Ripples: Physician Well-Being

When medicine gets tough, some turn to running, others to painting… but for Paulette Osamer, MD, and Arati Kamat, MD, the answer was writing. In this week’s Ripples: Physician Well-Being podcast, they open up about how creative writing helped them navigate emotional challenges, build resilience, and reconnect with the joy that first brought them to medicine. Their conversation might change the way you see self-care.

Have you heard the one about the three doctors who walked into a podcast studio? Don't worry, they only had minor bruising. 🥁 If laughter is the best medicine, what can comedy do for our mental health? Nishan Gajjar, DO, MPH, joins the Ripples: Physician Well-Being podcast to explore how to find humor when things get difficult. Season 4 of "Ripples" focuses on life beyond medicine, which helps our physicians to better themselves -- and, most importantly, take care of themselves.

Brian Ferguson, CEO and Founder of Arena Labs, joins the Ripples: Physician Well-Being podcast to talk performance, purpose and burnout. He challenges us to consider: What’s your restorative outlet, something outside of work and family that fills your cup, anchors you and helps you stay focused to deliver world-class care? Listen now and explore how reclaiming this space can improve your sleep, energy, and well-being. Season 4 of "Ripples" focuses on life beyond medicine, which helps our physicians to better themselves -- and, most importantly, take care of themselves.

In this episode of Ripples: Physician Well-Being, Cersten Bradley, MD, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, joins Rajam Ramamurthy, MD, to share how creative expression through dance has shaped their personal and professional journeys. They discuss how making time for creativity supports balance and renewal in the medical field. Season 4 of "Ripples" focuses on life beyond medicine, which helps our physicians to better themselves -- and, most importantly, take care of themselves

What's the key to avoiding burnout? In the latest episode, Ripples: Physician Well-Being explores how Dudley Harris, MD, refreshes the mind using free thinking to fuel creativity. Listen now to find out ways to adapt his techniques to your life. Season 4 of "Ripples" focuses on life beyond medicine, which helps our physicians to better themselves -- and, most importantly, take care of themselves.

Success. Failure. Growth. Achievement. Lessons learned through art can be invaluable to creating a professional identity. In the latest episode of "Ripples: Physician Well-Being", Jennifer LaCoss, MD, talks about her journey in medicine and what creating pottery can teach us about building a more resilient self.

Dr. Richard Kogan joins "Ripples: Physician Well-Being" to discuss music, creativity, and mental health. Dr. Kogan is not only an accomplished concert pianist but also a clinical professor of psychiatry and artistic director of the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine program. This discussion kicks off season 4 of "Ripples," which will focus on life beyond medicine, which helps our physicians to better themselves -- and, most importantly, take care of themselves.

During his first meeting of the San Antonio City Council, newly sworn in Mayor Ron Nirenberg brought forth a resolution asking the city to join the International Charter for Compassion in 2017 as a way to focus on improving the lives of others. It passed unanimously and since that time the city has moved ahead on many Compassion initiatives including the inspiration for our UT Health San Antonio Compassion Course. Find out what’s happening next in our compassionate city.

Reverend Dr. Anne Helmke is the faith liaison for the City of San Antonio, and in her role, she forms collaborations within the city to put compassion into action. In her mind, we are better as humanity if we can put down our boundaries and work together to better our communities.

In this episode, Roshi Joan Halifax, a Buddhist teacher and social activist, explores the balance between compassion and equanimity, emphasizing her concept of the "strong back, soft front." She discusses GRACE, her training intervention for healthcare professionals, designed to cultivate compassionate care without burnout. Roshi Halifax also shares insights on overcoming biases, practicing self-stewardship, and maintaining well-being while caring for others.

The difference between feeling sympathy and empathy can have a huge impact on relationships. But what's the difference between these two reactions, and is feeling WITH someone hardwired in our brain through mirror neurons? Dr. Adriana Dyurich, PhD, leads our compassion course on empathy.

