#62 Turning Tragedy into Meaning with Dr. Brian Hoeflinger and Kevin Hoeflinger
Manage episode 505249397 series 3583802
After a tragic car crash in 1983 changed the course of his family forever, Dr. Brian Hoeflinger pursued neurosurgery with a new sense of purpose. Decades later, when his teenage son died suddenly in a car accident, he found himself once again reshaped by grief. In this episode, Dr. Hoeflinger shares how these experiences inform the way he practices medicine: communicating with clarity, leading with empathy, and honoring the reality that it’s families who must live with the consequences of life-and-death decisions. He and his son, Kevin, open up about what it means to carry unimaginable loss, and how they've chosen to turn tragedy into a source of hope, compassion, and human connection.
You’ll hear:
- How loss reshaped their family and his career as a physician
- Why talking about death matters more than avoiding it
- The art of skillful empathy and being present without absorbing every tragedy
- Why doctors should guide, not decide, for families
Dr. Hoeflinger's words of wisdom for physicians:
"The world’s not on your shoulders…Don't expect so much of yourself."
"Spend more time away from the hospital."
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