As an internal medicine resident at the University of California, San Fransisco, Dr. Emily Silverman created the Nocturnists, a narrative medicine podcast and live show that strives to use the power of storytelling to cultivate community and improve the field of medicine. The Nocturnists was one of our biggest influences in starting WBYIT, and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Silverman for this episode. Dr. Silverman tells us about her own inspirations for the Nocturnists—a love for the arts and a need to address the tough, existential questions at the core of what it mean to be a physician. She also shares her experience building the Nocturnists organization from the ground up and the backstory behind one of her published pieces, Comic Relief (link below).
Dr. Silverman is an author and Assistant Professor of Medicine at UCSF. Visit www.thenocturnists.com to learn more about Dr. Silverman's work and https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2738556 to read her piece, Comic Relief.