The Authors: Best Reads of 2023
- Dec 24, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 4, 2024
Happy Holidays from Everyone at MD Coaches. This year, we’ve interviewed numerous authors on the show, and we wrap up 2023 with a review of some of the best books Dr. Cook has read this year.
Featured on the show:
Thank you for listening in 2023, and we look forward to even more amazing and interesting guests in 2024.
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Dr. David Weill
Dr. Jay Wellons
Dr. Brian H. Williams.
Dr. David Weill appeared in Rx For Success – The Transplant and Life Changing Moments: Succeeding Slowly
Dr. Jay Wellons appeared in Rx For Success – The Storyteller.
Dr. Brian H. Williams appeared in Rx For Success – The Candidate.
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Access the Show Transcript Here
174: The Authors: A Look Back on Some of the Year’s Best Books
Summary: Prescription for Success podcast reviews books on physician challenges, neurosurgery experiences, racism, and violence. Introduces MD Coaches, Physician Outlook magazine. Support on Patreon. Subscribe, rate, review!
2023, Dr. Randy CookRx for Success Podcast
Produced by Clawson Solutions Group (www.csolgroup.com)
Generated Shownotes
Chapters
0:00:07 Urgent Call for Dr. Cook in the Operating Room0:00:25 Introduction to the Prescription for Success podcast0:00:37 Introduction to Prescription for Success podcast0:01:16 Wrapping up the fifth season and previewing the sixth season0:02:11 A Shocking Departure from Clinical Practice0:03:00 The Struggles and Exhaustion of a Physician’s Life0:04:53 Virtual Caregiver Conference: Simplify Caregiving and Financial Matters0:05:45 Book Recommendation: “All That Moves Us” by Dr. Jay Wellens0:08:25 Need Help? Consider Coaching for Management and Administration Challenges0:09:28 Introducing Physician Outlook magazine – showcasing physician interests0:10:16 Engaging patients and promoting physician-led, team-based care0:10:38 Dr. Brian Williams: A Successful Surgeon with a Traumatic Past0:12:51 The Dallas Shooting: A Turning Point for Dr. Brian Williams0:14:00 Wrapping up the Year with a Special Message0:14:42 Shoutouts and Credits
Long Summary
In this episode of Prescription for Success, I start by reflecting on the past year and the upcoming season of the podcast. Instead of having an interview guest, I decide to review three books written by authors I have previously interviewed.
The first book I discuss is “Exhale: Healing and a Life in Transplant” by Dr. David Weil. This memoir delves into Dr. Weil’s journey as the director of organ transplant programs and his decision to leave clinical practice. I appreciate the book’s honesty in addressing the challenges that physicians face, making it a valuable read for healthcare professionals.
Moving on, I share my thoughts on “All That Moves Us” by Dr. Jay Wellens. This book tells the story of Dr. Wellens’ path to becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon. I commend the author for humanizing the experiences of a neurosurgeon and highlighting the emotional impact of patient care. The personal aspects of Dr. Wellens’ story, including his father’s battle with ALS, further add depth to the book. I recommend it to anyone interested in life experiences and healthcare professionals seeking insightful reads.
Shifting gears, I introduce myself as Rhonda Crowe, the founder and CEO of MD Coaches. Our focus is on interviewing medical professionals to learn about their career growth, challenges they have overcome, and their daily work experiences. However, for those seeking specific help with management or administrative issues, feeling burnt out, or questioning their career choices, I suggest seeking coaching as a faster way to get the assistance they need.
As part of promoting valuable resources, I briefly mention Physician Outlook, a magazine tailored for physicians by physicians. It explores the intersection between clinical and non-clinical interests, amplifying their voices and engaging patients who believe in physician-led care. I emphasize its uniqueness and offer listeners a promo code for three months of free subscription.
Returning to the interview content, I discuss Dr. Brian Williams and his book, “The Bodies Keep Coming.” This book provides a powerful perspective on racism and violence from the viewpoint of a black trauma surgeon. I provide an overview of Dr. Williams’ background, highlighting the impact of racism on his life and career. I also delve into the significance of his experience during the 2016 Dallas shooting and the lasting trauma he witnessed. I recommend the book as an impactful read that sheds light on the issues of racism and gun violence.
