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Erin Nance
Listen up. You can get the new iPhone 16e with Apple Intelligence for just $49.99 when you switch to Boost Mobile. We pulled so many all nighters to give you this deal. And hey, stop messing with the mic.
Richard Karn
I'm just helping this catch people's attention. This is a great deal.
Erin Nance
Exactly, so it doesn't need all that. Fine. Head to your nearest Boost Mobile store right now.
Richard Karn
Visit your nearest Boost Mobile store for full offer details. Apple Intelligence requires iOS 18.1 or later. Restrictions apply.
Zibby Owens
BetterHelp Online Therapy bought this 30 second ad to remind you right now, wherever you are, to unclench your jaw, relax your shoulders, take a deep breath in and out. Feels better right? That's 15 seconds of self care. Imagine what you could do with more visit betterhelp.com randompodcast for 10% off your first month of therapy. No pressure, just help. But for now, just relax.
Richard Karn
Hi, I'm Richard Karn and you may have seen me on TV talking about the world's number one expandable garden hose. Well, the brand new pocket hose Copperhead with Pocket Pivot is here and it's a total game changer. Old fashioned hoses get kinks and creases at the spigot, but the Copperhead's pocket pivot swivels 360 degrees for full water flow and freedom to water with ease all around your home. When you're all done, this rust proof anti burst hose shrinks back down to pocket size for effortless handling and tidy storage. Plus your super light and ultra durable pocket hose Copperhead is backed with a 10 year warranty. What could be better than that? I'll tell you what an exciting exclusive offer just for you. For a limited time you can get a free pocket pivot and their 10 pattern sprayer with the purchase of any size Copperhead hose. Just go to getcopperhead.com that's getcopperhead.com for your two free gifts with purchase getcopperhead.com message and data rates may apply. See Terms for details.
Zibby Owens
Hi, this is Zibby Owens and you're listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to Read Books. In my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling buzzies or underrated authors and story creators whose work I think is worth your time. As a bookstore owner, publisher, author and obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that's coming out and spend my time curating the best books so you don't have to stay in the know get insider insights and connect with guests like I do every single day. For more information, go to zibbemedia.com and follow me on Instagram ibbyoens. Dr. Erin Nance is the author of Little Misdiagnosed, A surgeon's guide to breaking bones and Bending Rules, a biography of tragedy, triumph, and the high stakes world of modern medicine. Dr. Nance is an Ivy League educated double board certified orthopedic hand surgeon who trained at the most prestigious surgical programs in the country, including the Hospital for Special Surgery, Labor, Lenox Hill Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Boston Children's Hospital, and Baltimore Shock Trauma. She has treated professional athletes and prisoners, world leaders and houseless people. She is an international lecturer on social media, co founder and CEO at Feel Better Health visionary, and an inspiration to women young and old all around the world. Dr. Nance lives in New York City with her family. Welcome, Erin. Thank you so much for coming on Totally Booked with Savanni to talk about Little Misdiagnosed, a surgeon's guide to breaking bones and bending rules. Congratulations.
Erin Nance
Thank you, Zibby. This is the book launch day, so I feel like it's the birth book day celebration, and I'm like, so thrilled I could be sharing it with you.
Zibby Owens
Aw. Happy book birthday.
Erin Nance
Yay.
Zibby Owens
And I'm sorry this episode is not coming out then, but you know, it'll come out eventually, and I hope by then I can look back and see how awesome your Hope Hub day and everything was and how massively successful the book will be because it's so good. And as you know, I inhaled it in two days and I'm obsessed with the book, so yay.
Erin Nance
Thank you. I met your husband yesterday, and I said it's always a good sign when the husband knows of the book. I feel like it's the same thing with my husband. If I hear something about his work, I'm like, okay, I know that's a big, important project or I know it's so true. I took it as a compliment.
Zibby Owens
Yeah. I am often reading next to him and so I'm like, oh, my gosh, listen to this. Oh my gosh, listen to that. Like, turn down your, you know, Instagram reels. I need to focus here. Okay, so tell listeners more about your book and what they can get out of it.
Erin Nance
Of course. So Little Misdiagnosed is a memoir from my time as a female orthopedic surgeon in New York City, and it's about a girl who worked her whole life to become a surgeon.
