Ercast

We are often witness to, or sometimes in the middle of, traumatic events. Whether it’s a mass casualty or cumulative stress over time, our nervous system can get stuck in an upregulated state. In this episode, we break down: training to handle stressful events, protective strategies to employ during and after traumatic events, the physiology of PTSD, specific techniques to downregulate your nervous system and getting to a place of equanimity.Guest Bio:  Ryan Cheney is a mental health therapist, breath work, and performance coach based in Bend Oregon. Our guest on Stimulus Episode 5: The Art of Breathing, Ryan is a thought leader in the field of wellness for health care professions. You can contact him here for further questions and consultations.ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººAwake and Aware | Our 2024 Live EventJoin us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Focusing on interactive experiences, this event offers a unique opportunity to reset, re

The August 4, 2020 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon is thought to be one of the most powerful artificial, non-nuclear explosions ever, causing over 200 deaths and 7500 injuries. In today’s episode, we walk through a firsthand account of what happened during this mass casualty event from the lens of an emergency physician who was there.Guest Bio: Sarah Abdul-Nabi, MD is an emergency medicine resident at the American University of Beirut Medical Center.  She is the author of Airway Breathing Circulation: An Emergency Medicine Resident's Experience of the Beirut Explosion.ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººAwake and Aware | Our 2024 Live EventJoin us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Focusing on interactive experiences, this event offers a unique opportunity to reset, reflect, and connect with like-minded individuals. Limited slots.Website: Awakeandawarebend.comEarly bird discount code: FULLYAWAKE24. $100 off registration. Expires Jan 31, 2024CME? Yes!

Our ego is always on patrol and, when it’s insulted, watch out! That is the core of what it means to take things personally. In this episode, we break down: how to not take things personally, sustainable happiness, using body language to transform our internal state, why some insults hurt and others do not, and specific scenarios where you might feel insulted (but don’t need to be).Guest Bio:  Frederik Imbo is the founder and head of Imboorling, a company dedicated to improving communication on both the micro and macro levels. Frederik is a formally trained actor with a masters in dramatic arts from the Royal Conservancy in Ghent and was a prolific actor on numerous television series.  During his acting career, he began taking roles working in training videos for interpersonal communication. The insights from those role-plays resonated with him and set him on a path of many years of study and training in neurolinguistic programming and nonviolent communication. Over time, fostering communication has

Jim Adams, MD is direct, transparent, and unapologetic in his ‘tough love’ management strategy. In this episode, Jim breaks down: how setting expectations early helps to manage complaints later, managing those who degrade social capital, redirecting conflict to mutual benefit, and how understanding what motivates others’ behavior keeps you from taking things personally. Guest Bio:  Jim Adams, MD  is professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is also the senior vice president and chief medical officer at Northwestern Medicine. ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººAwake and Aware | Our 2024 Live EventJoin us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Focusing on interactive experiences, this event offers a unique opportunity to reset, reflect, and connect with like-minded individuals. Limited slots.Website: Awakeandawarebend.comEarly bird discount code: FULLYAWAKE24.

We have a choice in how we perceive and act on any situation. Using that knowledge in an intentional way to shift perspective is at the core of cognitive reframing. Epictetus, the great Stoic philosopher, said it best,  "It is our attitude toward events, not events themselves, which we can control."Guest Bio: Jaime Hope, MD  is an attending emergency physician at Beaumont hospital in Detroit, Michigan. She is the author of Habit That!: How You Can Health Up in Just 5 Minutes a Day, leads the Better Health Habits online course, and teaches the Behavior Change and Motivational Interviewing Courses to future physicians at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººAwake and Aware | Our 2024 Live EventJoin us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Focusing on interactive experiences, this event offers a unique opportunity to reset, reflect, and connect with like-minded individuals. Limited slots.Websi

