How Do You Feel? Interview with Jessi Gold, MD

[Episode 141] In today's episode I speak with Jessi Gold, MD about her 2024 book, How Do You Feel? One Doctor's Search for Humanity in Medicine, a powerful, honest, and often funny exploration of mental health and well-being, both in and outside of healthcare. 

In today's episode we explore the prevalence of burnout among healthcare professionals, particularly the paradox of empathy leading to vulnerability. Dr. Gold describes burnout's symptoms and her personal experience with it, emphasizing the need for self-compassion and authenticity in the workplace. The conversation also offers advice for social workers on writing about their experiences and maintaining their humanity within demanding systems. Finally, Dr. Gold stresses the importance of acknowledging the impact of work on mental health and advocating for better support systems. 

In her deeply relatable and beautifully written memoir, Dr. Gold shares stories from her own journey in academic medicine and those of her patients, pulling back the curtain on the often-toxic culture of healthcare that expects resilience in the face of trauma and burnout. Through wit and vulnerability, she challenges us to rethink what it means to truly care for others—and ourselves.

Whether you’re a healthcare provider, caregiver, or simply someone trying to balance work and life, this book is a must-read. Dr. Gold reminds us that while systemic barriers remain, there’s always room for hope, healing, and finding meaning in the work we do. Let’s dive into her story.

Key themes include:

• The importance of vulnerability and storytelling in addressing mental health stigma.
• Practical tips for healthcare providers to prioritize their own mental well-being.
• How societal expectations around medicine influence mental health discourse.
• Highlights from How Do You Feel?, offering strategies for patients and providers alike to have better conversations about mental health.

Download MP3 [42:18]

Bio (from https://www.drjessigold.com/)

Dr. Gold is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.A. and M.S. in Anthropology, in addition to being a Benjamin Franklin Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa. She also completed her medical degree at the Yale School of Medicine and her residency training in Adult Psychiatry at Stanford University, where she served as chief resident from 2017-2018. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions in mental health and psychiatry, including the Dean’s Impact Award for her work during the COVID-19 pandemic in her previous hospital system, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine.

 

Dr. Jessi Gold holds the esteemed position of the first Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee System, a role encompassing 5 campuses across the state of Tennessee and over 62,000 students. She also serves as an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Transcript

Introduction (forthcoming)

Interview (forthcoming)

 

References and Resources

Gold, J. (2024) How Do You Feel? One Doctor's Search for Humanity in Medicine

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APA (7th ed) citation for this podcast:

Singer, J. B. (Producer). (2024, December 16). #141 - How Do You Feel?: Interview with Jessi Gold, MD [Audio Podcast]. Social Work Podcast. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkpodcast.com/2024/12/JessiGold.html