Why Should I Be a Kind Doctor When I Have So Much to be Pissed Off About? Dr. Brian Goldman at dotMD 2019

Dr. Brian Goldman is an emergency room physician from Toronto, Canada. He is also a published author of several bestselling books, including The Night Shift, The Secret Language of Doctors, and his latest work, The Power of Kindness. Dr. Goldman is also the host of the award-winning Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio show, “White Coat, Black Art”, which explores the medical sphere from an insider’s perspective.

DotMD 2019 kicked off with Dr. Goldman’s talk, “Kindness in Medicine: Why Should I Be a Kind Doctor When I Have So Much to be Pissed Off About?”. Through an exploration of his own traits via participation in personality studies, Dr. Goldman shares the importance of kindness in medicine, explains the difference between empathy and sympathy, and outlines the balancing act underlying human nature between empathy and the inherent “us versus them” mentality. In examining the empathy gap that exists in the health care profession, Dr. Goldman breaks down unkindness into its constituent parts – namely shame, stress, and burnout. Watch his 2019 DotMD talk to find out how he has changed his daily practice in order to be a kinder, more empathetic physician – and advice on how you can do the same.