Vinay Prasad pulls no punches in this wide ranging conversation about the realities (and delusions) about chemotherapy research, principle centered social media engagement, flipping votes, the FDA drug approval process, the importance of early palliative care, the dangers of embellishing therapeutic benefit, medical reversals, effective vs efficacious, and trade offs in decision making. Guest Bio: Dr Vinay Prasad is a practicing hematologist-oncologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco.  He studies cancer drugs, health policy, clinical trials and better decision making. He is author of over 250 academic articles, and the books Ending Medical Reversal (2015), and Malignant (2020).  He hosts the oncology podcast Plenary Session. Follow Vinay on Twitter.Episode Sponsor: This podcast is also brought to you by Panacea Financial, a financial services company created for doctors, by doctors -- aiming to impr

Master meditation teacher Robert Beatty walks us through: the basics of meditation, how to start a meditation practice, principles of mindfulness, understating the roots of suffering, how concentrating on the breath can lead to insight, and healthy vs unhealthy coping. Guest Bio: Robert Beatty is co-author of Mindfulness for a Happy Life as well as founder and guiding teacher of the Portland Insight Meditation Community. He has worked with thousands of students and, as a practicing therapist, has created a unique synthesis of Buddhist methods of awakening and healing and those of western psychotherapy.ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººAwake and Aware | Our 2024 Live EventJoin us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Focusing on interactive experiences, this event offers a unique opportunity to reset, reflect, and connect with like-minded individuals. Limited slots.Website: Awakeandawarebend.comEarly bird discount code: FULLYAWAKE24. $100 off regis

We break down three techniques to inoculate yourself against the stress of time-critical tasks.Guest Bio: Jason Hine, MD is a community emergency medicine physician at Southern Maine Healthcare where he is the Medical Director of Education. He is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine and the Temple EM Residency program where he served as chief.  He serves as an Associate Editor and Author on the DownEast EM blog and podcast and has an interest in procedural skill set decay as well as the role of academics in improving the recruitment, retention, and satisfaction of community physicians.  Episode Sponsor: Panacea Financial is a financial services company created for doctors, by doctors -- aiming to improve the lives of physicians and physicians in training with products and services tailored to the medical community.  Whether it's scheduling residency interviews, trying to buy a house during training, or looking for ways to fund your practice, Panacea Financial was created to re

Christiaan Maurer MD, was in his mid-40s when diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme -- terminal brain cancer. In this episode, he and Rob discuss: what terminal illness taught him about time, what people with cancer do and don’t need, preparing your family for a future without you, the most/least admirable traits in physicians, and the secret of life. ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººAwake and Aware | Our 2024 Live EventJoin us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Focusing on interactive experiences, this event offers a unique opportunity to reset, reflect, and connect with like-minded individuals. Limited slots.Website: Awakeandawarebend.comEarly bird discount code: FULLYAWAKE24. $100 off registration. Expires Jan 31, 2024CME? Yes! This is a CME event ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººThe Flameproof Course | Self-mastery and anti-burnoutThis 6 month, bi-weekly course will make you so burnout-resistant that when they tell you to see 5 patients a

The historical effects of acetaminophen and sleep on vaccine antibody response. ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººAwake and Aware | Our 2024 Live EventJoin us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Focusing on interactive experiences, this event offers a unique opportunity to reset, reflect, and connect with like-minded individuals. Limited slots.Website: Awakeandawarebend.comEarly bird discount code: FULLYAWAKE24. $100 off registration. Expires Jan 31, 2024CME? Yes! This is a CME event ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººThe Flameproof Course | Self-mastery and anti-burnoutThis 6 month, bi-weekly course will make you so burnout-resistant that when they tell you to see 5 patients an hour with only a rusty spoon in your pocket and a unit clerk at your side, you will just smile (results not guaranteed).The next cohort begins Feb 1, 2024. Learn more here. ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººLove medicine, but the job itself leaves a lot to be desired?I wor

Most of us have habits we'd like to change -- both getting rid of bad ones and adopting good ones. It's easier said than done! Habits by nature are hardwired and happen without much activation energy. In this episode, Christina Shenvi MD, PhD breaks down the nature of willpower, how knowing it's a limited resource can play to our advantage, strategies for getting out of bad habits, and how to adopt the ones you want.Guest Bio: Christina Shenvi MD, PhD is an emergency physician at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where she is the director of the UNC Office of Academic Excellence. A frequent guest on Stimulus, she has now started coaching and teaching more broadly on time management. Her goal is to help busy professionals find more peace with their schedules, feel less stressed, and use their time more effectively. Dr. Shenvi blogs at: www.timeforyourlife.org, and offers workshops on time management.Episode Sponsor: Panacea Financial is a financial services company created for doctors, by doctors -

A discussion with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s personal physician Barry Kerzin, MD on: how he came to his unique job, why compassion might be better than empathy in healthcare, simple ways to develop compassion towards both others and yourself, the cure for jealousy, lessening the impact of errors, and a prescription for longevity in medicine and life. Guest Bio:  Barry Kerzin, MD is a US born and trained family physician who for the past several decades has resided 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, Yo

Effective (and ineffective) leadership comes in many flavors, but there is an underlying quality to any good leadership that you know when you see it. In this episode, Colonel Jim Czarnik, MD and Josh Bucher, MD break down the lessons they’ve learned leading in both the military and civilian worlds of medicine and crisis situations. My favorite quote from this episode: “Purpose is embraced, not imposed.”  Guest Bios:Colonel Jim Czarnik, MD  is the Deputy Chief Of Staff, Surgeon United States Army Special Operations Command. He has previously served as Command Surgeon for US Army Africa and was instrumental in coordinating the multinational response to the recent western Africa Ebola outbreak. Josh Bucher, MD.is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Rutgers- RWJMS. He is EMS-fellowship trained and currently holds the position of associate EMS Medical Director for RWJ-Barnabas MHS. An expert in tactical emergency medicine, he is medical director of the Middlesex and Somerset County SWAT

When things are going well, you may not notice how your mind is working. But sometimes, you are overtaken by events and it can feel like the gears are grinding in the worst possible way in both life and work.  In this episode, physician coach Gail Gazelle, MD,  walks us through the mental processes that happen in those gear grinding moments and how to not only work through them, but also come out the other side with resilience and a better understanding of ourselves.Guest Bio: Gail Gazelle, MD, MCC is a former hospice physician, part-time Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor, and Master Certified Coach for physicians. One of the leading pioneers in physician coaching, Dr. Gazelle has coached over 500 physicians and physician leaders on leadership development, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, resilience, and moving from burnout to balance. She is the author of Everyday Resilience. A Practical Guide to Build Inner Strength and Weather Life’s Challenges, (Free chapter here). You can contact G

Our digital lives have become cluttered, scattered, and reflexive rather than intentional. Is it time for a change? In this episode, Rob and Dan McCollum, review the principles and exercises laid out in the book Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Taking it a step further, they share what happened when they went full on guinea pig and dove deep into the process.Guest Bio: Dan McCollum, MD is an emergency physician, associate professor, and associate residency director at the Medical College of Georgia. Here more of Dan from Stimulus Episode #1 Verbal Judo. This episode is brought to you by RingRescue, the new standard for stuck ring removal. RingRescue helps remove stuck rings in a non-destructive way and, when used with their non-hydrating lubricant, significantly reduces the need for ring cutting.  Use the code stimulus at checkout when you purchase your RingRescue finger compression device to get an extra bottle of their lube. Extra lube, free fifty free! Ringrescue.com

NY Times bestselling author Michele Harper, MD on setting boundaries, pre-shift routines, guarding the vulnerable, microaggressions, racism in the emergency department, and why inaction is just as much a choice as action. Guest Bio: Dr. Michele Harper, is an emergency physician and author of The New York Times best selling memoir, The Beauty in Breaking. She's been interviewed on Trevor Noah, Fresh Air, CNN, NBC, amongst many others. Michele is also a widely published essayist, often focusing on race and medicine. Her writing shares her personal journey that started as a child in an abusive household, then to undergrad at Harvard, medical school at Stony Brook, New York, and now her life as an attending physician. And as you'll hear, she's got a personal mission to be a guardian for the vulnerable.This episode is brought to you by RingRescue, the new standard for stuck ring removal. RingRescue helps remove stuck rings in a non-destructive way and, when used with their non-hydrating lubricant, significan

Who teaches doctors how to speak to patients (or each other)? It’s usually something that’s picked up as you go. Let’s be honest though, some clinicians are much better at clear and empathetic communication than others. It’s an under taught skill that’s way more important than the attention it gets. In this episode we take a look into the mind and practices of master clinician Loren Rauch. Loren is one of the wisest clinicians we know and intentionally applies humanity to every aspect of his practice. Among the topics addressed are:  the ethical imperative of the well-deserved compliment; navigating difficult conversations; communicating with trainees, nurses and new learners; and tips for dealing with patient anxiety.This episode is brought to you by Mar-Med, makers of the industry leading and #1 selling Tourni-Cot digital tourniquet. What you may not know is that Mar-Med also makes a newly re-engineered balloon extractor for nasal foreign bodies, the one size fits all Uni-Cot digital tourniquet, and th

When you react in anger, what is your intent? Often it's to lash out; the reflective and thoughtful part of your brain is taken out of picture. But if you think of a really clever and biting response, what do you hope will be the result of those words? It’s unlikely to persuade. More likely it’s a quasi-cognitive-orgasmic release of F*&k You.ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººAwake and Aware | Our 2024 Live EventJoin us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Focusing on interactive experiences, this event offers a unique opportunity to reset, reflect, and connect with like-minded individuals. Limited slots.Website: Awakeandawarebend.comEarly bird discount code: FULLYAWAKE24. $100 off registration. Expires Jan 31, 2024CME? Yes! This is a CME event ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººThe Flameproof Course | Self-mastery and anti-burnoutThis 6 month, bi-weekly course will make you so burnout-resistant that when they tell you to see 5 patients an hour with

Gender and racial bias are pervasive across all aspects of society, medicine notwithstanding.  In this episode, Esther Choo MD, MPH (@choo_ek), a titan for the cause of gender and racial equity discusses: a rubric for deciding 'yes or no', single payer healthcare, why confining medical practice to the bedside can be an exercise in futility, sexism and racism in medicine, the wage gap, workforce vs. leadership demographics, managing overtly racist patients, and why the culture of medicine is ripe for sexual harassment.This episode is brought to you by Mar-Med, makers of the industry leading and #1 selling Tourni-Cot digital tourniquet. What you may not know is that Mar-Med also  makes a newly re-engineered balloon extractor for nasal foreign bodies, the one size fits all Uni-Cot digital tourniquet, and the Derma-Stent drain that greatly simplifies loop abscess procedures. I’ve used Mar-Med's products hundreds of times and can attest to their efficacy and simplicity of use. You can check out all of th

Procrastination isn't what you might think. Do you really not have the time to get that thing done, or is there something else getting in the way? In this episode, Christina Shenvi MD, PhD breaks down: why we procrastinate and how to break free of that habit, reframing 'busyness', value based scheduling, how she decides on responding yes or no, how to say no in a skillful yet honest manner, and techniques to keep up with email. If you want to go deeper into all of this in a small group setting, Dr. Shenvi has an online time management course that's not to be missed.Guest Bio: Dr. Christina Shenvi MD, PhD is a fellowship trained geriatric emergency physician from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where she is the director of the UNC Office of Academic Excellence. She's host of her own show, GEMCAST, focusing on clinical topics to help physicians, trainees, nurses, and paramedics who take care of older adults, particularly in the acute care setting.ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººAwake and Aware