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Operate with Zen

Health & Wellness Podcasts

While incredibly rewarding and honored vocations, careers in medicine and surgery are fraught with stress, burnout and challenges in work-life balance. OWZ is intended to open dialogue about a mindful approach to surgery - to create a space where physicians and surgeons can enhance their life's work and life experience with a focus on presence, purpose and practical skills. OWZ combines didactic-like monologues to provide baseline information and available scientific data on practical topics like time management, sleep hygiene and burnout; as well as interviews with surgeons and experts to share what works and doesn't work in their daily routines.

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Location:

United States

Description:

While incredibly rewarding and honored vocations, careers in medicine and surgery are fraught with stress, burnout and challenges in work-life balance. OWZ is intended to open dialogue about a mindful approach to surgery - to create a space where physicians and surgeons can enhance their life's work and life experience with a focus on presence, purpose and practical skills. OWZ combines didactic-like monologues to provide baseline information and available scientific data on practical topics like time management, sleep hygiene and burnout; as well as interviews with surgeons and experts to share what works and doesn't work in their daily routines.

Twitter:

@OperateZen

Language:

English

Episodes

57. The Insane Privilege of Surgery with Dr. Bradley Erickson

12/6/2022
Dr. Bradley Erickson is a Professor of Urology, a reconstructive urologist, and Director of Functional Urology at the University of Iowa. We are great friends and bonded over similar loves of baseball and skiing – sharing quite a few lift rides and challenging mountain runs in Colorado. Brad is also an extremely accomplished academic surgeon from very early on in his career – in fact, that’s what brought us together. I say this all because i had no idea, about 2-3 years into his practice, he...

Duration:01:07:36

56. Coaching Surgeons to Success with Dr. Diana Londoño

11/22/2022
Diana Londoño, MD is a urologist in Los Angeles with a specific interest in coaching surgeons through tough times. She is the founder of Physician Coach Support (https://physiciancoachsupport.com/), a free peer-to-peer service for surgeon personal development. She is a mom, a yogi, and so much more! We discuss how Buddhist principles guide coaching, how being both a healer and a teacher are important to our roles as surgeons, and gives practical tips on how to organize a surgical life for...

Duration:01:11:16

54. The Spaces Between Technique with Dr. Jason Han

11/2/2022
Jason Han, MD is a cardiac surgery resident at the University of Pennsylvania, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the founder of The Modern Surgeon. Jason provides unique perspective from a trainee with his eyes uniquely on the future - he graduates from residency this year! We talk about the changing perspective from student, to trainee, to surgeon and how being present and simplifying one's own principles can keep you grounded. We stumble across this podcast's title, "The Space...

Duration:01:07:14

55. Responding to Intraoperative Stress with Dr. Kristin Chrouser

11/2/2022
Kristin Chrouser, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Urology at the University of Michigan and Section Chief of Urology at the VA in Ann Arbor Michigan. She is an expert in intraoperative stress - something all surgeons are familiar with - and tackles it through a variety of academic avenues. We discuss physical stress through ergonomics and pain both in and out of the OR. We talk about the OR environment and mindsets that are conducive to a healthy and long surgical career. And we talk...

Duration:01:10:03

53. Relational Interactions with Louise Phipps Senft

10/20/2022
Louise Phipps Senft is the founder and CEO of Baltimore Mediation. She is a well-respected attorney and mediator. Louise practices "Transformative Mediation" in a number of complex settings -uniquely in healthcare - where techniques of mindfulness (like presence and non-judgement) are implemented routinely. She is an expert in personality assessment, personal and relational interactions. In addition, Louise is the host of "Blink of an Eye" Podcast (https://blinkofaneyepodcast.com/) which...

Duration:00:59:19

52. Creating Control with Dr. Angela Smith

10/7/2022
Humans are creatures of habit who crave control in sometimes uncontrollable circumstances. In this episode, OWZ regular Angie Smith, MD and Professor of Urology at UNC Chapel Hill and I discuss "control" in a variety of surgical settings. Control in the operating room, control in patient encounters outside of the OR, control over how we structure our lives, and how we achieve balance. Parallels are drawn to illness uncertainty for patients and the conversation weaves through vacations,...

Duration:01:05:35

51. Keeping Your Eyes Open with Dr. David Canes

10/7/2022
David Canes, MD is a urologist at the Lahey Clinic in Boston. He is incredibly thoughtful in his approach to medicine and his approach to life outside of medicine. Early on in this podcast, we discuss not letting urology [or surgery] to be the only thing of which you are proud. We talk passion projects and David's newest adventure (wellprept.com). And we talk about ways to avoid "pressing play" - David's analogy for just going through the motions with a patient, but creating the environment...

Duration:01:10:08

50. Speaking Up with Dr. Amanda North

9/20/2022
Amanda North, MD is an accomplished Pediatric Urologist at Montefiore in the Bronx. She is also an outstanding advocate for surgeons - leading the movement to understand burnout in our specialty (urology) and women in surgery. Our conversation meanders through fascinating topics with a focus on the key components of a sustainable career. We even touch on Ted Lasso (see picture behind her).

