May 19, 2021 | 3 min read

Clinical Training Translating to Clinical Excellence

By Jennifer Spicer, MD, MPH, Emory University

Bias awareness achieved in teaching/learning can transfer to the clinic. Thus learners can help clinicians become aware of bias toward patients.

December 3, 2019 | 2 min read

A Novel Mentor

By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine

The clinically excellent clinician is guided by a commitment to advocate for the health and well-being of all who need care, no matter who they are.

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. 

December 26, 2018 | 1 min read

How to Ensure Patient Access During the Holidays

By Michael Crocetti, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians

The holidays can be a stressful time for both patients and clinicians. Here are a few ideas to ensure stress-free access to care for patients, and tips for everyone to stay healthy and rested.

February 11, 2025 | 6 min read

“The Tao of Medicine” 

By David Kopacz, MD, University of Washington

The clinician's mindful presence and understanding of the patient's full humanity are as crucial to healing as technical skill. Let go of using language to define your experience; instead focus on the wisdom that can be found in the empty spaces between thoughts. 

September 25, 2023 | 5 min read

Less is More

By Jonathan McFarland, Medical Humanist, Autonomous University of Madrid & University of Pompeu Fabra

The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi can help us appreciate impermanence and approach death as part of life. 

January 21, 2020 | 2 min read

A Daily Dose of Shakespeare

By Rachel Salas, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Making time to read even just a few lines of timeless words can remind us of the complexity of being human, and facilitate clinicians' reflection upon connecting more genuinely with their patients.

March 28, 2019 | 6 min read

Integrating Psychology and Primary Care

By Benjamin Bensadon, PhD, University of Florida College of Medicine

Person-centeredness holds great potential to maximize healing in the way Osler envisioned more than a century ago. But to translate this concept clinically, psychology and medicine must come closer together. The closer we can come together, the closer we can come to Osler.  

May 22, 2018 | 1 min read

What My Patients Taught Me About Leadership

By Eric Howell, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

A veteran hospitalists highlights four areas where patients have helped him become a more thoughtful leader.

April 17, 2018 | 5 min read

Knowing Your Patient

By Khalil Ghanem, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Diagnostic excellence begins and ends with knowing your patient.

August 7, 2023 | 3 min read

Insights from the book “Unreasonable Hospitality”  

By Scott Wright, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Healthcare delivery is complex, and hospitality may not be prioritized. As individuals and teams, small changes in behavior may improve patient experience. 

July 21, 2020 | 1 min read

Medicine is Like Golf

By Barry Bryant, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In both medicine and golf, it's helpful to accept that much is beyond our control. Trusting our ability —grounded in thousands of hours of focused practice—may allow us to have the confidence that our best efforts will usually translate into favorable results.

March 22, 2018 | 7 min read

Fundamentals for Caring for Transgender Patients

By Paula Neira, JD, MSN, RN, CEN, FAAN, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Improve your skills as you work to support your transgender patients and interact with your transgender colleagues.

April 19, 2023 | 1 min read

A Fall Into Grace

By Emily Rodriguez, medical student, Johns Hopkins Medicine

I felt disappointed when I forgot to keep my patient at the center of care. I reminded myself that I have the chance to do better next time. 

November 27, 2019 | 3 min read

Clouds and Codes Aren’t Care

By Gisele Waters, PhD, Founder and President of Symbiotica Consulting

The promise of artificial intelligence is that it gives healthcare professionals the opportunity to improve the quality of care by allowing humans to focus on humans.

January 31, 2023 | 1 min read

Brain Candy

By Carol Vidal, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Because we don't know yet how social media affects our brain, it needs to be consumed in moderation. Scheduling times to spend time with friends and family may make it easier to get offline. 

October 15, 2019 | 5 min read

Simplicity, egalitarianism, and hygge

By Aidan Crowley, Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania

Danish clinicians appear to be clinically excellent. The key may be finding your hygge.

March 7, 2019 | 5 min read

On Looking: February Museum Visit

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

The more lessons on clinical excellence we look for in art, the more we find.

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 12, 2019 | 2 min read

Physician Burnout: The Pressure Continues to Grow

By Colin West, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic

Support for physician mental health must be made more widely available. We must remove the stigma associated with accessing this support.

July 7, 2022 | 1 min read

Filial Affection

By Corliss Wong, MS4, The University of Hong Kong

We must listen closely to patients with dementia’s thoughts and feelings, even though their sense of reality may be different than our own.

February 6, 2019 | 5 min read

On Looking

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

The arts and humanities show us how to live as human beings. Our encounters with art help us to be better healthcare professionals, and give us insights that will help our learners and patients lead meaningful and purposeful lives.

August 31, 2018 | 1 min read

A Walk in the Woods Keeps the Doctor Away

By Rachel Levine, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The benefits of a walk outside include improved mood, self-awareness, emotional processing and regulation, attentiveness, and sense of well-being, as well as decreased feelings of stress and anxiety. 

April 23, 2025 | 3 min read

Teamwork Rx

Medical team huddles are a powerful practice to foster unity. This routine promotes teamwork, collaboration, and respect. 

January 13, 2022 | 3 min read

How Being Foster Parents Has Improved Our Care of Patients

By Lindsay Terrell, MD, Duke University, Patrick Hemming, MD, Duke University

Fostering children reminds us of the foundational impact of genuine empathy and compassion on the well-being of those we care for.  

April 14, 2025 | 4 min read

Coping with health system dysfunction 

Healthcare systems place tremendous stress on the workforce; some are trying to make working conditions better. On an individual level, healthcare professionals may be able to reduce burnout by setting boundaries, practicing self-care, and taming perfectionism.  

July 19, 2021 | 3 min read

Diversifying the clinician workforce (archives 2021)

By Pringl Miller, MD, San Francisco, California

Diversifying the clinician workforce is associated with improved patient satisfaction and outcomes. So, what are we waiting for?

August 9, 2018 | 4 min read

Becoming a better ally

By Mariah Robertson, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

LGBTQ seniors are at a significantly higher risk for health disparities and frequently withhold their gender identity or sexual orientation from their physician due to fear of being turned away or discriminated against. It is up to each of us to educate ourselves so we can be empowered to routinely ask about the sexual health of our aging patients.

June 2, 2021 | 4 min read

When “No” to Others Means “Yes” to Yourself

By Ijeoma Nnodim Opara, MD, Wayne State University

Self-care requires the courage to say “no” to things that do not reinforce your self-worth, priorities, and purpose. This will allow you to most effectively serve your patients.