Patrick Codd, MD, a Duke neurosurgeon, has been practicing Zen for two decades. The practice, he says, allows him to reflect on his work and relationships with patients and, ultimately, to deliver better care.
Codd’s interest in Zen started when he read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and headed west for college. There he discovered the Zen Center of Los Angeles.
While his Zen practice has run parallel to his career as a neurosurgeon, it wasn’t until October 2017 that Codd was ordained as a priest of Boundless Way Zen. Codd said he values the role his Zen practice has played in allowing him to remain introspective about what he does, and to understand how his work impacts himself as well as his patients.
“Zen practice has allowed me to see what comes up in those moments, recognize the human experience, and use it as a vehicle of compassion.”