We asked our Women Surgeons to share with us their Holiday traditions and some of their favorite memories of the holidays.
Please enjoy these delightful stories from fellow AWS members -- and feel free to share your own in the Comments.
Happy Holidays from all of us on the Blog team and the AWS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Minerva Romero Arenas, MD, MPH
Resident
What holiday do you celebrate and what is the special meaning of this
holiday to you?
We celebrate Christmas Eve because in the Catholic faith it is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. My family traditionally gave us kids gifts on Día de Los Reyes Magos (The 3 Wise Men), which correlates to the gifts presented to Jesus. In addition to reflecting on the spiritual meaning of the Christmas holidays, I also like to take time to think about the previous and upcoming years and to remind my family and friends how special they are to me.
What are some family traditions you have related to this holiday?
Being Mexican in the US means my family celebrates both cultures. We still celebrate primarily on Christmas Eve, we pray and sing carols, and have a Posada. Dinner varies - traditionally turkey is on the menu for this day- but we change it up according to what everyone wants to eat. One of my favorite memories was when my grandmother showed my cousins and I how to make tamales. Other years we have enjoyed catered Chinese or Indian food. After having lived in the US many years we adopted the tradition of exchanging presents on Christmas morning. On January 6th, we try to continue the tradition of eating King's cake.
Do you have a good memory of patient care during a time you worked during
the holiday?
I've had several years in residency that I could not travel back home for the holidays. I am thankful for technology like FaceTime, which enabled me to share some special moments with my family while away. Nonetheless, during the holidays the patients who are in the hospital are usually very sick & grateful to have us around helping keep an eye on them in their recovery from surgery or trauma injuries. I have to admit that some of my favorite memories are sharing food with nursing, our mid-level providers, attendings & OR staff. In particular, I am thankful for having co-workers and mentors who have invited me to join them for dinner.
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Happy Holidays from the AWS!
We asked our Women Surgeons to share with us their Holiday traditions and some of their favorite memories of the holidays.
Please enjoy these delightful stories from fellow AWS members -- and feel free to share your own in the Comments.
Happy Holidays from all of us on the Blog team and the AWS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kandace P. McGuire, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Director Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship & Premenopausal Breast Services
Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC
What holiday do you celebrate and what is the special meaning of this
holiday to you?
My family and I celebrate Christmas. We have celebrated many ways on many days and on multiple continents over the years! To me, Christmas is about family and giving. I love reconnecting with those I have lost touch with and being able to give to them and others during the holiday season.
What are some family traditions you have related to this holiday?
We have many family traditions, but my favorite is our annual trip to NYC. We take our son to see the tree in Rockefeller Center and to FAO Schwartz. We also take him to a restaurant that wouldn’t normally be “kid-friendly”. Last year we went to Le Cirque. He was such a little gentleman; they invited him into the kitchen to make his own dessert with the pastry chef! The 80 year old owner stopped us on the way out and complimented us on our well-behaved child. Pretty special!
We also have a tradition of giving to a child in need every year. I try to choose a boy who is about the same age as my son, so that he can pick out gifts that he would like and then give them away. Every Christmas morning we try to remember how special this Christmas must be for the little boy to whom we gave.
Do you have a good memory of patient care during a time you worked during
the holiday?
I was on trauma call for Christmas Eve my second year of residency. A funny story is a family of four who came in after a minor motor vehicle collision. They were spread out throughout the trauma bay: mother, father, two boys. Unfortunately, Dad was driving without a license and when the cops came to talk to him, you could hear one of the boys from around the corner yell, “Is Dad getting arrested AGAIN?!?”
Luckily, the cops gave him a summons and let him go home to enjoy Christmas with his family.
A nice memory is later that night, going across the street from the hospital to the only restaurant open, a diner that served the hospital and the local Philly old-timers. The entire trauma team crowded into a booth, ordered black and white milkshakes and burgers and traded war stories. We were blessed by no major traumas that night and no sad endings. It was one of my most memorable nights on call during my residency.
Please enjoy these delightful stories from fellow AWS members -- and feel free to share your own in the Comments.
Happy Holidays from all of us on the Blog team and the AWS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kandace P. McGuire, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Director Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship & Premenopausal Breast Services
Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC
What holiday do you celebrate and what is the special meaning of this
holiday to you?
My family and I celebrate Christmas. We have celebrated many ways on many days and on multiple continents over the years! To me, Christmas is about family and giving. I love reconnecting with those I have lost touch with and being able to give to them and others during the holiday season.
