That's Great: Creativity, Improv, Your Professional Life

Can improv make you a better doctor? In Episode 2 of That's Great, Timmy and Mike sit down with Mel Teply, Mike’s childhood neighbor and a palliative care physician at UNMC. We talk about improv as communication training, building self-trust, and why improv might be "group mindfulness." We also get into treating mistakes as information, why laughter is really connection, how AI could change healthcare communication and medical education, and what psychedelic-assisted therapy means for palliative care. Plus, the summer we both worked at Macaroni Grill.

Welcome to That’s Great, the podcast about improv, creativity, and communication at work. In Episode 1, Dr. Mike Smith and improviser Timmy Tamisiea share how they came to improv from opposite directions: a hospitalist whose patient satisfaction scores jumped after improv classes, and a Second City alum turned nonprofit leader. They explain why improv is about listening, not jokes, and break down “Yes, And” as a tool for better conversations, teamwork, and leadership, even when you disagree. Next up: Mel Teply