In cancer and palliative care, patients who have a strong working relationship with their doctor have been shown to experience greater wellbeing, quality of life, meaning, and peace. For many physicians, who they are as a person and how they connect with their patients is one of their primary instruments of healing. But it can be a delicate instrument. Encountering intractable suffering day after day can take its toll – and finding the delicate middle ground between taking on too much of a patient’s suffering and abstracting it all away is one of the great balancing acts of doctoring.

Our guest on this episode is Dr. Keri Brenner, psychiatrist, palliative care doctor, and clinical associate professor of medicine at Stanford. Dr. Brenner attended Yale School of Medicine before completing her residency in psychiatry and fellowship in palliative medicine at Harvard. She is a nationally recognized leader in “PalliPsych” initiatives that integrate psychiatric, psychological, and psychotherapeutic principles into serious illness care.

Over the course of this episode, Dr. Brenner shares how her time volunteering at Mother Theresa’s home for the dying in Kolkata led her to a deep study of suffering and eventually to medicine. We discuss the doctor’s role of accompanying patients through hard times and the folly of trying to impose a silver lining onto another’s suffering. Finally, we explore strategies for how physicians can be a healing presence for their patients without being overcome by the pain they witness.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

3:00 - Dr. Brenner’s path from volunteering at Mother Theresa’s Home for the Dying to becoming a psychiatrist and palliative care doctor.

13:38 - What Dr. Brenner has learned about the phenomenology of suffering

26:09 - How Dr. Brenner approaches her work when many of the challenges her patients face cannot be fixed

32:15 - Practices and perspectives that can help physicians be attuned to the suffering of their patients

53:43 - The care that palliative physicians provide to other doctors

59:18 - Finding the emotional balance between empathy and over-identifying with patients

1:06:30 - Keri and Tyler reflect on a shared experience with a palliative care patient

1:14:20 - Dr. Brenner’s advice for infusing more presence into patient practice

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.

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Many of us find ourselves awash in a deluge of instant communication. Text messages, emails, and direct messages come and go at a dizzying pace. Against this backdrop of overstuffed inboxes and lengthy text threads, we instinctively sense that letters – the kind you write or type and perhaps stuff in an envelope – are something different. Something weightier. For the terminally ill, writing a letter not only stands apart from other forms of communication — it stands apart from time. The process of writing a letter for loved ones can be a potent therapy for the patient and a legacy for those left behind.

Our guests on this episode are Bryant Lin, MD and Frish Brandt. Bryant is a recurring guest on the show and a primary care physician, educator, and researcher at Stanford University who was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in 2024. Frish is a “letter midwife” who began her work helping palliative care and hospice patients write letters for their loved ones. When Bryant and Frish crossed paths, it led to Bryant sponsoring Frish as a lecturer at Stanford and eventually to Frish helping Bryant write a letter of his own. In October of this year, Bryant and Frish are each publishing books. Sunshine explores what Bryant has learned about living while dying, while Unfinished Business is Frish’s guide to writing the five essential letters of one’s life.

In this episode, you will learn about the work of a letter midwife and get an update on Bryant’s cancer journey. Frish and Bryant share how their stories became intertwined, the experience of writing a letter together, and what makes writing a letter uniquely impactful for both the writer and the recipients. Together, they urge us to not put off saying the important things, and better yet, taking the time to put them in writing.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

3:20 - How Frish became a ‘letter midwife’ and began helping people write letters to address their unfinished business

10:55 - The importance fostering conversation and connection in our rapid, high tech world

15:33 - How Frish and Bryant’s letter writing collaboration came to be

26:45 - Why letters carry a unique weight

29:00 - What goes into creating a letter for someone you love

51:00 - Grappling with the concept of time and day-to-day life when you have a progressive disease

55:15 - How Bryant’s cancer has changed his approach to doctoring

1:00:00 - How Frish’s work as a letter midwife has changed her approach to life, and what we can learn from her experience

Link to Bryant’s past episodes. Links to both of their preorders.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.

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Sometimes established physicians experience a strange kind of amnesia when thinking back on their training, causing them to forget just how challenging it was. Worse, some physicians do remember how hard those years were and feel that up-and-coming doctors should suffer the same difficulties they did. To accurately understand what it is like to become a doctor, it helps to talk to those fresh out of training and, of course, trainees themselves.

Our guest on this episode is Grant Lin, MD, a brand new clinical assistant professor in pediatric neurology at Stanford. Grant completed his fellowship in Palliative Care this summer after finishing residencies in pediatrics and child neurology. While in medical school and residency at Stanford, he became a leader in the successful movement to unionize the interns, residents, and fellows that make up Stanford Hospital’s house staff.

