This episode is sponsored by: Set For Life Insurance

Set For Life Insurance helps doctors safeguard their future with True Own Occupational Disability Insurance. A single injury or illness can change everything, but the best physicians plan ahead. Protect your income and secure your future before life makes the choice for you. Your career deserves protection—act now at https://www.doctorpodcastnetwork.co/setforlife

_________

In this continuation of an insightful two-part series, Dr. Bradley Block dives deeper with Dr. Timothy Gilligan, a medical oncologist and president of the Academy of Communication in Healthcare. Dr. Gilligan shares proven methods for teaching communication to resistant attendings, using peer-to-peer learning and “rolling with resistance” to encourage growth.

Drawing from the ASCO Patient-Clinician Communication Guidelines, he emphasizes mastering simple basics like listening and showing care. Dr. Gilligan also tackles empathy versus compassion, advocating for imagining patients’ perspectives while maintaining boundaries to prevent burnout. With compelling stories and practical tips, this episode equips physicians to enhance their practice and find balance.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Embrace Resistance in Teaching: Validate resistant physicians’ concerns and use peer stories to demonstrate that communication skills improve with practice, like building muscle memory.
2. Master the Basics: Apply ASCO Guidelines by prioritizing listening, eye contact, and expressing care—simple steps that drive better patient outcomes without complexity.
3. Empathy with Limits: Imagine patients’ experiences to deliver compassionate care, but set professional boundaries and recharge with activities like tennis to stay resilient.

About the Show:

The Physician’s Guide to Doctoring covers patient interactions, burnout, career growth, personal finance, and more. If you're tired of dull medical lectures, tune in for real-world lessons we should have learned in med school!

About the Guest:

Dr. Timothy Gilligan is an associate professor of medicine and medical oncologist specializing in urological malignancies at the Cleveland Clinic, where he serves as Associate Director of the Communication Skills course. As president of the Academy of Communication in Healthcare, he leads efforts to improve healthcare communication. Dr. Gilligan co-edited Communication, the Cleveland Clinic Way, and focuses on educational interventions for allyship, microaggressions, and anti-racist culture as the DEI officer for GME at Cleveland Clinic.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothygilliganmd

Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Timothy-Gilligan

About the Host:

Dr. Bradley Block is a board-certified otolaryngologist at ENT and Allergy Associates in Garden City, NY. He specializes in adult and pediatric ENT, with interests in sinusitis and obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Block also hosts The Physician’s Guide to Doctoring podcast, focusing on personal and professional development for physicians.

Want to be a guest?

Email Brad at brad@physiciansguidetodoctoring.com

Mail to:brad@physiciansguidetodoctoring.com or visit www.physiciansguidetodoctoring.com to learn more!

Socials:

@physiciansguidetodoctoring on Facebook

@physicianguidetodoctoring on YouTube

@physiciansguide on Instagram and Twitter

Visit www.physiciansguidetodoctoring.com to connect, dive deeper, and keep the conversation going. Let’s grow!

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, financial, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional for personalized guidance.

This episode is sponsored by: Set For Life Insurance

Set For Life Insurance helps doctors safeguard their future with True Own Occupational Disability Insurance. A single injury or illness can change everything, but the best physicians plan ahead. Protect your income and secure your future before life makes the choice for you. Your career deserves protection—act now at https://www.doctorpodcastnetwork.co/setforlife

______

How can physicians communicate better to build trust and improve patient outcomes? In this episode, Dr. Bradley Block sits down with Dr. Timothy Gilligan to explore the art and science of healthcare communication. Dr. Gilligan shares compelling stories, like convincing a patient with testicular cancer to accept treatment by focusing on their identity, and offers actionable techniques for flattening hierarchies, delivering bad news, and teaching communication skills to seasoned attendings. From the SPIKES protocol to staying present in tough moments, this episode is packed with strategies to enhance empathy, earn trust, and navigate challenging conversations—no matter where you are in your career.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Listen First to Build Trust: Start patient encounters by asking, “What have other doctors told you?” to understand their perspective and show you value their story, fostering trust before sharing medical details.
2. Use the SPIKES Protocol for Bad News: Ensure the right setting, gain permission, assess patient knowledge, deliver clear information, respond with empathy, and summarize next steps to guide tough conversations effectively.
3. Reset Between Patients: Take 5-10 seconds to breathe and ground yourself before entering a room to stay present and avoid carrying emotional baggage from prior encounters.

About the Show:

The Physician’s Guide to Doctoring covers patient interactions, burnout, career growth, personal finance, and more. If you're tired of dull medical lectures, tune in for real-world lessons we should have learned in med school!

