What happens when a longtime magazine editor leaves the world of celebrity journalism and finds herself at the forefront of narrative medicine?

This week on Surgeon, Interrupted, Frances Mei sits down with Donna Bulseco, editor of the literary and arts journal Intima and co-editor of Where It Hurts: Dispatches from the Emotional Front Lines of Medicine. Together, they explore the power of storytelling in healthcare, why medicine needs the humanities, and what physicians can learn from writers, poets, and artists.

Donna reflects on her journey from InStyle magazine to Columbia University's Narrative Medicine program, the lessons she's learned from editing thousands of submissions from clinicians, and the common writing mistakes physicians make when trying to tell meaningful stories. The conversation also dives into creativity, taste, ego, revision, and why the most powerful stories often trust the reader enough to leave conclusions unsaid.

Whether you're a clinician, writer, artist, or simply someone interested in the human experience of healthcare, this episode offers a thoughtful look at the stories that shape us, and the ones that help us heal.

Topics discussed:

• Narrative medicine and physician storytelling
• The transition from publishing to healthcare humanities
• Why doctors need art, literature, and philosophy
• Developing taste, voice, and creativity
• Common pitfalls in physician writing
• The making of Where It Hurts
• Finding humanity in modern medicine
• Trusting the reader and embracing revision

Books Mentioned:

Where It Hurts: Dispatches from the Emotional Front Lines of Medicine

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Donna Bulseco

Connect with Donna: @dbulseco

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

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