Wrapping up the episode, I express my gratitude to the listeners and encourage them to subscribe, leave ratings and reviews, and provide feedback through email or voicemail. I take the opportunity to mention our Patreon membership and promote our companion podcast, “Life-Changing Moments with Dr. Dale Waxman.” Lastly, I acknowledge our producer, promotions manager, and theme music performer, and remind listeners to tune in to the next episode.
Brief Summary
In this episode of Prescription for Success, I review three books by authors I have interviewed. “Exhale: Healing and a Life in Transplant” by Dr. David Weil addresses the challenges physicians face. “All That Moves Us” by Dr. Jay Wellens humanizes the experiences of a neurosurgeon. I introduce MD Coaches for medical professionals seeking assistance. I mention the magazine Physician Outlook and recommend “The Bodies Keep Coming” by Dr. Brian Williams, a book on racism and violence. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave ratings and reviews, and check out our Patreon membership and companion podcast.
Tags
Prescription for Success, books, authors, Exhale: Healing and a Life in Transplant, Dr. David Weil, challenges, physicians, All That Moves Us, Dr. Jay Wellens, experiences, neurosurgeon, MD Coaches, medical professionals, assistance, Physician Outlook, The Bodies Keep Coming, Dr. Brian Williams, racism, violence, subscribe, ratings, reviews, Patreon membership, companion podcast
Transcript
[0:00] Music.
Urgent Call for Dr. Cook in the Operating Room
[0:07] Paging Dr. Cook. Paging Dr. Cook.Dr. Cook, you’re wanted in the O.R. Dr. Cook, you’re wanted in the O.R.
[0:14] Music.
Introduction to the Prescription for Success podcast
[0:25] Welcome to the Prescription for Success podcast with your host, Dr. Randy Cook.
Introduction to Prescription for Success podcast
[0:37] Well, hello, everyone, and welcome to Prescription for Success. I’m Dr.Randy Cook, your host for the podcast, which is a production of MD Coaches, providing leadership and executive coaching for physicians by physicians.To overcome burnout, transition your career, develop as a leader or whatever your goal might be, visit MD Coaches on the web at mymdcoaches.com.Because you’re not in this alone.And don’t forget that CME credit is available when you listen with us.Just look for CMFI in the show notes to learn how.
Wrapping up the fifth season and previewing the sixth season
[1:16] Well, this is our final episode of Rx for Success for 2023.And that means, and this is a little hard for me to believe, that means that we’re reaching the end of our fifth season. season.We’ll begin our sixth season on January 8th with episode number 175.So in recognition of this little milestone, we’re not doing an interview guest for you today.Instead, I’m going to take a few minutes to reflect on some of the things we’ve already brought you during this last year.As you know, we interview a fair number of authors on the show.And today I’ve picked three of those authors to feature on this year-end edition and share my review of their work.
[2:04] Music.
A Shocking Departure from Clinical Practice
[2:11] So let’s begin with Dr. David Wild’s biographical memoir entitled Exhale.Healing, and a life in transplant. Dr.Weil spent two decades as the director of a number of organ transplant programs, most notably at Stanford University.But then after 11 years in that position, when one might think he’d ride that wave for at least another decade or possibly more, he shocked his institution and in many ways himself by walking away from clinical practice altogether while he was at the top of his game.
[2:49] His book is a refreshingly honest and poignant telling of the story of how he got to Stanford and why he felt there was no choice but to leave.
The Struggles and Exhaustion of a Physician’s Life
[3:00] It pulls back the curtain and shines an unforgiving light on the politics, the personalities, and the emotional exhaustion that can make the life of a physician feel like Sisyphean punishment.Of course, this subject has been talked about and written about ad nauseum, especially during the last couple of decades in this country.It’s hard to read about or hear about modern American physician lifestyle without the inclusion of the word burnout. out.But I assure you, in Dr. Weil’s story, it somehow seems more tangible and more recognizable because of his totally transparent exposition, which includes not only details of his professional struggles, but also intimate details of his personal life, including his family and his faith.
