Music and medicine: How one cardiologist found peace in song

Being a physician requires a level of altruism unlike that in any other profession. Burying emotions under a facade of heroism—for the sake of treating patients—often becomes a standard in practice, and Suzie Brown, MD, knew such emotional suppression was draining her wellness. So she began writing songs—and they’ve made a difference. The cardiologist-songwriter recently performed at TEDMED2015. Here’s how she says music restored her self-awareness and strengthened her relationships with patients. The “stoic” life of the physician “Just this past Saturday night, I was up the entire night taking care of a patient who had become very sick in the intensive care unit,” Dr. Brown said. “It didn’t matter that I’m eight months pregnant or that I had just worked six 12-hour days in a row and had to be back at work the next day. Or that I had been up the six previous nights with our one-and-a-half-year-old daughter who is currently teething—none of that really mattered. What mattered was that this patient needed my care and attention, and my priority was to give it to her.” Although well-intentioned, Dr. Brown said this kind of “stoicism” prevailed throughout her cardiology training and caused her to continually put patients before her own needs, which became difficult to maintain. “By the time I finished my training as a cardiologist, I felt emotionally exhausted,” she said. “I began to seek out music as a place where I could show my vul...
Source: AMA Wire - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Source Type: news