You searched for gratitude - CLOSLER

May 15, 2018 | 1 min read

Gratitude as an antidote to burnout

By Jennifer Janus, MD, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

By focusing on the positive aspects of medicine, clinicians reduce stress and provide more compassionate care. Happy Thanksgiving!

January 2, 2025 | 2 min read

Gratitude and goodbyes

By Leslie Miller, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The privilege of longitudinal care is witnessing patients grow and evolve over time. Saying goodbye to patients can be filled with both sadness and immense gratitude for the opportunity to have been a part of their lives.

January 2, 2024 | 1 min read

Thank you lessons

By Gail Berkenblit, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When patients express thanks, they teach us what matters most to them. They often mention careful listening and conveying empathy and compassion.

Mykonos, Greece

August 13, 2025 | 2 min read

Gaining perspectives

Travel fosters curiosity and open-mindedness. Encountering diverse cultures can encourage healthcare professionals to remember the value of asking better questions, avoiding assumptions, and appreciating the individuality of each patient.

June 6, 2025 | 3 min read

Thank you “notes”

Despite the often overwhelming pace of medicine, remember that a genuine "thank you" to a patient or coworker can be powerful. It acknowledges the profound gifts of trust, collaboration, and shared humanity that underpin all healing and connection.

November 7, 2018 | 3 min read

How to Reduce Caregiver Burden

By Jessica Colburn, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Healthcare providers have the ability to provide support, connection, and resources that can help to reduce caregiver burden and increase caregiver joy.

April 27, 2023 | 1 min read

Love Lessons

By Jennifer Plotkin, MD, Los Angeles VA

I was afraid to connect on a deep level with my patients, concerned that my heart would overpower my head. Such relationships are what make practicing medicine meaningful.

April 10, 2019 | <1 min read

Dr. Steven Frank, A CLOSLER Look

By Gretchen Miller, Managing Editor

Enjoy a three-minute video interview with anesthesiologist Steven Frank, MD, on what he learned from being a patient himself, and his gratitude for his entire team.

September 15, 2021 | 5 min read

Being Grateful for a Difficult Physician-Patient Experience

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

A frustrating experience as a patient taught me how to be a better doctor. Lesson #1: Always take an interest in your patient as a person.

October 27, 2020 | 3 min read

Beyond The CV

By Kayla Eboreime, Medical Student, University of Texas Medical Branch

There will always be both accolades and critiques that come your way. Neither define who you are. Nourishing your whole self can maintain balance so that you can flourish professionally and personally.

February 8, 2023 | 2 min read

Taking Time For Pizza

By Heather Agee, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When possible, take time to share dinner with colleagues and friends. This is a gift we can give ourselves to help decrease work stress.

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.

October 22, 2020 | 2 min read

Patient voting matters

By Patrick Hemming, MD, Duke University

Clinicians are in a position of influence and can encourage patients to vote. Expressing confidence in patients’ ability to make a difference as a voter may motivate them to take action.

July 31, 2025 | 3 min read

“What would you do?”

Beyond giving facts to patients, informed consent is an opportunity to understand patients’ truest concerns. Shared decision-making isn't just a conversation—it's about building a trusting relationship that empowers the patient.

May 31, 2022 | 2 min read

3 Good Things

By Richard Wardrop , MD, PhD, Cleveland Clinic

Spring is a time of graduations, assuming new roles, and career transitions. It’s also a time to practice gratitude, lead, and strive for excellence.

September 8, 2020 | 1 min read

10 Ways to Cultivate Well-being During The Pandemic

It's important to make an effort to improve your sense of well-being to help prevent burnout, especially during the strain of the pandemic.

November 29, 2023 | 2 min read

Staying grounded in these times

By Gretchen Miller, Managing Editor, Neda Gould, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The news can feel overwhelming. To maintain a sense of well-being while staying informed, limit media consumption and find a mindfulness practice that works for you.

August 14, 2023 | 3 min read

Accentuate The Positive

By Megan Gerber, MD, MPH, Albany Medical College

Sometimes interactions with patients may feel challenging. Expressing gratitude to patients for positive encounters may help reduce stress and bring joy.

October 30, 2019 | 13 min read

Partnering With Parents—An Appraisal of Familial Feelings

By Monique Webber

The clinically excellent clinician understands that each family responds to and copes with chronic illness or disability differently. Being open-minded when partnering with families, and especially parents, is critical for ensuring a trusting relationship and providing support.

April 3, 2023 | 5 min read

“Get Well Soon”

By Aidan Crowley, Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania

In the extra minutes I spent getting to know my patient, she shared a secret that allowed me to help her follow care recommendations.

October 10, 2019 | 2 min read

Our Greatest Teachers

By Vivek Murthy, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

To find meaning in your clinical work, search for the words and moments that affirm your shared humanity with patients.

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.

"Sun Rise," by David Kopacz.

August 8, 2019 | 2 min read

The Circle of Re-Humanizing Medicine

By David Kopacz, MD, University of Washington

We need human-based medicine in conjunction with evidence-based medicine. If we only identify as scientists and not as healers, we risk dehumanizing our patients and ourselves.

March 21, 2023 | 1 min read

Co-Reader

By Randy Barker, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine, retired

When we, or someone close to us, have a disease that we see in our patients, it’s an opportunity to more deeply understand the illness experience.

