From ER to Advanced Illness Management - A Physician's Varied Career Journey

An article about osteopenia went viral, much to Dr. Mary Braun Bates's surprise. What started as an effort to give patients clearer medical information helped shape her approach to writing. Dr. Adam Cifu talks with Dr. Braun Bates about Doctoring Unpacked, where she blends medical explanations with fictionalized patient stories. They explore how writing can make physicians more attentive to patients' experiences, why philosophy and literature matter in medicine, and how to understand patient decisions that may seem puzzling. They also tackle a deceptively difficult question: How does a doctor know they're doing a good job?

Dr. Nathaniel Glasser joins Dr. Adam Cifu to discuss how art, sociology, and medicine have come together throughout his career. They explore how appearance, identity, and social pressures can shape patients’ health behaviors, sometimes in ways that are easy to misunderstand. Dr. Glasser also reflects on what the humanities can teach physicians about relationships and patient care, while emphasizing the importance of testing those insights with rigorous research. The conversation closes with a look at the mentorship and interdisciplinary environment that helped him bring these interests together.

How can writing and theater enrich the lives of doctors and the communities they serve? Dr. Adam Cifu welcomes Dr. Doriane Miller, a University of Chicago professor of medicine, playwright, and co-founder of the Wellness Resilience Arts Program (WRAP) for youth. Drawing on her work with patients and her experience writing plays, Dr. Miller explores the power of stories to make people feel heard and understood. Their conversation considers what feeds a physician’s soul, how patient relationships help doctors weather demanding work, and why seeing our lives reflected onstage can open a path toward healing. https://urbangateways.org/the-joy-in-resiliency-wrap/

Dr. Nundy reflects on building a career that spans patient care, health systems, and technology. He describes thinking of himself as an “accidental technologist” and explains how his interest in innovation grew from a practical question: can new ideas actually work for patients in the real world? The conversation also turns to meaning in medicine. Dr. Nundy talks about why he still finds deep fulfillment in clinic and how personal experiences have shaped his desire to focus on work that creates impact in the near term. Along the way, he shares a thoughtful perspective on how individual physicians fit into the larger healthcare system and where meaningful change can happen.

Dr. Michelle Kittleson and Dr. Adam Cifu get real about the patient-doctor relationship, especially when the stakes are high and the answers are not simple. She shares a small move that can ease a patient’s anxiety in seconds: showing you came prepared, with their story already in your hands. They talk through shared decision making, why patients should steer, and why clinicians still need to give a clear recommendation. They also spend time on the toughest pivot of all: when cure is off the table, what do you say next, and what can you still do to reduce suffering?