The SurgeonMasters Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jeffrey M. Smith, MD
The SurgeonMasters Podcast is for surgeons who wish to create a highly successful and sustainable practice that is lifestyle-friendly with less stress and frustration. Each episode focuses on learning, understanding and implementing effective habits that will allow you to create a thriving practice while still having time to travel, connect with your family, take care of your health, and pursue outside interests. Your host is Jeffrey M. Smith, MD a practicing Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon (Orthopaedic Traumatologist) who also assists other Surgeons to develop the critical skills needed to create a highly successful lifestyle-friendly practice which is physically, mentally and emotionally sustainable.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes orthopaedic surgeon and surgeon-wellness advocate Alan Jones, MD, to the podcast.
Alan has been an avid runner for the last fifteen years, and typically runs one marathon per year. Recently, Alan has been training in Zone 2.
If you’re unfamiliar, Zone 2 training involves working out at a relatively easy heart rate. This type of training provides a stimulus that often increases your fitness better than working out at a higher intensity.
In addition, Zone 2 training also leaves you with more energy to do other things you love after the workout itself. As a result, it leads to an improved overall sense of well-being.
This highlights an important mantra that we, as surgeons, often overlook: more is not always better.
What steps does Alan suggest we take to try Zone 2 training?
- Step 1 - Incorporate Zone 2 training into your fitness routine. Whether you prefer cycling, running, or utilizing other equipment, this training is adaptable.
- Step 2 - Assess your physical and mental state before starting the workout, and reflect on how you feel afterward. You might discover that you have more energy than you did before the session, a notable contrast to the fatigue often following more strenuous exercise.
- Step 3 - Maintain a balanced fitness regimen by keeping other forms of exercise in the mix. Consider Zone 2 training as one essential component of a comprehensive physical routine.
Most importantly, PRACTICE Zone 2 exercise principles for well-being!
BIO
Alan L. Jones, MD is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon and a founding member of Orthopaedic Trauma Associates of North Texas. Dr. Jones is on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and serves as the medical director of orthopaedic trauma services. Dr. Jones specializes in articular fractures (bone breaks near major joints), injuries to the pelvis and acetabulum, and fracture non-union and mal-union. Dr. Jones received his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston before completing an internship in surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and affiliated hospitals in Dallas, where he also completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery. He is fellowship-trained in orthopaedic traumatology at the Shock Trauma Center/Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems in Baltimore, Maryland.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast family physician and physician coach, Ken Dodge, MD.
As physicians, most of our stress and frustration doesn't come from not knowing what to do. Rather, it comes from not knowing what we need. In medical terms, when you fail to identify a need, you miss the diagnosis. If we can identify these needs, it can go a long way to reducing stress in our day-to-day lives.
When we say needs, we don't mean preferences or wants. Needs are core human drivers like rest, autonomy, a sense of meaning, connection, etc. When our needs aren't met, some type of suffering or adversity will occur.
These needs constantly shape our behaviors, whether or not we're aware of them. Every decision we make is an attempt to meet a need. For example, if a physician stays late at work it may be that they have a need for approval.
It’s important to distinguish between needs and strategies to deal with our needs (lest a strategy becomes a need). Think of needs as the diagnosis, whereas strategies are the treatment. Needs are static and non-negotiable, while strategies are flexible. A physician who has a need to be seen as competent, may employ a strategy of staying late and picking up additional shifts. That strategy may work for a time, but eventually it will lead to issues like burnout. That’s not because the initial need is wrong, but that the strategy is serving the need ineffectively.
If we take the time to identify our needs, decisions become clearer and communication improves.
What steps does Ken suggest we do to meet our needs?
- Step 1 - Understand the difference between wants and needs. Before we can focus on meeting needs, we first need to know the difference between needs and wants.
- Step 2 - Identify your specific needs. Instead of asking yourself “what should I do?” ask yourself “what do I need?”
- Step 3 - Develop strategies to address those needs. This may take some time and tweaking. That’s OK!
Most importantly, PRACTICE identifying and addressing your needs!
BIO
Dr. Ken Dodge is a retired family physician who devoted 42 years to patient care after earning his MD from Wright State University and completing residency in Dayton, Ohio. With an undergraduate background in psychology from The Ohio State University, he developed a lifelong interest in relationships, emotional health, and personal growth.
Now retired from clinical practice as of June 2025, Ken coaches physicians, offering a compassionate, reflective space grounded in deep listening and respect for emotional and spiritual influences. He is passionate about helping physicians navigate challenges, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and cultivate greater balance and serenity.
Ken is married, a father of three, and a grandfather of five. He enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, and reading.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes physician coach and family physician, Ken Dodge, MD, to the podcast.
As physicians, we like to think we’re governed almost exclusively by logic, but despite our best intentions, we are often driven by our emotions. Feelings are so important because they inform all of our decisions. When we try to ignore them, they don’t just go away.
Chip Dodd, PhD, tells us there are a handful of core feelings that help us make sense of the world: sadness, anger, fear, shame, acceptance, guilt, loneliness, and pain.
If we understand these feelings, communication moves from reactivity to intentionality. We can let go of our defensiveness and improve our teamwork.
What steps does Ken recommend we take to turn these feelings into tools that can benefit us?
- Step 1 - Don’t look at feelings as liabilities but as early warning signs.
