The Word Doc: a physician writer podcast

In this episode, Dr. Alika Lafontaine chats about what surprised him about the writing and publishing process, and what he might do differently next time. His book, The Outrage Cure: How Overcoming Anger and Betrayal Can Transform the Way We Live, Connect and Heal, made the Globe and Mail's nonfiction bestseller list. It's filled with wisdom that he's gleaned from his personal life, his stint as the president of the Canadian Medical Association, and more than twenty years of practice as a physician.

In this episode, Dr. Joanna Cheek gives us a peek into the publishing process for her recently published non-fiction book, It's Not You, It's the World: A Mental Health Survival Guide For Us All. It's available wherever books are sold and if you're a physician, this definitely deserves a spot on your bookshelf.

Advocacy is part of the physician role, and many physicians turn to writing op-eds to create systems change. Dr. Sandor Demeter shares his advice on how to write an effective op-ed, pitching, and building networks.

You can check out Sandor's most recent op-ed on gambling revenue here: https://healthydebate.ca/2026/02/topic/federal-provincial-governments-in-need-of-an-addiction-intervention/

And U of T's resource on writing an effective opinion piece:

https://media.utoronto.ca/writing-an-effective-opinion-piece/