Brrrr...
...inging it.
Everything You Love
What is it about a good book, a thought-provoking essay, or a beautiful poem that makes your heart sing? Lots of opportunities to explore that here.
Dive into Healing Ink™ and write YOUR words.
Your story is important. Express. Process. Heal. Influence. Inspire.
In This Issue
In the Line-Up
Double Take
Prime Location
Flash Call
Fun Forum
Terms of Endearment
Getting Acquainted
In the Line-up
Introducing the roster of panelists for the upcoming Writing & Storytelling in Healthcare virtual conference on Sunday, April 6.
Soma Sengupta MD, PhD, MBA, is the Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Neurosurgery and Chief of Neuro Oncology in the Department of Neurology at UNC, Chapel Hill. Apart from her scientific writing, Soma has a passion for poetry and art and has published poetry, children's books and some of her photography. Dr. Sengupta will be speaking on “Points of View in Healthcare Narratives.”
Greg Neyman, MD specializes in Emergency Medicine. He works in a residency where he is the research director. He has written two novels that focus on, among other things, the wellness and traumas of being a healer. He likes big data, computer coding, and miniature poodles. Dr. Neyman will be speaking on “Turning Medical Experience into Fiction.”
Maria Simbra, MD, MA, MPH, the director and principal at Ironed Words Productions, will moderate the conference. A former neurologist and medical reporter at CBS Pittsburgh, she is an award-winning author and journalist. She will offer her insights on “Storytelling Essentials.”
Sign up now! Registration is open and discounted for all you super early birds.
Double Take
Did you know there are TWO options for getting support for your writing?
The Iron Writing Circle for Healthcare Professionals. This is a writing group for doctors to help you make progress on your writing project and to keep you on track. Participants submit up to 1,500 words weekly for feedback from the moderator and the group. There’s a minimum of three and a maximum of six in each monthly cohort, so it’s a friendly, intimate atmosphere for sharing all the good words. Learn more here: https://www.ironedwordsproductions.com/iron-writing-circle-for-hcp
One-on-One Writing Support. Meet weekly for customized, individualized sessions. You’ll get writing tips, feedback on submissions, and writing prompts to develop and bolster your writing. Learn more here: https://www.ironedwordsproductions.com/one-on-one-writing-support
Prime Location
Now that Amazon’s Kindle Vella is gone, my book, Writing & Storytelling in Healthcare: a Primer, is relocating… HERE. You’ll get excerpts via this newsletter channel with your paid subscription. Watch for the first installment later this month.
Flash Call
«Coming soon» You’ll see a new online magazine here via this newsletter channel. Watch for DocWriteRx™ — featuring doctors who write.
I need YOUR help to get it off the ground.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: please submit a 100 to 500-word essay on one of these topics.
Describe a challenge in your practice and how you addressed it.
Describe an encounter with a challenging patient or family.
What are the most rewarding aspects of your job?
Submissions are due March 31, 2025.
Fun Forum
Grab some friends for a fun roadtrip! I’ll be speaking at the Writing Conference of Northern Appalachia in Loretto, Pennsylvania at St. Francis University March 7-8. Lots of fabulous writers and authors will be sharing their wisdom and expertise on all aspects of writing. I’ll be talking about my writing groups, including my narrative medicine group.
Getting Acquainted
This month’s fun fact about me: I am a 1993 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Pitt was not my first acceptance, though. Initially, I had only made the wait list. While I waited, I continued exploring my options.
After my interview at West Virginia University, I received a letter the next day that I was in. But instead of being happy, I wept.
I had grown up in Morgantown, I went to college at WVU, and I knew there was more to the world than Morgantown, West Virginia. I found the prospect of being stuck there for another four years akin to getting my wings clipped.
In early August 1989, I called Pitt to see where I was on the wait list because I was considering signing a lease on an apartment in Morgantown. The admissions office advised me not to sign the lease.
Just a few weeks later, I stepped into Pitt’s Scaife Hall for first-year orientation.
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Epilogue: Being a Pittsburgh-educated West Virginia girl comes back to bite me years later when I apply for a position at WVU. But that’s another story for another time.
Terms of Endearment
“Words are the paintbrushes of the mind and the canvases of the soul.”
See you next month for the next dose of Healing Ink™.
— Maria Simbra, MD, MA, MPH, Director and Principal of Ironed Words Productions, LLC