118. Dr. Joshua Mezrich – When Death Becomes Life: Lessons from a Transplant Surgeon

Dr. Joshua Mezrich is the author of When Death Becomes Life: Notes from a Transplant Surgeon, a book where he shares insights that he derived from his life as a surgeon. Joshua is a graduate of Princeton University and completed his Doctor of Medicine degree at Cornell University.  In addition to his profession as a transplant surgeon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Joshua is the co-founder and inventor of MezLight, the sterile surgical headlamp that he conceptualized in his quest to find alternatives to wearing a headlight during surgical procedures. Joshua joins me today to discuss the act of organ donation as a gift of life that can help families cope with death. He illustrates his beginnings as a doctor, from the first patient who died on his watch to meeting the family of an organ donor for the first time. He shares a brief history of surgery and transplanting and imparts his love of reading literature. He also underscores the value of empathy and humility not only in the medical field but also in life and the power of choosing to be kind. “The ability to donate organs is a beautiful thing. It is a gift and legacy; a reminder of how you can help people, even in your final hours.” – Joshua Mezrich This week on The School for Good Living Podcast: A patient who died in Joshua’s care and how his values changed throughout his careerHow stress can make it difficult to keep your humanity and sense of purposeMissing a critical phone call and the importance of humilityA brief history of organ transplantsWhy a pharmaceutical company wanted its executives to collect soil samples whenever they traveledWhy Joshua wrote When Death Becomes Life and how writing the book changed his lifeThe “driven beasts” and the incredible weight on the shoulders of pioneering surgeonsWhy the way we think of death as a society mattersForming the concept of brain deathChallenging the definition of brain death and the case of Jahi McMathHow organ donation has helped families cope with death and the first time Joshua met a donor familyThe power of emotional awareness and masteryWhat compelled Joshua to become a surgeon after majoring in Russian Language & LiteratureHow his practice as a surgeon transformed his awareness and appreciation of the spiritualThe first time Joshua performed a transplant and why surgeons need to be humbleLiving donations, pair exchanges, and other innovations in organ transplantationChoosing to be kind in a challenging worldWhat was it like to draft a manuscript worth 300,000 wordsWhy writers shouldn’t stop their writing session at the end of a chapter and other advice on writing a bookRelated Content: The Essential Essentialist with Greg McKeownResources Mentioned: When Death Becomes Life: Notes from a Transplant Surgeon by Joshua MezrichThe Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha MukherjeeThe Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman by Richard Feynman and Jeffrey RobbinsTeam of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns GoodwinDo No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery by Henry MarshWar and Peace by Leo TolstoyPachinko by Min Jin LeeLab Girl by Hope JahrenConnect with Joshua Mezrich: Joshua Mezrich on LinkedInEMAIL: [email protected], Rate & Share! Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the School for Good Living Podcast, with your host, Brilliant Miller. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. Don’t forget to visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. And be sure to share your favorite episodes with your friends and colleagues on social media to inspire others to improve their lives and reach their full potential.The post 118. Dr. Joshua Mezrich – When Death Becomes Life: Lessons from a Transplant Surgeon first appeared on School for Good Living Podcasts.