[3:51] And it’s that unflinching honesty that makes this book so compelling.Dr. Weil makes no pretense of being anything other than a human being navigating his way through the struggles and lavishing himself in the joy of successes that punctuate all of our lives.But his capacity to ask himself the tough questions and make the tough decisions and to look around himself for loved ones and mentors to give him honest feedback is clearly the key to keep him headed in the right direction.I think the thing that impressed me the most about this book is the reality that even in his role as the top of the food chain, if you will, Dr.Weil was still overwhelmed by circumstances and people over whom he had no control.His thoughtful and deliberate way of dealing with that pressure should be very instructive for any physician, and that makes Exhale a great read for all of us.
Virtual Caregiver Conference: Simplify Caregiving and Financial Matters
[4:54] Are you a doctor struggling to provide the best care for your patients while dealing with financial and caregiving matters out of the scope of your practice?Do you find yourself scrambling to keep up with the latest resources and wish there was an easier way?Then this virtual caregiver conference will save you time, money, and sanity by giving you all the resources and information your patients need in one place.This conference helps you and your patients enlist the best strategies around healthcare care resources and the best financial steps for your patients while navigating caregiving situations.You don’t have to go home feeling frustrated and helpless because you couldn’t connect your patients with the best services.Find out more at rxforsuccesspodcast.com slash conference or click the link in the show notes.We look forward to seeing you at the caregiver conference.
Book Recommendation: “All That Moves Us” by Dr. Jay Wellens
[5:45] Well, next on my list, I have all that moves us, a pediatric neurosurgeon His Young Patients and Their Stories of Grace and Resilience by Dr. Jay Wellens.As an undergraduate at the University of Mississippi and taking inspiration from some of the greatest American writers of the past century, Jay Wellens dreamed of becoming a famous author, but for a variety of reasons, he ultimately became a pediatric neurosurgeon instead. did.His new memoir tells the story of his path to a medical career and gives us an inside look of what it’s like to care for the most vulnerable among us.Neurosurgeons are oftentimes portrayed as detached and aloof and unapproachable.
[6:35] But this book gives the lie to that notion in a very big way.As you might expect, the book has plenty of memorable stories of patient encounters.A lot of these occur in the operating room where Wellens describes in beautifully understandable language the details of the disease or injury, the intricate details of the operation, the anatomy, the instrumentation, and the challenges of the procedure.But these technical details are always presented in juxtaposition to the story of who this patient is and how their lives and the lives of their families are going to be affected by what happens in his operating room.It’s also apparent that Dr. Wellens himself is deeply affected by what happens in his operating room, whether successful or tragic.But this book is not just the story of a neurosurgeon’s life in the operating room, although the operating room stories are expertly told and fascinating.It’s also about becoming a neurosurgeon and the unimaginable workload and fatigue of being a resident in a demanding academic institution.And equally important, it’s the story of his personal life and especially the close relationship that he enjoyed with his father, who died tragically from ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, during the early years of his residency.
[8:02] It’s a profoundly moving component of Dr. Whelan’s story, and he is to be commended for sharing it with us.I think All That Moves Us is a great read for anyone with a connection to health care and even anyone who has no connection to health care at all.In the end, it’s just a great book about life, and there are lessons in it for everyone.
Need Help? Consider Coaching for Management and Administration Challenges
[8:25] Hi, I’m Rhonda Crowe, founder and CEO for MD Coaches.Here on Rx for Success, we interview a lot of great medical professionals on how they grew their careers, how they overcame challenges, and how they handle day-to-day work.I really hope you’re getting a lot of great information.But if you’re looking for an answer to a specific problem, management or administration challenge, or if you’re feeling just a bit burnt out, like maybe you chose the wrong career, well, then there’s a faster way to get the help you need.No, it’s not counseling. It’s coaching.