What are some family traditions you have related to this holiday?
We have many family traditions, but my favorite is our annual trip to NYC. We take our son to see the tree in Rockefeller Center and to FAO Schwartz. We also take him to a restaurant that wouldn’t normally be “kid-friendly”. Last year we went to Le Cirque. He was such a little gentleman; they invited him into the kitchen to make his own dessert with the pastry chef! The 80 year old owner stopped us on the way out and complimented us on our well-behaved child. Pretty special!
We also have a tradition of giving to a child in need every year. I try to choose a boy who is about the same age as my son, so that he can pick out gifts that he would like and then give them away. Every Christmas morning we try to remember how special this Christmas must be for the little boy to whom we gave.
Do you have a good memory of patient care during a time you worked during
the holiday?
I was on trauma call for Christmas Eve my second year of residency. A funny story is a family of four who came in after a minor motor vehicle collision. They were spread out throughout the trauma bay: mother, father, two boys. Unfortunately, Dad was driving without a license and when the cops came to talk to him, you could hear one of the boys from around the corner yell, “Is Dad getting arrested AGAIN?!?”
Luckily, the cops gave him a summons and let him go home to enjoy Christmas with his family.
A nice memory is later that night, going across the street from the hospital to the only restaurant open, a diner that served the hospital and the local Philly old-timers. The entire trauma team crowded into a booth, ordered black and white milkshakes and burgers and traded war stories. We were blessed by no major traumas that night and no sad endings. It was one of my most memorable nights on call during my residency.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Happy Holidays from the AWS!
We asked our Women Surgeons to share with us their Holiday traditions and some of their favorite memories of the holidays.
Please enjoy these delightful stories from members of the Association of Women Surgeons -- and feel free to share your own in the Comments.
Happy Holidays from all of us on the Blog team and the AWS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amalia Cochran, MD, FACS, FCCM
Blog: amaliacochranmd.com
Twitter: @amaliacochranmd
One of my favorite traditions during residency grew up from a tradition back home in Texas. I’ve long believed that tamales are Christmas food, and when I moved to Utah for residency, I started the tradition of a tamale dinner at my house on Christmas night for my co-residents, friends…anyone who wanted to drop by.
At first, quite a few of them thought it was an intriguing and strange tradition, but it was always a fun evening. By Christmas of our PGY-6 year, one of my classmates looked at me as she was eating her tamales and confessed, “I’m going to miss this next year when I’m in Minnesota.” While I got to have my Christmas tamales with my Mom the next year- and was back in Texas for my fellowship - it definitely wasn’t the same.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brittany Bankhead-Kendall, MD, MSc
Resident
This Christmas my family and I will be navigating the waters that the "Match" has bestowed upon us- living on separate sides of the country. My surgery residency is in Michigan, and my husband's emergency medicine residency is in Texas. He and my son decorated our tree while we "FaceTimed." No parent likes to be away from their children, especially during holidays. But I think Christmas is about traditions, making traditions, and yet sometimes breaking them to remember what's really important.
Please enjoy these delightful stories from members of the Association of Women Surgeons -- and feel free to share your own in the Comments.
Happy Holidays from all of us on the Blog team and the AWS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amalia Cochran, MD, FACS, FCCM
Blog: amaliacochranmd.com
Twitter: @amaliacochranmd
One of my favorite traditions during residency grew up from a tradition back home in Texas. I’ve long believed that tamales are Christmas food, and when I moved to Utah for residency, I started the tradition of a tamale dinner at my house on Christmas night for my co-residents, friends…anyone who wanted to drop by.
At first, quite a few of them thought it was an intriguing and strange tradition, but it was always a fun evening. By Christmas of our PGY-6 year, one of my classmates looked at me as she was eating her tamales and confessed, “I’m going to miss this next year when I’m in Minnesota.” While I got to have my Christmas tamales with my Mom the next year- and was back in Texas for my fellowship - it definitely wasn’t the same.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brittany Bankhead-Kendall, MD, MSc
Resident
This Christmas my family and I will be navigating the waters that the "Match" has bestowed upon us- living on separate sides of the country. My surgery residency is in Michigan, and my husband's emergency medicine residency is in Texas. He and my son decorated our tree while we "FaceTimed." No parent likes to be away from their children, especially during holidays. But I think Christmas is about traditions, making traditions, and yet sometimes breaking them to remember what's really important.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Happy Holidays from the AWS!
