It seems that now, more than ever, it is important for physicians and health care workers and professionals to have a sense of professional identity that involves engagement and activism in the world to protect and promote human health. Human health cannot be attained in isolation from other humans and the community. This means that if any suffer, all suffer. Human health can also not be attained in isolation of environmental and ecological health. The word “health” has its roots in “wholeness” which situates the individual within the ecological.

If you are interested in health, the environment, and the medical humanities, consider joining the Doctor as a Humanist for our 2nd Annual Offering on Nature & Medicine a webinar on Saturday, November 5th, 2022 – register for free here.

Here is some background on my evolving work on the concept of medical activism and its relationship with professional identity – from a University of Washington-Idaho Psychiatry Grand Rounds 1/20/22.