At a Stanford Pegasus Physician Writers Forum last week, psychiatrist Shaili Jain, MD, told the 40-or-so attendees that writing and practicing medicine are synergistic. Medicine and motherhood: …
Category: Physician stories
New surgeons take time out for mental health
I spent a recent morning watching about 30 Stanford surgical residents take time off from their operating rooms to participate in a series of team-building …
Abraham Verghese discusses stealing metaphors and the language of medicine at TEDMED
Few of us pay close attention to metaphors used in the language of medicine. Instead, our focus is typically on words relating to symptoms, test …
Sherry Wren, MD – a surgeon’s road home
When I first met Stanford surgeon Sherry Wren, MD, I immediately liked her. The affinity was probably due to the fact that we're both from …
CNN's Sanjay Gupta, MD: journalist, surgeon, advocate
When the history about medical marijuana's path to legitimacy is written, CNN's chief medical reporter Sanjay Gupta, MD, may be more than a footnote. Gupta famously …
Stanford network launched to connect musicians, music lovers
This week marks the launch of the Stanford Medicine Music Network, an online meeting place for musicians in the Stanford health-care community looking to share …
A doctor recounts his wife's battle with cancer: "My knowledge was too clear-eyed"
We've written before about doctors becoming patients - but what happens when it's the physician's partner who becomes seriously ill? Over the weekend I came …
Inside Abraham Verghese’s bag, a collection of stories
What's inside Abraham Verghese’s medical bag? Visit the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History to see. Verghese, MD, vice chair for the theory and practice …
The brain whisperer: Stanford neurologist talks about his work, shares tips with aspiring doctors
Josef Parvizi, MD, PhD, knows firsthand how art can influence medicine. While at a concert featuring music created by digitizing space sounds, he was inspired: …
Abraham Verghese shares what’s in his lab coat
What do modern day physicians carry around in their white coats? And, what tools should young doctors consider keeping in their pockets? In this short …
Stanford’s Abraham Verghese honored as both author and healer
Several times I've heard Stanford physician Abraham Verghese, MD, champion of hands-on medicine and bestselling author, answer the question: Which does he considers himself first …
A Stanford physician's take on cancer prognoses – including his own
In a New York Times SundayReview piece, Paul Kalanithi, MD, a chief resident in neurological surgery at Stanford, describes cancer prognoses from two perspectives, both …
Ironman of Stanford Women’s Cancer Center
Oliver Dorigo, MD, PhD, loves training. The associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology has trained in medicine, surgery, gene therapy, molecular biology, laboratory research and clinical …
"Me time": Obtainable if you’re a resident with kids?
Another terrific, candid first-person piece over on the Mothers in Medicine blog. In this one, a mom expresses the challenges of having no "me time" and wonders …
Abraham Verghese on health-law battle: "We’ve worried so much about the process, not the patient”
In the ongoing political struggle over the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, a key component - the patient - remains under-discussed, argues Abraham Verghese, MD, a professor of medicine …
Being a mom and a doctor: One blogger shares her struggles
Late last week, in a candid guest post over on Mothers in Medicine, obstetrician/mom "KC" described her struggles with being away from her young son and shared that the "feelings of …