“Opinion: How meditation helped me become a better doctor overnight”

Key points

• A Portland ophthalmologist recounts a meditation retreat in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
• An all-nighter meditation led to confronting traumatizing injuries he has seen as a surgeon.
• The piece discusses how restraint can distance surgeons from patient suffering and how meditation changes that.
• Post-retreat, the doctor emphasizes staying present with patients and practicing clinic as meditation.
• He credits meditation with opening the heart, reducing tension, and improving care for trauma patients.