Beyond Moral Injury with Lisa Rosenbaum, MD

Why It Matters

The episode reframes burnout from an individual failing to a systems issue, underscoring implications for hospital policy, clinician retention, and patient care quality. Its arguments bolster calls for organizational changes rather than sole reliance on clinician-level well-being interventions.

Summary

In this Nocturnists episode, cardiologist and New England Journal of Medicine correspondent Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum discusses physician well-being, the limits of the resilience and self-care narratives, and how meaning can persist in difficult clinical work. She critiques efforts that place the burden of systemic problems on individual clinicians and highlights moments—like a resident giving a patient candy—that restore a sense of purpose. Rosenbaum also reflects on her grandfather’s influence as a physician-writer and how storytelling shapes her view of medicine. The conversation blends personal memoir, policy critique, and practical reflection on how to support clinicians.

Original Description

Cardiologist Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum tells the story of how her grandfather—a physician-writer whose experience as a patient transformed his view of medicine—influenced her sense of purpose, storytelling, and care. As she navigated her own path through medicine and writing, she became increasingly interested in the cultural narratives shaping physicians’ experiences, particularly during the COVID-19 era. Drawing on a viral “Milk Duds” story and broader shifts in burnout discourse, she explores the tension between systemic failures and individual agency, arguing that meaning in medicine can sometimes come not from stepping back, but from choosing deeper engagement with patients.

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