The takeaway from Stanford David Spiegel's recent lunchtime discussion, part of the Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Grand Rounds, was simple: You can't make it on your own; accept, welcome and offer assistance. To succeed as an academic psychiatrist, it isn't necessary to come from a line of psychiatrists, as Spiegel, MD, does, he said.
But junior physicians do need mentors, those who know the formal and informal rules of the system and who are willing to make time and lend a hand, a practice Spiegel attributed to his mentor, Irvin Yalom, emeritus professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.
Spiegel said that early in his career, he would initially get discouraged when papers or grants would be rejected. Then, he came across a statistic that few hockey players make it out of their first year in the National Hockey League with all of their teeth. It was an "a-ha" moment for the second-generation psychiatrist (Spiegel's parents were both psychiatrists). Despite hard work, even the best scientists encounter challenges and adversity.
Now, Spiegel is the Jack, Lulu and Sam Willson Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. He directs the Stanford Center on Stress and Health and is also medical director for the Stanford Center for Integrative Medicine.
Spiegel offered additional advice to the 80-or-so people who gathered to hear him: Disregard convention and explore your interests. "You will do your best work if you're doing something you're passionate about," he said.
Despite the prevalence of psychotherapy, and then of community psychiatry, Spiegel said he stuck by his interest in hypnosis, despite its poor reputation. By conducting statistically sound studies, he developed a body of work demonstrating that hypnosis has real, replicable benefits. This work stood up to critical skeptics and helped secure his tenured position at Stanford, Spiegel said.
Stanford then, and now, has accepted work that expands the bounds of disciplines, as long as it stands up to scientific scrutiny, Spiegel said. "Do whatever the hell you want to do, but be scientific and empirical about it. If you can demonstrate it works, fine," Spiegel said. He concluded with this parting phrase: "Data rocks!"
Previously: "Tranceformation:" David Spiegel on how hypnosis can change your brain's perception of your body, Starting a new career in academic medicine? Here's a bible for the bedside: The Academic Medicine Handbook, Exploring the science of hypnosis with Stanford's David Spiegel and Stanford psychiatrist David Spiegel's path west
Photo by L.A. Cicero
