CATHERINE HUMIKOWSKI
I am a pediatric intensive care physician, writer, speaker, and cardiac arrest survivor. Also on the list of things that nearly killed me: cancer, internship, and the one time I tried capoeira.
I live near Chicago where I practice medicine, hang out with my family, and write about resuscitation, consciousness, grief, loss, fear, death, and other fun topics.
CV
I earned my AB and MD from the University of Chicago, then trained in pediatrics and critical care medicine at Boston Children's Hospital from 2004-2009. I was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago and served as medical director of their pediatric intensive care unit until 2017, when I took a break from academics to spend more time in diastole. During those years I became interested in burnout and secondary trauma, and how they impact career longevity and integrity in healthcare. I joined the faculty at Lurie Children's Hospital in 2020 where I served as the Associate Division Chief for Advocacy and Wellbeing and the Associate Program Director for Wellbeing in the critical care fellowship program. I earned a graduate certificate in nonfiction from Northwestern University in 2024, then paused again from academics to spend intentional time with my daughters and work on my book.
SELECT ESSAYS
"Ten Best Stories to Read this Week"
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH (JAMA)
BEYOND BURNOUT (JAMA)
LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION (JAMA)
AND I SUBMITTED (INTIMA)
WHAT'S IN A NAME? (MUTHA MAGAZINE)
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS (MONTHS TO YEARS)
CONFESSION (JAMA PEDIATRICS)
OUR TERRIFYING CHILDREN'S EPIDEMIC: GUN VIOLENCE (CHICAGO TRIBUNE)
​
My latest essay "Thursday's Child" is out now in River Teeth, Spring 2025. You can purchase a copy here.
For a list of academic publications, click here.
S P E A K I N G
I have given nearly two dozen invited talks at hospitals, universities, and organizations across the country including the University of Chicago, Boston Children's Hospital, Stony Brook University, the Hyde Park Institute, and the MacLean Center for Medical Ethics. My topics include burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and resilience in healthcare. For speaking inquiries, contact me at cathyhumikowski@gmail.com.