Success. Failure. Growth. Achievement. Lessons learned through art can be invaluable to creating a professional identity. In the latest episode of "Ripples: Physician Well-Being", Jennifer LaCoss, MD, talks about her journey in medicine and what creating pottery can teach us about building a more resilient self.

Dr. Richard Kogan joins "Ripples: Physician Well-Being" to discuss music, creativity, and mental health. Dr. Kogan is not only an accomplished concert pianist but also a clinical professor of psychiatry and artistic director of the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine program.

This discussion kicks off season 4 of "Ripples," which will focus on life beyond medicine, which helps our physicians to better themselves -- and, most importantly, take care of themselves.

Reverend Dr. Anne Helmke is the faith liaison for the City of San Antonio, and in her role, she forms collaborations within the city to put compassion into action. In her mind, we are better as humanity if we can put down our boundaries and work together to better our communities.

In this episode, Roshi Joan Halifax, a Buddhist teacher and social activist, explores the balance between compassion and equanimity, emphasizing her concept of the "strong back, soft front." She discusses GRACE, her training intervention for healthcare professionals, designed to cultivate compassionate care without burnout. Roshi Halifax also shares insights on overcoming biases, practicing self-stewardship, and maintaining well-being while caring for others.

The difference between feeling sympathy and empathy can have a huge impact on relationships. But what's the difference between these two reactions, and is feeling WITH someone hardwired in our brain through mirror neurons? Dr. Adriana Dyurich, PhD, leads our compassion course on empathy.

Dr. Holly Day serves her colleagues, learners, and most importantly, her patients with a heart and mind dedicated to the principle of compassion in medicine. She joins Ripples co-hosts Dr. Jon Courand and Dr. Adriana Dyurich to discuss the importance of forgiving oneself and forgiving others, and the role forgiveness plays in being a compassionate healthcare provider.

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The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine Office for Graduate Medical Education is proud to bring you Ripples: Physician Well-Being, a podcast from The Wellness Home. Co-hosts Adriana Dyurich, PhD, LPC and Veena Prasad, PhD, MBA, LPC will invite UT Health San Antonio faculty as guests to share their own experiences, provide tips for overall wellness, and create a safe space to discuss coping with stressors. Compassion in health care is more than empathy for patients – it’s also about YOU. This season, our co-hosts will unfold the multiple facets of compassion and the benefits gained when lending yourself a little more grace.

Dr. Jason Morrow, Associate Professor of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio and the Howard and Betty Halff Professor of Medical Humanities & Ethics, joins Ripples to emphasize the importance of self-kindness, recognizing common humanity, and mindfulness. Dr. Morrow highlights the need for deliberate practice in self-compassion, likening it to empathic communication in palliative care, and advises medical professionals to prioritize their well-being to sustain their ability to care for others effectively.

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Compassion in health care is more than empathy for patients – it’s also about YOU. This season, our co-hosts will unfold the multiple facets of compassion and the benefits gained when lending yourself a little more grace.