Scar Tissue: Emotional Vulnerability in Clinical Practice

Our theme this month is "Scar Tissue." And I don’t mean the surgical scar tissue, the ones from the fall we took ice skating when we were 6, or the ones we give patients when we take out their appendixes or sew up their lacerations — this is about the emotional vulnerability that we all have in clinical practice — and that accepting what we feel is the first step in healing. Now, this is a hard one for us as clinicians. We all fancy ourselves healers — but don’t always like to acknowledge that in the process, we need healing ourselves. Because the burdens we elicit from our patients, we often shoulder ourselves — whether subconsciously, or in empathy — and those burdens can chip at us, like they do any human. But that’s what we are — human. Chapter 1. I Can't Do This Again (3:28) -- A physician reaches his limit. Story by Taison Bell, MD. Chapter 2. When the Patient Becomes the Healer (16:17) -- A doctor finds hope from an unexpected place. Story by Ashanda Saint Jean, MD. Chapter 3. It Is Not a Sin to Cry (29:09) -- How being a good doctor is being human. Story by Hannah Brooks, MD. Episode produced by Genevieve Friedman Hosted by Amy Ho, MD Sound engineering by Greg Laub Theme music by Palomar