Zibby Owens
And.
Erin Nance
And when she finally does, she realizes it's nothing like how she imagined it would be. So that's kind of the big gist for people who are fans of the Pit or Grey's Anatomy or any kind of show that really humanizes doctors. I really wrote this book to, number one, humanize what it feels like for a patient to be going through the medical system and difficult diagnoses and times, but then also to get the point of view from the doctor. What it feels like trying to help people, what it feels like trying to work within a system that sometimes actively pits us against the people we're trying to help.
Zibby Owens
Okay. I learned so much about being an orthopedist, by the way. At the moment, one of my kids wants to be an orthopedic surgeon. And so I am like, we'll be giving this as a gift. And also, I pretend like I am a doctor. And so this book has fueled my own knowledge, but it's not really. I mean, it is about medicine, obviously, and we all learn so much. And your dad was such a warrior as the medical doctor at Lenox Hill, and, oh, my gosh, learned so much from him as, like, a fixer. But it's really your story. It's a coming of age in medicine and your family. Can you talk about what happened with your brother? Do you want to not talk about it? Because it was so moving.
Erin Nance
Thank you. So before I wrote this book, I started a very popular social media channel called Little Misdiagnosed. And I believe that every person has one Netflix worthy story about their life, right? Or. Or at least Lifetime worthy. Hallmark Channel. Yeah, Hallmark Channel worthy. And I knew for me, that story was the story of my first day at work as a surgery intern. And what happened was I was on night shift. Night Float, they call it, at Lenox Hill Hospital. It is my first day. It's July 4th weekend. Everybody knows that's the crazy weekend. Don't go to the hospital because all the new people are starting. And my very first page I get is actually a phone call from my mom. And, you know, I'm like, mom, I'm at work. Stop call. You know, like I told everybody, like, don't. Don't call me. And she. She said, it's. It's your brother. He. He was in an accident. And we didn't have much details at the start, so I just. I kind of brushed it off. And I said, I was like, oh, make sure, you know, an attending reads his films. It's the first day people may. May not take it so seriously. And then I got A call from another brother who filled me in on what actually happened. And he was in a diving accident, broke his neck, and was a quadriplegic and was being airlifted from the Hamptons to Stony Brook Hospital. So really, the. The beginning of the book follows that journey from become. You know, starting my first day to now I'm in the family seat, right? And I describe that moment when I walk into the ER at Stony Brook, and everyone is looking at me like, oh, my gosh. Like, here is like, this is our doctor, you know, like. And everyone is, like, counting on me. I'm like, I have been a doctor for 10 minutes, okay? I know nothing. And, you know, I feel, like, inadequate. And I feel so embarrassed. It's like, nut. I feel so helpless. And I just realized that I can do the best that I can do. And if that means that everyone is looking to me to be the rock, like, I'm going to fake it till I make it and be the rock.
Zibby Owens
In this situation, that story, I'm so sorry that that happened to you and your family. I loved the way you wrote about it. I was near tears, the whole thing. When you collapsed in the break room or sort of behind the scenes and were just sobbing, you know, how can you not read without putting yourself in your shoes? And just anyone reading will think, oh, my gosh, like, what if this happens to someone I love? And then you show us what it was like. Like, all of it, and having the knowledge, too, from the medical side, but just everything about your family. And I feel like that was your way in, because reading this book, you kind of fall in love with your whole family and all of those dynamics and your brothers, and you being one of four and the only girl. You know, having finished the book, there was one moment where you were outside or on a walk with your brother or something in the wheelchair, and you saw a toe of his move. And then we cut to the end where he's had a baby, which is amazing. Can you fill in a little more in between?
