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Some sayings in medicine are rather obsolete (“Watch one, do one, teach one,” for example). Both in medicine and society, we might hear, “Fake it till you make it.” There is both wisdom and risk in this. Clearly the risk relating to those in safety-sensitive occupations (healthcare, aviation, engineering) would be misrepresenting one’s ability or […]

Today, I’m not referring to Galen’s four humors (blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm), which ancient physicians believed governed health and temperament. Instead, I’m talking about humor in the modern sense: our ability to recognize, create, and share what is considered “funny.” Every essay on humor in healthcare begins with the line “laughter is […]

In medicine, patients rely on practitioners’ and the healthcare system’s expertise. The hope is that any “flaws” that occur are minor, and don’t contribute to significant harm. But as the seminal 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine indicated, we have work to do. Whether we are talking about early academics (MCATs/GPAs) or clinical practice, […]

Today marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month. Earlier in the week, our Assistant Director of Student Well-Being, Michelle Montgomery, and I met virtually with graduating medical students to discuss transitioning to residency (including the excitement and challenges). Also this week, Drs. Melissa Naslund, Erin Haugen, Savannah Seiter (PGY-3), and I presented to faculty […]

Today’s column will discuss the last of the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine. The reader will recall we have already reviewed sleep, nutrition, substance use, physical activity, and social connection. What remains is “stress management,” something all of us can relate to (I recall a relative who used to say, “I’ve got one nerve left, […]

Four down and two to go with our discussion of the 6 pillars of Lifestyle Medicine. Today I’ll discuss the pillar of “social connection.” In this newsletter  back in late July, I wrote about loneliness and reminded readers of former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s declaration that loneliness and isolation were an urgent public health […]

Though one of the pillars of lifestyle medicine is “avoidance of risky substances,” perhaps a better interpretation would be “avoidance of risky behaviors regarding substance use.” Substances used ceremonially/ritually (tobacco, even hallucinogens in Indigenous cultures, wine in sacrament) are typically not significantly “risky.” Used outside of subscribed bounds, however, between 15% and 20% of the […]

We know that chronic stress is not good for our physical and mental health. But if you take a moment to think of things that might contribute to your ongoing sense of stress, it’s not likely that “holding a grudge” makes your list. As Mark Twain allegedly put it, “Anger is an acid that can […]

Rituals frequently bring individuals together and often reduce anxiety and uncertainty. Whether we understand them well or not, they are important to individuals, families, communities, and societies. Dimitris Xygalatas, a cognitive scientist and anthropologist, notes in Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living, that our social institutions are permeated by ritual. At the […]

In my last column, I spoke of the various pillars important to the University and the School of Medicine & Health Sciences. Recently, UND President Armacost declared this new academic year to be the “Year of Community,” with the theme espoused by the UND Strategic Plan elements of Learning, Equity, Affinity, Discovery, and Service. What […]