- Step 2 - Honor and value your emotions. Become aware of them.
- Step 3 - Identify your personal emotions. Once you identify your emotions, utilize them.
Most importantly, PRACTICE recognizing and honoring your feelings!
BIO
Dr. Ken Dodge is a retired family physician who devoted 42 years to patient care after earning his MD from Wright State University and completing residency in Dayton, Ohio. With an undergraduate background in psychology from The Ohio State University, he developed a lifelong interest in relationships, emotional health, and personal growth.
Now retired from clinical practice as of June 2025, Ken coaches physicians, offering a compassionate, reflective space grounded in deep listening and respect for emotional and spiritual influences. He is passionate about helping physicians navigate challenges, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and cultivate greater balance and serenity.
Ken is married, a father of three, and a grandfather of five. He enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, and reading.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast, exercise physiology LiverTransplant Program member, Gil Spitz.
In many ways, physicians are like athletes. We're high performers always striving to be the best version of ourselves - often to our physical detriment.
Many physicians do things that are generally healthy, but they may not be doing exercises that properly train them for the rigors of a career in medicine. Instead of moving as fast as possible at all times, we should focus on precise movements that create specific outcomes. We need to train for what we do on a daily basis.
Just like you would see on a sports team, there are a variety of different positions that physicians play. For example, a open surgery requires a different set of training than laparoscopic surgery. Training for different situations is essential to prevent injuries..
What steps does Gil suggest we do to prevent injuries?
- Step 1 - Perform an honest physical check. How does your body feel? What hurts?
- Step 2 - Work with an exercise physiologist or another qualified professional to create a personalized plan that helps you sustain your career longer.
- Step 3 - Follow your plan with scheduled check-ins to evaluate what is working well and what you can improve.
Most importantly, PRACTICE personal injury prevention!
BIO:
Originally a classical musician, Gil Spitz shifted his focus to ergonomics and preventative exercise to help musicians with repetitive motion injuries. He furthered his expertise with an MS in Exercise Physiology, researching optimized training for first responders.
In 2019, he joined the Medical ICU team at Baylor/St. Luke’s Medical Center, developing and enacting exercise plans for medically compromised patients. Since 2021, he has been with the LiverTransplant Program, implementing a hospital-wide method for assessing transplant patients physical suitability, providing post-transplant follow-up, and developing a virtual pre-habilitation program to improve outcomes.
During this time he has worked with the surgical staff helping them prevent musculoskeletal and repetitive motion injuries. Gil has worked with providers both on a 1-on-1 basis, addressing specific needs and issues as well as presenting the topic of OR ergonomics, inter- & intra-op preventative exercises to incoming resident cohorts during an annual bootcamp at Baylor College of Medicine.
Social Media:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gil-spitz-088346138/
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes physician coach and family physician, Ken Dodge, MD, to the podcast.
As physicians, we often struggle to identify our needs. In fact, we often don't know the value. It's easy for us to get disconnected from our feelings and lack self-awareness.
If we understood our needs, it would make life much easier. We could set boundaries, be intentional, and have honest conversations. It's ironic because we spend all day telling patients what they need, yet we often don't know what we need ourselves.
If we're aware of our needs at any moment, we can have less self-judgment. Emotions often signal what is happening in our world and give us clues. If you become angry, it may indicate you need respect, fairness, or protection. When you understand your needs, the emotions you experience make more sense. By honoring your needs, you send a message to yourself that you matter.
What steps does Ken recommend we take to more effectively express our needs?
- Step 1 - Be intentional in knowing your needs by practicing self-reflection and observation.
- Step 2 - Ask yourself what you need right now that you wish someone would notice without you having to say anything.
- Step 3 - Practice vulnerability by sharing your needs with someone you trust, such as a spouse or close friend.
Most importantly, PRACTICE honoring and expressing your needs!
BIO
Dr. Ken Dodge is a retired family physician who devoted 42 years to patient care after earning his MD from Wright State University and completing residency in Dayton, Ohio. With an undergraduate background in psychology from The Ohio State University, he developed a lifelong interest in relationships, emotional health, and personal growth.
Now retired from clinical practice as of June 2025, Ken coaches physicians, offering a compassionate, reflective space grounded in deep listening and respect for emotional and spiritual influences. He is passionate about helping physicians navigate challenges, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and cultivate greater balance and serenity.
Ken is married, a father of three, and a grandfather of five. He enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, and reading.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes Richard A. Schaefer, MD, MPH, an orthopaedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins University, to the podcast.
Richard is a big fan of the concept of narrative medicine. It’s an intentional, reflective practice of medicine in which you take what you’re experiencing and put it into narrative form.
We use evidence-based medicine every day in practice. But narrative medicine is different. It’s about the importance of stories. Our own stories, as well as those of our colleagues and patients.
Narrative medicine can help us be better listeners to our patients and colleagues. It can also help increase our empathy and prevent burnout.
So what steps does Richard suggest we take to integrate a practice of narrative medicine?
