Today, we are joined by Dr. Ross Carne, neurologist, mindfulness practitioner, musician, and educator, for a conversation about intention, creativity, and belonging in medicine.
Dr. Ross Carne MBBS, FRACP, MD(Melbourne), MMEd (Dundee), FASLM, LMusA is a neurologist and clinical neurophysiologist who is American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine Certified and a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Certified Teacher through MTIA. He holds a Doctorate of Medicine investigating brain imaging in epilepsy and a Masters in Medical Education. He has held positions as Foundation Director of Clinical Studies at Deakin University School of Medicine and Clinical Sub Dean with St Vincent’s Hospital, University of Melbourne. He is currently an Affiliate Professor at School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Dr. Carne brings a unique perspective to mindfulness practice and teaching. “I came to mindfulness practice after many years working with people at times of great uncertainty and distress. People respond differently in these circumstances. Some are defined by their disease. Others can stand in regard of their struggles, hold them in a larger context, and flourish nevertheless. My own learning has helped me see this possibility, and move towards this shift for myself. What if it were possible to help others do the same?.”
In this conversation, Ross reflects on the formative experiences that drew him into medicine and how these shaped his lifelong desire to relieve suffering and make complexity understandable to others.
We also cover:
– How mindfulness transformed both his clinical practice and personal life, opening space for authenticity, deeper presence, and creative exploration
– His “Belonging in Medicine” program, which helps clinicians reconnect with intention, beauty, and collegial connections across individual, interpersonal, and organizational dimensions
– How contemplative practices like attentive listening, acknowledging emotional content, and sharing experiences with colleagues directly counter the components of burnout: depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and professional inadequacy
His growing commitment to narrative medicine workshops for clinicians, offering another pathway into contemplative awareness through writing, storytelling, and community building
His exploration of contemplative time awareness, helping clinicians change their experience of time when facing overwhelming to-do lists and wondering where the day has gone
Throughout, Dr. Carne embodies a creative, curious spirit—open to possibilities, grounded in presence, and dedicated to helping clinicians discover and rediscover meaning, connection, and humanity in their work. He closes with a reminder from Rumi: “On a day when the wind is perfect, the sail just has to open and the world is full of beauty. Today is such a day.”