Erin Nance
Of course. So, you know, even as an orthopedic surgeon, I did not know what recovery was going to look like for someone with a spinal cord injury. At this point. Christopher Reeve had had his injury, so it was a little bit more, I think, awareness in the general population. But what I mean, no one would have known is that so. So my father was actually the general counsel or attorney for Lenox Hill Hospital, and one of his first days on his job, a football player for the jets, his name was Dennis Byrd, was injured on the field and became a quadriplegic. My dad was the one to orchestrate all of that coordination getting him, because Lennox Hill, we are the team doctors for the Jets. Taking care of Dennis from the field to taking him, you know, through. I think he ended up at a hospital, I believe, in New Jersey, Kessler. But anyways, he had this exact, like, playbook of what to do when someone has this injury. And you think, okay, here's a. The father is a medical attorney, my mother is a nurse. I'm an orthopedic surgeon. It was still so hard going through this process of recovery, getting him the right insurance, fighting for him to get the rehabilitation that he need, fighting to get him to get a convertible van or a nurse. There could not have been a better equipped family to help with the situation. And it was still devastating for us and so hard. So that's just a little bit of, like, the background of what it's like being when you have a family member who has one of these devastating injuries. But, you know, when I talk with Kevin a lot, first of all, I want people to know. Before I ever shared this story online, I actually texted him and I said, hey, Kev, I've been thinking of sharing the story from my point of view about your accident. Do you mind if I talk about it? And he said, he's like, hell, yeah. I think he's always wanted to be famous, like in the. And so, you know, so I, I. That that story went instantly viral on TikTok. And for the purposes of the book, I did want to kind of. It is my story, but I wanted to kind of show those moments of his recovery along the way. So it follows when he is in the, you know, straight after surgery and things as simple as when you're a quadriplegic, you can't scratch your itch. When you're in the rehab facility, you are the only 21 year old among all the 80 year olds recovering from hip replacement and knee replacement. What it's like to move on with your life, to realize you gotta get a job, you have to make your own life for yourself. So I'm incredibly proud of Kevin. He actually can walk. I wouldn't call it functional walking, but he's able to do so many things I never thought were possible as someone who takes care of these injuries on a, you know, a fairly regular basis. So, yeah, I'm just kind of like a really proud big sister at this point.
Zibby Owens
Oh, my gosh. Well, thank you for sharing the story and thank you to Kevin for letting it be shared. So moving, so powerful. So you captivate us with that early on, and then how can we not want to read every word that you write after we hear the story? What was so interesting to me were all of the anecdotes about patients, patient care, and your interaction with other doctors. There's one passage, or chapter rather, that I am still horrified by, which is when the Riverdale student breaks his leg. It's an open fracture, so the bone is peeking out of his leg and at risk for infection. And the doctors you tried to reach, one was on the way to the Hamptons and wouldn't turn around, and the other was at a concert in the Meadowlands and wouldn't come back and was like, I'll come back tomorrow. And you had to scream at him. I know the chapter was illustrating using your voice, but I feel like what it was illustrating was such a failure on the part of doctors. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Erin Nance
Yeah. Well, I'll tell you. When the lawyer for HarperCollins read this book, he said, I found it both entertaining and terrifying, which is. I was like, that's a good reaction. And, you know, I. I wanted to share these stories. Not to necessarily, like, shame people or out people for bad behavior, but I think people should know, like, what actually goes on. And that story, me trying to track down a doctor who's on call, who's non responsive or just straight up refuses to see a patient, whether they're out of town or they find out the patient doesn't have insurance. These happen every day. And this was just kind of an egregious example. That was one very memorable. Because I ended up cursing out my attending as an intern, something you do not do. But it just kind of illustrates also the power imbalance between the trainees and the attendings. And listen, you have to have a structure to make things work. Medicine is, in essence, the same structure as the military. And you need that to move things along to help with the pedagogy and teaching. But what it does is creates a culture where those who are lower in rank don't feel comfortable speaking up or trying to implement any change at this point. It's a holiday weekend. There is no doctor available to help this, you know, poor kid. And this could become a life or death situation. So it took a life or death situation for me to gather the courage to call out one of the attendings. But these, like, power imbalances are playing out every day all over the country.
Zibby Owens
Oh, my gosh. Well, that was terrifying. And I'm glad you spoke up. And I hope more people follow your lead after they read this and do the same thing.
Erin Nance
G' Day America. It's Tony and Ryan from the Tony and Ryan Podcast from Down Under.
Richard Karn
Today we want to talk to you about Boost Mobile, the newest 5G network in the country.
Erin Nance
These guys are no longer the prepaid wireless company you might remember. They've invested billions into building their own 5G towers across America, transforming the carrier into America's fourth major network alongside the other big dogs.