- Step 1 – Explore the Humanities in Medical Literature
Many clinicians are unaware that academic journals often include sections dedicated to the humanities, the arts, and narrative medicine. Reading these pieces is an easy way to begin integrating reflective and humanistic perspectives into clinical practice. - Step 2 – Learn and Remember What Matters to Your Patients
Make a deliberate effort to understand personal details meaningful to your patients, such as family members, hobbies, milestones, or concerns. Document and revisit these details at future visits. Small acknowledgments can significantly strengthen trust and rapport. - Step 3 – Incorporate Narrative into Patient Communication
Use storytelling and attentive listening in clinical conversations. Invite patients to share their experiences, and frame explanations in ways that connect medical information to their personal stories.
Most importantly, PRACTICE narrative medicine!
BIO
Richard A. Schaefer, MD, MPH is an orthopaedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. He grew up in Buffalo, NY, after which he went to West Point followed by medical school at Tulane. He did his orthopaedic residency at the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Colorado, and orthopaedic oncology fellowship at Mayo Clinic. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins, Dr. Schaefer served for over 30 years in the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of colonel. He had a number of stateside and overseas assignments at military medical facilities, including two tours in Afghanistan. He received several military decorations and awards for his service, including the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge.
In addition to his clinical practice at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Schaefer is a medical student advisor, providing longitudinal school and career advising to a cohort of students from their first day and throughout the 4 years until they graduate. He has a variety of outside interests including travel, art, and sports, and is a lifelong die-hard fan of the Buffalo Bills.
Social Media:
Closler
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/closler/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/closler
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CLOSLER/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL2CyImH8fICsHrf9YGxEwg
X - https://twitter.com/CLOSLER
Website - https://closler.org/
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast retired orthopedic surgeon and leader, Dr. Richard Barry.
Oscar London was the pen name of a local internist, the late Dr. Arlen Cohn, who practiced in Berkeley, California for over 40 years. His 1987 book, Kill as Few Patients as Possible, is the crown jewel of medical satire.
Most medical textbooks are just full of hubris. London, in contrast, gave us a mission statement that was achievable, humble, and refreshingly honest. He didn't say heal all, he said please, for the love of God, just try not to kill too many.
Ultimately, it comes down to this: patients don't want arrogance, they want honesty. Oscar London insisted that patients remember how you made them feel, not your board scores. Curiosity is the first diagnostic test. Your job is to listen, make eye contact. If you're judging the patient, you've stopped listening.
What steps does Rich suggest we take to show up how we want to for patients?
- Step 1 - Be humble and approachable. Listen more than you talk, and make eye contact when you do.
- Step 2 - Have a life outside of work. Master the subtle art of doing nothing.
- Step 3 - Accept imperfection and embrace growth.
Most importantly, PRACTICE your version of “light reading”!
BIO
Rich Barry is a retired orthopaedic surgeon living in Northern California. Prior to medical school and residency, he served as an Air Force C-130 pilot on a combat tour in Vietnam. After serving in the Air Force, he was in private practice in Davis California for over 20 years. He served as a clinical faculty member for the U.C. Davis Department of Orthopaedics.Rich is a past-President of the California Orthopaedic Association and a past-Chair of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Board of Councilors. Rich and his wife remain active in the Lamplighters Orthopaedic Association, a leadership alumni group of Fellows and their spouses.He is married, and is very proud of their three children, and 4 grandchildren.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast retired orthopedic surgeon and leader, Dr. Richard Barry.
As surgeons, thoughtful introspection and honest communication are the keys to balancing our personal and emotional availability with our professional commitments.
Introspective communication refers to the practice of looking inward to examine one's thoughts, feelings, and motivations. It involves engaging in honest self-dialogue, which is crucial for understanding oneself and improving how we communicate with others. This form of communication can help clarify our intentions, desires, and values, leading to more meaningful interactions with others.
Starting in residency and continuing into practice, we need to regularly reassess our own behavioral patterns and make improvements where necessary.
Improved interpersonal communication is a teachable skill. We need to create wellness programs within our organizations that foster effective introspection and interpersonal communication skills.
What steps does Rich suggest we take to improve our introspection and communication skills?
- Step 1 - Reduce unspoken and unmet expectations.
- Step 2 - Be present and listen carefully.
- Step 3 - Encourage personal feedback.
Most importantly, PRACTICE introspective communication!
BIO
Rich Barry is a retired orthopaedic surgeon living in Northern California. Prior to medical school and residency, he served as an Air Force C-130 pilot on a combat tour in Vietnam. After serving in the Air Force, he was in private practice in Davis California for over 20 years. He served as a clinical faculty member for the U.C. Davis Department of Orthopaedics.Rich is a past-President of the California Orthopaedic Association and a past-Chair of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Board of Councilors. Rich and his wife remain active in the Lamplighters Orthopaedic Association, a leadership alumni group of Fellows and their spouses.He is married, and is very proud of their three children, and 4 grandchildren.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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In this episode of the SurgeonMastersPodcast, Jeffrey M. Smith, MD, FACS, PCC, and general surgeon and SurgeonMasters physician coach, Mindy Ho, MD, discuss their time at the 2025 American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in Chicago, where SurgeonMastershad an exhibit booth.
Many physicians, residents, and medical students have questions about the coaching model that show their curiosity and desire to grow.
- What is the real difference between coaching and mentoring?
- Does coaching need to happen in person, or can it be just as effective virtually?
We heard from medical students and residents, wondering:
- Can coaching actually benefit me during training?
- Isn’t coaching more for mid-career or late-career physicians?
We heard from mid-career and late-career surgeons asking:
- What does the process look like?
- How long does it take?
