When we hear about people with cancer, the stories often end when the treatments end—either the battle has been won and the cancer cured, or in more tragic circumstances, the cancer takes the patient's life. But for patients who survive, that's not where the story ends. Cancer has fundamentally transformed their lives. How are they to make sense of the existentially threatening experience they have gone through? That's where cancer survivorship comes in. Joining us in this episode is Dr. Tara Sanft, director of the survivorship clinic at Yale Cancer Center, where she helps patients thrive after cancer. Dr. Sanft is also a breast oncologist and the Chief Patient Experience Officer at Smilow Cancer Hospital. In this episode, we discuss the importance of cancer survivorship, how Dr. Sanft navigates the emotional challenges of her work, and what all clinicians can do to better support patients through difficult times.In this episode, you will hear about:How the death of a family member influenced Dr. Sanft’s decision to go into medicine - 2:04Why Dr. Sanft’s decided to focus on palliative care - 6:02Reflections on how communication and building relationships are key to palliative care - 14:20A discussion of cultivating sacred moments in medicine - 19:53The purpose of a cancer survivorship clinic - 26:02A discussion of the most challenging aspects of Dr. Sanft’s practice - 33:35How Dr. Sanft shoulders the emotional toll of her work - 36:30Dr. Sanft’s duties as the Chief Patient Experience Officer at her hospital - 40:25How to create culture change in medicine - 43:17Dr. Sanft’s advice to clinicians on how to better foster self-compassion and create effective healthcare teams - 48:18You can follow Tara Sanft on Twitter @TaraSanftMD.Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.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.Copyright The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2023