Introducing Physician Outlook magazine – showcasing physician interests
[9:28] We’ll get back to our interview in just a moment. But right now, I want to tell you a little bit about Physician Outlook.If you haven’t discovered this remarkable magazine, please do so very soon.It was created by physicians for physicians to showcase the intersection between clinical and non-clinical interests.Whether it’s writing, painting, cooking, politics, and dozens of other topics, Physician Outlook gives a physician perspective. It’s available online and in print.It’s really unique among physician lifestyle magazines.And like the Prescription for Success podcast, Physician Outlook amplifies the voice of any physician who has something to say. It also engages patients who still believe in physician-led, team-based care.
Engaging patients and promoting physician-led, team-based care
[10:16] And Prescription for Success listeners can get three months free when you enter our promo code RX4SUCCESS and select the monthly option at checkout.That’s a really great deal on this stunning publication.And now let’s get back to today’s interview. you.
[10:34] Music.
Dr. Brian Williams: A Successful Surgeon with a Traumatic Past
[10:38] And finally, on my list of favorite books of 2023, I have The Bodies Keep Coming, Dispatches from a Black Trauma Surgeon on Racism, Violence, and How We Heal by Dr. Brian Williams.By many many measures, Dr. Brian Williams would be considered a very fortunate and very successful man.He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.He has served on active duty as an officer in the United States Air Force.He graduated from medical school at the University of South Florida before serving residency and fellowship positions in surgery, trauma, and critical care both at Harvard University in Boston and Emory University in Atlanta.From there, he went on to lead trauma teams in both Dallas and Chicago.But he found it impossible to bask in the glow of his success because he could never escape the reality that he had quite simply beaten the odds, not just because of his brilliant mind and hard work, but more importantly, in spite of his race.In his youth, he was somewhat shielded from the effects of racism because his father was a career non-commissioned officer in the Air Force.In that world, a person’s status was determined by their rank, not by their race, and even though there were occasional exceptions.
[12:05] Dr. Williams gives us a firsthand look at the world through the eyes of a black man now inhabiting the role where people of color are still.
[12:15] Relatively rare. Through his eyes, we get to see how even a highly educated surgeon and former United States Air Force officer can still be affected by prejudice.We get to feel his anxiety as he stands on his own front porch being questioned by police who’ve been dispatched there by a call from a neighbor who’ve reported a suspicious man in the neighborhood.But at At Parkland Hospital, one of the busiest trauma centers in the United States, he began to see the world through a different lens.
The Dallas Shooting: A Turning Point for Dr. Brian Williams
[12:51] And this new perception of reality crystallized on the evening of July 7, 2016.This was when a heavily armed gunman opened fire in downtown Dallas in an attempt to murder as many white police officers as possible. From that point onward, Dr.Brian Williams was never quite the same man.His new book, The Bodies Keep Coming, Dispatches from a Black Trauma Surgeon on Racism, Violence, and How We Heal, describes in intimate detail how he dealt with the trauma he’d seen and experienced, and how he and his family gradually put the pieces of their lives back into place.It is a great read, and it approaches the subject of racism and gun violence in a way that is truly, profoundly different from anything that I’ve yet seen on this very difficult subject.In May of this year, Dr. Williams announced his bid to run for Congress in the 32nd Congressional District of Texas.
[13:58] Music.
Wrapping up the Year with a Special Message
[14:00] Texas.And that will wrap things up for our end of the year program.Before we go, I want to say how much we appreciate you listening with us today and always.If you’re not a subscriber yet, we hope you’ll become one soon.And if you enjoy the show, you can help us reach more listeners by leaving a a rating and a review, especially on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or even better, just leave us an email or a voicemail through SpeakPipe at www.rx4successpodcast.com.You can also help by becoming a Patreon member. That link is in the show notes.
Shoutouts and Credits
[14:43] And we hope you’ll also follow our companion podcast, Life-Changing Moments with Dr.Dale Waxman. Special thanks to our producer, Craig Clausen, our promotions manager, Mariana Rodabaugh, and to Ryan Jones, who created and performs our theme music.And remember, be sure to fill your prescription for success with my next episode.
