr. Bunin weaves in powerful stories from residency remediation, leading an ICU through daily-changing science, and even martial-arts belt exams to show exactly how leaders who admit vulnerability and act on feedback build trust that lasts.
Three Actionable Takeaways
Most leadership struggles in medicine are actually remediation and communication problems. Build a clear support scaffold first, keep mentoring completely separate from grading, and watch learners thrive.

Psychological safety starts with you: Publicly admit “I don’t know,” invite uncomfortable feedback, respond without defensiveness, and visibly act on it so everyone else feels safe to do the same.

Use the CLEAR framework (Create safety, Listen actively, Establish common ground, Adjust thinking, Respond skillfully) in every difficult conversation, especially across differences, to replace winning arguments with real understanding and stronger teams.
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Guest:
Jessica Bunin, MD, MHPE, FACP, FCCM, CEC, is retired Colonel, co-founder and chief architect of All Levels Leadership, and a critical care physician and professor of medicine and health professions education at the Uniformed Services University. A West Point graduate with an MD from Tulane and 23 years of Army service (including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan), she has served as critical care program director, assistant dean for faculty development, associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, and associate dean for community and educational culture. She is a certified executive coach passionate about teaching healthcare leaders the practical skills of psychological safety, civil discourse, and high-stakes communication that turn conflict into collaboration.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Jessica Bunin
🌐 Website: alllevelsleadership.com
📘 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessica-bunin
About the Host:

Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma
The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
28 min
March 09EP42 | Conflict and Advocacy for our Kids with Dr. Alisa Minkin
What if true advocacy for children starts not just in the clinic, but in communities, legislatures, and even within ourselves?
In this insightful conversation, Dr. Lee Sharma sits with Dr. Alisa Minkin as she shares her journey as a pediatrician and mother of a daughter with autism, highlighting how personal advocacy evolved into broader efforts for inclusion and neurodiversity, including the evolution of programs like Art Buddies and Friendship Circles amid initial resistance from both sides.
She discusses the conflicts within advocacy groups, such as the polarization in autism advocacy; debates over whether it's an epidemic or better diagnosis, and tensions between neurodiversity advocates who view it as a way of being and those seeking treatments for severe cases, often complicated by denialism and financial interests that hinder progress on environmental factors like toxins.
Dr. Minkin emphasizes the importance of humility and open dialogue in advocacy, inviting diverse viewpoints to strengthen policies, while addressing challenges in modern pediatrics like burnout, limited time for empathy, and the need for self-advocacy among physicians. She also touches on post-COVID societal fatigue and the yearning for nuance in solving "we problems" like child mental health. Dr. Minkin shares powerful personal stories, including her own phase of vaccine hesitancy and how empathy bridges gaps in patient and advocate interactions.
Three Actionable Takeaways
Start advocacy from within: Prioritize self-care and personal well-being as a physician to model healthy behaviors and sustain energy for patient and community advocacy.

Embrace diverse viewpoints: Invite guests or colleagues with differing opinions to foster nuanced discussions and create more robust, practical policies.

Use empathy in communication: Approach hesitant patients or advocates by acknowledging their fears and perspectives, drawing from personal experiences to build trust and buy-in.
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Guest:
Dr. Alisa Minkin, is a board-certified pediatrician with a passion for child advocacy and neurodiversity. She attended Johns Hopkins University and earned her medical degree from NYU School of Medicine, completing her residency at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center. As a mother of six, including a daughter with autism, Dr. Minkin has dedicated years to creating inclusive programs and hosts the podcast "Kids Matter!" to discuss raising healthy, happy children.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Alisa Minkin
🌐 Podcast: Kids Matter!
📘 Instagram: instagram.com/alisaminkin
About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma

The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
39 min
March 02EP41 | Sharpen the Sword : SPARC - Igniting Positive Conflict Resolution in Healthcare Workplaces
Why do everyday conflicts, like eye rolls in the OR or “we’ve always done it this way” in meetings, erode healthcare teams, and how can physicians lead through them effectively?
In this insightful solo episode, Dr. Lee Sharma explores why medical training prioritizes decisiveness over emotional regulation and relational skills, fostering avoidance, dominance, or intellectualization that erodes trust.
She introduces SPARC (Stop, Pause, Ask, Reflect/Respond, Create) as a repeatable framework to de-escalate and transform conflicts into positive outcomes. Unmanaged conflict drains morale, impacts patient care, and fuels burnout amid pressures like staffing shortages and regulations. SPARC begins with stopping reactions to create space, pausing for self-awareness to identify triggers like respect or control, asking curiously to dissolve assumptions, reflecting to make others feel heard before responding intentionally, and creating shared agreements or protocols for forward movement.
Dr. Sharma shares an OB-GYN example resolving senior partner overrides through private feedback, reducing tension. She highlights SPARC’s scalability for various settings and offers free bracelets to encourage daily use among “peaceful warriors” in medicine.
Three Actionable Takeaways
In heated moments, stop externally (e.g., “Let’s take a minute”) and pause internally to regulate emotions and identify personal triggers like respect or fairness, preventing reactive damage.

