Stimulus - Learn Tools to Crush It in Your Medical Career

In a follow up to our episode on sleep, we break down five sleep tools we’ve tested, like, and are still using. For many of you,  sleep can be a fraught landscape. This is doubly true if you are doing shift work, working nights, or even just getting home with your mind spinning.  When you have built-in disrupted sleep, it is extra important to pay attention to how you go about getting as much quality sleep as possible. What’s discussed  in this episode is 100% opinion and anecdote but hopefully there is something in here that you’ll find useful. For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast websiteAwake + Aware | Our 2026 RetreatJoin us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.Learn More Here🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.The Flameproof CourseThe hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

Feedback comes in many forms and oftentimes we aren’t even aware that it’s happening. In this episode, communication expert Lon Setnik, MD  breaks down the basics of feedback, why cloaked or hidden feedback can be so dangerous, and critical skills for both delivering and receiving feedback. Guest Bio: Lon Setnik, MD is a community emergency faculty at the Center for Medical Simulation. Mentioned in this episode: The Awake and Aware Physician conference sponsored by Wild Health. Jan 13-15 Sedona Arizona. Use the code CONSCIOUSPHYSICIAN for 15% off (that’s 15% off the whole package – lodging, meals, the course)   Interested in one-on-one coaching? Learn more at roborman.com To support the show - visit our Patreon site and help keep the wind in the sails.  For full show notes visit our podcast page   We discuss: What is feedback? We need evaluation know where we stand; Feedback can be cloaked; The ground rules for feedback; Rob gets some feedback and we see see it’s dark underbelly; Why feedback is not mandatory; The three forms of feedback; The Advocacy Inquiry Molecule; Pendleton model for feedback; Self-feedback isn’t easy and usually poorly executed; Effective receiving of feedback is about the ‘what’ and not the ‘who’; Embracing your hypocrisy; Barriers to feedback.  

It’s a tough time to practice medicine, which makes paying attention to self-care even more important. In this episode, we break down three specific strategies for improving mental and physical performance during a long shift, sustaining shift endurance, and building a scaffolding for joy at work.For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast websiteAwake + Aware | Our 2026 RetreatJoin us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.Learn More Here🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.The Flameproof CourseThe hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets  Episode Sponsor: Ivy Clinicians. Curious if there’s a better clinical opportunity out there? Ivy is the simplest way for physicians, PAs, and nurse practitioners to match with jobs they love. With Ivy, you can find all 5,549 emergency departments, filter by your preferences, and connect securely with the right employers. All for free.We DiscussA perennial nocturnist shares his approach to career longevity;An unexpected thread in the origin story of medical training in the US;Three strategies to focus on self-care and improve endurance during shifts;Fuel like an Ironman triathlete;Does the patient always come first?Using the dynamic between tension and relaxation to conserve energy;Using intention as a tool for self-care.

The podcast discusses the upcoming changes in documentation guidelines for coding, billing, and compliance, highlighting the burdensome nature of the current guidelines. They emphasize the potential for the new guidelines in 2023 to reduce the burden of documentation and allow clinicians to prioritize patient care. The importance of real-time documentation in the emergency department and the value of capturing the ED course are also discussed. The chapter also explores the process of importing radiology reports into a patient's chart and the challenges of reconciling independent interpretations. Additionally, the podcast highlights the importance of documenting the consideration of escalation or de-escalation of care and discusses the disagreement between the American Medical Association and CPT regarding guidelines for critical care time in 2023.

Barry Kerzin, MD, the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, is back to dive deeper into: the difference between empathy and compassion, why compassion (versus empathy) is a critical aspect of medical care, generating self compassion, and answers to listener email. Guest Bio: Barry Kerzin, MD is a US born and trained family physician who for the past several decades has resided as a monk in Dharamshala, India — home of the Tibetan community in exile. In addition to serving as H.H. the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, Dr. Kerzin is the founder of the Altruism in Medicine Institute, whose mission is to increase compassion and resilience among healthcare professionals and extended professional groups, such as police officers, first responders, teachers and leaders.Self described as “…a doctor, a monk, a teacher, a lazy man. All of these things, yet none of these things,” you can follow Dr. Kerzin on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram or learn more about his story here.Episode Sponsor: Ivy Clinicians. Curious if there’s a better clinical opportunity out there? Ivy is the simplest way for physicians, PAs, and nurse practitioners to match with jobs they love. With Ivy, you can find all 5,549 emergency departments, filter by your preferences, and connect securely with the right employers. All for free.For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast websiteAwake + Aware | Our 2026 RetreatJoin us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.Learn More Here🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.The Flameproof CourseThe hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets We Discuss: The difference between empathy and compassion;Can compassion be taught?Listener email about having a hard time switching between empathy and compassion;Barry’s response to the listener's email;Self compassion after a bad patient outcome;Exercises to help build compassion;The decision point between accepting people how they are and trying to change them;And More.

