In this episode of grief tending, retired Physician and educator Dr. Mary Brooksbank looks back on a career in surgery and palliative care, reflecting on how early experiences of being alongside suffering in trauma and burns care was a valuable preparation for her later carer in Palliative Care.

Dr. Booksbank discusses how concepts of grief have evolved in medical practice over the decades, and highlights important principles for sustaining long-term work with patients encountering grief caused by serious or life-limiting illness.

In addition to offering a personal retrospective on grief as a part of her career in medicine, this episode reaffirms the value of learning how to remain connected to a sense of common humanity (between doctor and patient) as a skill at the very heart of healthcare.