Replace assumptions with curiosity: Ask open questions like “Can you walk me through your thinking?” to uncover hidden pressures and build understanding without defensiveness.

After reflecting back what you hear, respond intentionally with ownership or boundaries, then create shared solutions like debrief protocols to turn one-off tensions into lasting team improvements.
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma
The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
14 min
February 23EP40 | Beyond Bioethics: Trust, Stories, and Durable Agreements in Healthcare Conflict
What if the majority of what we call “ethical dilemmas” are really just conflicts in disguise?
In this rich, practical conversation, Dr. Haavi Morreim shares decades of experience as a philosopher-turned-mediator, attorney, and faculty member at UT Health Science Center. She explains how she moved from watching physicians get crushed by malpractice litigation to teaching clinicians the skills that prevent those wars altogether.
Key insights include:
Why ethics committees and consults often miss the mark when the real issue is conflict

The three non-negotiable principles of mediation (no sides, no advice, strict confidentiality)

How “trust is the coin of the realm” and how to earn it quickly

Why saying “you must” or “you can’t” instantly turns you into “another pair of fists in the fight”

Simple, powerful tools every clinician can use: “Tell me more,” affect labeling, exploring the story behind the conclusion, and the anger iceberg
Dr. Morreim also recounts powerful real-world cases, including a tragic pediatric accident with divorced parents and a Jehovah’s Witness obstetrics case, to show how durable agreements are built when people feel truly heard.
Three Actionable Takeaways
Most ethics consults are actually conflict situations. Resolve the conflict first; the “right answer” often becomes obvious.

Trust is earned through genuine curiosity, confidentiality, and never taking sides. Never say “you must” or “you can’t” if you want people to own the solution.

Simple micro-skills (“Tell me more,” affect labeling, “What’s the story behind that conclusion?”) create breakthrough conversations and prevent escalation in minutes.
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Guest:
Haavi Morreim, JD, PhD, is Professor in the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Principal of the Center for Conflict Resolution in Healthcare LLC. With a PhD in philosophy (UVA) and a law degree (University of Memphis), she has spent decades teaching, mediating, and training healthcare professionals in conflict resolution, bioethics, and mediation. She is a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Listed Mediator and regularly mediates both clinical disputes and litigated healthcare cases.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Haavi Morreim
🌐 Center for Conflict Resolution in Healthcare: healthcare-mediation.net
📘 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/haavi-morreim-jd-phd-4a33b974
About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma

The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
41 min
February 16EP39 - Collaboration and Teamwork Caring for Patients with Functional Decline -Dr. Kenneth Lam
What if medicine's blind spot to caregiving isn't ignorance, but a mismatch in roles and expectations?
In this thought-provoking episode of Scalpel and Sword, host Dr. Lee Sharma welcomes Dr. Kenneth Lamb, to unpack his JAMA Network Open editorial responding to a study on healthcare-caregiver teamwork post-knee replacement. Drawing from his dual lens as physician and family caregiver, Dr. Lamb questions the "team" assumption: Do doctors truly see themselves as partners in the 24/7 world of unpaid caregiving?
He spotlights the Relational Coordination Index (RCI), a metric gauging communication, shared goals, and mutual respect, and its potential to quantify collaboration, while critiquing medicine's medicalization trap. "We promise independence through expertise, yet overlook caregivers' lived mastery" Referencing sociologist Sharon Kaufman's work on aging's paradoxes, Dr. Lamb calls for evidence-based science to bridge the gap, urging the field to earn its societal mantle.
This episode is essential for physicians, caregivers, and policymakers navigating elder carie's complexities.
Three Actionable Takeaways
Question the "Team" in Caregiving: Not all professionals buy into shared goals with caregivers. Dr. Lamb notes colleagues often defer to "case managers," creating a disconnect. Map your patient's full care network (nurses, social workers, family) using RCI-inspired questions on availability and collaboration to reveal gaps and foster true partnership.
Measure Teamwork with RCI for Outcomes: The Relational Coordination Index assesses communication, respect, and alignment. Early data links high scores to better post-op results, but it's untested in geriatrics. In your next consult, rate RCI elements (e.g., "Do I feel the caregiver can communicate freely?") and track if it correlates with patient/caregiver satisfaction.
Challenge Medicine's Paradox of Independence: We "medicalize" aging by itemizing details as if expertise alone restores autonomy, ignoring caregivers' intuitive skills. Dr. Lamb invokes Sharon Kaufman: Shift from "doctor knows best" to co-creation. Learn one caregiver "mastery" tip (e.g., double-gloving for hygiene) and integrate it into rounds to humanize care.
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Guest:
Dr. Kenneth Lamb, MD, MAS, is a geriatrician and Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Trained at Stanford, UCSF, Western Ontario, and Toronto, he researches caregiver-physician teamwork and the paradoxes of elder care. His recent JAMA editorial questions whether doctors truly belong on the caregiving “team,” using the Relational Coordination Index, while advocating evidence-based collaboration. As both physician and family caregiver, he champions practical skills and systemic support for unpaid caregivers.
About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma
The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
35 min
February 09EP38 – Conflict and Identity in the medical education process with Dr. Michael Miley
What does conflict really look like in modern medical training, and how can it be handled in a way that supports both learners and patients?
In this episode of Scalpel and Sword, host Dr. Lee Sharma welcomes Dr. Michael Miley. Having trained through every stage of academic medicine—medical student, resident, chief resident, and now attending—Dr. Miley offers a rare, longitudinal perspective on conflict, wellness, and leadership in healthcare.
Together, they explore how conflict shows up on medical teams: through assumptions, hierarchy, workload distribution, communication breakdowns, and mismatched expectations of learners at different stages. Dr. Miley reflects on witnessing toxic behaviors early in training, the cultural shift toward wellness and work-life balance, and how systems—not individuals—often drive burnout.
A central theme of the conversation is autonomy and clinical maturity. Dr. Miley discusses how asking “why” rather than making assumptions helps assess learners’ reasoning, diffuses conflict, and improves patient care. He shares lessons from serving as a chief resident in a large program—mediating disputes, holding peers accountable, and separating behavior from identity during difficult conversations.
This episode highlights how curiosity, transparency, and professionalism can transform conflict into an opportunity for growth—and why efficient, humane training environments matter not just for physicians, but for patients.
Three Actionable Takeaways
Curiosity Diffuses Conflict: Asking “why” instead of making assumptions helps uncover gaps in reasoning, reduces defensiveness, and creates psychological safety for learners and teams.
Autonomy Should Be Earned, Not Assumed: Progressive responsibility, tailored supervision, and clear expectations allow trainees to grow without being overwhelmed—supporting both education and patient safety.
Address Behavior, Not Identity: Effective leaders separate actions from personal worth. Framing conflict around professionalism, impact on the team, and patient care leads to accountability without personal attack.
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Guest:
Dr. Michael Miley is a board-certified internal medicine physician and faculty member at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine regional campus in Montgomery, Alabama. A graduate of Auburn University and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, he completed his residency and chief resident year at HCA Florida Blake.
Dr. Miley is passionate about medical education, clinical maturity, autonomy assessment, and creating training environments that support wellness, efficiency, and effective communication.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-c-miley-do-76163ab3
About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma
Tags
medical training, conflict in medicine, residency culture, physician burnout, clinical maturity, autonomy in medical education, healthcare leadership, communication in healthcare, internal medicine residency
Hashtags
#ScalpelAndSword #ConflictInMedicine #MedicalEducation
#ResidencyLife #PhysicianLeadership #ClinicalMaturity
