CATHERINE
HUMIKOWSKI
I am a pediatric intensive care physician, writer, and speaker who survived a cardiac arrest on the day my daughter was born. 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 read and write about survivorship and resilience.
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 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 writing from Northwestern University in 2024, then paused from academics again to spend intentional time with my daughters and work on my book.
ESSAYS
BEYOND BURNOUT
"Just before dawn on a Sunday, I wake to a frightening declaration in my head: I don't want to be a doctor anymore."
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
"We gathered again in the conference room, beige and windowless, at the end of a corridor in a hospital basement."
CONFESSION
"Wednesday, 6 a.m. Time to hear about the new admissions before rounds. An infant was found unresponsive in his crib..."
AND I SUBMITTED
"Nobody ever said to let a weeping mother cradle my own body in her hands. Was this too close? No. I could have wrapped my whole person around her and it would not have been too close."
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH
"About a year ago, I died. Just for a few minutes, but long enough that I had a round of chest compressions so deep my sternum ached for weeks..."
LUNCHROOM REVOLUTION
"This dysfunctional dash to prioritize work over biologic necessity sacrifices more than just good digestion and an appreciation for the embodied self. It sacrifices community, commensality, and shared integrity."
CHICAGO TRIBUNE OP-ED
"During my first week in Chicago, I cared for as many children with gunshot wounds as I had seen over the course of two years in Boston..."
"Ten Best Stories to Read this Week", Chicago Magazine
For a list of academic publications, click here.
SPEAKING
I speak regularly about burnout and resilience for universities, academic medical centers, and community organizations. You can listen to a sample of my speaking on Emily Silverman's podcast below.
Contact me to discuss potential speaking engagements or to ask about freelance writing.
