Author Archives: Helane Fronek

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About Helane Fronek

Over the past 28 years I have had a fascinating and fulfilling career in medicine, initially practicing as a general internist and then as a procedural specialist, caring for patients with vein disorders. As Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UC- San Diego School of Medicine, I’m thrilled to be teaching medical students crucial communication skills along with many other aspects involved in the practice of medicine.

Moving past shame to bring our best selves

Recently, I’ve become intrigued by the work of Brené Brown, a Professor of Social Work at the University of Houston, who studies shame. (Check her out! brenebrown.com) Growing up in the Midwest in the 1950’s, I recall a lot of … Continue reading

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Step over your fear – the world needs you!

Increasingly, our society is riddled by a sense of pervasive fear. We are afraid to fly, especially if the other passengers look different than we do. We are afraid of trusting our banks or financial advisors with our money, lest … Continue reading

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What’s your perspective? Maybe it’s time for a change!

I squirmed in my seat, impatiently waiting for the Cohn brothers’ movie, Fargo, to end. I couldn’t believe how AWFUL it was. I stayed only because I thought it had to get better. As I walked out of the theater, … Continue reading

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Want greater skill? Try a moment of planning!

Yesterday was our daughter’s last day at home before she flew across the country to return to college. My mind was buzzing with the growing list of things that I didn’t want to forget to remind her about. So I … Continue reading

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The gift of a “bad patient”

Yesterday I received a call from a friend – a truly brilliant person who takes great responsibility for everything in her life. She researches nutrition and eats only healthy foods, exercises regularly, works hard and studies to increase her value … Continue reading

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The importance of vision – and of communicating it over and over again

As I watched the women’s gymnastics team perform last night in the Olympics, I noticed the focus and concentration on the faces of our young, determined athletes. They stood silently, about to begin, and I imagined that they were envisioning … Continue reading

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How to revive the lost art of listening

They say that the loss of the sense of hearing is the most isolating of all possible sensory losses. Having watched sight-impaired people happily chatting with the companion who is helping them to cross a street, and then noticed the … Continue reading

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Take Ownership in Your Communication

President George W. Bush wanted us to become an “ownership society.” While the idea that all Americans should own their own home didn’t work out as well as President Bush had intended, there is one arena in which ownership is … Continue reading

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Resuscitate your difficult relationships

After presenting a talk on communication at a local hospital, I was approached by a wonderful, experienced Internist who asked about a situation that I don’t often encounter. He wondered what to do with patients who enter into contracts with … Continue reading

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Sidestep your saboteur

The training for a medical career is demanding. We often work longer hours than we would like, striving to learn more and be better at what we do. As a result, the medical field selects out for people who know … Continue reading

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