#HealthcareCommunication #PhysicianWellbeing
The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
47 min
February 02EP37 - Conflict in Career Transition with Jake Kennington
What if reaching the top of your career mountain leaves you wondering, "Is this it?"
In this episode of Scalpel and Sword Podcast, Dr. Lee Sharma welcomes Jake Kennington, to explore the journey from professional achievement to personal fulfillment, and discover how to realign and redesign your life. Jake shares his origin story—from discovering engineering at BYU, building a career in California, to facing a mid-career crisis after passing his grueling structural engineering exam. He discusses how priorities shift over time, the subtle cues of misalignment, like boredom or lack of excitement, and his framework for change: Redefine, Realign, and Reconnect (REDAC). Together, they dive into avoiding the "villain" trap, the power of reflection, and Jake's transformative 12-hour (35-mile) walk inspired by Colin O'Brady's Antarctic trek.
Gain insights on endurance as a tool for confronting limiting beliefs, the value of group coaching, and practical steps for professionals, including physicians navigating transitions. Jake also introduces his upcoming "Second Summit" program and free "Own Your Life Playbook" resource.
Three Actionable Takeaways
Recognize Misalignment Cues: Pay attention to subtle signs like boredom, resentment, or lack of excitement in your daily work. Reflect on how your priorities have shifted since starting your career. Journal weekly about what success means now versus then, and identify one small change to realign your routine for better fulfillment.
Apply the REDAC Framework: Redefine your current definition of success by listing top priorities. Realign actions by auditing your schedule and adjusting one habit weekly. Reconnect with yourself through daily reflection or meditation. Use this to design intentional career shifts without abandoning your expertise.
Embrace Reflective Practices: Schedule a long walk or quiet time to unplug from distractions and confront limiting beliefs. Slow down to wage peace with your mind, reflecting on past experiences for lessons. Start small with 10-minute daily journaling to build clarity on your next life chapter.
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Guest:
Jake Kennington is a licensed structural engineer with over a decade of experience designing $100M buildings. A father of four and husband of nearly 16 years, he founded Actively Human to help established professionals redesign their lives by choice, not default. Drawing from his own mid-career transition, Jake coaches on alignment, personal development, and stepping into the next chapter.
📍 Website: activelyhuman.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jakekennington
📝 Free Resource: Own Your Life Playbook here
About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma
The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
42 min
January 26EP36 – The experience of conflict in residency with Dr. Emily McInnis
What if the way we were trained to give feedback in medicine is the very thing burning doctors out today? Every physician remembers their first day of residency—the fear, the overwhelm, and the sudden realization that medical school did not truly prepare them for the intensity of real-world practice.
In this episode of Scalpel and Sword Podcast, Dr. Lee Sharma sits down with fellow OB/GYN Dr. Emily McInnis for an honest conversation about what it was really like to train in a high-pressure residency environment, and how those experiences shape the way physicians communicate, lead, and handle conflict today.
Dr. Emily reflects on being “thrown into the deep end” as a brand-new intern: performing C-sections on day one, navigating brutal call schedules, and learning through trial by fire. She and Dr. Sharma discuss the infamous culture of the “closet talk”—private reprimands filled with yelling and humiliation that were once considered normal teaching tools in medicine.
This episode dives deep into the unspoken emotional realities of medical training: the craving for praise, the terror of making mistakes, the loneliness of being on call, and the long-term impact of how young doctors are treated.
Most importantly, it offers hope, showing that physicians have the power to break old cycles and create healthier, more humane cultures for the next generation.
Three Actionable Takeaways
Feedback Doesn’t Have to Hurt to Be Effective; Constructive criticism delivered with respect is far more powerful than yelling or shaming. Physicians learn better and perform better when they feel safe rather than attacked.
Culture Is Modeled, Not Inherited; Just because harsh communication was normalized during training doesn’t mean it must continue. Every clinician has the opportunity to choose kindness and professionalism in how they teach and lead.
Psychological Safety Improves Patient Care; When trainees and team members aren’t afraid to ask questions or admit uncertainty, errors decrease and collaboration increases. Healthy communication is a patient-safety strategy.
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Guest:
Dr. Emily McInnis is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist practicing in Auburn, Alabama. Trained at the University of Mississippi, she experienced firsthand the intense, high-pressure culture of traditional residency programs. Passionate about mentoring and compassionate communication, Dr. Emily now strives to create a more supportive environment for colleagues, trainees, and patients alike.
About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma
The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
49 min
January 19EP35 - Culture, conflict and mediation in medicine with Dr. Jeff Stuart
What if conflict in healthcare wasn't a sign of failure, but an opportunity for innovation, better teamwork, and superior patient outcomes?
