See, Hear, Feel

There is so much that we don't know in medicine, plus there is human error, and it would be great if AI could help. Dr. Todd Horowitz is an expert in attention and research on medical image perception. We talk about what you can see in a quick glance, how computer algorithms can fail, and how best to figure out how AI can help us. Dr. Todd Horowitz, PhD, is a prominent cognitive psychologist with a keen interest in understandi...

I've always thought that (a) book(s) can change the world. Books have definitely changed me. Picture books are a format that I got more familiar with as an adult reading to my children, and as a genre, I think they are hugely important. Dr. Krista Aronson is a psychologist whose work bridges my interest in picture books with my attempts to more fully see, hear, and feel the world around me. Dr. Krista M. Aronson, PhD is Profes...

360 degree leadership evaluations are common in the corporate world. Really thinking about the meta-skills of leadership (and learning them) is not something that I typically do in my position as a dermatologist/dermatopathologist without a formal leadership role in. my academic department. Through this conversation with my sister, whose job is to evaluate leadership skills, I more fully understand how I can improve in informal lea...

Dr. Duje Tadin studies visual perception, and his take on what we see is that it is messy. I enjoyed hearing his thoughts on System 1 and System 2 as they relate to what we see in different domains. Dr. Duje Tadin, PhD is a neuroscientist renowned for his groundbreaking research in the field of visual perception. He is currently Professor and Chair, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and the Director of Training, Center for Visual Scien...

I am still turning this over in my head, that Dr. Ricardo Nuila says the purpose of Arts and Humanities is...beauty. I have not thought of it in that way before, and he has really made me think about the role of beauty in my life, in my work, in small and big spaces of good and bad. I think this is a must listen! Dr. Ricardo Nuila, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and sees patients at Ben Taub ...

Emily Dickinson was one of the first poets that I was introduced to when I was younger, and Dr. Ricardo Nuila refers to one of her lines, Tell the truth but tell it slant. We talk about this, about nuance and context, and how that relates to algorithmania. It comes back to metacognition, gestalt vs algorithmic thinking. Dr. Ricardo Nuila, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and sees patients at Be...

I love talking about metacognition, in hopes of improving how I think, how I diagnose, and how I learn. Dr. Smoller loves to teach and is interested in learning theory, and he has active research experience in learning/teaching visual recognition through pattern recognition, fast thinking. And yet, algorithmic thinking (slow thinking) is important, too. Our conversation is based on a lecture he gave at the recent March, 2024 Intern...

Three magic words to help conquer fear, that may also be a secret to having a long and productive career. I really enjoyed this conversation with Dr. Bruce Smoller, a giant in the field of dermatopathology and pathology. Also tune in next week for Part 2! Dr. Bruce Smoller MD trained in anatomic and clinical pathology at Harvard's Beth Israel Hospital and in dermatopathology with Dr. Scott McNutt at Cornell Medical School/ New...

I am always curious about how others continually improve, and Dr. Thomas Brenn gives good insights on this. Learning in whatever way works for you, getting exposure to new things in ways that you can remember, discovering true mentorship...it's definitely a fun journey. Dr. Thomas Brenn MD PhD received both his doctorate degrees in Germany. He completed postdoctoral fellowships  in Genetics and Pathology at Stanford University...

I love to talk to people who are honest and confident in their honesty! Dr. Richard Carr is an internationally known expert in dermatopathology and pathology, and he speaks honestly about emotional intelligence as a muscle, recognizing our own weaknesses, and tailoring emotional intelligence to the individual. Being hypercritical can be a strength in that you think deeply about things, and it is worth hearing how he deals with hype...

Dr. Ron Stotts has been meditating for decades, and he shares some of the foundational building blocks of being able to transformatively lead. Learn about "big mind", "STOP", and how to breathe. We touch on emotional intelligence, self-compassion, other compassion, and more. Dr. Ron Stotts, PhD explores what is possible for individuals, organizations, nations, and the world. He guides people into the highest lev...

Dr. Mitesh Patel is a physician and behavioral scientist! He helped found the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit, a first for healthcare. We talk about behavioral nudges, both for healthcare and home life, and the small things that we can each do to nudge behavior. Dr. Mitesh Patel MD MBA is a physician executive and behavioral scientist. He is currently Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at Ascension , the largest non-profit healthcare s...

LOOK AGAIN! A world full of colors can become gray due to habituation. Waking ourselves up to truly see the amazing things around us, as well as the problems that should be fixed, takes dishabituation. This conversation focuses on habituation and dishabituation, how they are defined, and what we can do to get life to resparkle. Cass R. Sunstein is the nation’s most cited legal scholar and is also a prolific writer of popular nonfic...

Dr. Angelina Hong wrote about love and medicine, describing  “the blurry spectrum, balancing out physical, mental, and emotional pain with the immense honor of saving and cherishing human life, while simultaneously struggling to reconcile our altruistic goals with realistic but necessary human incentives.” Her writing resonates with me. Dr. Angelina Hong, MD, is currently an internal medicine resident at HCA Healthcare in Florida. ...

Dr. Ashley Wysong is a force of nature, and I recently had the pleasure of hearing her lecture at Yale. She seamlessly integrated practical advice in a presentation full of clinical pearls. She's learned a lot to help her be successful, and she shares some of her useful tips with me. Dr. Ashley Wysong, MD is the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Dermatology Founding Chair, Professor, and William W. Bruce MD D...

Dr. Jeffrey Cohen took a course called Mindful Medicine as a medical student, and it continues to influence him today. He learned about metacognition and cognitive biases, and he emphasizes approaching all interactions with humility, curiosity, and grace. Dr. Jeffrey M. Cohen, MD is a board-certified medical dermatologist and the Director of the Psoriasis Treatment Program at Yale School of Medicine. Graduating from Harvard Medical...

Dr. Doolittle has a Master's in Divinity as well as an MD, and his research spans hepatitis, HIV, and wellness and burnout. He'll often ask his trainees, "How is your spirit?" It was a pleasure to talk to him about the intersection of medicine and spirituality, the inner life, how it might relate to burnout, insights on how to stave off burnout, and the connection among curiosity, wonder, and love. Dr. Benjamin ...

It's always instructive to hear how someone who started a movement, like that of Narrative Medicine, defines it. Listen in to how Narrative Medicine began for Dr. Charon, why narrative capacity is a better term than narrative competence, and what burnout might really mean.  Dr. Rita Charon, MD PhD is a physician, literary scholar, and founder of the narrative medicine program at Columbia University. She is a Professor of Medic...