Richard Karn
Yep, they're challenging the competitors by working harder and smarter like this amazing new network they've literally built.
Erin Nance
The Boost Mobile network together with their roaming partners covers 99% of the US population, but 5G speeds not available in all areas.
Richard Karn
Yep, they have blazing fast Internet and plans for all the latest devices. Visit your nearest Boost Mobile store or.
Zibby Owens
Find them online@boostmobile.com BetterHelp Online Therapy bought this 30 second ad to remind you right now, wherever you are, to unclench your jaw, relax your shoulders, take a deep breath in and out. Feels better, right? That's 15 seconds of self care. Imagine what you could do with more visit betterhelp.com randompodcast for 10% off your first month of therapy. No pressure, just help. But for now, just relax.
Richard Karn
Hi, I'm Richard Karn and you may have seen me on TV talking about the world's number one expandable garden hose. Well, the brand new pocket hose Copperhead with Pocket Pivot is here and it's a total game changer. Old fashioned hoses get kinks and creases at the spigot, but the Copperhead's pocket pivot swivels 360 degrees for full water flow and freedom to water with ease all around your home. When you're all done, this rust proof anti burst hose shrinks back down to pocket size for effortless handling and tidy storage. Plus your super light and ultra durable pocket hose. Copperhead is backed with a 10 year warranty. What could be better than that? I'll tell you what an exciting exclusive offer just for you. For a limited time you can get a free pocket pivot and their 10 pattern sprayer with the purchase of any size Copperhead hose just go to getcopperhead.com that's getcopperhead.com for your two free gifts with purchase. Get copperhead.com message and data which may apply. See Terms for details.
Zibby Owens
You have also a lot of stories where your own personal life sort of intersects with your medical life. So when you decided to have a child and timed it to your rotation in your fellowship residency. Rather talk about that and how you had said to one doctor that he had joked, Dr. A had joked, I hope you're not pregnant. And then like two weeks later you're like, yeah, actually, I'm pregnant. Talk about that. And how on earth you didn't take a day off in your entire pregnancy and were doing all of that, despite how you felt. How do you do all that?
Erin Nance
Yeah, I will tell you, my pregnancy was the least stressful part of that entire year of my fellowship year, which, looking back, is an absolutely insane thing to say. But, you know, I came from a big family, right? I'm one of four. My mom is one of eight. I love being, like, surrounded by all my siblings and cousins. And I knew going into being an orthopedic surgeon that was not going to be in the cards to have like a big, massive family. Although I do write about Dr. Appleyard, who has four children and who is just an absolute rock star. But I. And this is one of those things that to me is more of an unspoken rule. Right? There is no, nowhere written in stone you cannot have a child when you are in med school or residency or fellowship. Right. But there are some rules in place. Like for example, in training in residency and fellowship, you are not allowed to miss more than two weeks of work, otherwise you have to repeat the year. Okay? So by all means, have your kid and then come back within two weeks so you don't have to repeat another year. Right? So there are just again, systems in place that make it really difficult or at least 20 years ago, when I was in training to, to have a kid. There is no daycare at the hospital for residents. Right? So you're on a resident salary making $50,000 and you need to find child care at 4:30am Come on. Like, that's, that's not reasonable. And I have to say, there was a. I was a second year general surgery resident. There was a gen surge intern who had a child. She had her mom come live with her. I write about in one of my other surgical interns. She sent her newborn twins to Korea to be raised by her family while she was in internships. So it's not that it's impossible. Right? But do we have to make it so that you have to send your children to a foreign country to be raised by the only outside network that you have? I don't think that's really a very supportive system.
Zibby Owens
Oh, my gosh. Tell me more about your TikTok fame and how you reverse engineered the algorithm and how the use of these other platforms can really augment the most sort of essential profession around saving people's lives, healing others. Because you don't think about TikTok as a big healer.
