Skip to content
C L O S L E R
  • Creative Arts In Medicine
  • Connecting with Patients
  • Passion in the Medical Profession
  • Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence
  • Topic Search
  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Contact
  • Add Your Voice
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Subscribe
C L O S L E R
Moving Us Closer To Osler
A Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence Initiative
Johns Hopkins Medicine Logo
Creative Arts In Medicine
Connecting with Patients
Passion in the Medical Profession
Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence
Topic Search

Independence Monument on the Maidan Nazalezhnosti. Kyiv, Ukraine.

March 17, 2022 | 1 min read

Hope in Times of Despair

By Eugene Shenderov, MD, DPhil, Johns Hopkins Medicine

As citizens we must work toward peace; as clinicians we must strive to heal and provide hope in the despair of illness. 

August 22, 2018 | <1 min read

Dr. Goldstein: A CLOSLER Look

By Gretchen Miller, Managing Editor

Check out our 4-minute YouTube interview with pediatric emergency physician Dr. Mitchell Goldstein, who shares how he's guided by the Golden Rule.

January 28, 2021 | 3 min read

Purple Nail Polish

By Shauna Maty, MPH, Medical Student, St. George University

Always remember that your patient is a person with a family, friends, and a unique story. Your first responsibility as a healthcare professional is to heal your patient and your second is to learn.

February 12, 2019 | 6 min read

The Balancing Act: Learning to Thrive in Multipatient Environments

By Alim Pardhan, MD, McMaster University, Ken Van Dewark, MD, University of British Columbia, Teresa Chan, MD, McMaster University

We must ensure junior doctors can give one patient excellent care before asking them to balance caring for more than one patient.

June 13, 2022 | 2 min read

3 Tips from the ED For All Healthcare Professionals

By Rodney Omron, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Sharing appreciations with colleagues and learners is your superpower. Use it. 

"Sunflowers," Vincent van Gogh, 1889. Philadelphia Museum of Art.

May 2, 2019 | 4 min read

Grieving Unexpected Patient Outcomes

By Stacia Dearmin, MD, Akron Children\'s Hospital

Acknowledging and processing grief can bring healing to the clinician.

June 22, 2018 | 2 min read

Ars Medica: The Art of Medicine

By Javier de la Maza, MD, Johns Hopkins University

Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to shape our reality and reconnect with our patients. Building meaningful relationships with our patients reminds us the importance of the human experience in providing clinically excellent care.

August 10, 2020 | 1 min read

Debriefing After Death

By Christopher Bennett, MD, Stanford University

Reflecting on a patient's death as a team provides an opportunity to process emotions and strengthen team dynamics.

"Corridor in the Asylum," Vincent van Gogh, 1889. The Met Museum.

March 5, 2018 | 3 min read

Demystifying Psychiatry

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Demystifying psychiatry for patients is the heart of my work. In its existential aspects, psychotherapy calls for the imagination of alternative possibilities.

July 18, 2022 | 1 min read

How to Have Effective Discussions About Alcohol 

By Beth McGinty, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Mike Fingerhood, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Talking with patients about the risks of heavy alcohol consumption and the benefits of change can have a positive impact on their health. 

July 11, 2022 | 5 min read

Navigating Power Relations in Healthcare

By Hailey Haffey, PhD, University of Utah

We must be aware of the power we have in relation to our patients. This imbalance must only be used in the service of care.   

March 17, 2020 | 3 min read

Medicine is Like Poker

By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In medicine, uncertainty abounds. Poker can teach us how to make smarter decisions when we don’t have all the facts.

November 14, 2022 | 2 min read

The Benefits of Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs)

By Bennett Allen, PhD, New York University, Noa Krawczyk, PhD, New York University

Supervised injection facilities prevent death and do not encourage drug use. Sharing this information can keep our patients safer. 

November 9, 2022 | 2 min read

Trust

By Joanne Shay, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

While caring for a four-year-old girl diagnosed with lymphoma, I learned that acknowledging and validating patient and family fears strengthens relationships.

October 13, 2022 | 1 min read

Asking Hard Questions

By Thuy Ngo, DO, MEd, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In the ED, my adolescent patient shared that she was being sexually abused. It reminded me of the importance of creating a safe space for courageous conversations. 

May 5, 2021 | 2 min read

Empathy Instead of Judgment

By Isaiah Crum, MD, University of Pittsburgh

Through the death of an infant patient, I was reminded of how integral being compassionate and non-judgmental is to clinical care.

