The Physician and His Doctor | Bryant Lin, MD & Heather Wakelee, MD

Jan 13, 2026

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Dr. Bryant Lin is a primary care physician, educator, and researcher at Stanford University. In 2018, he founded CARE – the Center for Asian Health Research and Education. In 2023, CARE began a focused research effort investigating lung cancer in non-smoking Asians. In 2024, Dr. Lin was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, having never smoked in his life.

After his diagnosis, Dr. Lin sprung into action. He began receiving care from Dr. Heather Wakelee – a Stanford oncologist specializing in lung cancer. Dr Wakelee is the Deputy Director of the Stanford Cancer Institute, the Division Chief of Medical Oncology, and a leader in the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. In this episode, we are privileged to be joined by both Dr. Lin and his oncologist, Dr. Wakelee.

Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Lin describes the experience of receiving and living with a diagnosis that has been life changing for both him and his family. He details his remarkable efforts to leverage his diagnosis for the good of patients and rising medical professionals — and explains how spiritual practices have helped sustain him through this difficult time. Dr. Wakelee shares her approach to first visits with patients facing daunting cancer diagnoses, how she approaches grief, and the unique privilege and challenge of treating a colleague. Together, the doctor and his physician explore the value of hope in cancer, the dangers of false hope, and the importance of maximizing meaning in life — however much time is left.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

2:50 - Dr. Lin’s experience of being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer despite having never smoked

14:20 - Dr. Wakelee’s approach to first visits with newly diagnosed lung cancer patients

25:35 - Dr. Lin’s experience of shifting from the mindset of “doctor” to the mindset of “patient”

30:30 - How a doctor’s messaging can affect the patient’s outlook on their diagnosis

43:00 - The common themes prevalent across religions and spiritual orientations that support patients in the navigation of serious illness

50:24 - Advice to doctors for finding deeper meaning in medicine

Listen to Dr. Lin’s first appearance on The Doctor’s Art.

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