Verbal de-escalation is a tool that can be learned by almost anyone. In this episode, we learn from two masters in the art of de-escalating those who are agitated and upset:  Jose Pacheco, RN, known affectionately to his co-workers as ‘The Drunk Whisperer’,  and Dan McCollum, MD,  emergency physician at Augusta University. The core of this conversation hinges around an approach to conflict resolution that evolved from the martial arts principle of using your opponent’s energy to resolve conflict, rather than simply butting heads. The name for this method? Verbal Judo.A proviso to all of this is that if the room/scene needs to be safe. Your top priority is to keep yourself and your team safe. Do not put yourself at risk. That doesn’t always mean physical escalation (though sometimes it does), it can simply mean removing yourself from the physical space of the escalating situation. Awake + Aware | Our 2026 RetreatJoin us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.Learn More Here🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.The Flameproof CourseThe hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast websiteWe discuss:Jose Pacheco's tactics to de-escalate and defuse agitated patients in the emergency department [03:13];Dan McCollum’s de-escalation sequence based on needs of the situation [09:30];The unifying principle of verbal judo: Empathy absorbs tension [15:50];Present the professional image [22:50];The Universal Upset Patient Protocol [24:20];“We treat people as ladies and gentlemen not because they are, but because we are.” [35:50];You can’t control how an upset person is going to respond to conflict, you can only control how you respond. [36:40];Seeing a situation from the other person’s eyes. [37:50];Sword of Insertion technique aka How to politely interrupt [38:20];Active listening [40:50];Tips for interacting with difficult patients in the ED. [42:30];Non-verbal cues [53:30].

What happens at the end of an event can disproportionately impact our perception and memory of it. In this episode, we investigate the research behind the peak end pattern and how you can use this phenomenon to improve your own experience at work (and life).Awake + Aware | Our 2026 RetreatJoin us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.Learn More Here🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.The Flameproof CourseThe hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast websiteWe discuss:Research identifying a peculiar aspect of how memories and impressions are formed;The peak end phenomenon is often portrayed as a bug in our operating system, but it can also be used as a feature;Michael Jordan was a master of finishing time;Focusing on a peak end can not only lead to a better memory of events, but possibly better patient care;Is there evidence that focusing on the peak end will improve job satisfaction and lessen burnout?Two types of peak endings.

In this episode with guest Justin Morgenstern, the concept of availability bias and its impact on decision making is explored. They discuss the challenges of diagnosing rare, life-threatening conditions and the struggles with understanding low probabilities. The importance of mindful decision-making and the role of cognitive biases in medicine are also discussed.

Specific strategies to improve workflow and manage overwhelm during an emergency department shift.Guest Bio: Landon Mueller, MD is an emergency physician and fellowship trained sports medicine specialist who gave the best talk I’ve ever seen on managing workflow in the emergency department. Now he's our guest on the show. Awake + Aware | Our 2026 RetreatJoin us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.Learn More Here🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.The Flameproof CourseThe hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast websiteWe discuss:3 phases of an emergency department visitWhy disposition is king, until it isn’Hierarchy of tasksBlocking timeLinear vs parallel processingSwarmingBatchingThe quick hit charting nidusTask switchingRunning the boardManaging interruptions

What does it mean to act like a true professional? I’m not sure it’s been fully fleshed out in medicine but I’ve met those who are exemplars of it. This pod is a conversation with my partner in hundreds of critical resuscitations, Ben Peery, MD. We talk about wins, losses, lessons learned and, even more than that, I get to introduce you to someone who, for me, was a role model in how to carry oneself as a physician. Guest Bio: Ben Peery, MD is a 20-year veteran of the emergency department, spending the bulk of that time working in a rural hospital. A former SWAT team member and tactical medicine expert, he is now the host of The Grit Podcast with Ben Peery which you can find on Spotify, iTunes, and all the rest. Ben’s show is conversations “with colleagues in medicine, law enforcement, EMS, and anyone else who has been in the sh*t. By sharing stories and insights we hope to offload mental trauma.”Awake + Aware | Our 2026 RetreatJoin us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.Learn More Here🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.The Flameproof CourseThe hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website