Posts Tagged

wellness

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 […]

There are many ways to spend your breaks at work. You could answer a few more emails, take a walk, sit outside, catch up on your to-do list, scroll through your phone, or, if you’re feeling like a multitasker, eat lunch outside while answering emails and scrolling through your phone. Or you could read a […]

Last weekend I attended the funeral of a family friend. Having been raised in a large extended Irish Catholic family, I have been attending funerals since childhood (and hearing entertaining stories about Irish wakes). Some individuals experience grief often, and from an early age. Others may be able to avoid it well into adulthood. But […]

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, […]

It’s university Commencement season: the time of year when people earn not just diplomas, but “titles.” Certainly, the most common title heard in the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences is “Dr.” Interestingly, across the pond, once membership is gained into the Royal College of Surgeons in England, those physicians typically eschew the title […]

In music, we think of dissonance as a lack of harmony. Likewise, the psychological discomfort someone experiences when holding either contradictory beliefs or acting in ways different from one’s values is called “cognitive dissonance.” People often deal with this tension by either: “Digging in,” i.e., rationalizing thoughts/behaviors or rejecting conflicting information (the quick route of […]

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 […]

I have written previously on the importance of rites and rituals to our well-being. This month, religious practitioners of varying faiths are experiencing Lent, Purim, Ramadan, Holi, Naw-Rúz and numerous other celebrations. To our Muslim colleagues, this weekend we wish you, “Eid Mubarak.” Today is also the Vernal Equinox, with many ancient, including Indigenous, rituals […]

Oh, my goodness, even those who do research in these areas have contradictory definitions! Nonetheless, it’s important for practitioners to have an understanding of the differences between these concepts, as the differences impact patients and practitioners themselves. The descriptions I like best tend to point toward sympathy as a pity-based response where understanding is limited, […]