Duration:01:11:16

49. Priority Domains with Dr. Chris Jaeger

9/15/2022
Chris Jaeger, MD is currently a pediatric urology fellow at Boston Children's Hospital. He is a recent graduate from the Ohio State urology residency where he co-created and implemented a 12-week wellness program for the residents. Chris shares his experience with the research protocol, thoughts on institutional wellness, and identifies "priority domains" highlighted by his work and reflected in his daily wellness practice. An excellent episode especially for trainees as they transition from...

Duration:00:51:59

48. Engaging to Manage Complications with Dr. Kyle Richards

9/15/2022
Kyle Richards, MD, FACS is an Associate Professor and Urologic Oncologist at the University of Wisconsin. This is his second OWZ podcast. In this episode we talk about managing complications in a mindful way. Starting with the emotions that arise when something bad happens to one of our patients, we discuss how to engage members of the team, the patient, and the patient's family to improve everyone's outlook and outcome.

Duration:00:53:49

47. Meditation Practices in a Surgical Life with Dr. Neda Gould

9/12/2022
Neda Gould, PhD is a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins. She is also the Director of the Mindfulness Program at Johns Hopkins for faculty and staff. In this episode, we talk through the scientific foundations of meditation practice and how to incorporate them, practically, into your life as a busy surgeon or physician. We talk through our own meditation practices and hope you feel more grounded and empowered to start your own...

Duration:00:57:27

BONUS CONTENT: 10-minute Guided Meditation with Dr. Neda Gould

9/12/2022
To accompany the podcast, a great 10 minute practice great for all experience levels of meditation.

Duration:00:10:06

46. Humans and Physicians with Dr. Tait Shanafelt

9/12/2022
Tait Shanafelt, MD is an outstanding human being and doctor. In addition to being a well-respected and renowned medical oncologist, he is the Chief Wellness Officer at Stanford Medicine and one of the most prolific writers of medical literature regarding wellness and burnout in medicine. In this episode of OWZ, we discuss both individual and institutional approaches to wellness highlighting both the responsibility of each of us, as surgeons, to our patients and institution, as well as the...

Duration:00:57:48

36. Dealing with Negative Feedback

5/3/2022
Negative Feedback can arrive in a variety of forms in surgery including direct feedback from peers or bosses, patient complaints, or complications. This solo podcast discusses a 4-step process to deal with negativity in our lives. (Music Credit: Sunshine, Simon Jomphe Lepine.)

Duration:00:09:44

37. Maslow in Medicine

5/3/2022
Abraham Maslow was an American Psychologist who created a "Hierarchy of Needs" to describe an individual's ability to achieve their full potential - what he called self-actualization. Achieving "wellness" in one's life is a challenge. Understanding the framework of Maslow's Hierarchy and how it applies to medicine and surgery may help you climb the pyramid toward self-actualization and your highest potential. (Music Credit: Sunshine, Simon Jomphe Lepine.)

Duration:00:18:50

38. The Military, Medicine and Mindfulness with Tanya Ivey-Bloom, NP

5/3/2022
The United States military is among the elite fighting forces in human history. Fostering a great military starts with fostering great soldiers. Tanya Ivey-Bloom is a nurse practitioner at the Johns Hopkins Hospital but also the current Commander of the 336th Medical Detachment of the US Army Reserves in Fort Meade Maryland. We compare and contrast military and civilian medicine, leadership styles, and how the military embraces a mindful approach to training soldiers (and physicians). (Music...

Duration:00:54:30

39. "Dancing in the Rain" with Dr. James Harris

5/3/2022
"Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain." – Vivian Greene Dr. James Harris is a general surgeon and Chair of Surgery at Howard County General Hospital of Johns Hopkins Medicine. James is an incredible surgeon and role model whose personal story has taken tremendous twists and turns. Despite the ups and downs, James always finds a way to "dance" and dance well. He newest endeavor, Doc Health & Fitness (dochealthfitness.com; IG:...

Duration:00:55:25

40. Small Changes for Big Results with Casey Seideman, MD

5/3/2022
Dr. Casey Seideman is a pediatric urologist at Oregon Health and Sciences University. A few years ago, Casey never ran a complete mile. Now she is an outspoken advocate for wellness in the operating room and beyond. In this podcast we tackle small changes and their ability make big impact, how mental preparation promotes a health surgical community, and how, as a surgeon, you can achieve great things you never thought you could do. (Music Credit: Sunshine, Simon Jomphe Lepine.)

Duration:00:52:39

41. Joy in the Service of Others with Dr. Paul Maroni

5/3/2022
Paul Maroni is a urologic oncologist at University of Colorado in Denver. He also runs the American Urological Association course on “Winning the Battle Against Burnout.” Paul is also an extremely thoughtful and mindful surgeon, physician, and educator. In this episode of OWZ, we tackle a lot more than burnout. We discuss extreme ownership of the good and bad that occurs in our surgical practices, we talk about putting successes and failures into perspective, and, in Paul’s own words, we...

Duration:00:59:07

42. Bringing Mindfulness to Surgery with Dr. Sima Porten

5/3/2022
No one is born with a mindfulness practice. It takes time to discover your needs, to personalize your practice, and to cultivate that practice as you evolve as a mindful person. Dr. Sima Porten is a skilled urologic cancer surgeon and incorporates mindfulness into her everyday routine. Both her surgical skills and her mindfulness practice developed over an extended period of time and minor adjustments are continually required to reach the expert levels at which she performs. In this episode...

Duration:00:48:57

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