I’m anxious to engage with readers and learners of all kinds through all platforms. I’m comfortable speaking with large crowds in a packed auditorium and one on one over zoom. Any venue and any format works great. My favorite setting is an informal seminar-like open discussion where participants do much of the talking, but I can also put on my stuffy airs and drone on about the topics I adore – powerpoint or no powerpoint.

I have a host of interests that I would love to share with you. Currently, I am particularly interested in exploring with you wellness, resilience and peak performance from a neuroscience perspective. Let’s get beyond the touchy-feely aspects such topics and focus in on how our brain works and adapts to its experiences. From there we can target methods to improve our overall function and satisfaction with life.

Beyond this I enjoy discussing my award winning novels, One Happy Accident and Death’s Pale Flag. They touch on a good many of topics that I believe can spur some amazing discussions such as: work-life balance, burnout, wellness, peak-performance, resilience, friendship, marital strain, the nature of love, death and dying, family, the bravery of the sick and injured, modern medicine, the world of neurosurgery, ghosts, the paranormal, the interface of science and religion/spirituality, and more.

But anything is fair game as far as I am concerned. Other topics near and dear to my heart are: medical ethics, medical education and education in general, applying to professional schools, medical socioeconomics, advocacy, leading a full life, music, exercise, health, concussions, team sports, soccer, reading, writing, ideas for books and stories, critical thinking, scientific skepticism, cost of medical care, end of life care, informed consent, variance in medical care, leadership, and much much more.

My Books

Building Neurosurgery in Neurosurgery Residents

The Thriving Physician

Thriving in Healthcare

Death’s Pale Flag (2023)

One Happy Accident (in revision)

So, You Want to Go to Medical School (writing)

How to Build a Kick-ass Residency (writing)

Over several decades, I have taught and worked with high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, medical students, residents, nurses, advanced practice providers, administrators, lawyers, faculty physicians, and more, in every imaginable setting. So, no matter your group’s makeup and wants, I am sure we can learn much together.

Speaking Topics

Writing Fiction
Burnout and Wellness
Clinical Neurosciences
Medical School Admissions
Medical Ethics
Compassionate Care
Life in Medicine
Facing Personal Illness
Death and Dying
Gratitude and Humor in Life
Facing Mayhem and Tragedy
Critical Thinking
Science and Religion
Spirituality
Breaking Bad News
Communicating with Patients and their Families
Living For Today
Living Simply and Sustainably
Why Kindness Matters