Most of us know Dr. Lisa Gould as a skilled plastic surgeon and prolific wound care researcher and lecturer. However, I learned something else about her recently. Dr. Gould is also a classical guitarist, and she combines her skill as a musician with her skill as a wound care practitioner. She plays guitar for her patients, and is in the process of becoming a Certified Music Practitioner. Not to be confused with “music therapy,” in which patients may play music as part of treatment, a CMP is a specially trained musician who provides live acoustic music at the bedside, one-on-one, for therapeutic purposes, to meet a patient’s spiritual and psychological needs.
There is a surprising amount of data on the ways that listening to music can help patients (even recorded music)– reducing pain after surgery, decreasing the need for pain medication, reducing anxiety, and other positive effects. Practitioners who play music are also less subject to professional burnout. However, instead of reading about it, you can listen to Dr. Gould playing a bit of music by Thierry Tisserand.
Thank you, Lisa, for revealing this about yourself. I needed something uplifting to think about! And maybe it will inspire other clinicians to combine their musical talent with the practice of wound care.
–Caroline
Resources
- Listening to Music May Speed Up Recovery from Surgery | ACS
- The Effect of Music as a Non-Pharmacological Intervention on the Physiological, Psychological, and Social Response of Patients in an Intensive Care Unit – PMC
- Finding harmony in healthcare: How music heals providers and patients alike
Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient outcomes through quality driven care. Please visit my blog at CarolineFifeMD.com and my Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/carolinefifemd/videos
The opinions, comments, and content expressed or implied in my statements are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the position or views of Intellicure or any of the boards on which I serve.