Erin Nance
You know what the reason why I started Little Misdiagnosed was I had another channel called the Hand Doctor and I got a DM. You didn't even know doctors had DMs, right? It'd be a lot easier to get medication in my eyes. And this woman is a desperate. And she said, Dear Dr. Nance, I don't normally talk to strangers on the Internet, but I'm desperate. I've had 10 years of fingernail pain and nobody believes me. I've seen five doctors. They can't find anything wrong with me. They make me feel like I'm going crazy. Is there any way you could help? And because I couldn't help myself, I said, you know, dear Desperate, I too don't normally talk to strangers on the Internet. But out of curiosity, do you have a little blue dot under your fingernail? She said, I do have a little blue dot. So I told her, you're going to ask your doctor to get an MRI of your finger. It's going to show you have a glomus tumor. You're going to get a hand surgeon to take it out, and you're going to be cured immediately. And so about six weeks later, I get another DM. OMG, Dr. Nance. I got the MRI, it showed I had a mass, and they took it out. It was a glomus tumor, and I have no more pain. Thank you. Thank you. Now, what this woman did not realize is if you go onto Google and put in PubMed tumor, my name comes up. Or my maiden name, Erin McDermott, because I'm one of the world's experts on glomus tumors. Okay. But she didn't know that when she messaged me, right? And what she was looking for was someone who would believe her, because if someone believed her, then someone could help her. And so that's when I started sharing just these stories of me kind of being a patient advocate and these examples of me really fighting for patients and listening to patients so people and everyone was just gravitating to these stories. They're like, oh, like, I wish that's how I felt. You know, I wish I had a doctor who was fighting for me. And then I was getting inundated. And when I say inundated, I'm meaning over 10,000 messages and emails. And DMs, a week of people asking me to share their stories so that just one person wouldn't have to go through what they went through, and so one person wouldn't feel alone in what they were struggling with. And that's really how my channel went viral. And I use the medium of storytelling to get these messages across. So I did a very viral series called the 31 for 31 most commonly misdiagnosed conditions in women. And I would always start the video off with a patient story about what happened. And then I would go into the details, the facts about, you know, what this condition is. And then always a call to action for people to share their experience and their stories. And if anyone is listening who wants to make a TikTok and go viral, the key to virality is the comments. There are more likes for the comments than the original video. So if you make something that compels someone to share something of their own, because people are going to resonate with that comment, right? And then they're gonna talk about their experience. Someone's gonna resonate with that. And that would be my. My big takeaway is make a piece of content that makes somebody feel something and feel compelled to pass that on.
Zibby Owens
Wow, okay. Well, thank you for doing that and all of the people who you've helped by doing that. And I literally, like. I'm like, wait, am I still interviewing Dr. Nance? I'm so compelled. I felt like I was watching a video myself. Oh, my goodness.
Erin Nance
Why write a book? So it was funny because I had not really intended to write. Well, that's a bit of a lie. Three or four years ago, I thought, I would love to write a book, right? But I didn't really know where to start. I didn't know how to do it. I knew I had this story that I wanted to tell, which was that story of my first day of work, but I didn't really know what else, like, a book would amount to. So I ended up writing that chapter. I'm down. I sent it to a couple of friends. I sent it to someone who I didn't know, actually, and I said, can you read this and just tell me if it sucks? Okay? Like, you don't know me. Like, feel free, you know, like, be brutally honest. And she was like, I love it. You know, this. This is great. But again, I didn't know, like, what to do with it. Like, I don't know. Do I? Do I write it as, like, an essay and send it to the New Yorker? Like, I don't really know. So I just sat on it for a long time, actually. And then when I started my TikTok channel and I did these video stories, then I thought, like, okay, like this is now kind of like a maybe a collection of something. I had a ghost writer reach out to me and they said, have you ever thought of writing a book? I said, no, not really, but. And they said, well, you know, I could help you. I'm sure you have a lot of literary friends. Said, I don't have any literary friends. I said, but I do have one really big literary friend. And this is my friend Jenny Jackson, who is the author of Pineapple street and she is an editor herself. And we had coffee and Jenny said, you are the storyteller. You don't need a ghostwriter. Like, you're the one who has the stories. So within a week, I was contacted by three agents. We worked all summer on writing the Proposal. I think that's what it's called. And that October Is when that 31 for 31 series was going super viral. And I said, I think we have to take the book out now. And I was very fortunate that I signed with day street at HarperCollins. They were the first people to believe in me. They absolutely saw the vision from the start. And what I really appreciated about them was it's actually not that easy to convert an audience from one platform to the next. Right. It doesn't mean because you have a million followers that they're necessarily going to read your book. And it also doesn't mean that just because you have a viral video that that's going to make a good chapter. So even though the book is chronological in nature, I tried to write it like a Chicken Soup for the Soul style book where you could just honestly pick up any chapter and be entertained by the story and get a life lesson from it. Because I'm sure all your readers are really serious, highbrow readers. But if they're like me, I have a lot of books where I just read the first couple of chapters and then I abandon them. So I wanted to make it a book that, yes, you could read it cover to cover, or if you just wanted to read a couple of chapters at a time, you could do that as well.
