Connections
A list of “connections” with others whom I personally value and whose work I want to promote.
Please Note: These are external links to other websites and connections which I recommend. I by no means claim their work as my own.
Here is a link to the UNESCO site about that special, mysterious and spiritual rock off the Southwest coast of Ireland (“Sceilg Mhichil” as Gaeilge). It is definitely worth a trip if you can make it happen – especially during puffin season, May through early July, each year.
What an incredibly special place. About an hour to the north of Dublin city, this is an ancient burial chamber constructed about 3200 BC where the architects constructed the walls of the burial passage and chamber to precisely align with the rising sun on mornings around the winter solstice each year, so that sunlight enters the chamber for several minutes on those days.
Pulse (voices from the heart of medicine)
This is an awesome online journal which circulates a new narrative every Friday edited by family physician Paul Gross (also a musician!) and his team
I worked with Therese in our department at UMN for about a decade. Therese is passionate, purpose-driven and a great communicator. She donates to fund a medical student award each year for the best published narrative. Subscribe to her blog!
I knew Carl during his busy career as an interventional radiologist in St Paul, MN. He retired from Medicine in his 50’s to pursue his other passion – oil painting. Carl is an incredibly talented person. He helped educate medical students with me for several years. Check out his amazing art!
Ron Epstein and Mick Krasner have established themselves as global leaders in Mindfulness in Medicine. I have been fortunate to have participated in a number of their workshops over the years. Most memorable was 4 days spent in person at the Chapin Mill retreat house in Rochester, NY which is an active Zen Buddhist temple!
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
STFM are “my people”. These are fellow academic family physicians at medical schools and residency programs around the country. I support their efforts and try to attend one of their conferences annually. They publish the journal, “Family Medicine” where I have published a few times.
International Institute for Restorative Reproductive Medicine
I first came to the United States in 1992 out of an interest in Natural Family Planning and the Lactational Amenorrhea Method and worked with Dr Tom Hilgers affiliated with Creighton University in Omaha, NE and there met Dr Joseph Stanford of University of Utah. Along with Irish physician, Dr Phil Boyle, they have worked with their teams to develop this institute to promote a more natural approach to reproductive technologies.
Midwest Physician Writers Retreat
This annual weekend conference was created by Dr Liz Fleming, faculty at University of Wisonsin-Madison to allow amateur physician writers (like myself), residents and students to learn more about narrative medicine and to practice our craft. I’ve been thrilled to attend each retreat since its’ inauguration in 2025.
It makes me particularly nostalgic to attend this midwestern retreat since my uncles, Richard Power (see below) and my dad’s twin brother, uncle Victor (who baptized me when he was a catholic priest) both attended the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, University of Iowa and obtained their MFAs in 1959 and in 1970, respectively. Victor also met his future wife there.
Center for the Art of Medicine
I really appreciate that my medical school sufficiently values the Arts to have established this Center to cultivate and promote artistic efforts by physicians.
“The Hungry Grass” – Richard Power
This is the 2nd novel written by my dad’s oldest brother, Uncle Dick. He clearly was an exceptionally gifted and capable person. His family had been left in financial hardship when his own dad had died prematurely during World War II when Dick was a teenager. After high school, he both secured a job in the Irish Civil Service as well as obtaining a BA at Trinity College Dublin. Married with 2 young children, he then attended the Iowa Writer’s Workshop at University of Iowa in 1959 and secured an MFA. His prior novel “The Land of Youth” and his Irish language story “Ull i mbarr an Gheagain” were set in the Aran Islands where he had previously spent some time. He very unfortunately was snatched away from us all prematurely at aged 41 from a heart attack. There is general consensus that he may have become one of Ireland’s foremost writers if he had survived.
Robert Plant / Band of Joy: “Angel Dance”
I’ve been a lifelong fan of Led Zeppelin. So excited that during an STFM conference in New Orleans in 2011, I was able to get a ticket to hear Robert sing with his band at the time, Band of Joy. What a voice!
Billie Eilish: “What was I made for?”
Despite the age gap, I really love the message in this Billie Eilish song – indeed, “what are we made for?…”
Scullion: “Eyelids into snow”
I started medical school at aged 18 at University College Galway. I vividly recall the impression that this band (with Philip King and Sonny Condell on vocals) made upon me, performing in a lecture theater. I’ve been a fan for life!
Queen: “Who wants to live forever?”
In 1979, at age 18, a medical school friend told me that he had an extra ticket for that night to hear Queen at the RDS in Dublin and asked if I wanted to go. Being poor students in a poor country (at the time) I believe that we both biked there. I’ve been a lifelong family of Freddie Mercury (what a voice!) and Brian May (what a lead guitarist!) and I still remember Freddie singing “Danny Boy” in his cut-off outfit with a cut-off mike.
David V. Power 