As our careers evolve, we might be busy caring for patients or managing administrative responsibilities that we forget to focus on our own growth in other areas we care about or our well-being.
- Does coaching really work?
- How does coaching affect wellness?
- What actually happens in a coaching conversation?
Mindy and Jeff explore all of these questions — and more — in this episode of The SurgeonMasters Podcast.
Listen now to hear how coaching applies across every stage of a medical career, and how it can support you in finding clarity, growth, and purpose — wherever you are on your journey.
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BIO:
Mindy Ho, MD, MBA
I am a board-certified General Surgeon with over 20 years of experience in medicine, working in both private practice and hospital employed settings. A native of the Midwest, I returned to Indiana after completing my residency in the Chicago area. While building a thriving career as a general surgeon, I concurrently pursued my MBA and embraced my most rewarding role yet, becoming a mother of three.
[Learn more about Mindy]
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast board-certified psychiatrist and performance coach, Ryan Davis, MD. Ryan works with elite athletes and high-level professionals, including professional golfers on the LPGA tour.
Routine is important.
Through the lens of a golfer, it's important to have a pre-shot routine and a post-shot routine. This means that every single time a golfer steps up to the ball, they do the exact same thing. After taking the shot, they also take the exact same actions while thinking about what they liked and didn't like about the shot. This allows for consistency, and helps tamp down intrusive thoughts.
This can be applied in the realm of medicine too. As surgeons, we sometimes go off script by doing things differently than normal for one reason or another. But when we can stick to our routines, that's when the best outcomes occur.
What steps does Ryan suggest we take to stick to our routines?
- Step 1 - Develop a routine and know what it is. Many people already have a routine without even knowing it. Identify the elements of your routine so you can make sure you implement those steps regularly.
- Step 2 - If you notice you're falling off your routine, ask yourself why. Sometimes there is a justifiable reason, but in most cases it's best to stick to that routine.
- Step 3 - Refine your routine over time to optimize your performance and achieve your best results.
Most importantly, PRACTICE your routine to reach peak performance!
BIO
Dr. Davis is a Harvard trained, board-certified psychiatrist with advanced performance coach training. While not at the office Dr. Davis is a 3-time marathon runner, die-hard University of Michigan and Detroit sports enthusiast, and most importantly, an obsessed golfer.
Dr. Davis helps his clients gain insight into their psyche as it relates to their sport and personal life. Dr. Davis’ background allows him to offer unique mental coaching, creating resilient and driven athletes who live more purposeful lives. Dr. Davis provides performance coaching for elite athletes, teams, as well as business executives.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast retired orthopedic surgeon and leader, Dr. Richard Barry.
We should all strive to achieve a lightness of being in our everyday relationships. Lightness is a transferable personality and management skill.
The term “lightness of being” refers to the deeper concept of a life lived with openness, humor, and humility. In other words, it’s about living with less attachment (or less heaviness), and more lightness.
In a practical sense, lightness of being means letting go of guilt, resentment, or control to move through life with a freer spirit. Lightness involves connection (whether it’s a patient connection, dealing with hospital staff, or spending time at home with our families). In all these situations, we should strive to be fully present in the present moment.
What steps does Rich suggest we take to shift our mindset from heaviness to lightness of being?
- Step 1 - Reframe seriousness. Life if serious enough. Ask yourself “does this need to be heavy or can I hold it lightly?” Shift the narrative from “I have to” to “I get to” which flips burden into opportunity.
- Step 2 - Look upon impermanence as freedom. Situations, feelings, and identities shift. This change in perspective allows you to loosen your grip.
- Step 3 - Choose small over big. Heaviness often comes from trying to solve everything at once. Break big tasks into smaller tasks that you can celebrate finishing.
Most importantly, PRACTICE your own lightness of being!
BIO
Rich Barry is a retired orthopaedic surgeon living in Northern California. Rich has a somewhat unique background. Prior to medical school and residency, he served as an Air Force C-130 pilot on a combat tour in Vietnam. He returned to the States with an assignment as a T-38 instructor pilot before being selected to attend medical school on an Air Force scholarship. After residency, he served as an Air Force orthopaedic surgeon at Travis AFB, California. After serving in the Air Force, he was in private practice in Davis California for over 20 years. He served as a clinical faculty member for the U.C. Davis Department of Orthopaedics.
Rich is a past-President of the California Orthopaedic Association and a past-Chair of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Board of Councilors. He served on the AAOS’ Board of Directors. He has been honored with the California Orthopaedic Association’s Founders Award and the COA’s 2011 Tipton Leadership Award. Rich and his wife remain active in the Lamplighters Orthopaedic Association, a leadership alumni group of Fellows and their spouses.
Since retirement, Rich has remained active in his community. He served as a physician at a Solano County Health Services inner-city, primary care clinic in Vallejo for several years. He was the Chairman of the Solano County Board of Supervisors Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board. He served as a member of the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team for over 5 years.
Rich is a disabled veteran. He is married, and is very proud of their three children, and 4 grandchildren.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist, Nicholette Kasman, MD, MAPP.
Just as there’s a big difference between the absence of illness and health, there’s a difference between flourishing and simply not suffering. Applied positive psychology is the study of what contributes to flourishing.
It’s a human tendency to have a negativity bias. Although we’re constantly looking to fix ourselves and our problems, our greatest area for growth is to lean into our strengths.
