#067 - Dr. Ronald Epstein - Why Mindfulness Is The Key To Healing In Modern Medicine

Outworker

Dr. Ronald Epstein shares how decades in medicine and mindfulness taught him that self-awareness is the foundation of healing—not just for doctors, but for patients, too. He explores why detachment is often mistaken for professionalism, how curiosity fuels care, and how moments of presence—even during medical crises—can restore humanity. Along the way, he reflects on medicine’s discomfort with the word suffering, and how naming it can be the first step toward real healing. From the limits of cure to the reach of healing, and from meditative breath to medical crisis, this conversation examines the soul of medicine and the path to becoming a truly mindful physician—one who listens more deeply, connects more fully, and ultimately cares more humanely.

Timestamps:
00:00 Relationship With Self
06:24 Medical School Isn't Intellectually Demanding
10:46 Dr. Epstein's Impactful Med School Experience
17:07 Medicine & Mindfulness
24:30 Detachment Between Physicians & Patients
32:26 Impact Of Personalized Care On Physical Health
37:35 Curiosity Having A Negative Connotation In Medicine
42:34 Philosophy On Emptiness
46:54 Suffering Is Off Limits In The Medical Space
57:10 Certain Practices Still Seen As Radical
59:01 Who's Actually In Charge Of Changing The Medical System?
1:04:03 What Individuals Need To Do To Get The Best Care
1:08:54 Connect With Dr. Ronald Epstein

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Chapters

1. Relationship With Self (00:00:00)

2. Medical School Isn't Intellectually Demanding (00:06:24)

3. Dr. Epstein's Impactful Med School Experience (00:10:46)

4. Medicine & Mindfulness (00:17:07)

5. Detachment Between Physicians & Patients (00:24:30)

6. Impact Of Personalized Care On Physical Health (00:32:26)

7. Curiosity Having A Negative Connotation In Medicine (00:37:35)

8. Philosophy On Emptiness (00:42:34)

9. Suffering Is Off Limits In The Medical Space (00:46:54)

10. Certain Practices Still Seen As Radical (00:57:10)

11. Who's Actually In Charge Of Changing The Medical System? (00:59:01)

12. What Individuals Need To Do To Get The Best Care (01:04:03)

13. Connect With Dr. Ronald Epstein (01:08:54)