Operate with Zen Phil Pierorazio

Paul Maroni, MD is a urologic oncologist at the University of Colorado in Denver.  He is a repeat guest on OWZ (#41. Joy in the Service of Others… https://www.buzzsprout.com/1811662/10549621) and a good friend.  We share an interest in the physical health of our patients and ourselves as physicians and surgeons.  This conversation focuses on practical strategies (and the science behind them) to optimize physical health and well-being through movement, exercise, and nutrition.  There is no perfect work-out routine or diet.  But being mindful and intentional about how you care for your body and what you want out of your physical being are the first steps to a healthy and sustainable career and beyond!  We discuss lots of external resources and links are provided in the notes.  Enjoy!
Slow Carb Diet, Tim Ferriss: https://tim.blog/2012/07/12/how-to-lose-100-pounds/
Nature Wants Us To Be Fat, by Richard Johnson (Amazon): https://a.co/d/fvubmJp
Knees Over Toes Guy (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/c/thekneesovertoesguy
By Peter Attia:
Outlive (Amazon): https://a.co/d/0FIdViJ
On Huberman Lab Podcast:
(web) https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-peter-attia-improve-vitality-emotional-and-physical-health-and-lifespan 
(YouTube)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufsIA5NARIo

Scott MacDiarmid, MD is a private practice urologist in Greensboro, North Carolina and the author of “Fist Pumps” – a self-help book to lift up physicians and healthcare providers who serve (https://www.amazon.com/Fist-Pumps-Scott-MacDiarmid/dp/1088078184).  Similar to my journey in Operative with Zen, Scott wrote the book thinking, “If I can help one other person.”  We talk about the stresses of being a physician and surgeon in modern American healthcare and strategies to deal with that stress.  Finding purpose, developing (what Scott calls) a suit of armor through mindfulness and gratitude, and seeking your own personal mountaintop – where you find peace, joy, virtue, and contentment – allow us to limit our exposure to the inevitable and deep valleys of burnout.  Lastly, Scott encourages us to care for ourselves and care for our communities as we serve those around us.  Enjoy this conversation!          
 
Fist Pumps (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Fist-Pumps-Scott-MacDiarmid/dp/1088078184

Caprice Greenberg, MD, MPH is the Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Surgical Oncologist.  She is the President and Co-founder of the Academy for Surgical Coaching (https://surgicalcoaching.org/) and is responsible for most of the academic literature regarding surgical coaching and outcomes directly or inspirationally.  We talk through the basics of surgical coaching from the operating room to the clinic, executive coaching through professional development for junior surgeons.  We talk about the practicalities of coaching: who should be coaching, who should be coaching, and what are the good qualities for both.  And we discuss all the ways coaching can be delivered – through personal coaches, intraoperative video assessments, and organizations like the Academy for Surgical Coaching.  Enjoy!

The Academy for Surgical Coaching: https://surgicalcoaching.org/
Dr. Greenberg’s Publications on Coaching (Pubmed Search): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Greenberg+CC+AND+coaching 

Ms. Nadine Coull, MBBS, MS, FRCS (Urol) is the Deputy Medical Director of the National Health Services (NHS) and President of the Urology Section of the Royal Society of Medicine.  In addition, she is the Deputy Medical Director of Kingston Hospital.  Nadine never envisioned herself as a leader of a hospital, hospital system, or the NHS – but through deep beliefs in compassion and kindness found herself rising through the leadership ranks first locally then nationally.    She is a strong believer in boundaries – professionally and personally – to promote health and wellness.  We touch on her presidential address, The One with the Pink Bag, offering perspectives of being a strong woman in medical leadership.  And she gives us unique perspective on leadership with an international angle – allowing us to compare and contrast promotions and leadership in the US and the UK. We arrive on an important similarity – “Don’t underestimate the power of kindness.”  I hope you enjoy, I certainly did.

Dr. Mick Malotte, MD is a retired ENT surgeon from California who has been practicing mindfulness as a surgeon for over 30 years.  Not only does Mick practice mindfulness through a daily practice and retreats, but he teaches mindfulness to physicians and surgeons around the country!  Mick gives us a brief history of mindfulness in medicine and helps us understand how mindfulness practices are adopted to medicine and surgery.  We talk about burnout, data and physiology, and the religious and social implications of widespread mindfulness practices!  Importantly, Mick gives us easy-to-perform micro practices that can be performed within our daily practices to be better surgeons, physicians, and human beings.  If you are interested in talking with Mick or exploring mindfulness training at your institution, reach out to Mick through his website.  Enjoy!  
https://www.mickmalotte.com/

“All healthcare is delivered through relationships.”  This is the key statement from this episode of OWZ and highlights that effective communication is a key component of delivering excellent patient care.  Marissa Theofanides, MD is a urologist at Montefiore in the Bronx and expert in communication skills.  She is certified by the Academy of Communication in Healthcare (https://achonline.org/) whose motto is “Better Communication. Better Relationships. Better Care.”  In this podcast, we help you understand that communication is a skill – a skill that can be taught, practiced, and improved upon just like throwing a suture or writing a clinic note.  Dr. Theofanides lays out a framework to improve your clinic communications that is rooted in mindfulness!  Setting an agenda, creating space for effective communication, and assessing understanding highlight the mindful principles of intention, presence, and non-judgement.  There’s lots of practical knowledge in this discussion and it promises to make your clinical interactions and your life better!  Enjoy!!!  
Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH): https://achonline.org/