This is all applicable to the lives of physicians. When we strive for excellence, we tend to lean into that negativity bias of trying to fix everything around us. That can lead to people feeling browbeaten. If you instead train someone to look for their own strengths and the strengths in those around them, people start to feel seen and engaged. That is the foundation of psychological safety and exceptional clinical work.
What steps does Nicholette suggest we take to integrate positive psychology into the operating room?
- Step 1 - Develop a vocabulary of strengths. Take a strength survey or use another resource to grow your awareness.
- Step 2 - Start looking for the strengths in other people by noticing what they get excited about.
- Step 3 - Point out those strengths. When you name the strength you see in another person, it makes them feel seen and empowered.
Most importantly, PRACTICE identifying strengths in ourselves and others!
BIO:
Nicholette Kasman, MD, MAPP, is a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist and Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesia at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She holds a master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and is a certified coach with additional training as a positive psychology coach. Her work focuses on enhancing well-being, psychological safety, and professional growth in academic medicine. She is a lead author of Team Building Through Positive Psychology Principles in the Pediatric Cardiac Operating Room (NEJM Catalyst) and was recently featured on SurgeonMasters discussing the use of strengths to support thriving in surgery and medicine.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Professional Certified Coach, Lynn Bagdasian.
Practicing gratitude can make life so much better. There’s so much chaos and stress in the world around us as physicians. Implementing a gratitude practice into our daily lives releases dopamine and can reduce stress.
When we express gratitude as a habit, we transform everyday routines into rituals. Think about something you do every day, like washing your hands, brushing your teeth, or making coffee. We do these so often that they become routine. But if we incorporate a gratitude practice into those behaviors, they become mindfulness rituals.
What steps does Lynn suggest we take to create a daily gratitude ritual?
- Step 1 - Think of 3 things that you’re grateful for. It doesn’t have to be big things, it can be simple things like running water, or sharing a conversation with your kids.
- Step 2 - Think of a routine habit that you do every day (ex. brushing your teeth or washing your hands).
- Step 3 - Incorporate the three things that you’re grateful for into these three routine daily tasks to form a mindfulness gratitude ritual.
Most importantly, PRACTICE a gratitude ritual for well-being!
BIO:
Lynn Bagdasian is the founder of Lynn Bagdasian Life Coaching, LLC, where she specializes in empowering clients to gain insight & clarity and reach their full potential. She earned her Certified Professional Coach (CPC) credential through the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and holds a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) accreditation with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Lynn holds a certification as a Grief Educator from David Kessler+grief.com, and is an iPEC Energy Leadership Master Practitioner.
Lynn serves as a volunteer, training and mentoring Tanzanian Coaches to support the next generation of East African women leaders.
When she's not coaching clients, leading workshops in her community or volunteering, Lynn enjoys spending time with her family & friends, meeting new people and traveling around the world. She is happiest when she is helping others create the life of their dreams.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast board-certified psychiatrist and performance coach, Ryan Davis, MD.
Ryan works with elite athletes and high-level professionals - most of whom are type A go-getters. While it’s a personality type that can take you far, it doesn’t always lead to a balanced life. Life balance is a bit of a cliche - it’s something we talk about a lot, but not attainable for many of us, and not one we strive to achieve.
One way to think about balancing priorities is like a tripod made up of three key components: self-care, career, and relationships. While these components may differ from person to person, they often represent the pillars of a fulfilling life. As a thought experiment, imagine forming a tripod with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger, connected by a rubber band. When you pull on one finger—putting more time and energy into that area—you increase the tension on the others. This simple exercise illustrates how shifting focus in one part of life can create strain in the others.
There will always be a give and take among our big three components. When we become unaware and the balance is disrupted, it can lead to burnout.
What steps does Ryan suggest we take to bring awareness to our work-life balance?
- Step 1 - Remember, we only have 100% to give. It’s important to realize that we only have so much to give.
- Step 2 - Consider what your “components” are. You don't need to limit yourself to just three; instead, make a list of your top 3-5 areas where you want to spend your time.
- Step 3 - Consider how you want to divide your 100%. How much do you want to allocate to your career, family, self-care, etc.?
Most importantly, PRACTICE your life balancing act!
BIO
Dr. Davis is a Harvard-trained, board-certified psychiatrist with advanced performance coach training. While not at the office Dr. Davis is a 3-time marathon runner, die-hard University of Michigan and Detroit sports enthusiast, and most importantly, an obsessed golfer.
Dr. Davis helps his clients gain insight into their psyche as it relates to their sport and personal life. Dr. Davis’ background allows him to offer unique mental coaching, creating resilient and driven athletes who live more purposeful lives. Dr. Davis provides performance coaching for elite athletes, teams, as well as business executives.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes ENT surgeon and professional coach Dr. Mel Thacker to the podcast.
There’s a fallacy among physicians that we have to show up in the clinic as the all-knowing ego in the white coat who has all the answers. But when we approach treatment this way, it actually disconnects us from our patients.
We need to learn how to step out of the hero identity because when we define ourselves as heroes, our patients often become victims. When we approach patient care humbly without the mindset that we’re “better” than our patients, it can create much better outcomes.
Instead of disempowering the patient, we lay out the situation as it currently stands and explain the options available. This invites the patient to become the creator of their own lives by giving them their power back.
What steps does Mel suggest we do to shift our mindset?
- Step 1 - Anytime you are feeling like a victim and you want to blame someone or something, ask yourself what you can create from this.
- Step 2 - Recognize when you see your patients inviting you into a collaboration of care.
- Step 3 - Try to move yourself out of the “hero” mindset and into a “coaching” mindset.
Most importantly, PRACTICE shifting your mindset from hero to coach!
BIO
Mel Thacker, MD, PCC, DipABLM, is a fellowship-trained rhinologist/otolaryngologist, professional certified coach, and lifestyle medicine specialist.
In December 2024, she left her successful surgical career to focus exclusively on coaching surgeons. Her mission is to help them reclaim purpose, clarity, and control in their lives.
She is also the host of the groundbreaking podcast, Surgeons with Purpose, and the Founder of Empowered Surgeons Group, a program that will teach you everything you didn't learn in surgical training.
Follow her on Instagram here
Connect on LinkedIn here
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast, Quality Improvement Executive Leadership Consultant, Margie Nelson, MS, MT, EMT, CPXP.
Margie has spent the past 20 years as a hospital quality and safety specialist handling risk, quality improvement, and communication enhancement.
Physicians are generally recognized as healers, but when they’re first thrown into a leadership position, physicians are less likely to have experience in leading people (especially other physicians). When taking roles that require supervision of people, there’s a different skill set you need to develop to become a great leader.
A few simple actions can make all the difference in building trust among your team.
What steps does Margie suggest to improve communication and trust among your team?
- Step 1 - Create an action plan. That means living your own values so that your team leads in the same way you do.
- Step 2 - Embrace teamwork. Advocate for your team. Celebrate their wins. Discuss when things go wrong.
- Step 3 - Instill trust. Build a culture of collective excellence and elevate your team by your own leadership example.
Most importantly, PRACTICE intentional communication to lead your team!
BIO
Margie Nelson, MS, MT, EMT, CPXP, is a Quality Improvement Executive Leadership Consultant with a demonstrated history of working with hospital and healthcare systems on quality, safety and patient experience of care. Most recently she added Physician Wellness to her skills administering a Physician Coaching program at Envision Healthcare which made a significant impact on physician wellness and improvement of quality and safety scores. Margie’s education and training include a BS and MS from the George Washington University in Medical Technology and Healthcare Quality and Safety. She has worked on both sides of the care and regulatory aspects of Healthcare and continues to bring value to physician relationships with patients, leaders and colleagues.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast, Quality Improvement Executive Leadership Consultant, Margie Nelson, MS, MT, EMT, CPXP.
Margie has spent the past 20 years as a hospital quality and safety specialist handling risk, quality improvement, and communication enhancement.
Margie has recognized that quality of care is directly related to how well a patient understands what the physician is telling them. Many physicians don’t always have time to develop the relationship that the patient requires to build that trust and desire to take care of themselves.
Effective communication between physicians and their teams is foundational. Physicians need strong communication skills with peers and leadership, as well as with their patients. Often strong communication in one area will positively impact the others.
What steps does Margie suggest to improve communication between physician leaders, physician reports, and ultimately, patients?
- Step 1 - Set the expectation that colleagues can always come to you with questions, challenges, or suggestions.
- Step 2 - Exhibit the characteristics that you want to see in others.
- Step 3 - Acknowledge existing challenges and ask for partnership in solving those challenges.
Most importantly, PRACTICE improving how you communicate!
BIO
Margie Nelson, MS, MT, EMT, CPXP, is a Quality Improvement Executive Leadership Consultant with a demonstrated history of working with hospital and healthcare systems on quality, safety and patient experience of care. Most recently, she added Physician Wellness to her skills, administering a Physician Coaching program at Envision Healthcare, which made a significant impact on physician wellness and improvement of quality and safety scores. Margie’s education and training include a BS and MS from the George Washington University in Medical Technology and Healthcare Quality and Safety. She has worked on both sides of the care and regulatory aspects of Healthcare and continues to bring value to physician relationships with patients, leaders and colleagues.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes ENT surgeon and professional coach Dr. Mel Thacker to the podcast.
Each of us carries two inner selves — the essential self and the social self. When these two are in harmony, we’re capable of extraordinary things. But when they’re out of alignment, it can lead to dissatisfaction, stress, or burnout.
The essential self is our true nature — who we are at our core, from birth. The social self is the identity we build over time to meet the expectations of others. As infants, we cry when we’re upset — pure essential self. As adults, we may feel like crying but force a smile to keep others comfortable — the social self at work.
So how do we bring these two selves into balance? Dr. Thacker offers three key steps:
- Step 1 - Recognize that most of us are living unconsciously. We tell ourselves we’ll be happy after we attain the next milestone. This is the arrival fallacy. Instead, we need to live consciously.
- Step 2 - Explore your earliest memories and consider why they stand out. These moments can offer valuable insights into your essential self — the version of you that existed before external expectations took over.
- Step 3 - Consider working with a coach to explore, identify, and integrate your essential and social selves. A coach can help you uncover unconscious patterns and align your path with who you truly are..
Most importantly, PRACTICE being your essential self!
BIO
Mel Thacker, MD, PCC, DipABLM is a fellowship-trained rhinologist/otolaryngologist, professional certified coach, and lifestyle medicine specialist.
