EP121: Exploring Medical Humanities and Physician Well-being with Dr. Dean Gianakos: Part Two

In this episode of SEE HEAR FEEL, Dr. Dean Gianakos returns to discuss his role as Chief Academic Officer at Centra Health, his interest in medical humanities, and his journey with The Pharos journal. Dr. Gianakos shares an inspiring anecdote about the poet John Stone and reflects on themes of burnout and personal growth through the metaphor of whittling. He also recounts how his curiosity led him to contribute to The Pharos, ultimately becoming a member of its editorial board. This conversation highlights the importance of noticing the small details in life and following one"s passions. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Bio 00:52 John Stone"s Influence and Anecdotes 02:10 Exploring Burnout Through Poetry 03:46 Involvement with The Pharos Journal 07:12 Reflections and Closing Thoughts Dr. Dean Gianakos MD, FACP is currently Chief Academic Officer at Centra Health, a Central Virginia regional healthcare system. Wellness is important to him, and he has been chairman of Centra’s Physician Wellness Committee. He is trained as an internist with previous certifications in Pulmonary Medicine as well as Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and he has taught many family medicine residents and medical students for almost 3 decades. Dr. Gianakos is interested in the medical humanities as well as end-of-life care, the patient-physician relationship, and communication. He is currently on the editorial board of The Pharos, a medical humanities journal. He is also a writer, and he has written, “Practicing medicine can be addictive. The daily praise and gratitude from patients feed the fragile egos of physicians.” Links to a few of his articles: the lonely physician, Whittling: The Last Class, leadership.