David and John Launer in North Wales. Photo author's own.

January 7, 2020 | 3 min read

Like Father, Like Son—or Possibly Not

By John Launer, MD, London, United Kingdom

Would you advise young people to become a doctor? Reflection from a father and son below.

September 13, 2022 | 2 min read

Psychedelics and Health

By Mary Yaden, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Psychedelic therapies have long been feared and avoided. We must acknowledge that there are clinical indications where these treatments are profoundly beneficial.   

November 17, 2022 | 2 min read

Personalized Clinical Quality Improvement

By Jeffrey Krimmel-Morrison, MD, University of Washington

Use evidence-informed practices in your self-directed learning—build a case tracking system, work simulated cases, use quizzing, and seek new evidence efficiently. 

December 11, 2018 | 3 min read

Five Lessons From Architectural Design

By Diana Anderson, MD, MArch, Clincial Geriatrics Fellow, University of California, San Francisco

Architects are taught to respect context and design for the experience of being in a place. As providers, learning the context of our patients and their social determinants of health is key to the biopsychosocial model of care.

February 27, 2023 | 2 min read

Children Need Hospice Too

By Emily Johnson, MSN, RN, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Regularly reassessing goals of care is necessary during critical illness. This can help families maintain hope and realistic expectations. 

December 19, 2022 | 2 min read

Dismantling Ableism in Medicine

By Kerry Devlin, MMT, LPMT, MT-BC (she/her), Johns Hopkins Medicine

What does it mean to co-construct a plan of care with disabled patients? Their desires may not be what you expect.

February 14, 2022 | 2 min read

Patients Admitted to Hospitals May be Sicker Than Ever 

By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Because of the pandemic, some patients have avoided healthcare settings and professionals. Outreach to these patients is needed. 

March 20, 2019 | 4 min read

Social History as Story

By Colleen Farrell, MD, New York University

We cannot understand our patients’ bodies if we do not understand something about who they are as human beings,

"An Orchid," Georgia O'Keefe, 1941, Museum of Modern Art.

November 13, 2018 | 2 min read

Seeing the Unseen

By Lauren Small, PhD

To start seeing the unseen, carving out five minutes to sit down and just listen to your patient can make a difference.

November 2, 2020 | 4 min read

Prescription For a Healthy Future—Vote

By Deanna Behrens, MD, Advocate Children\'s Hospital, Elizabeth Mack, MD, Jenna Miller, MD, Katherine Hoops, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinicians have a responsibility to advocate for policies that can improve the health of all. We must take our civic responsibility seriously and make a plan to vote. 

August 14, 2018 | 3 min read

Seeing Your Patients Through New Perspectives

By Patrick Hemming, MD, Duke University

We can enhance our patient care if we incorporate the perspectives of life story and behavior.

January 8, 2019 | 1 min read

Book Review of “Wolf Constellation”

By Deirdre Johnston, MBBCh, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

This novel prompts us to consider a family's story across generations and its influence on the emergence, manifestation, diagnosis, and treatment of illness in an individual. We routinely inquire about, and document, every patient's family history, but the simple listing of a diagnosis in other family members does not tell the whole story. We need to be curious about that story, because it can tell us much about our patients' strengths and vulnerabilities.

June 18, 2018 | 7 min read

Treating Every Patient How I Would Want To Be Treated

By Mitchell Goldstein, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

A pediatric emergency department physician shares his inspiring clinical mission and values statement.

"Rinaldo and Armida," 1629, Anthony van Dyke. Public domain.

September 4, 2019 | 7 min read

From Frameside to Bedside: Pauses and Perspective

By Kamna Balhara, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The art of medicine must balance stillness and motion. Making time to reflect can infuse more meaning in our interactions with patients.

May 31, 2018 | 6 min read

Tips for Taking Care of Patients, From a Physician Who’s Been One

By Scott Vasher, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The lessons I learned from being hospitalized have stuck with me and guided me in all of my practice.

September 13, 2021 | 4 min read

Only Connect

By Susrutha “Sus” Kotwal, MBBS, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Missing a diagnosis made me realize the value of a thorough physical exam. It can often illuminate the cause of the illness.

September 7, 2022 | 2 min read

“Hysteria”

By Tina Zhang, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

We need to be aware of our own gender biases that could adversely affect women. To combat this, engage in shared decision-making with patients and be a lifelong learner of female health topics.   

December 29, 2020 | 4 min read

Lessons From “Diary of a Med Student”

By Howard Chang, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Working in healthcare, we interact with people who can be offensive. A med student reflects on how best to respond to patients who are demeaning.