Over the course of this episode, Grant shares lessons learned from training in palliative medicine and caring for children with neurologic diseases. We discuss the turbulence of medical training, the difficulty of essentially changing jobs twelve times in a year as a medical student, and what led to the house staff unionization effort at Stanford. Finally, Grant encourages trainees to make their voices heard and for hospitals to care for their staff so the staff can care for their patients.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

2:30 - Grant’s path to becoming a doctor and specializing in pediatric neuropalliative care

9:45 - The experience of taking care of children who are facing neurodegenerative illnesses

17:36 - How Grant’s approach to difficult patient conversations changed after palliative care training

21:38 - The turmoil of clinical rotations as a medical student

33:30 - Grant’s work leading the unionization effort at Stanford to advocate for better house staff working conditions

48:00 - Grant’s advice to house staff members who might find themselves struggling

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.

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It wasn’t that many years ago that self-driving cars were the stuff of science fiction. But in what feels like the blink of an eye, driver-less cars now roam the streets of a growing number of cities across the country. In fact, it’s not all that difficult to imagine a future in which the sheer risk of driving one’s own car is considered unethical. The trajectory of Artificial Intelligence in medicine may follow a similar arc. As AI becomes increasingly adept at diagnosing patients and recommending treatment plans, it’s not hard to imagine a day when it would be unethical for a doctor not to consult AI.

Our guest on this episode is Ethan Goh, MD, an internal medicine physician and executive director of ARISE — Harvard and Stanford’s research network focused on advancing the evaluation and deployment of AI in healthcare. In addition to his role at ARISE, Dr. Goh is the Program Director of Stanford’s Healthcare AI Leadership Program and a Visiting Faculty Researcher at Google. His extensive work has been published in Nature Medicine, Science, and JAMA, with media coverage in the New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN.

Over the course of this episode, Dr. Goh details the current capabilities of AI in the medical space, including the surprising finding that AI alone does better at diagnosing disease than doctors who are themselves using AI. We discuss the limitations of studies that compare AI to doctors in relatively noise-free tests and consider the importance of designing workflows that allow healthcare providers to work synergistically with AI. Finally, Dr. Goh reminds us that medicine isn’t just coming to the right answer, it is also about care, making the value of a person in the room who understands a patient’s disease as well as their humanity something that is not easily replaced.

In this episode of The Doctor’s Art:

3:10 - Dr. Goh’s professional journey to the intersection of medicine and AI

9:15 - An update on the status of AI in medicine

20:25 - How is it that AI does better at diagnosis than physicians who are using AI?

29:45 - If AI has become better at diagnosis than humans, why keep humans in the loop?

37:26 - Necessary changes in medical regulation, licensure, and liability to capitalize on AI in medicine

47:54 - Training new doctors in the age of AI

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.

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When a child tragically gets cancer, parents and families often find themselves grasping for ways to make sense of their new reality. It is one thing to know abstractly that we live in a world where the innocent suffer, but it is another thing entirely to suffer alongside your own child. Such a life-altering experience can raise heavy questions for parents, at times forcing them to reassess their most closely held narratives and cherished beliefs.

Our guest on this episode is Grant Romoser-Claunch. Grant is a Christian pastor at Newsong Fellowship in Illinois and a husband and a father. When his four-and-half month old son Simon was diagnosed with leukemia, Grant was confronted with the daunting question: Where is God in this? His 2025 book Bone of my Bone chronicles his journey with Simon and captures the spiritual challenges and growth he experienced along the way.

Over the course of our conversation, Grant shares Simon’s cancer story from diagnosis all the way to remission. We explore how Grant’s faith was challenged and re-formed while caring for Simon and reflect on how deeper learning often requires a preceding process of unlearning. Finally, Grant reminds medical professionals of their moral duty to wield the power of their position with love.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

2:30 - Grant’s work as a pastor and the path that led him to his work

9:30 - The heart wrenching story of Grant’s son’s journey with leukemia

33:50 - How Grant’s experience with his son’s cancer challenged his faith and motivated him to write

41:50 - The ways in which Grant’s understanding of God transformed throughout his son’s journey

48:20 - How the concrete details of life can lead us to profound insights

1:00:30 - The impact of doctors who wield their power for their parents instead of over their patients

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.

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GLP-1s have taken the country by storm. Patients are losing and keeping off weight at levels previously only seen through bariatric surgery. Research trials have shown the drugs to be effective at reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death. They protect the kidneys, reduce sleep apnea, and treat fatty liver and peripheral artery disease – all while being studied for a laundry-list of additional indications. The drugs originally designed for glucose control in diabetes are transforming lives — and raising big social questions.

