Appearances

I give talks on a broad range of topics for both medical and general audiences. My appearances have included Grand Rounds lectures, “TED-like” talks, fireside chats, panel discussions, and storytelling workshops that range from single sessions to multi-day experiences.

Often my presentations are enlivened by anecdotes, visual art, audio clips, and other media.

Previous clients have included health systems, medical schools, arts festivals, design firms, and spiritual centers.

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Lecture topics

  • Shame is ubiquitous in healthcare, yet nobody talks about it. Here I share lessons learned from my collaboration with expert shame researchers on The Nocturnists’ award-winning documentary podcast series on “Shame in Medicine: The Lost Forest.”

  • Healthcare is facing an existential crisis. Beginning with my own story of burnout, I lay out the problems facing the clinician workforce, and suggest ways to steer toward a sustainable future.

  • Storytelling is ancient, primal, and a powerful tool for understanding the self, others, and the world. Here I argue that storytelling is the foundation of medicine, and share lessons learned through my work creating The Nocturnists.

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What People are Saying

  • Dr. Silverman is an excellent and engaging speaker, and was humorous, insightful, and inspiring in sharing her experience of building a storytelling movement from the ground up. Having her expertise and her wisdom shared on the stage was extraordinary.

    — Vidya B. Viswanathan, MD

    Resident Physician, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Founder of Doctors Who Create

  • Emily isn’t just a gifted physician and communicator in her own right, she’s also a brilliant teacher who lights up students and inspires them to tell their own stories.

    — Laurel Braitman

    NYT Bestselling Author and Director of the Stanford School of Medicine’s Storytelling Program

  • Thank you for the wonderful program you facilitated and organized for our team. Every single person on the team has commented on how much they loved the two days. We all left feeling energized, engaged, connected and motivated. It was better than we ever could have imagined.

    — Cynthia Selmi

    Executive Director, Health Outreach Partners

  • Dr. Silverman was a powerhouse leading our team-building workshop. She created a supportive space that allowed us to confront the challenging emotions that arise in medicine. Numerous fellows remarked on how the day brought them closer to one another. I cannot recommend Emily highly enough for future retreats, especially for healthcare workers and trainees.

    — Tanya Khan, MD

    Fellow in Gastroenterology, UCSF

  • Emily took us on a transformative journey, tapping into our individual and collective experiences. Dr. Silverman's emotional warmth and skillful methods helped each individual bring out the key elements of her story. It was an unforgettable week!

    — Ligia Giese, MD

    OBGYN & Co-Director of Through Our Own Eyes Retreat

  • Emily and her colleagues effortlessly created a warm environment to build community, listen critically to narrative content, and practice storytelling in small and intimate groups. It was a creative and cathartic experience that continues to develop into new avenues and creative outlets within our group.

    — Jess Celentano

    Deputy director of UCSF’s Institute for Global Health Delivery and Diplomacy

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