May 20, 2020 | 4 min read

Lessons From Ebola Outbreaks

By Linda Mobula, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Prior epidemics, like Ebola, have taught us much about caring for patients. While PPE creates a barrier between ourselves and our patients, it’s still possible to give excellent care.

August 16, 2022 | 2 min read

Outbreaks as Opportunities

By Jade Cobern, MD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Talking about monkeypox and the return of polio can remind caregivers that vaccinating young children against other illnesses is essential.

October 21, 2019 | 4 min read

Stepping Up to Climate Change

By Evans Brown, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The climate crisis is directly relevant to our work in healthcare. Healthcare professionals must step up and get involved.

January 17, 2023 | 2 min read

Finding Meaning

By Jamie Jump, DO, Texas Childrens Hospital

When my seven-month-old-patient suffered severe neurological damage, despite having little to offer medically, I remembered I could still support her mother through this tragedy. Taking solace in this helps me to be present for my other patients. 

October 7, 2021 | 1 min read

Wildfires, The Pandemic, And Public Health

By Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Healthcare professionals must work with the community they serve, focusing on open dialogues and communication. This will help citizens deal with unforeseen challenges.

June 4, 2020 | 2 min read

Breaking the Silence—How to be an Active Bystander

By Ashlyn McRae, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Lisa Cooper, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Matthew Crane, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Rachel Thornton, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Everyone should speak up when witnessing unprofessional behavior. This supports learners, advances health equity, and improves patient outcomes.

May 3, 2021 | 6 min read

Why we Must Learn About Our Patients’ Communities

By Daniel Thomas, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Make time to learn about and invest in the community you serve to deepen your connection with patients.

December 30, 2020 | 4 min read

Grateful For #MedTwitter in 2020 

By Chase Anderson, MD, University of California San Francisco

Despite physical distancing during the pandemic, Twitter is a platform where clinicians around the world can connect. This reduces feelings of isolation and gives support to many.

June 30, 2021 | 2 min read

Promoting Wellness Through Intergenerational Connections

By Susan Lehmann, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Bridging the generations can enhance emotional well-being for young and old. Encourage patients to reach out to older family members and neighbors!

August 25, 2022 | 3 min read

Hugs Are Medicine

By Aidan Crowley, Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania

Showing genuine warmth is a compassionate way to comfort our patients. 

February 25, 2021 | 2 min read

How You Can Help With Intimate Partner Violence

By Lisa Geller, MPH, Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health crisis and most deadly when a gun is involved. Clinicians should screen patients for IPV, ask about firearm possession, and refer those at risk of IPV to appropriate services.

March 3, 2018 | 2 min read

Six Steps to Make Wellness Work

By Laura Hanyok, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Our well-being as physicians is an essential part of professionalism. If we aren't well, we can't provide the best care to our patients, who deserve our best.

Author Susan Lehmann listening and talking with one of her senior patients.

August 28, 2018 | 3 min read

6 Things You Need to Know About Geriatric Psychiatry

By Susan Lehmann, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In older adults, as in younger people, poor mental health undermines general health, quality of life, and overall functioning. Given the dearth of specialty-trained geriatric psychiatrists and geriatricians, it is crucial for all clinicians to have skills in the diagnosis and management of common mental health conditions affecting older adults.

September 24, 2020 | 2 min read

Using Non-judgmental Language

By Nat Mulkey (they/them), Medical Student, Boston University Medicine

In order to minimize bias, it’s critical to use non-judgmental language when describing patients, both orally and in the medical record.

July 19, 2018 | 1 min read

Reflections on “Will You Forgive Me for Saving You?”

By Ivor Berkowitz, MBBCh, MBA, Johns Hopkins Medicine

A pediatric intensivist offers reflections on a moving piece from the NEJM.

November 11, 2021 | 3 min read

Dying Alone

By Eric Last, DO, Northwell Health, Wantagh, New York

Caring for a patient dying of AIDS reminded me that—while it's necessary to be fully present and listen attentively to all patients—those who are alone need even more of our time. 

Our Mission

Stimulating healthcare professionals and trainees to reflect on giving exceptional care to every patient.

C L O S L E R
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Creative Arts In Medicine
  • Connecting with Patients
  • Passion in the Medical Profession
  • Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence
  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Contact
  • Add Your Voice
  • Subscribe
  • Donate

©2023 Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence,  Johns Hopkins Medicine.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy