October 7, 2020 | 1 min read

CLOSLER Together

By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Discussing CLOSLER pieces in groups may yield more insights than simply reading on your own. Consider adding a discussion of a piece to your next staff, practice, or division meeting.

April 11, 2023 | 2 min read

“Can I hold my newborn baby?”

By Carolyn Sufrin, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Giving birth while imprisoned usually occurs under inhumane conditions, with women remaining shackled and not being permitted to hold newborns. This is a reminder that every patient deserves our compassionate and nonjudgmental care. 

April 23, 2020 | 1 min read

Bibliotherapy

By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Happy World Book Day! Read more fiction to broaden your perspectives. If you've never listened to an audiobook, try it! It might just change your life!

November 12, 2024 | 2 min read

DIY drugs: a risky prescription 

Healthcare professionals need to know about the growing trend of do-it-yourself (DIY) medicine. By asking open-ended questions about medication sources, clinicians can prevent adverse health outcomes. 

August 4, 2020 | 2 min read

3 Tips for Talking With Patients About Advance Directives

By Ambereen Mehta, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

ALL clinicians can and should encourage patients to document their wishes regarding medical decisions in case they’re unable to make these decisions for themselves.

June 27, 2022 | 3 min read

Caring for people and their gender stories

By Hailey Haffey, PhD, University of Utah

To care for people is to care for the stories that shape them. Clinicians can enhance patients’ confidence in the healthcare system by skillfully engaging with their stories of gender and sexual orientation.

July 18, 2018 | 2 min read

The Bell Curve

By Lee Akst, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The difference between a 99.5% and 99.95% success rate isn't necessarily in knowledge or training, but in physician attitudes towards adapting and changing to evolving information.

June 10, 2019 | 4 min read

Lessons learned from my journey through depression

By Shannon Scott-Vernaglia, MD, Mass General

Being a patient has taught me patience, with myself, with those I care about, and with those I care for as physician. 

August 19, 2021 | 2 min read

The Power of Pictures

By Rebekah Fenton, MD, Northwestern University

When educating patients about their illness, it’s often helpful to include pictures and visual descriptions to improve understanding.

August 15, 2022 | 2 min read

Role Modeling Vulnerability

By Daniel Saddawi-Konefka, MD, MBA, Massachusetts General Hospital

When a patient dies, sharing your emotions with trainees normalizes this response and highlights our shared humanity.  

October 22, 2025 | 3 min read

Coordination with compassion 

To build an exceptional care team: foster psychological safety, model humility, and solicit input from every person. Daily rituals of respect can sustain excellent patient care. 

July 30, 2018 | 1 min read

What’s a book club doing at a medical conference?

By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Join a book club or start a book club - in either your professional or personal context. You'll be glad you did!

February 16, 2022 | 1 min read

Mentorship in Reverse

By Rayah Sawaya, MD, American University of Beirut

If you find a mentor who’s helpful and generous, consider reciprocating with “reverse mentoring.”

April 10, 2023 | 1 min read

Sips And Gulps

By Judy Ashley, patient

Patients may need a clinician’s help with things that seem easy or obvious, like how to swallow pills.

January 10, 2019 | 3 min read

How to Improve Your Physical Diagnostic Skills With a Digital Database

By Samuel Durso, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

To sharpen diagnostic skill, take a minute to cross check the physical exam against images and lab results in the electronic record - if not congruent, then why?

November 7, 2024 | 2 min read

Following my own rules  

By Julie Caffrey, DO, MS, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Having my own set of guidelines has helped me to continuously improve. One of my favorites is consciously learning something new every day.

August 12, 2020 | 2 min read

Chief Complaint: Racism

By Syeachia Dennis, MD, University of Oklahoma

Patients are increasingly recognizing the impact of racism on their health. We should be prepared to help patients confront this and consider this core to our work to systemically address this public health crisis.

May 10, 2018 | 3 min read

Truly Listen: Clinical Excellence in Nephrology

By Edward Kraus, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Listen to your patient, try to understand what they're saying, and think beyond policies and protocols to be the best advocate possible.

June 23, 2022 | 2 min read

Reflections at The End of a Busy Clinical Year

By Madeline Rodriguez, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Outstanding clinicians are humble, curious, and nonjudgmental. 

September 20, 2023 | 2 min read

Sharing Our Stories

By Hailey Haffey, PhD, University of Utah

Stories we’ve internalized about healing may direct our approach to patient care. Find the one that resonates most with you.

May 16, 2019 | 5 min read

Starry, Starry Night

By Juliette Perzhinsky, MD, MSc, Central Michigan University

There are times that as clinicians we become patients ourselves, needing compassionate care for injuries entirely unrelated to our chief complaint.

August 26, 2021 | 1 min read

Destigmatizing Addiction: The Power of Words

By Namrata Walia, MD, Baylor College of Medicine

Please use the term 'person with substance use disorder’ instead of ‘addict’!

October 21, 2025 | 2 min read

Stroke, breath, care

Swimming taught me the importance of rhythm and breath. During difficult conversations with patients and families, I make room for quiet pauses to give them time to process.

April 11, 2024 | 1 min read

Takeaways from Adam Grant’s “Think Again” 

By Gretchen Miller, Managing Editor

Healthcare professionals can benefit from adopting a growth mindset that emphasizes rethinking existing beliefs and approaches. A key strategy is questioning assumptions and biases, which can lead to better decision-making. 

January 28, 2020 | 3 min read

Racism From Patients—an Ethical Dilemma

By Sonal Gandhi, MBBS, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

A cornerstone of clinical excellence is treating all patients with respect and dignity. This is true even when treating those patients who are not respectful to you.

February 15, 2022 | 1 min read

The Free Throw Line and Mindful Practice

By Richard Schaefer, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Basketball players have a ritual followed by a pause before shooting a free throw. Clinicians can do likewise to be fully present for their next patient.     

March 30, 2023 | 2 min read

Cultivating a Beginner’s Mind

By Clara Watkins, student, Emory University School of Nursing, Colleen Christmas, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Remember when you were a new learner? Approach situations with that open, creative, and nonjudgmental mind that you may have had when you started training. 

January 7, 2019 | 2 min read

Helping Your Patient Get Better Sleep During Hospital Stays

Sleep is important during hospitalization, and we need to maximize quality and quantity the best we can for our patients. Asking about your patient’s sleep and identifying ways to improve it when possible is one way to start.

July 20, 2020 | 6 min read

Art and Connection During COVID-19

By Kamna Balhara, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Sarah Clever, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In a time of physical distancing, stepping out of our comfort zone to find creative and unconventional ways to connect with patients and colleagues can bring us together.

May 9, 2018 | 2 min read

Applying the Coaching Model to Medical Education

By Ryan Graddy, MD, AbsoluteCARE Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia

Coaching—direct observation of learners with feedback geared toward skills development—is an important way to teach individualized medical education. Outstanding coaches across disciplines share characteristics that can be applied in clinical coaching encounters.

June 22, 2022 | 1 min read

Explaining The Risks of Vaping

Prioritize discussions about the long-term consequences of smoking. Be aware that just because someone has quit doesn’t mean that they won’t relapse.

September 18, 2023 | 3 min read

Do you “need” to say it that way? 

By Gina Piscitello, MD, MS, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Using the word “need” to describe a treatment option may mislead patients and loved ones into believing it should be pursued. Prioritizing patient values and preferences may help reduce this risk.  

May 13, 2019 | 7 min read

April Art Museum Challenge

By Flora Smyth Zahra, MA Clin Ed, DRestDent RCS, FHEA, Kings College London, Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Slow looking can enable clinicians to see more deeply, think more critically, and engage more meaningfully in patient care. Time spent in a museum supports clinician wellness and nurtures student professional identity formation.

August 8, 2022 | 1 min read

988

By Patrick Hemming, MD, Duke University

When we identify patients who are experiencing mental illness, we need to let them know about this new resource in the U.S.

October 16, 2025 | 4 min read

Prescribing humility 

Standard of care is provisional—reassess therapies as evidence evolves. Be open to changing your thinking and practice as new data emerge. 

April 3, 2024 | 2 min read

Military kids serve too 

By Richard Schaefer, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

April is the Month of the Military Child. Clinicians caring for military family members should understand their history and stressors specific to the armed service to give the best possible care.    

March 21, 2018 | 2 min read

İnsan Olmak—Being Human

By Ezgi Ozalp Akın, MD, Ankara University

Developmental pediatrician Ezgi Ozalp Akın, MD, shares insights gleaned from "İnsan Olmak" on being human.

February 2, 2022 | 1 min read

Lessons in Leadership During Adversity

By Roy Ziegelstein, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In difficult times, it’s helpful to understand others’ fears and concerns. Communicating clearly and regularly with those we serve is essential.

June 26, 2018 | 1 min read

Harnessing Digital Technology for Clinical Excellence

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Digital technology can be leveraged for the greater good of clinically excellent patient care. Social media tools like Twitter enable you to connect with healthcare stakeholders from around the world.

October 28, 2024 | 2 min read

Spark the change

By Sadiqua Sadaf, MBBS, Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India

To motivate patients toward change, healthcare professionals can focus on building trust and setting achievable goals.

July 2, 2020 | 4 min read

3 Tips for Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in Academic Medicine

By LaShyra Nolen, Medical Student, Harvard University

White educators and learners must commit to doing the work and educating themselves on how to be antiracist. Black colleagues should not be responsible for educating those around them.

April 13, 2021 | 2 min read

Patient as Educator

By David Reid, Co-Director, Dare Dementia, England

From my patient with dementia, I learned that patients are experts on the lived experience of their illness. We must value and acknowledge their insights and be open to learning from them.

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. 

September 13, 2023 | 1 min read

Firearm Suicides on The Rise

By Katherine Hoops, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Paul Nestadt, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

To stem the increase in self-inflicted gun deaths, we must work toward early and accurate diagnosis of mental illness, as well as advocate for better firearm laws.

May 14, 2019 | 4 min read

Review of “Critical Crash”

By Andre Lijoi, MD, York, Pennsylvania

We all have our woundedness, and our own story is important in the context of caring for our patients. These stories and wounds operate in the background of our consciousness and we must recognize and manage them.

August 18, 2021 | 2 min read

Helping Students Transition to Wards

By Howard Chang, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

I was nervous taking care of my first patient as a student on the medical wards. I felt more comfortable when I realized that even experienced clinicians don’t know everything, and of course they did not expect me to have all the answers.

August 1, 2022 | 1 min read

Keeping Children Safe

By Katherine Hoops, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Monique Burke, MD, President, MD Chapter of the AAP

The new Safer Communities Act helps clinicians connect patients to mental healthcare. Hopefully, this will reduce youth gun violence, including suicide. 

October 13, 2025 | 2 min read

The word “want” may leave patients wanting 

When prior notes document that a patient doesn’t “want” a specific intervention, elicit the patient’s desired outcome and acceptable trade-offs. Then determine whether “I don’t want X” is absolute or conditional and align the care plan accordingly. 

April 2, 2024 | 3 min read

A dose of reality (TV)  

By Maria Fazal, MD, Baltimore, Maryland

A patient who had severe anxiety and depression told me that watching “The Great British Bake Off” was a helpful relaxation technique. She taught me that shows like this may provide a therapeutic escape.  

February 12, 2020 | 1 min read

Agents of Change—Learning From Gen Z Healthcare Students

By Kevin Pan, Medical Student, Ohio University School of Medicine

Excellent clinicians are committed to reducing health inequity.