I have been listening to hearts for the past 20 years.

My stethoscope, which early on served as a tool for channeling expertise, over time has become a sacred symbol- my visible commitment to standing closeby and listening deeply, with warmed hands, without commentary.  Leaning in, listening between the layers of breath, I wait for the narrative to unfold and become audible.

All the while, living wholeheartedly has been the unifying theme.  

More recently, my focus has been on bolstering resilience and healing the healers. We carry so many heavy stories, as well as the weight of a broken system at times devoid of health or care.  We need a place to put them down and rest. We also need a reminder of our calling to service and our place in this long lineage of healers.

We need space and time to be nourished by the stories that inspire us and fill us with awe. 

I have intentionally sought to create opportunities for reflection on meaning in medicine.  I have been teaching “The Healer’s Art” for many years.  This discovery model course for medical students, originally created by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, teaches generous listening.  Using stories, poetry, and small group exercises, we explore mystery and awe, grief and loss, and the response to suffering.  For this work, I received the “Gardener Award in Recognition of Outstanding Mentoring to First Year Medical Students.”  I am also an instructor for “Rekindling the Flame,” a course which uses a similar curriculum tailored to experienced, practicing physicians.   For the medical students on their clinical rotations, I facilitate “Reflection Rounds,” a small group seminar during which the students share stories from their week that touched them deeply.    Building on this foundation, I have started doing seminars on “Healing Through Storytelling” for broader audiences- one that was especially fun brought current students from my high school and alumni of all ages together in small groups.  It is remarkable how differently participants describe themselves before and after this exercise in generous listening.

Because I am a story listener, I have been recognized as an exceptional mentor.  For my work with trainees, I was honored with the “Stanford Stole”- an award in recognition of extraordinary influence and support of Pediatric Cardiology fellows.  I was also funded to be a mentor in the Stanford Department of Pediatrics Faculty Mentoring Program. 

This focus on narrative in medicine has opened me up as a storyteller. I was asked to read one of my original poems, “Blown Away” – about the impact of gun violence on youth- for the Pegasus Physician Writers at Stanford conference, “Taking Care of Life’s Longing for Itself: Children and Youth in Medicine.”  I also participated in the Taos Physician Writing and Wellness Retreat with subsequent publication of an original poem written from a child patient’s perspective.   In a more traditional setting, at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, I used storytelling and the power of myth in Star Wars for a TED talk on Transparency in Pediatric Cardiology Outcomes. 

What a privilege it is to listen to hearts and share stories.