November Newsletter
Opportunities for Gratitude and Reflection
Hello and Happy November! This month is brimming with opportunities for gratitude and reflection.
Monday, November 11th is Veterans Day. As a veteran of the Air Force myself, it is important for me to take time to think about and give thanks to the veterans in my life, including my brother Greg, my nephew Matt, and my late father. There are many beautiful and creative ways to show appreciation to veterans. Thank them, listen to their stories, or attend a Veterans Day event. Together, let’s honor the women and men who have served our country’s armed forces.
At the end of the month, Thanksgiving offers a wonderful moment to connect with family and friends, and to take stock in all we have to be thankful for. I am so fortunate to be spending the holiday in New Orleans this year with my daughters, twin sister, nieces and nephew, cousins, grand-niece, and grand-nephew. I recently heard about a Thanksgiving Show and Tell tradition— family members each bring an object that embodies something they’ve been grateful for this year. Each member takes turns telling a story about why they’re thankful. How do you show thanks on Thanksgiving? I’d love to hear about your family’s traditions!
Happy Birthday, Mom
My birthday also falls in the beginning of the month of November. This year is a big one for me. I’ll be turning 60. It’s a thrilling milestone— every day is a privilege and a gift. I’ll be in Israel with my sister and some wonderful friends this year to celebrate. But it’s bittersweet, too. This will also be my first birthday without my mother.
Marcia Sanson, my mom, would have turned 86 at the end of this month. Having November 30th come and go without her here will be painful. Life changes so quickly from one year to the next. It’s so important to embrace our loved ones in the time that we have. Take the photo. Make the call. Go on the trip. Approaching my own birthday as well as my mother’s serves as a reminder to hug those I love more often and a little longer, to tell the people I care about that I appreciate them.
Spotlight On Dr. Stacia Dearmin
This month, I am thrilled to feature the work of Dr. Stacia Dearmin, a practitioner and teacher of pediatric emergency medicine who is currently doing really exciting work to support physicians facing adverse patient outcomes and malpractice litigation.
In 2012, Dr. Dearmin found herself faced with one of the greatest challenges a physician can be presented with— malpractice litigation. “Like most physicians, I experienced great sadness and self-doubt,” says Dr. Dearmin, “and found myself traveling the most difficult road I'd ever walked, largely in pain and isolation.”
Now, she has transformed that pain into an incredible resource for other physicians. As the founder of Thrive: Insight, Education, Support, she works to create tools that aid physicians' healing and relieve their isolation.
Of her many amazing initiatives at Thrive (including blogging, one-on-one litigation stress management coaching, and public speaking), the most exciting is a series of forthcoming online CME courses for physician-defendants. The first course, “Deposition Magic”, will give physicians intimate access to information and encouragement designed to help them succeed in difficult depositions.
I am so thankful for Dr. Dearmin and her commitment to shedding light on how litigation and hard outcomes can contribute to physician burnout. The insight and support she offers to physicians facing the hard path of litigation is invaluable. Learn more about Dr. Dearmin, her work, and the CME courses here.
Around the Web
Women have substantially less influence on Twitter than men in academic medicine:Women who are health policy or health services researchers face a significant disparity in social media influence compared to their male peers, according to a new study. Although the average number of tweets among all researchers tend to be consistent, women trail behind men in follower counts, regardless of how active they are on Twitter. Psst... find me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Statistically speaking, 2019 Nobel Prize lineup of 11 men and one woman was bound to happen:This year, only one woman won a Nobel Prize in a science field—and that makes it a pretty ordinary year. Since the awards were first given in 1901, only three women have ever won the physics prize, five the chemistry award, and 12 the medicine or physiology prize.
I’m sorry: Why I lost my love for medicine:I’m sorry, but this is what burnout looks like. I’m sorry it isn’t all my fault. I’m sorry I’m going to go get help. I’m sorry if you feel like firing me because of that. I’m sorry if you are going to take my license away. I’m sorry, but I can’t sit by anymore. I’m sorry, but I have to walk away from my dream.
Breast Cancer Awareness
Each October, we are reminded of the importance of breast health during Breast Cancer Awareness month.
I want to remind you that the importance of this mission doesn’t end in October. Every single day, women are diagnosed with breast cancer, brilliant women like my niece Lauren who is a survivor of a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 24.
Let’s spread awareness, advocate for breast health, remember those we’ve lost, and fight for a healthy future every single day.
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Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about my ED Consulting Services or if you’d like to discuss having me speak at your event or to your organization!
I appreciate you.
Thank you for sharing this space with me.
Best wishes for a fruitful November.
Tracy