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Joy in Family Medicine – Stories & Reflections

Lessons, lightbulb moments, and honest reflections from life inside and outside medicine - served with a side of perspective.

Tags: belonging

Showing 5 results:


The Power of a Smile: Story and Reflection
During the half-day virtual faculty development workshop that I co-led this past week, one thing stood out to me: my co-presenter, Dr. Rae Wright, was always smiling and actively present. Her smile looked so genuine—like she was truly enjoying hearing me speak and appreciating how I was presentin...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor — Jun 12, 2025 appreciation attentiveness attunement authenticity belonging co-facilitation confidence connection culture encouragement encouragement culture energy transfer grace light micro-affirmation nonverbal communication positivity presence psychological safety renewal small gestures smile smile power support validation warmth zoom fatigue buffer
Residency 2.0 Story and Reflection
As most of you know, though my full-time work is in coaching within residency programs, I’ve stayed clinically active—filling in both at the Alaska Family Medicine Residency and Anchorage Neighborhood Health, our local FQHC. Since 2007, I’ve had the privilege of watching over 200 residents grow, ...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor — Jun 12, 2025 affirmation appreciation belonging calm calm contagion community connection continuity culture emotional contagion gratitude groundedness healing environment intentionality joy in medicine kindness leadership legacy mentorship organizational health ripple effect role modeling support systems thinking workplace culture workplace wellbeing
Filtering Voices: Story and Reflection
Like many medical students, I went back and forth on what specialty I really loved. OB/GYN? Sports Medicine? Internal Medicine? Rheum? Endocrine? Psychiatry? Adolescent Medicine? (Yes, all of them!) I also had a fantastic role model in my dad, an outpatient family doc beloved by his patients. And...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor — Jun 12, 2025 affirmation belonging choice clarity compassion confidence courage decision making doubt encouragement identity influence insecurity integrity internal guidance judgment medical culture mentorship perception power dynamics purpose reassurance reflection respect self-trust soundtracks validation values voice wisdom
The Snapshot: Story and Reflection
One day around 30 years ago or so, my husband, a 3rd year medical student had the weekend off and I, a 2nd year, had no upcoming exams. So, we drove an hour to visit family. We, including our 4 year old, wanted to show off how our newborn had grown. I had taken a whopping 1-week off for maternity...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor — Jun 10, 2025 balance belonging clarity connection default-mode family gratitude intention joy legacy meaning memory mindfulness perspective presence purpose reflection simplicity values
Team Reflection
I invite you this week to pause and reflect. First, reflect on the BEST team you've ever been a part of. What were the behaviors, characteristics, practices, established culture, and norms made it so? When you've listed it all out, pause, think more, and dig deeper. Second, if this is your curren...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor — Jun 03, 2025 alignment appreciation awareness belonging celebration collaboration connection contribution culture engagement gratitude growth influence leadership motivation norms reflection support teamwork trust

Joy in Family Medicine – Stories & Reflections

Lessons, lightbulb moments, and honest reflections from life inside and outside medicine - served with a side of perspective.
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