July 24, 2019 | 3 min read

Time, Talent, and Treasure

By Jennifer Foster, MD, MBA, Florida Atlantic University

Excellent clinicians always strive to make human connections with their patients. This creates the foundation of trust and respect essential to healing.

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.

January 5, 2023 | 1 min read

Quiet Quitting in Healthcare

By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The past three years have been difficult in healthcare and some are now doing less than we used to. Because this may be a temporary strategy, patience and understanding may be the most considerate approach.

November 22, 2022 | 3 min read

Living Your Best Life

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

By understanding what a good life looks like for each patient, clinicians can move beyond merely treating diseases to helping people flourish.

Author's photos, including a photo of the portrait of Anna (center).

March 6, 2019 | 1 min read

Calling Card for the Soul

By Stephanie Cooper Greenberg, Johns Hopkins Pet Therapy Program

Pets hold a special place in all of our hearts. To connect with patients and to show genuine interest, ask them about their pets. You may be surprised how much you will learn about your patient including who they are, what matters to them, and what they love.

October 24, 2022 | 1 min read

Wayfinding

By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine, William Cohen, medical student, Penn Medicine

When a clinical visit begins to feel like being lost at sea, a simple inquiry about what a patient would most like to accomplish during their visit may help guide the encounter.

The koru is a spiral shape based on the appearance of a new unfurling silver fern frond. It's an integral symbol in Māori art, carving and tattooing, where it symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace. Photo by David Kopacz.

October 18, 2022 | 7 min read

A New Paradigm For Growth

By David Kopacz, MD, University of Washington, Lucinda Houghton, PhD

As with other traumas, burnout, viewed as an opportunity for personal and professional development, offers a way to expand ourselves as wholehearted healers.

October 9, 2018 | 2 min read

Five Authors to Follow

Reading for a few minutes before bedtime is a calming habit, and a great way to fit in a few words from inspiring authors to fuel your practice.

September 29, 2022 | 2 min read

Documenting humanity (archives, 2022)

By Jane Abernethy, MD, MBE, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinicians are in a powerful position to advocate for undocumented people, who are among the most vulnerable patients. By acknowledging the courage of this population, we can affirm their strength and resilience.

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.

August 4, 2025 | 3 min read

Bearing witness

We often see the disparities in our world on display in the exam room. While we can’t make life fair, we can listen to patients’ stories and honor their experiences.

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.

July 26, 2022 | 2 min read

Sharing One More Pint

By Avani Prabhakar, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When caring for a cancer patient who lived days longer than expected, I learned to be humble in my prognostications and to help patients receive “extra” moments of life as gift.

February 24, 2025 | 2 min read

Listening to find answers

By Michael Albert, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

To more accurately arrive at the diagnosis, it is generally wise to believe patients’ recounting of their symptoms and experiences. This can result in uncovering medical conditions that are sometimes labeled as being more generalized—like anxiety—and lead to improved patient outcomes.

June 30, 2022 | 2 min read

Life is Short

By Avani Prabhakar, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Give yourself the same kindness and compassion that you give to others.

November 18, 2024 | 3 min read

Starting from scratch

By Erica Richards, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Eliciting detailed stories about patients’ experiences is invaluable in healthcare. Approaching history-taking in a thorough manner allowed me to discover that a brain tumor was causing a patient’s psychiatric symptoms.

March 14, 2022 | 1 min read

A Woman of Faith in Medicine

By Kimberly Turner, MD, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

Having faith in something helps me mitigate burnout and give empathic care to all patients.

October 30, 2024 | 1 min read

More than words

By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine

As depicted in the drama “From Scratch,” body language may often transcend words as expressions of empathy. Healthcare professionals should remain aware of how expressions, postures, and gestures can affect the ongoing conversation.

"When a patient is riding the wave of anger, instead of defensively explaining your kind intention and clinical justification for decisions, validate their experience."

March 3, 2022 | 1 min read

Listening to my Patient’s Anger

By Avani Prabhakar, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

When encountering an angry patient, validate feelings rather than becoming defensive.

September 23, 2024 | 3 min read

The rabbit hole

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

Through my own experience as a patient, I was reminded that ordering diagnostic tests should be approached with caution and careful consideration of the potential implications. These include the likelihood of additional testing and increased anxiety.

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.

August 19, 2024 | 3 min read

Patient-powered research

Clinicians can empower patients through transparency, involvement, and ownership in the research process. This can foster a deeper connection with scientific discovery, enhance dignity, and advance health outcomes for all.

September 29, 2021 | 2 min read

Finding Your Way to Compassion Satisfaction

By Wilson Hurley, LCSW

Practicing strategies that renew compassion will allow you to care for patients more effectively.

August 7, 2024 | 3 min read

“Far from the madding crowd”

By Kittane "Vishnu" Vishnupriya, MBBS, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Every extra hour that a patient spends in the ER worsens mortality. Clinicians can make changes to address this problem, like reorganizing rounding to see potential discharge-ready patients first.

July 16, 2024 | 3 min read

A box full of hope

While working as a doctor in Cameroon, I learned that the most valuable resources aren’t always technological. Instead, generosity, kindness, and human connections may be most important for making healthcare more widely accessible.

September 7, 2021 | 1 min read

The Emotional Toll of The Ongoing Pandemic

By Neda Gould, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The pandemic is far from over—we are again faced with fears and uncertainties. It can be helpful to remind people to focus on what is in their control and to lean on their support systems.