After two years in academics, she realized how much she valued autonomy and pivoted to private practice, serving a Massachusetts community for nearly a decade. But when panic attacks and insomnia took hold, she turned to coaching—transforming the most emotionally painful year of her life into her greatest teacher. She emerged on the other side as a better human, clinician, surgeon, wife, mother, and friend. After that experience, her work evolved from taking care of patients to resourcing her fellow surgeons.
- Watch her TEDx talk, "How to Save Lives with Two Minutes of Listening," here.
- Her second TEDx talk, "Seeing Beyond the Red Swans," will be available in Spring 2025.
She is also the host of the groundbreaking podcast, Surgeons with Purpose, and the Founder of Empowered Surgeons Group, a program that will teach you everything you didn't learn in surgical training.
Social Media:
Follow her on Instagram hereConnect on LinkedIn here
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast pediatrician, startup founder, and people connector, Dr. Zhen Chan.
In addition to earning his medical degree, Zhen earned an MBA during the middle of his residency, which offered a unique perspective.
Zhen is most passionate about solving large pain points for the healthcare industry. One of the main ways he pursues this goal is through networking with people in healthcare - not just those in the clinical sphere, but those behind the scenes as well.
As physicians, we go through med school and residency and the education and training process is primarily focused on the clinical aspects of medicine. But practicing medicine in the modern day system requires at least a baseline knowledge of many other things (operations, informatics, management, insurance, etc.) That’s not standardized in our medical training so we need to find ways to fill those gaps in our training. One of the best ways to do that is through making connections.
What steps does Zhen suggest we take to make better connections?
- Step 1 - Reach out to one other physician. Many physicians are hesitant to do this, but quite often, the person you’re reaching out to wants to provide advice or mentorship.
- Step 2 - Make networking a part of your life. That way, the world gets a lot smaller and you’ll have better options when you’re looking for new opportunities.
- Step 3 - Reach out to another physician with similar interests and continue this process to make networking a regular part of your life.
Most importantly, PRACTICE building connections through networking!
BIO: Zhen Chan, MD MBA FAAP
Healthcare Management | Pediatrics | Physician
Dr. Zhen is a pediatrician in Washington, DC with an MD and an MBA in Health Management and Policy. He is actively developing a career that integrates his interests in healthcare strategy and emerging health technology that can make a scalable impact on patient care outcomes, access, equity, and physician well-being.
He worked for one year in a healthcare venture capital company focused on pediatric health innovation as a Venture Fellow and later a Senior Associate. During residency, he was a Co-Chair of the Housestaff Quality Council at Weill Cornell Medicine, QI Captain for the primary care center where he had his pediatric continuity clinic, and an Advocacy Co-Chair for the pediatric department. He has extensive experience leading quality improvement initiatives and advocacy projects focusing on childhood obesity, HPV vaccinations, and food insecurity.
Currently, Dr. Zhen is the founder and CEO of Grapevyne, a pioneering physician job search platform that leverages physician peer-to-peer referrals to address the physician shortage crisis and issues around physician burnout by improving how physicians choose jobs and match to communities that need them.
Certifications: Board Certification in Pediatrics, Licensed in DC, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, IHI
Open School Basic Certification in Quality & Patient Safety
Awards: Distinguished Housestaff Award, Gold Humanism Honor Society, VC University Scholarship Recipient, MD MBA Scholarship Recipient
Social Media:
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and Chief Medical Officer at Connecticut Orthopaedics, Dr. Alan Reznik.
There’s an old saying - “hire slow, fire fast” - which essentially means to take your time hiring the right candidate for the job and, if you have a bad employee, get rid of them quickly so that a single bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch. Sometimes making a good hire can boost everyone's morale, while making a bad hire can destroy the office culture you’ve built.
That all sounds good, but how do you hire a good employee?
When hiring for a position, there are certain protocols you can follow to make sure you’re doing everything within your power to make a good hire.
What steps does Alan suggest we take to hire good people?
- Step 1 - Vision - Have a well-defined job description and know what you’re looking for in the role to properly evaluate a candidate’s skill set.
- Step 2 - Evaluation - Meet with the prospective employee and get a sense of what they think the job entails to see if that matches your vision for the position.
- Step 3 - Fit - Finally, the prospective employee must be a good fit for the organization. How will they fit with the rest of the team?
Most importantly, PRACTICE a system for hiring good people!
BIO: Alan Reznik, MD, MBA
Dr. Reznik is a practicing orthopaedic surgeon and involved in medical teaching for over 30 years. He is recognized as one of “America’s Top Physicians” by Consumers Research Council of America and named “Top Doc” in Connecticut over 20 times by his orthopaedic surgeon peers, physicians, nurses and patients. He has served on many committees for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons including editorial board of AAOS Now. He has written "The Knee and Shoulder Handbook, the keys to a pain-free and active life" and "I have fallen and I can get up" on fall risks and prevention. An inventor, he holds 8 patents. He has lectured on patient safety, surgical risk reduction and AI development, liability and ethical use.
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Jeff welcomes to the podcast anesthesiologist and physician coach, Scott Markowitz, MD.