Our guest on this episode is Dr. Marilyn Tan, clinical professor of medicine at Stanford University and chief of the Endocrine Clinic at Stanford Health Care. Dr. Tan focuses on diabetes management in both her clinical practice and research, and she is on the front lines of using GLP1-1s in patient care.

Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Tan provides a brief history of the development of GLP-1s and describes just how large a leap forward these medications are in weight management. We discuss the patient experience of being on GLP-1s for weight loss – and the stunningly wide array of other uses for the drug beyond weight loss and diabetes. Finally, we discuss the curious effect these medications seem to have on cravings beyond food, and reflect on the use of GLP-1s in the context of an addiction-saturated society.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

2:37 - Dr. Tan’s path to endocrinology and her work in the field

7:45 - The challenges and rewards inherent in treating a disease like obesity or diabetes that is strongly affected by factors beyond the control of the patient but still requires behavioral interventions

15:45 - The landscape of obesity treatment prior to GLP-1s

22:45 - How GLP-1s function and how they differ from the drugs that came before them

28:10 - Common patient experiences and treatment courses with GLP-1s

35:30 - The growing evidence that GLP-1s can be effective in treating addiction, and the complexity of medicating individuals to address issues with systemic roots

49:00 - Improving your overall health while living a busy life

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.

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The hospital can be a harsh backdrop to many of life’s most pivotal events. Alarms blare at inopportune times, rounding doctors intrude on delicate conversations, and vigilant nurses disrupt rare periods of rest. All the chaos can add to the stress of a patient’s hospital stay and create an emotionally discordant experience — seemingly out of step with the profound grief, joy, or intimacy one might expect to accompany the weighty moments that happen in the hospital. In the face of this challenging environment, what can be done to connect patients to the emotional threads of their lives — to invite meaning during these critical times? The answer, at least in part, may lie in music.

Our guest on this episode is Melanie Ambler, fourth-year medical student at Stanford and professional cellist. As an undergraduate at Brown, Melanie began researching the intersection of music and medicine. She then completed a Fulbright fellowship in France where her master’s work centered on the effect of music on patients with dementia. Once she got to Stanford, Melanie and her cello Shelby got to work bringing music to hospitalized patients. In 2024, she founded Musical Rounds – a music and storytelling project for patients in palliative care.

Over the course of our conversation, Melanie shares how her musical and medical journeys melded into one. We discuss the power of music to prompt reflection, draw out stories, and even transform the ugliness of the hospital into beauty. Best of all, Melanie plays for us live while sharing her early patient experiences that motivate her work at Musical Rounds — including the launch of her new Musical Rounds podcast.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

3:00 - How playing the cello became a central part of Melanie’s life

13:45 - Melanie play a piece that showcases the beauty of the cello

18:10 - How Melanie became interested in medicine

27:10 - How Melanie merged music and medicine in her research and in the hospital

46:00 - Reflections on the power of music in the lives of physicians

52:00 - How Melanie’s non-profit organization Musical Rounds is working to provide patients moments of reflection through music and storytelling

55:22 - A patient story that exemplifies the power of music at a patient’s bedside

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.

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Many patients interpret their illness through the lens of their religious tradition. Sometimes this process brings hope, comfort, or growth – but other times it compounds their suffering. What are patients supposed to do when they don’t see their lives reflected in the religious stories they cherish? And how can physicians recognize and respond to spiritual suffering that is layered on top of the physical?

Our guest on this episode is Dr. Jonathan Weinkle, clinical assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Weinkle practices Internal and Pediatric medicine at Squirrel Hill Health Center – a health center focused on overcoming economic, cultural, and logistical barriers to health care. He serves as a consultant to the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and as the medical director of the Physician Assistant Program at Chatham University. In 2025, he published his book From Illness to Exodus with the goal of helping patients and healers navigate illness – using one of the world’s oldest stories.

Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Weinkle shares insights from the story of the Jewish Exodus that may help patients feeling trapped in the “narrow place” of illness. We discuss the spiritual and emotional complexity faced by patients whose own illness stories don’t end with a miraculous escape. Finally, we reflect on the importance of healers who understand their patients’ “idioms of distress” and who can attune to their suffering.

On this episode, you’ll hear about:

2:45 - How Dr. Weinkle found his way to a career in Med-Peds, and the many hats he wears in his current work

9:00 - Dr. Weinkle’s views on balancing faith and science in medicine

16:00 - The cultural importance and traditions of Passover in the Jewish faith

21:30 - How the lessons of the Passover can be connected to medicine and healing

28:45 - Why Dr. Weinkle chose to write a book for healers

40:00 - Dr. Weinkle’s advice for identifying and responding to a patient’s taxonomy of distress

47:30 - Attending to suffering when it cannot be ‘fixed’

52:25 - How healers can use ritual to center themselves in their work

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.

Copyright The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2026