Into the Magic Shop

The current healthcare system is failing everyone, says practicing neurosurgeon and author of Grief Connects Us, Dr Joseph Stern (Jody). We need to reimagine how healthcare is delivered.
In this episode, Jody explains why learning to connect to emotions makes you a better doctor, why the idea of perfection among neurosurgeons is dangerous, and why grief is a universal truth and experience that we all share, no matter who you are.

Key takeaways:
The nature of grief
Why doctors are taught to have distance
Our healthcare system is destructive
The skills of palliative medicine
Care in community is real and attainable

Show Notes

The current healthcare system is failing everyone, says practicing neurosurgeon and author of Grief Connects Us, Dr Joseph Stern (Jody). We need to reimagine how healthcare is delivered. 

Having experienced the grief of losing his sister and her husband, and seeing what the healthcare system is like as a patient: how terrified people are, how in need of help, assistance, and support they are, Jody has made it his mission to treat patients with kindness and compassion.

“I feel that the compassion part is the key part. And if you start with that, you have better care, more satisfied patients, healthier patients, happier doctors, and happier systems.”

In this episode of Into The Magic Shop, Jody explains why learning to connect to emotions makes you a better doctor, why the idea of perfection among neurosurgeons is dangerous, and why grief is a universal truth and experience that we all share, no matter who you are. 

“We all need each other, we all need that support, we need that kindness. And the only way to start to change how we do things, how we treat each other, how we interact, is to have that level of kindness.”

To find out more, download and listen to Jody.

On today’s podcast:
  • The nature of grief
  • Why doctors are taught to have distance
  • Our healthcare system is destructive
  • The skills of palliative medicine
  • Care in community is real and attainable
Links:

What is Into the Magic Shop?

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many were overwhelmed with stress, anxiety and depression. While this epidemic of stress has been growing over the past decade, it has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the divisive nature of political discourse. As a result, many people feel disconnected, inauthentic, and unhappy, while questioning the source of their unhappiness when they presumably have “everything”—an absence of compassion, for oneself and others, is often the source of the problem.

Many of us don’t understand the nature of self-compassion nor the power of compassion to improve our lives and alleviate our suffering. By entering the “Magic Shop”, Jim will share his wisdom and introduce a variety of techniques to change the course of one’s life and share his own lessons learned through the exchange of untold stories of his guests. He will interview authors and experts in the fields of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, spirituality and religion, as well as individuals with unique points of view. He will also engage his listeners by answering their questions and also at times interview listeners who are willing to share their own stories of challenge and hardship.