We asked our Women Surgeons to share with us their Holiday traditions and some of their favorite memories of the holidays – both at home and work.
Please enjoy these delightful stories from members of the Association of Women Surgeons -- and feel free to share your own in the Comments.
Happy Holidays from all of us on the Blog team and the AWS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stephanie Bonne, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor
Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery
Washington University in St. Louis
What holiday do you celebrate and what is the special meaning of this
holiday to you?
We celebrate Christmas - I was raised Catholic and that's just the way it is!
What are some family traditions you have related to this holiday?
My mother's family is Polish, so we have a very traditional dinner on Christmas Eve with mushroom soup, fish, pierogi and picked Herring.
Do you have a good memory of patient care during a time you worked during
the holiday?
For the past several years, I've worked 6pm-6am over Christmas in the ICU. I kind of like it - there is a ton of food to eat, everyone is kind of cozy and happy. We watch NORAD tracks Santa at the nurses' station. The patient's families are usually in in the evenings and you can walk around and say hello to everyone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Callie Thompson, MD
Resident
What holiday do you celebrate and what is the special meaning of this
holiday to you?
We celebrate Christmas. For me, the holiday is a time of new beginnings and hope. I love spending this time of year with my family and seeing my children enjoy the same traditions that I loved as a kid.
What are some family traditions you have related to this holiday?
My family is very big on tradition so we try to do the same thing every year. We start by going to church on Christmas Eve and this year, my two oldest children are both in the Christmas play so I am really looking forward to that. On Christmas morning we open stockings and then have to have breakfast before we move to the presents from Santa. We are open-one-at-a-time-while-everyone-watches people.
Do you have a good memory of patient care during a time you worked during
the holiday?
My favorite holiday memory in the hospital would be from Christmas day my R2 year in the cardiothoracic ICU. All of the patients were critically ill but the nursing staff decorated and had a potluck that they invited the families to participate in. I just love the memory of the atmosphere in the unit that day.
Please enjoy these delightful stories from members of the Association of Women Surgeons -- and feel free to share your own in the Comments.
Happy Holidays from all of us on the Blog team and the AWS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stephanie Bonne, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor
Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery
Washington University in St. Louis
What holiday do you celebrate and what is the special meaning of this
holiday to you?
We celebrate Christmas - I was raised Catholic and that's just the way it is!
What are some family traditions you have related to this holiday?
My mother's family is Polish, so we have a very traditional dinner on Christmas Eve with mushroom soup, fish, pierogi and picked Herring.
Do you have a good memory of patient care during a time you worked during
the holiday?
For the past several years, I've worked 6pm-6am over Christmas in the ICU. I kind of like it - there is a ton of food to eat, everyone is kind of cozy and happy. We watch NORAD tracks Santa at the nurses' station. The patient's families are usually in in the evenings and you can walk around and say hello to everyone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Callie Thompson, MD
Resident
What holiday do you celebrate and what is the special meaning of this
holiday to you?
We celebrate Christmas. For me, the holiday is a time of new beginnings and hope. I love spending this time of year with my family and seeing my children enjoy the same traditions that I loved as a kid.
What are some family traditions you have related to this holiday?
My family is very big on tradition so we try to do the same thing every year. We start by going to church on Christmas Eve and this year, my two oldest children are both in the Christmas play so I am really looking forward to that. On Christmas morning we open stockings and then have to have breakfast before we move to the presents from Santa. We are open-one-at-a-time-while-everyone-watches people.
Do you have a good memory of patient care during a time you worked during
the holiday?
My favorite holiday memory in the hospital would be from Christmas day my R2 year in the cardiothoracic ICU. All of the patients were critically ill but the nursing staff decorated and had a potluck that they invited the families to participate in. I just love the memory of the atmosphere in the unit that day.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Compassion: Lessons from Roshi Joan Halifax
by Mary Brandt, MD
It’s not often that a talk completely changes the way I think about something.
I’ve been thinking and speaking about compassion fatigue for many years. I recently had the privilege of hearing a wonderful talk by Roshi Joan Halifax. She made a strong and convincing case that “compassion fatigue” is a misnomer… and that we should think about this in a very different way.
We can never have too much compassion nor can true compassion result in fatigue.
Photo credit
Empathy and compassion are not the same thing.
Empathy is a necessary prerequisite for compassion, but compassion goes beyond empathy. Empathy is the ability to be with someone who is suffering, to be able to feel what they are feeling. Compassion, on the other hand, is being for someone who is suffering, being moved to act and find a way to relieve their suffering.