In this episode, Dr. Lee Sharma welcomes Dr. Jeff Stuart, as he shares his journey from anesthesiology and CMO roles to specializing in conflict resolution, including mediation training and insights from the High Conflict Institute. They discuss the inevitability of conflict in high-stakes environments like hospitals, the impact of the pandemic on exposing underlying tensions, and strategies for informal and formal mediation. Jeff highlights the link between effective conflict management and patient safety, drawing from real-world examples like collaborative COVID testing programs. He also touches on working with high-conflict personalities, the value of self-awareness, and passing these skills to the next generation, including his medical student daughter.
If you're a physician dealing with team dynamics, leadership challenges, or burnout, this episode offers practical wisdom to turn conflict into productive dialogue and lasting change.
Three Actionable Takeaways:
Embrace conflict as inevitable: Recognize that conflict in healthcare is normal and can lead to better outcomes when managed proactively. Start by building awareness of your own style using Thomas-Kilmann assessments, and focus on patient-centered goals to foster collaboration.
Build trust through process: Use structured approaches like mining for conflict in meetings with diverse stakeholders like ER docs and pharmacists, to encourage open dialogue, listen actively, and achieve buy-in. Aim to respond rather than react for more efficient resolutions.
Invest in self-awareness and training: For high-conflict situations, prioritize future behaviors over past blame; seek mediation or coaching using Vanderbilt's model and maintain composure with tips like not taking things personally and keeping 51% optimism to support long-term resilience.
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Guest:
Dr. Jeff Stuart is the co-founder of RX Solve Conflict, an experienced physician executive with leadership roles as a medical director, board member, and Chief Medical Officer during the pandemic. A board-certified anesthesiologist with an MBA from Wharton, he has mediation training from the Center for Understanding and Conflict and the High Conflict Institute. He focuses on transforming conflict into opportunities for better healthcare outcomes and is pursuing ICF coaching certification.
Website: https://rxsolveconflict.com
Email: [email protected]
About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma
The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
43 min
January 12EP34 - Experience With Conflict in Medicine from the International Perspective with Dr. Raed Albar
This episode is sponsored by Lightstone DIRECT. Lightstone DIRECT invites you to partner with a $12B AUM real estate institution as you grow your portfolio. Access the same single-asset multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital – Lightstone co-invests a minimum of 20% in each deal alongside individual investors like you. You’re an institution. Time to invest like one.
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What if the biggest threat to healthcare isn’t conflict itself—but our inability to talk about it?
In this episode of The Scalpel and Sword Podcast, Dr. Lee Sharma welcomes Dr. Raed Albar, to explore how conflict arises not only from individual behavior, but from teams, leadership structures, and healthcare systems under extreme pressure. Dr. Albar introduces the concept of conflict intelligence, a framework that emphasizes self-awareness, emotional regulation, and constructive engagement in disagreement. He explains why clinicians frequently avoid conflict not because they don’t care, but because exhaustion, burnout, and fear of damaging professional relationships make speaking up feel unsafe. The conversation dives deep into how unresolved conflict impacts clinician wellbeing, team dynamics, and ultimately patient care
Dr. Albar shares a simple, structured, step-by-step approach to navigating professional conflict starting with listening, building shared understanding, and collaborating on solutions rather than “winning” arguments. This episode offers both reflection and practical guidance for clinicians who want to care for others without sacrificing themselves.
Three Actionable Takeaways :
Conflict Is Systemic, Not Just Personal: Conflict in healthcare often stems from understaffing, workload pressure, burnout, and rigid hierarchies not individual incompetence. Understanding conflict as a system-wide issue reduces blame and opens the door to more effective, compassionate solutions that support both clinicians and teams.
Listening Is the Most Powerful Conflict Tool: Active listening allowing the other person to speak first and reflecting back what you hear can immediately de-escalate tension. Feeling heard restores psychological safety and creates space for collaboration, even in high-stress healthcare environments.
Use Structure When Emotions Run High: A simple framework, reach out, listen first, share your perspective, then co-create solutions, makes conflict feel less intimidating. Structure helps clinicians engage productively even when they are exhausted, stressed, or emotionally charged.
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Guest
Dr. Raed Albar is a physician and healthcare educator based in Saudi Arabia. He recently completed his PhD in Healthcare Education and specializes in teaching communication, conflict intelligence, and human skills in medical training. Dr. Albar is also trained as a conflict coach and mediator, bringing evidence-based conflict resolution tools into academic medicine and healthcare systems.
LinkedIn: Dr. Raed Albar
About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma is a gynecologist based in Auburn, AL, with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and is passionate about helping colleagues navigate workplace challenges and thrive through open conversations and practical tools.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: East Alabama Health - Dr. Sharma
The Scalpel and Sword Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

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37 min

About Scalpel and Sword: Conflict and Negotiation in Modern Medicine

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Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the…

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Scalpel and Sword: Conflict and Negotiation in Modern Medicine

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About Scalpel and Sword: Conflict and Negotiation in Modern Medicine