EP162: Bridging Passions: From Medicine to Humanities with Dr. Amanda Swain

The Intersection of Medical Humanities and Physician Wellness with Dr. Amanda Finegold Swain In this episode of The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Amanda Finegold Swain, MD, Faculty Director for UME Medical Humanities and Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses her advocacy for incorporating medical humanities into medical education to teach empathy, perspective taking, and improve communication skills. Dr. Swain shares personal anecdotes about her love for reading and the importance of setting personal boundaries. She speaks about her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, discusses balancing work with personal passions, and elaborates on the significance of writing and narrative medicine in understanding oneself and supporting others. The conversation touches on the cultural expectations within academic medicine and the need to be brutally honest with oneself to achieve fulfillment and maintain mental wellness. 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Amanda Finegold Swain 01:03 The Importance of Reading in Medicine 03:13 Setting Boundaries as a Mother and Physician 07:31 Balancing Part-Time Work and Patient Care 10:14 Living with Multiple Sclerosis 13:52 The Role of Writing and Narrative Medicine 19:33 Finding Fulfillment in Medicine 25:30 Final Thoughts on Fulfillment and Self-Care