Zibby Owens
Amazing. Well, well done. I think it's so consumable because it's so voice driven, like, I feel like you're just talking to me and it's less a book than like the most engrossing conversation.
Erin Nance
So that's a huge compliment and it's funny When I did the audiobook, you know, I said like a first time author. And they, I think they were impressed because I, you know, this is kind of what I've been doing for years. I'd, I've been talking one on one in these videos. And this is also a secret for people who are not on TikTok. TikTok is not a platform for dancing kids, okay? TikTok is an information sharing platform. And for me, and I tell this, you know, people say, like, why is everyone watching these Get Ready with Me videos? Right? It's not about the makeup, okay? It is a cue that someone is about to tell a story. And TikTok is really at the heart of it, a storytelling platform. So I tell people. Also, if people are kind of of my age, I'm in my early 40s, the best place to start is on TikTok because no one you know is on TikTok. And it's so less cringy. I mean, if you look back on your first videos and you don't feel cringy, you're not doing it right, okay? It's meant to feel awkward, it's meant to feel cringy. But you learn from it. And listen. There is a creator. His name is Mr. Beast. He is the world's most famous influencer. And people ask him all the time, how do you make a viral video? How do you get people to watch your videos? How do you make everything go viral? And he tells everyone, the question you should be asking is, how can I make this video the best possible video I can make? And just start and you will grow from it. You will learn from it. I prefer storytelling. Other people do more vlog style or clips styles. You can experiment with the different strategies. And for me, I feel like medicine lends itself to storytelling so naturally that, that's, that's my preferred way of, of getting both education across and also as a way to humanize medicine.
Zibby Owens
Love it. Erin, thank you. Thank you for all that you do to help so many people. Thank you for this book. Thank you for even the entertainment of it, the emotional ride, the openness and vulnerability and the hope. I know hope is such a critical part of the journey. You had hope for your brother. You have hope for so many patients. You have hope for people out there who are struggling. And that is in short supply these days. So thank you for that.
Erin Nance
Oh, you're so welcome. You know, the real takeaway is that the most powerful drug is hope and that people are good medicine.
Zibby Owens
Love that. Congratulations on Feb Day. Go celebrate.
Erin Nance
Thank you.
Zibby Owens
Bye Erin. Thank you.
Erin Nance
Thank you Zibby.
Zibby Owens
Bye. Thank you for listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have time to read Books. If you loved the show, tell a friend, leave a review, follow me on Instagram, ibbeowens and spread the word. Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books.
Richard Karn
With a $5 meal deal with new McValue. You pick a McDouble or a McChicken. Then get a small fry, a small drink and a four piece McNuggets. That's a lot of McDonald's for not a lot of money. Prices and participation may vary. McDouble meal $6 in some markets for a limited time only.
Erin Nance
ACAST powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.
Zibby Owens
Love music.
Erin Nance
We do too. Well, if you ever feel like it's hard to keep up though, don't worry.
Richard Karn
We'Re here to help. Monday through Friday, Daily Music Headlines gets.
Erin Nance
You the top happenings in music from.
Richard Karn
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Erin Nance
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Erin Nance
Get the show at dailymusicheadlines.com Acast helps.
Zibby Owens
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Erin Nance
Acast.com.
Podcast Episode Summary: Dr. Erin Nance on "Little Misdiagnosed"
Episode Title: Dr. Erin Nance, LITTLE MISS DIAGNOSED: A Surgeon's Guide to Breaking Bones and Bending Rules
Host: Zibby Owens
Release Date: July 3, 2025
Zibby Owens warmly welcomes Dr. Erin Nance to the show, highlighting her impressive credentials and accomplishments. Dr. Nance is an Ivy League-educated, double board-certified orthopedic hand surgeon with training from prestigious institutions such as the Hospital for Special Surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Boston Children's Hospital, and Baltimore Shock Trauma. Beyond her surgical expertise, she is an international lecturer, co-founder and CEO of Feel Better Health, and an influential figure inspiring women globally.
