Suffering affects all people from all walks of life, but what does it actually mean to suffer? How do we find meaning within suffering? How can we respond to the suffering of another?

In this episode, we discuss these important questions with Wes Ely, a critical care physician responsible for changing the face of ICU care in the U.S. Join us as we reflect on how we can flourish in our own suffering and by responding to that of others.

Where do ideals come into play in medicine? How do we build trust in patients? What do we do when situations suggest that we act contrary to our values? Join us as we discuss Integrity's irreplaceable role in medicine and how developing this virtue contributes to the flourishing of ourselves and our patients.

References/Further Reading:

Virtues in the Medical Practice, Thomasma and Pellegrino

The Not-My-Problem Problem, Lisa Rosenbaum

Integrity, Damian Cox, Marguerite La Caze, and Michael Levine

⁠Mature Care and the Virtue of Integrity⁠, Vigdis Ekeberg

Review of "Integrity and the Virtues of Reason", Andrea Westlund

(Integrity and the Virtues of Reason, Greg Sherkoske)

What does the ideal physician look like? How do we get there? What influences our identity as physicians as we go through training? Where do we look for guidance in this journey?

Join us as we delve into the personal journeys of our guests, examine the concept of "professionalism," and explore the ideal physician, including the role of the moral and spiritual dimensions in medical practice.

Our discussion touches on the historical and cultural factors that have contributed to the evolution of the modern physician as well as the challenges of cultivating a deeper sense of meaning in medicine.

References

How can we live a strong family life with a busy medical career? How do we balance the demands of a flourishing profession and a flourishing family? How can we develop our family relationships in the demanding time of medical training? Join us as we explore the beautiful struggle of pursuing both family and medicine. Come away with some practical tips to love family well amid the particular challenges of medicine.

References/Further Reading:

The Positive Impact of Family Life on Physician Well-Being, Elizabeth Landry

Physicians and their primary relationships: How to be successful in both personal and professional realms, Gordon Cochrane

Doctors and their families, Susan Benbow

Medical Marriages, Jennifer Casaletto and Gillian Shmitz

What does it mean to flourish? What is medicine's role in Human Flourishing? How can we, as students and doctor, flourish during the demanding time of the medical profession? Bioethicist Xavier Symons joins us as we explore these questions and discover what it means to pursue a life well lived in medicine. Dr. Symons conducted research at Harvard's Human Flourishing Program, providing him with the expertise and experience to handle such important questions.

References in the show:

On the promotion of human flourishing, Tyler VanderWeele

Activities for Flourishing: An Evidence-Based Guide, Tyler VanderWeele

Flourishing Definition, Encyclopedia.com

Harvard Human Flourishing Program

Following our interview with Professor Carter Snead, we dive into Humility, one of the "virtues of embodiment" that he identified as being essential to human flourishing. Join us as we explore how to practically live out this virtue, to benefit our patient, colleagues, and friends.

References/Further Reading:

What it Means to be Human⁠, Carter Snead

The Virtuous Physician: The Role of Virtue in Medicine, James A. Marcum

The Time-Block Planner: A Daily Method for Deep Work in a Distracted World, Cal Newport

The Virtues in Medical Practice, Edmund Pellegrino & David Thomasma

Humble: The Quiet Power of an Ancient Virtue, Daryl van Tongeren

The Neuroscience of Growth Mindset and Intrinsic Motivation, Betsy Ng

Growth Mindset Podcast, Andrew Huberman.

What is common to all humans? What characterizes a human being? Professor Carter Snead provides an answer to these questions with the "anthropology of embodiment" described in his book, What it Means to be Human. Join us as we explore the shared nature connecting all humans beyond our perceived differences, divergent ideas, and preconceived notions.

References/Further Reading:

What it Means to be Human, Carter Snead

After Virtue, Alasdair MacIntyre

Enough: the failure of the living will, Angela Fagerlin, Carl E Schneider

Taking Care, President's Council on Bioethics

President's Council on Bioethics

Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?, Michael Sandel

What drives your life? What is the goal of your everyday actions? What motivates you? These questions can all be answered to some extent by ideals. In this episode, we discuss why a deep understanding of our ideals is necessary to avoid burnout and maintain love for the noble profession of medicine.

References:

Pew Research Center, November, 2021, “What Makes Life Meaningful? Views From 17 Advanced Economies”

Harvard Study of Adult Development

Good genes are nice, but joy is better

The Hippocratic Society podcast explores the profound question of what medicine is truly for and how the profession has shifted away from its noble roots. Despite the idealism that often brings new students into the field, many seasoned practitioners express regret and discontent, a phenomenon largely attributed to modern cultural dynamics. This shift has skewed medicine towards being a mere provider of services, sidelining the intrinsic virtues that once defined it. The discussion delves into systemic pressures that undermine the profession, suggesting that a renewed focus on the original values and purpose of medicine could restore its integrity and the satisfaction of its practitioners.

Check out Dr. Curlin's book:

The Way of Medicine: Ethics and the Healing Profession

by Farr Curlin and Christopher Tollefsen

Other articles/references:

Physician burnout rate drops below 50% for first time in 4 years (AMA)

What the AMA learned about burnout in 2023 (Beckers' ASC)

40% of doctors eye exits. What can organizations do to keep them? (AMA)