#103 Top 5 Posts and 2023 Recap
Dolly photo by Joan Naidorf
2023 was an exciting year for myself and my family. In late January and into February, my husband and I went on an ocean cruise to Australia and New Zealand. We loved Sydney, seeing the Australian Open, and geothermal sites in New Zealand. I wrote about our experiences in several blog posts. The distances between the cities and countries are so vast, I’m not sure that the cruise is the best way to go. I got to read a lot of books along the way.
In October, we traveled half way around the world again to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. I have started writing the blog posts for the stages of the trip. The trip was a beautiful combination of natural wonders, cultural sites, and dipping into the local cuisines. We met some lovely people along the way.
I continued to teach the message of the book that I published in January of 2022, Changing How We Think about Difficult Patients: A Guide for Physicians and Health Professionals. In April of 2023, I spoke to a group of 200 nurses at a Patient Experience Week event at Jefferson Health System in Philadelphia. Those folks bought 200 copies of the book to distribute to their nurses. That was pretty cool to see those books displayed.
200 books photo by Joan Naidorf
From there, I went to Atlantic City to speak at the Atlantic Regional Osteopathic Conference 2023. I got to make some new acquaintances and see some old friends from med school. My lecture was well received I signed and sold a few books that I brought along with me.
For the record, every speaking engagement that I take takes quite a bit of inquiry and planning on my part. I don’t have an assistant or an agent. A few places have reached out inviting me to speak to their physicians and I appreciate that very much.
In May of 2023, my book became available in an audio version through Audible on Amazon.com. the narration was done by professional voice actor Susan Bennett. The recording is just under four hours and I am hoping that busy medical professionals can listen to it while on the go.
In June, I traveled to Chicago to speak at the annual meeting of the American Association for Physician Leadership. This is the association that published my book so I was looking forward to speaking to those physicians who take on leadership roles at their hospitals and clinics. I got a small crowd and got some mixed reviews. I’m trying to upgrade my speaking skills and to involve the audience more.
During the summer, I spent a bit of time at Virginia Beach. While I am there, I like to walk on the beach walk, listen to podcasts, and read. Several medical students reached out to me through the X platform (formerly Twitter) to help edit the personal statements for their residency applications. Although I have no experience in choosing residents, I know a thing or two about putting together a good essay.
Reviewing More Books
I continue to publish reviews as one of The DO Book Club columnists for the DO Book Club. I enjoyed Code Gray, The Algorithm Will See You Now, On Becoming a Healer and Long Walk Out of the Woods. My favorite fun reads were The Measure and The Collected Regrets of Clover. I enjoyed The Covenant of Water and will be reviewing it in the coming year. Many physicians reach out to me to read and review their books.
A couple of authors have asked me to read their books in advance of publishing so that I can write a blurb for them to include in the book or on their marketing page. They seem to think that I have some influence which is sweet. I am trying to get a colleague to set down his memoir before he loses his incredible stories.
Starting a New Project
One exciting project I started is talking to people in the public about some of the topics in my book, from their point of view. How not to be a difficult patient sounds too snarky, so I have entitled the talk: How to be a Smart Patient: Getting More from your Visit to the Doctor. I advise folks on some of the insider scoop that I gleaned from my decades in the business.
More importantly, I remind people that they have a lot more control over what happens in their lives than they realize. Yes, some accidents or illnesses occur that are beyond our control, but you get to decide what to think about them. You are creating your experience of the world with your own thoughts. You could certainly take more care in the thoughts you choose.
I march through some common issues that people experience in their interaction with physicians and the healthcare system. After hearing the talk, a couple of acquaintances reached out to me during some troubling medical problems that they were having with family members. I find this advocacy role extremely gratifying.
I am giving this talk again in a virtual format, on January 16, 2024, at 1100 AM. There is no cost, but you must register. A video version will be available later on the website of the Northwest Neighbor’s Village website. I am adding to my website a list of resources mentioned in the talk so no one has to take notes.
The Top 5 posts of 2023:
I publish my blog posts with free access on my website https://www.drjoannaidorf.com/
Two years ago, I started publishing on the platform Medium.com. That company started a new program in which it boosts the readership of some articles by sending out the title and links in emails to subscribers. Some of the following posts that were boosted have nearly a thousand views. I would never have that reach without the new program so I am grateful.
The following posts were the most popular of 2023. The numbers indicate the post number on my website blog: After Emergency Medicine:
Vietnam post #96 https://medium.com/illumination/finding-light-and-darkness-in-vietnam-our-tour-begins-in-hanoi-a0afb14522ba
What They Don’t Teach in Med School About Menopause #93 https://medium.com/menopause-matters-empowering-womens-health/what-they-dont-teach-in-med-school-about-menopause-2a80327c054b
Moral injury: The Unseen Struggle of Healthcare Professionals #102 https://medium.com/middle-pause/moral-injury-the-unseen-struggle-of-healthcare-professionals-76a9a0c9b5a2
The Myth of the Difficult Patient #101 https://medium.com/@joannaidorf/the-myth-of-the-difficult-patient-806cff4a50a3
This appeared as the Final Word Column in the Journal of Practice Management of the American Academy of Family Practice. They make the piece available only to their subscribers. I reprinted the piece in Medium.com and it was also boosted.
Kevinmd.com article: How Biased Language and Stigmatizing Labels Affect Patient Care and Treatment
I didn’t love the title that the editor placed on this article. Don’t get me wrong, this is the correct topic and message. I just thought the title was not very inviting. I start the piece with a little vignette about my dear departed friend, Susan. She could not understand why her oncologist had written certain things about her in the chart. This was after her doctor commented on her appearance, in a complimentary way. Much of the language used by nurses and physicians in the chart is disparaging and judgmental. Those biases get passed along to the next reader. I put this out as blog post #90 and renamed it for Medium.com:
https://medium.com/modern-women/why-did-my-doctor-say-this-about-me-a0b68ff626fa
In November, I spoke to the students in the Medical Masters at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. We discussed some ethical issues in medical training. The discussion got pretty lively regarding work hours, sexual harassment, and bias in medical care. Fortunately, some sharp young people still want to take on the expense and slog of training to be our physicians.
What is coming for next year? More writing, more speaking, and more traveling. Dolly’s groomer retired so I must find a new one for an anxious, beautiful poodle who bites. My publisher wants me to put together a companion workbook for the book. Administrators working with the medical and nursing staff would be able to lead and encourage more conversations about the difficult interactions that we have with some of our patients.
With kids now located in Atlanta, Norfolk, and New York City, the coming year will feature some great weekends there. Some other great travel plans are in the works. More book reviews are in the pipeline. I would love to speak to more groups both virtual and in person. I’m looking forward to more walks, more tennis, and more lunches with friends.
Here’s to a happy and healthy 2024!