Dr. Holly Day serves her colleagues, learners, and most importantly, her patients with a heart and mind dedicated to the principle of compassion in medicine. She joins Ripples co-hosts Dr. Jon Courand and Dr. Adriana Dyurich to discuss the importance of forgiving oneself and forgiving others, and the role forgiveness plays in being a compassionate healthcare provider. --- The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine Office for Graduate Medical Education is proud to bring you Ripples: Physician Well-Being, a podcast from The Wellness Home. Co-hosts Adriana Dyurich, PhD, LPC and Veena Prasad, PhD, MBA, LPC will invite UT Health San Antonio faculty as guests to share their own experiences, provide tips for overall wellness, and create a safe space to discuss coping with stressors. Compassion in health care is more than empathy for patients – it’s also about YOU. This season, our co-hosts will unfold the multiple facets of compassion and the benefits gained when lending yourself a little more grace.

Dr. Jason Morrow, Associate Professor of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio and the Howard and Betty Halff Professor of Medical Humanities & Ethics, joins Ripples to emphasize the importance of self-kindness, recognizing common humanity, and mindfulness. Dr. Morrow highlights the need for deliberate practice in self-compassion, likening it to empathic communication in palliative care, and advises medical professionals to prioritize their well-being to sustain their ability to care for others effectively. --- Compassion in health care is more than empathy for patients – it’s also about YOU. This season, our co-hosts will unfold the multiple facets of compassion and the benefits gained when lending yourself a little more grace.

Specializing in treating chronic stress and anxiety, psychologist and adjunct faculty at UT Health San Antonio, Dr. Lindsay Bira explains the importance of fostering emotional awareness to benefit our daily interactions and long-term health. We talk through feelings of guilt, regret, and shame and connect our reactive behaviors to the emotions we feel. In this episode, she touches upon the use of tethers or practices that help guide or extricate us from maladaptive thinking or behaviors. The pebble she leaves us with is an example of one type of tether.

Dr. Kanapa Kornsawad speaks about her experience practicing compassionate living and self-compassion. We also discuss the importance of noticing, feeling, and responding in the moment and ethical mindfulness. --- Compassion in health care is more than empathy for patients – it’s also about YOU. This season, our co-hosts will unfold the multiple facets of compassion and the benefits gained when lending yourself a little more grace.

Our co-hosts introduce and discuss the inspiration behind this season’s focus: the Facets of Compassion, a course structured around eight modules to address compassion for self, others, and society. For the first module, we learn about three elements that can help ease a trainee’s busy and sometimes chaotic mind. --- Compassion in health care is more than empathy for patients – it’s also about YOU. This season, our co-hosts will unfold the multiple facets of compassion and the benefits gained when lending yourself a little more grace.

We're back! Season 3 begins March 7. This season, Ripples: Physician Well-Being will focus on the theme “Facets of Compassion”: compassion for self, others, and society. The Long School of Medicine Office for Graduate Medical Education utilizes a compassion course to combat feelings of Imposter Syndrome, guilt, or shame with challenging patient outcomes, as well as teaching mindset adjustment to promote higher self-kindness. For each facet of compassion, we’ll provide you with an episode about recognizing when an instance can require grace and the pebble to activate it. We’re happy you’re with us; let’s create some ripples!

A compilation of our special guests’ pebbles from Season 2. Collect all the pebbles and create powerful waves of well-being in your life! Learn more about the services The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine Office for Graduate Medical Education Wellness Home can provide at gmewellness.uthscsa.edu.

Dr. Cari Calvo-Strube wears a lot of hats; she's the associate program director for wellness in the Department of Surgery at UT Health San Antonio, an Assistant Professor in Breast Surgical Oncology, and a Leader in the Breast Cancer Surgical Program at Mays Cancer Center. She shares her personal life path during training and how she continues prioritizing wellness at home and in the clinic. As a practicing breast surgical oncologist, she also addresses rising statistics for breast cancer in younger women.

Mindfulness expert, yoga therapist, and educator Melissa Aguirre discusses the science behind practicing healthy coping mechanisms to reduce stress and fuel vitality back into the body.