Who teaches doctors how to speak to patients (or each other)? It’s usually something that’s picked up as you go. Let’s be honest though, some clinicians are much better at clear and empathetic communication than others. It’s an under taught skill that’s way more important than the attention it gets. In this episode we take a look into the mind and practices of master clinician Loren Rauch. Loren is one of the wisest clinicians we know and intentionally applies humanity to every aspect of his practice. Among the topics addressed are:  the ethical imperative of the well-deserved compliment; navigating difficult conversations; communicating with trainees, nurses and new learners; and tips for dealing with patient anxiety. This episode is brought to you by Mar-Med, makers of the industry leading and #1 selling Tourni-Cot digital tourniquet. What you may not know is that Mar-Med also makes a newly re-engineered balloon extractor for nasal foreign bodies, the one size fits all Uni-Cot digital tourniquet, and the Derma-Stent drain that greatly simplifies loop abscess procedures. I’ve used Mar-Med’s products hundreds of times and can attest to their efficacy and simplicity of use. You can check out all of their products and get free samples of whatever you’d like to try at marmed.com/stimulus. Who doesn’t love free samples, especially when it’s awesome stuff? Check it out at marmed.com/stimulus. Guest Bio: Loren Rauch, MD is a graduate of UCSF Medical School and holds masters degrees in both public health and health sciences from UC Berkeley. He completed his emergency medicine training at Harbor, UCLA and, in addition to decades of clinical experience in the United States, he has spent time as an instructor for first responders in the jungles of Southeast Asia.  We discuss: Why we should thank patients for coming in to the emergency department, regardless of their chief complaint [05:15]; Using humor to reframe something you dread into something that makes you laugh [10:10]; Tips for helping ease the anxiety many patients (especially kids) have when in the ED [11:40]; Pros and cons of wearing a white coat [19:10]; Different approaches to informing patients about what tests you plan to do [22:15]; How to deliver the bad news of a miscarriage [24:55]; Helping family members when their loved one is dying [30:30]; The importance of taking a mindful pause after a patient’s death [36:50]; The heightened responsibility of the team leader in the ED [41:00]; Why doctors need to have sympathy for themselves, and it is a lifetime of practice [42:00]; The value of being conflict avoidant in clinical practice [46:00]; The resentment that comes from comparing your tasks to someone else’s, and how this can suck the joy out of your work [49:15]; The ethical imperative of the well-deserved compliment [53;30]; Why our job isn’t to be right; our job is to be reasonable [56:20]; And more.   For complete and detailed show notes, previous episodes, or to sign up for our newsletter: https://www.stimuluspodcast.com/ If you like what you hear on Stimulus and use Apple/iTunes as your podcatcher, please consider leaving a review of the show. I read all the reviews and, more importantly, so do potential guests. Thanks in advance! Interested in sponsoring this podcast? Connect with us here Follow Rob:Twitter: https://twitter.com/emergencypdx Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stimuluswithrobormanmd Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/emergencypdx