The SurgeonMasters Podcast

Jeff welcomes to the SurgeonMasters podcast award-winning author, Karla McLaren, M.Ed. 

Everyone is experiencing some level of anxiety during this global pandemic. While most people try to avoid anxiety at all costs, Karla suggests we embrace our anxiety!

Fear, panic, and anxiety are connected, but all different. It’s important to be able to identify what emotion you’re experiencing so you can know how to best deal with it.

What does Karla suggest we do to embrace our anxiety?

• Suggestion 1 - Identify which emotion you’re feeling. Each emotion has a different purpose and can be dealt with in a different way.

• Suggestion 2 - Embrace those emotions - whether it be panic, fear, or anxiety. Don’t resist - face them head on.

• Suggestion 3 - Practice self-care to balance out these intense emotions.

Karla McLaren, M.Ed. is an award-winning author, social science researcher, and empathy pioneer. Her new book, Embracing Anxiety!, is out now.  Her lifelong work focuses on her grand unified theory of emotions, which revalues even the most “negative” emotions and opens startling new pathways into self-awareness, self-healing, and healthy empathy. She is the founder and CEO of Emotion Dynamics LLC and the creator of the online learning site EmpathyAcademy.org.

Jeff welcomes to the podcast Senior Manager of Education Programs in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Miami and physician wellness advocate, Dr. David Cohen. 

While most of what you hear about mindfulness meditation these days focuses on things like exercises, mantras, breathing, and the like - there are other practices that focus more on cultivating compassion. 

Compare mental exercises to physical exercises. You can’t work out your entire body with one single exercise. The same is true in the mental realm. 

David advocates for Metta Meditation - a specific form of mindfulness meditation that involves repeating the mantra “May I be peaceful. May I be free from suffering.” Metta meditation focuses on developing pure compassion for yourself and others without the promise of anything in return. Read more about it in David’s Medium article, Metta for Haters Like You and Me.

What steps does David suggest we do to practice metta meditation?

• Step 1 -  Do some brief meditation to get into the right headspace.

• Step 2 -  Start with yourself - repeat the mantra “May I be peaceful. May I be free from suffering.”

• Step 3 - Repeat this process for someone genuinely kind, your friends and family, someone random, and someone you don’t like. End with “May all beings be peaceful. May all beings be free from suffering.”

David Cohen, EdD, Senior Manager of Education Programs in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Miami, has been in graduate medical education (GME) for three years after working in higher education the previous 11 years in several areas, mostly the law school. When he is not managing the administrative GME duties, he enjoys creating and administering physician wellness initiatives both in his department and institution wide on the GME Wellness Committee. David is an active member of the UM/Jackson Wellness Committee, has presented many Grand Rounds lectures on Physician Wellness to different departments within the institution, and administers several wellness initiatives within his own department including a weekly humanities-based newsletter and opportunities for faculties and trainees to present on topics that interest them outside of medicine to build camaraderie. He is also a serious meditator. Be sure to check out David’s Medium article, Metta for Haters Like You and Me.

Jeff welcomes to the SurgeonMasters podcast orthopedic surgeon and health & wellness consultant, Dr. Darin Davidson.

The current pandemic provides a great example of how holistic methods can be used to complement the more traditional medical practices to result in an improved overall state of wellness.

There are lifestyle factors that we all engage in that can decrease the functionality of our immune systems. Obviously, this is something that should be avoided especially during the current pandemic.

What does Darrin suggest we do to boost our immune systems?

• Suggestion 1 - Manage stress. The more stressed we are, the more susceptible we are to various infections (including COVID-19). To manage stress levels, what if you incorporated some simple breathing or any daily meditation practice into your routine.

• Suggestion 2 -  Focus on nutrition. Our bodies need sufficient nutrition so that our immune systems can function at an optimal level. Increase leafy greens into your diet and consider whether you would benefit from vitamin D supplements.

• Suggestion 3 - Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can reduce our immune system’s ability to fight off infection. Setting aside enough time to sleep each night can help keep our immune system in better shape.

Darin Davidson, MD’s mission is to improve the health and wellness of everyone through the integration of holistic principles within the traditional medical model. By combining the best available knowledge and evidence from all fields which contribute to human performance and wellness, such as medicine, psychology, sleep, nutrition, and exercise we can obtain the greatest level of well-being. For the greatest impact, these skills should be developed as early as possible so that they can be available when needed most.

Jeff welcomes to the SurgeonMasters podcast primary care physician and physician coach, Dr. Kara Pepper. 

There’s never been a more relevant time to talk about burnout in the medical community because so many physicians are experiencing it to some degree in light of the Coronavirus pandemic and the open wounds of racism. Burnout is not just common among medical professionals, it's an epidemic. Covid-19 will shine a light on that fact.

Physicians are the glue that holds the healthcare system together. We need to do everything in our power to promote wellness and prevent burnout among physicians for the sake of our patients.

What does Kara suggest we do to combat burnout in a post-COVID world?

• Suggestion 1 - Recognize a few ways how COVID-19 has changed your work routine for the better. Many physicians do not want to go back to the way things were before the pandemic, because they now realize how overworked and burned out they were.

• Suggestion 2 -  Understand and recognize that burnout impacts everyone differently when advocating for each other. For some physicians, it’s a distinct crash and burn. For others, it may manifest itself more subtly over time.

• Suggestion 3 - Find what brings you joy and purpose and take proactive steps to incorporate more of those things into your life.

Dr. Kara Pepper is a practicing primary care Internist, Certified Life Coach, and primary care physician for Atlanta Ballet. Dr. Pepper helps physicians love the life they worked so hard to create. She specializes in burnout, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome. She provides one-on-one and group coaching and speaks on topics surrounding burnout and physician wellness.