The Doctor's Art
The practice of medicine–filled with moments of joy, suffering, grace, sorrow, and hope–offers a window into the human condition. Though serving as guides and companions to patients’ illness experiences is profoundly meaningful work, the busy nature of modern medicine can blind its own practitioners to the reasons they entered it in the first place. Join resident physician Henry Bair and oncologist Tyler Johnson as they meet with doctors, patients, leaders, educators, and others in healthcare, to explore stories on finding and nourishing meaning in medicine. This podcast is for anyone striving for a deeper connection with their medical journey. Visit TheDoctorsArt.com for more information.
The Doctor's Art
Medicine in the Narrow Place | Jonathan Weinkle MD, FAAP, FACP
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Many patients interpret their illness through the lens of their religious tradition. Sometimes this process brings hope, comfort, or growth – but other times it compounds their suffering. What are patients supposed to do when they don’t see their lives reflected in the religious stories they cherish? And how can physicians recognize and respond to spiritual suffering that is layered on top of the physical?
Our guest on this episode is Dr. Jonathan Weinkle, clinical assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Weinkle practices Internal and Pediatric medicine at Squirrel Hill Health Center – a health center focused on overcoming economic, cultural, and logistical barriers to health care. He serves as a consultant to the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and as the medical director of the Physician Assistant Program at Chatham University. In 2025, he published his book From Illness to Exodus with the goal of helping patients and healers navigate illness – using one of the world’s oldest stories.
Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Weinkle shares insights from the story of the Jewish Exodus that may help patients feeling trapped in the “narrow place” of illness. We discuss the spiritual and emotional complexity faced by patients whose own illness stories don’t end with a miraculous escape. Finally, we reflect on the importance of healers who understand their patients’ “idioms of distress” and who can attune to their suffering.
On this episode, you’ll hear about:
2:45 - How Dr. Weinkle found his way to a career in Med-Peds, and the many hats he wears in his current work
9:00 - Dr. Weinkle’s views on balancing faith and science in medicine
16:00 - The cultural importance and traditions of Passover in the Jewish faith
21:30 - How the lessons of the Passover can be connected to medicine and healing
28:45 - Why Dr. Weinkle chose to write a book for healers
40:00 - Dr. Weinkle’s advice for identifying and responding to a patient’s taxonomy of distress
47:30 - Attending to suffering when it cannot be ‘fixed’
52:25 - How healers can use ritual to center themselves in their work
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to info@thedoctorsart.com.
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