Narrative in Medicine and Fiction with Dr. David Weill

My guest this week is Dr. David Weill, the former director of the Center for Advanced Lung Disease and Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant Program at Stanford University Medical Center. He’s currently the principal of the Weill Consulting Group, which focuses on improving the delivery of pulmonary, ICU, and transplant care. He’s also the author of the new novel, All That Really Matters, which follows his memoir, Exhale: Hope, Healing, and a Life in Transplant. David talks with me about how he made the shift from surgery into writing, how healthcare workers have historically been encouraged to deny the emotional reality of their work as a defense mechanism, and how that is finally shifting; the harsh and sometimes cruel realities of the transplant world; how fiction allows greater latitude in telling the truth about those realities; why transplant patients often like to go sky diving after their surgeries; and more.

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:31 Transplant professional documented experiences, produced two books.

05:19 Hid emotions in career, later embraced vulnerability.

06:53 Health care work strains minds, career change needed.

12:14 Interesting emotional arc, unwise career decision impacts protagonist.

16:51 Medicine's learning curve: years of motivating terror.

18:01 Mentor's patient admiration influenced his demeanor.

22:32 Some should leave jobs earlier, unlike most.

26:47 Healthcare struggles balancing patient care and profitability.

29:34 Moral injury from value misalignment in healthcare.

31:57 Left clinical role; now consulting for solutions.

36:49 Saving young lives is my most memorable work.

40:27 Enjoyed writing fiction; eager to continue exploring.

42:31 Organ allocation ethics and financial incentives examined.

45:40 Talented, flawed protagonist falls and redeems self.

50:55 Next book explores questions of identity.

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

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Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in writing.