Notable Quote:
Zibby Owens (04:00): "I inhaled it in two days and I'm obsessed with the book, so yay."
Dr. Nance introduces her memoir, Little Misdiagnosed, which delves into her experiences as a female orthopedic surgeon in New York City. The book narrates the journey of a young woman striving to become a surgeon, only to discover that the reality of the profession differs vastly from her initial expectations.
Notable Quote:
Dr. Erin Nance (05:14): "I really wrote this book to, number one, humanize what it feels like for a patient to be going through the medical system and difficult diagnoses and times, but then also to get the point of view from the doctor."
A pivotal moment in Dr. Nance's life—and the book—is the tragic accident involving her brother, Kevin. On her first day as a surgical intern at Lenox Hill Hospital, Dr. Nance receives distressing news about Kevin's diving accident, leading to a spinal cord injury and quadriplegia. This personal ordeal forms the emotional core of her memoir, showcasing the intricate dynamics between family, medical professionals, and the challenges of navigating the healthcare system during a crisis.
Notable Quote:
Dr. Erin Nance (07:00): "When I walk into the ER at Stony Brook, and everyone is looking at me like, oh my gosh... I can do the best that I can do."
Dr. Nance recounts a harrowing incident where she had to urgently locate a responsive doctor for a patient with an open fracture. The unavailability and reluctance of attending physicians during critical times highlight systemic issues within the medical hierarchy and the military-like structure of medical institutions that often stifle lower-ranked staff from voicing concerns.
Notable Quote:
Dr. Erin Nance (14:11): "These power imbalances are playing out every day all over the country."
The conversation shifts to Dr. Nance's personal life, specifically her decision to have a child during her fellowship year. She discusses the immense challenges and lack of supportive systems for medical professionals who choose to start a family during rigorous training periods. Dr. Nance emphasizes the societal and institutional barriers that make balancing motherhood and a demanding medical career exceptionally difficult.
Notable Quote:
Dr. Erin Nance (19:29): "There is no daycare at the hospital for residents. Right? So you're on a resident salary making $50,000 and you need to find child care at 4:30am. Come on."
Dr. Nance details her foray into social media, particularly TikTok, as a platform for patient advocacy and education. Her viral content stems from sharing authentic patient stories and medical insights, which resonate deeply with a broad audience. By humanizing medical experiences and providing actionable advice, she has built a significant following that amplifies her mission to educate and support individuals navigating the healthcare system.
Notable Quote:
Dr. Erin Nance (22:09): "So the key to virality is the comments. There are more likes for the comments than the original video."
Initially uncertain about authoring a book, Dr. Nance's storytelling prowess on TikTok catalyzed her transition from viral videos to a published memoir. With guidance from literary professionals and the support of her editor, Jenny Jackson, Dr. Nance structured her book to be both engaging and accessible, allowing readers to either follow her journey chronologically or delve into individual chapters independently.
Notable Quote:
Dr. Erin Nance (26:04): "Even though the book is chronological in nature, I tried to write it like a Chicken Soup for the Soul style book where you could just honestly pick up any chapter and be entertained by the story and get a life lesson from it."
Concluding the interview, Dr. Nance emphasizes the paramount importance of hope in medical practice. She believes that beyond medical interventions, fostering hope and human connections is pivotal in patient recovery and overall well-being.
Notable Quote:
Dr. Erin Nance (32:23): "The most powerful drug is hope and that people are good medicine."
Conclusion
This episode of "Totally Booked with Zibby" offers an intimate glimpse into Dr. Erin Nance's life as a surgeon, sister, and advocate. Through her memoir, Little Misdiagnosed, Dr. Nance not only shares personal and professional challenges but also sheds light on broader systemic issues within the medical field. Her dedication to patient advocacy, balanced with her personal experiences, provides listeners with valuable insights into the complexities of modern medicine and the enduring power of hope.
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