About the Guest:

Dr. Timothy Gilligan is an associate professor of medicine and medical oncologist specializing in urological malignancies at the Cleveland Clinic, where he serves as Associate Director of the Communication Skills course. As president of the Academy of Communication in Healthcare, he leads efforts to improve healthcare communication. Dr. Gilligan co-edited Communication, the Cleveland Clinic Way, and focuses on educational interventions for allyship, microaggressions, and anti-racist culture as the DEI officer for GME at Cleveland Clinic.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothygilliganmd

About the Host:

Dr. Bradley Block is a board-certified otolaryngologist at ENT and Allergy Associates in Garden City, NY. He specializes in adult and pediatric ENT, with interests in sinusitis and obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Block also hosts The Physician’s Guide to Doctoring podcast, focusing on personal and professional development for physicians.

__________

Want to be a guest?

Email Brad at brad@physiciansguidetodoctoring.com (mailto:brad@physiciansguidetodoctoring.com) or visit www.physiciansguidetodoctoring.com to learn more!

Socials:

@physiciansguidetodoctoring on Facebook

@physicianguidetodoctoring on YouTube

@physiciansguide on Instagram and Twitter

healthcare communication, physician-patient trust, delivering bad news, SPIKES protocol, empathy in medicine, building trust with patients, communication skills training, flattening hierarchy in healthcare, Cleveland Clinic communication, Dr. Timothy Gilligan

Visit www.physiciansguidetodoctoring.com to connect, dive deeper, and keep the conversation going. Let’s grow!

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, financial, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional for personalized guidance.

This episode is sponsored by: Set For Life Insurance

Set For Life Insurance helps doctors safeguard their future with True Own Occupational Disability Insurance. A single injury or illness can change everything, but the best physicians plan ahead. Protect your income and secure your future before life makes the choice for you. Your career deserves protection—act now at https://www.doctorpodcastnetwork.co/setforlife

_______
What happens if an injury or illness stops you from practicing medicine? In this episode, Dr. Bradley Block sits down with Jamie Fleischner to explore how physicians can protect their financial stability with disability and life insurance. With over 30 years of experience, Jamie shares actionable insights for mid-career doctors reassessing their coverage, from navigating group policies to calculating life insurance needs for a non-breadwinner spouse. They discuss when to update policies (hint: every major life event), the pitfalls of relying solely on group coverage, and strategies to optimize premiums without sacrificing security. Whether you’re a resident or nearing retirement, this episode offers practical steps to ensure your income and family are safe no matter what life throws at you.

Three Actionable Takeaways:

1. Reassess Every Three Years or After Life Events: Review your disability and life insurance at least every three years or after major changes like marriage, kids, or a new job to ensure coverage matches your current needs.
2. Supplement Group Policies: Add an individual disability policy for portability and “own occupation” protection—group plans often cap benefits and don’t cover specialty-specific disabilities.
3. Calculate Life Insurance: For a spouse, estimate monthly replacement costs (e.g., childcare, household help)—$1 million in coverage yields about $4,000/month—and set the term until kids are independent.

About the Show:

The Physician’s Guide to Doctoring covers patient interactions, burnout, career growth, personal finance, and more. If you're tired of dull medical lectures, tune in for real-world lessons we should have learned in med school!

About the Guest:

Jamie Fleischner is the founder and president of Set for Life Insurance, a company dedicated to helping physicians secure disability and life insurance since 1993. With over 30 years of experience, she has worked with more than 30,000 doctors across the country, offering tailored solutions like Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) disability insurance. Inspired by her personal experience caring for her mother during a double lung transplant, Jamie is passionate about ensuring physicians protect their income and financial stability.

• Set for Life : https://www.setforlifeinsurance.com/

About the Host:

Dr. Bradley Block is a board-certified otolaryngologist at ENT and Allergy Associates in Garden City, NY. He specializes in adult and pediatric ENT, with interests in sinusitis and obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Block also hosts The Physician’s Guide to Doctoring podcast, focusing on personal and professional development for physicians

.

Want to be a guest?

Email Brad at brad@physiciansguidetodoctoring.com or visit www.physiciansguidetodoctoring.com to learn more!

Socials:

@physiciansguidetodoctoring on Facebook

@physicianguidetodoctoring on YouTube

@physiciansguide on Instagram and Twitter

Visit www.physiciansguidetodoctoring.com to connect, dive deeper, and keep the conversation going. Let’s grow!

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, financial, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional for personalized guidance.