Digital storytelling can move a room to honesty in minutes, creating space for real talk about burnout, shame, and the human side of medicine. This episode we connect with Dr. Katharine Smart and reflect on how short films can help clinicians and families feel seen as whole people and how stories can fuel better care and stronger advocacy.We talk through what it looks like when digital stories show up at conferences like the Canadian Conference on Physician Health, why the multimedia format holds attention in a distracted world, and how vulnerability can feel safer when the “work” is done before anyone steps on stage. We also dig into the clinician’s role as a receiver of stories and how deep listening changes care, especially in pediatrics, mental health, and complex family consults. If you’ve ever wondered how to share 18 years of context in one appointment, you’ll hear why a short digital story can reveal the whole person beyond the chart.

Episode Key Messages

• What a digital story is and why the format works
• Using physician and family stories to open mental health conversations at conferences like the Canadian Conference on Physician Health
• Why vulnerability lands faster
• Shame in medical culture and how storytelling can soften it
• Shifting from acute care to deep listening and longer consults
• Using digital stories to support complex care and transitions to adult care
• Accessibility and ethics, underrepresented voices, consent, and story ownership
• Workshop story circles as community building
• A citizen digital story campaign to drive healthcare accountability and reform

Other Links Mentioned

• Read this episode's blog post
• Watch the CMA panel
• Learn more about Digital Storytelling & Healthcare Provider Wellness
• Listen to Spark Conversations - a podcast by Children's Healthcare Canada
• Will we see you at the Children's Healthcare Canada conference in Calgary?
• Check out Health Signals with Dr. Alika Lafontaine
• The Outrage Cure by Dr. Alika Lafontaine

Other Episodes Mentioned

• Ep 23 with Dr. Daisy Dulay 
• Ep 48 with Dr. Will Bynum of the Shame Lab

About Our Guest

Dr. Katharine Smart is a pediatrician, national medical leader, and unapologetic advocate for children who believes healthcare systems don’t change unless we’re willing to challenge them. Based in Canada’s north and the Okanagan, she works at the intersection of clinical care, policy, and community partnership to improve outcomes for children and families in rural and remote regions.

She is the past president of the Canadian Medical Association and, in 2021, became only the 10th woman to lead the organization in its 155-year history. Named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women, Dr. Smart is widely recognized for her leadership on health equity, primary care, and combating medical misinformation.

A sought-after keynote speaker, media commentator, and podcast host, Dr. Smart brings evidence, urgency, and candour to conversations about the future of healthcare — and why getting it right for children is the only way forward.

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