Link to Roshi Joan Halifax TED talk “Compassion and the true meaning of empathy”
Self-regulation is the key to being able to remain compassionate and this skill can be taught.
We all respond to situations of suffering with “arousal”, a state that varies in intensity depending on the severity of the suffering, and our own memories and experiences. How you respond to this state determines whether you can stay present, effective and compassionate. Roshi Joan Halifax offered the mnemonic “GRACE” as a way to teach this skill to medical students, residents, physicians, nurses and other health care professionals.
G: Gather your attention. Take three deep breaths. Be present.
R: Recall your intention. We choose careers in medicine to help heal the sick and to reduce suffering. It’s not easy to remember this intention when we are overwhelmed. But, in the moment we are faced with a human being who is suffering, we must let our own response (and the demands of the day) go and remember why we are here.
A: Attend to yourself. Being able to detect what is going on in your own body is the same “wiring” you use when you feel empathy. After gathering your attention and recalling your intention, pay attention to what is going on in your body. Watch your breath, feel where there is tension, pay attention to sensations.
C: Consider what will really serve. Moving from empathy to compassion is defined by considering the actions that will relieve suffering. Really consider the person and the situation and decide what is most likely to improve the situation.
E: Engage ethically.
“Developing our capacity for compassion makes it possible for us to help others in a more skillful and effective way. And compassion helps us as well.” Joan Halifax
Photo credit
This post originally appeared January 13, 2014 on Dr. Brandt's website Wellness Rounds
Mary L. Brandt, M.D. is a professor of Surgery, Pediatrics, and
Medical Ethics at Baylor College of Medicine and a practicing pediatric
surgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital. She is involved in education on a
day-to-day basis in her clinical work. She also thinks about medical
education on a bigger scale through her work as Vice Chair of Education
of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery and Associate Dean of
Student Affairs at Baylor College of Medicine. She actively blogs and tweets.
It’s not often that a talk completely changes the way I think about something.
I’ve been thinking and speaking about compassion fatigue for many years. I recently had the privilege of hearing a wonderful talk by Roshi Joan Halifax. She made a strong and convincing case that “compassion fatigue” is a misnomer… and that we should think about this in a very different way.
We can never have too much compassion nor can true compassion result in fatigue.
Photo credit
Empathy and compassion are not the same thing.
Empathy is a necessary prerequisite for compassion, but compassion goes beyond empathy. Empathy is the ability to be with someone who is suffering, to be able to feel what they are feeling. Compassion, on the other hand, is being for someone who is suffering, being moved to act and find a way to relieve their suffering.
Link to Roshi Joan Halifax TED talk “Compassion and the true meaning of empathy”
Self-regulation is the key to being able to remain compassionate and this skill can be taught.
We all respond to situations of suffering with “arousal”, a state that varies in intensity depending on the severity of the suffering, and our own memories and experiences. How you respond to this state determines whether you can stay present, effective and compassionate. Roshi Joan Halifax offered the mnemonic “GRACE” as a way to teach this skill to medical students, residents, physicians, nurses and other health care professionals.
G: Gather your attention. Take three deep breaths. Be present.
R: Recall your intention. We choose careers in medicine to help heal the sick and to reduce suffering. It’s not easy to remember this intention when we are overwhelmed. But, in the moment we are faced with a human being who is suffering, we must let our own response (and the demands of the day) go and remember why we are here.
A: Attend to yourself. Being able to detect what is going on in your own body is the same “wiring” you use when you feel empathy. After gathering your attention and recalling your intention, pay attention to what is going on in your body. Watch your breath, feel where there is tension, pay attention to sensations.
C: Consider what will really serve. Moving from empathy to compassion is defined by considering the actions that will relieve suffering. Really consider the person and the situation and decide what is most likely to improve the situation.
E: Engage ethically.
“Developing our capacity for compassion makes it possible for us to help others in a more skillful and effective way. And compassion helps us as well.” Joan Halifax
Photo credit
This post originally appeared January 13, 2014 on Dr. Brandt's website Wellness Rounds
~~~
Mary L. Brandt, M.D. is a professor of Surgery, Pediatrics, and
Medical Ethics at Baylor College of Medicine and a practicing pediatric
surgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital. She is involved in education on a
day-to-day basis in her clinical work. She also thinks about medical
education on a bigger scale through her work as Vice Chair of Education
of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery and Associate Dean of
Student Affairs at Baylor College of Medicine. She actively blogs and tweets.
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