Thrive State Podcast

EPISODE 19: Love is the Strongest Medicine

Episode 19: Dr. Steven Eisenberg

Have you seen Dr. Steven Eisenberg on AGT? If you haven’t, make sure you do NOW (or right after reading this). What a game-changer he is! No, not for the talent reality show, but to the life and practice of doctors like him. And actually, for everyone who wants to succeed on the mission of making this world a little bit kinder.

But his journey to being the successful author of Love is the Strongest Medicine (and the most adorable singer-composer for his patients) that he is today, wasn’t a straightforward, no-plot-twist story. He even once became the irony of his vision for himself.

Learning from his own story of dreaming, disappointment, burnout and regaining his strength and purpose, Dr. Steven was able to crack the code to a more fulfilling practice, not only for himself as a doctor, but also for patients: connection at all costs. The vulnerability—that we’re all human, patient or not—is part of our connection and it’s okay to show it. We’ve all been patients when we were born; we will be patients when the end of life comes around. And so no reason at all to put up a wall between doctors and patients—we are all capable of bringing a little bit of light, laughter and love to one another; we just have our own unique ways of doing it.

And so Dr. Steven’s philosophy became simple and clear: there are times when it’s no longer about winning; it’s how you play and change the game. Like in medicine, particularly in the field of oncology. Sure, there’s still a lot of things that we don’t have answers for right now—answers so we can win against the unknown or unfamiliar that creeps inside the bodies of our patients. But that doesn’t mean we have to abandon and concede the game—that doesn’t mean we can’t give our patients hope, joy and a better quality of life.

But how, really, did he do it? Turning away from the tall order, and the system that buries doctors deep into the red tape that makes patients subjects and cases and records? Especially at this time, when Covid, and the race for the limited resources, has made it all worse.

This doctor-by-accident (literally) learned (the hard way) that perfectionism and rigor in the practice can erode compassion (both to self and patients) and the reasons why we chose to be doctors in the first place. They don’t make us win; they wear and tear us down until we’re pushed out of the game. And so he vowed to be an ever inspiring reminder of the humble wisdom of the human body and human connection.

Sing, write songs for and with your patients, dance, talk about the crazy littlest things about life—anything! Just break the wall. Heal the disconnect. Do anything that connects and grounds us with one another to make the journey we’re all in much more bearable.

Let love and connection rule the clinic. Create the tiny little habits and space to let them seep in. Because, ultimately, love is energy and it is the only thing that does not deplete but grows. It sends signals only cells could understand, with way better messages of hope. And by that, we contribute in healing. By that, we let the strongest medicine lead the game—LOVE!

Make sure to watch and rate this love-charged episode with Dr. Steven Eisenberg and catch him at www.drsteven.com and @drsteveneisenberg on IG!

Show notes

02:44

Dr. Eisenberg on AGT: I did it for the fun and to get the message out there that doctors and patients can break down the wall. They can be family, a friend, and co-conspirator in creativity. They can have fun together.

12:20

Doctor by Accident: I got a second chance at life and realized even as a kid how life is so fragile. You don’t get what you want unless you take a chance. So I became this chance-taker and rule-breaker.

14:47

Oncology made the most sense – who needs the most light, laughter, and love in the world of medicine. The science was fascinating but it was the human side of cancer that drew me to the field. I’m on a mission to heal the disconnect between doctors and patients. It’s the coming together, the connection, the communication – it all comes from love.

18:05

Burnout and Coming Out of It: It was perfectionism. Fellowship in a competitive uni (Georgetown) prepared me for academics but not for the life in private practice. I came because I want to give light, love, and laughter to oncology but the task given was to win.

21:47

The Little Perfect Storm and the Dance: A patient asked: How are you gonna take care of all of us if you can’t take care of yourself? It nudged me back to who I was.

28:50

Transcendental Meditation: One of the first modalities to healing. But consistency is key. It jumpstarts the virtual cycle of getting better.

30:31

My life changed when I started writing songs for the patients. It was no longer only about seeing the patients and getting the best of medical stuff done but also talking to a patient like talking to a family. It breaks down the wall that I thought I needed to keep moving. Winning at all costs turned to connection at all costs.

37:14

Love over Fear Formula: LOVE (Listen, Observe, Verbalize, Empathize) on top, FEAR (Force, Escape, Attack, React) on the bottom.

40:24

Leading with love heals. Bring love into your practice. Your health is a team.

42:36

CPR: Connection, Presence, and Resilience.

46:58

Best Medicine: Love and Laughter. Nothing connects human beings faster than laughter.

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