After a tragic car crash in 1983 changed the course of his family forever, Dr. Brian Hoeflinger pursued neurosurgery with a new sense of purpose. Decades later, when his teenage son died suddenly in a car accident, he found himself once again reshaped by grief. In this episode, Dr. Hoeflinger shares how these experiences inform the way he practices medicine: communicating with clarity, leading with empathy, and honoring the reality that it’s families who must live with the consequences of life-and-death decisions. He and his son, Kevin, open up about what it means to carry unimaginable loss, and how they've chosen to turn tragedy into a source of hope, compassion, and human connection.
You’ll hear:
- How loss reshaped their family and his career as a physician
- Why talking about death matters more than avoiding it
- The art of skillful empathy and being present without absorbing every tragedy
- Why doctors should guide, not decide, for families
Dr. Hoeflinger's words of wisdom for physicians:
"The world’s not on your shoulders…Don't expect so much of yourself."
"Spend more time away from the hospital."
Follow the Hoeflinger podcast on Apple podcasts here and on YouTube here.
Get on the Dr. Hoeflinger newsletter here.
Follow Dr. Hoeflinger on instagram here.
Join Empowered Surgeons Group here.
Check out Hippocratic Collective here.
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