There’s always the potential for things to spiral out of control in the OR. When that happens, it can be helpful to be pulled back from the situation by a trusted colleague who can help you view the situation objectively and bump you back into being your best self. Sometimes it’s not feasible to do that in the OR itself. If that’s the case, there will likely be opportunities throughout the rest of the day to connect with a trusted colleague. Doing this consistently over time can help you build stronger professional relationships and make you less likely to derail when things get hectic.
In medicine, there are a lot of “villain” or “victim” narratives that we’re exposed to throughout our education and training. It’s important to recognize and move past those and move from a problem mindset to an outcome mindset. Nurturing a professional relationship with your colleagues goes a long way in recognizing the shared outcomes that we’re all striving towards.
Remember that it’s difficult to build a relationship when one or both people are activated. It’s so easy to destroy trust. In order to build trust you need to recognize when the time is right and wrong to approach a complex conversation. Address these important issues when both parties are not activated for optimal outcomes.
What steps does Scott suggest we take to build trust?
- Step 1 - Develop Professional Relationships with Colleagues. This can make you less likely to derail and more likely to “re-rail” when things go poorly.
- Step 2 - Avoid Villain and Victim Narratives. These only work to divide us and prevent us from achieving our shared goals.
- Step 3 - Explicitly State Shared Goals. This can be extremely helpful in resetting us from villain or victim stories and recognizing that we’re all pushing the same rock up the hill.
Most importantly, practice an outcome mindset!
BIO:
Scott D. Markowitz, MD, MSOL, FAAP, BCC (he, him, his) is the Chief Executive Officer of Physician Leadership, LLC, and serves as a Leadership Coach with the Chimera Leadership Group. In his clinical career, Dr. Markowitz held the position of Professor of Anesthesiology and Vice-Chair for Professional Development and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Washington University in St. Louis. There, he spearheaded the establishment of an office dedicated to measuring departmental culture, engagement, and wellbeing. Dr. Markowitz has been instrumental in producing and sponsoring programs aimed at fostering engagement, resilience, professional development, and a more diverse and inclusive leadership environment. He co-chairs the subcommittee on harassment, incivility, and disrespect for the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and serves on the advisory board for the Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Initiative of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia. In this role, he co-developed their leadership curriculum and chairs the curriculum committee.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast physician and physician coach, Scott Markowitz, MD.
When working in the OR, situations sometimes arise that activate the people in the room (whether it be surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, or others). That activation can be caused by a variety of issues from inefficiencies, to scheduling conflicts. Once activated, people often carry that with them into the next experience.
The same thing happens on the other side of the drape which can cause situations to become increasingly tense. When that happens it’s important to take a step back and realize that everyone ultimately has the same goal - to provide excellent care to the patient.
What steps does Scott suggest we take to improve the environment in the operating room when it feels like parties are at odds with one another?
- Step 1 - Take a Moment. Step back from the situation and try to evaluate it objectively. Recognize if you or the other party is being negatively impacted by outside forces (perhaps you didn’t sleep well the night before), and understand that you both ultimately want what’s best for the patient.
- Step 2 - Build Relationships. This doesn’t happen overnight, but if you build up good professional relationships with your team, there will likely be less friction in the room. When you have a long-standing rapport, you can recognize when your colleague is being sarcastic or when they’re having a bad day.
- Step 3 - Communicate Openly & Effectively. Honest communication among colleagues is also key inside and outside the OR. If something happens that activates you, don’t let it fester. Communicate your concerns in a professional manner.
Most importantly, PRACTICE understanding the other side of the drape!
BIO:
Scott D. Markowitz, MD, MSOL, FAAP, BCC (he, him, his) is the Chief Executive Officer of Physician Leadership, LLC, and serves as a Leadership Coach with the Chimera Leadership Group. In his clinical career, Dr. Markowitz held the position of Professor of Anesthesiology and Vice-Chair for Professional Development and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Washington University in St. Louis. There, he spearheaded the establishment of an office dedicated to measuring departmental culture, engagement, and wellbeing. Dr. Markowitz has been instrumental in producing and sponsoring programs aimed at fostering engagement, resilience, professional development, and a more diverse and inclusive leadership environment. He co-chairs the subcommittee on harassment, incivility, and disrespect for the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and serves on the advisory board for the Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Initiative of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia. In this role, he co-developed their leadership curriculum and chairs the curriculum Committee.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast board-certified orthopedic surgeon and chief medical officer at Connecticut Orthopedics, Dr. Alan Reznik.
In the field of surgery, introverts and extroverts behave differently in situations where communication is important. Introverts tend to need more time to formulate answers and might agree with an extrovert who has taken the lead in a situation. Extroverts, on the other hand, tend to formulate answers more quickly and jump in with ideas.
If you want a good opinion from an introvert, you may need to tip them off ahead of time that a question will come up in a meeting. This gives them some lead time to process and hopefully share their opinions before the meeting. Conversely, it’s often good to couch their answers with a perspective and agree with them that they’re providing valuable information when dealing with an extrovert.
In the operating room, the surgeon is likely extroverted, even if they don’t know it. This can deters others in the room from speaking up. It’s important to know that you are open to hearing ideas from everyone in the operating room - especially the introverts.
What steps does Alan suggest we take to manage introverts and extroverts inside and outside the OR?
- Step 1 - Understand the power you hold in the room as a surgeon.
- Step 2 - Foster an environment where introverts and extroverts feel comfortable speaking up.
Most importantly, PRACTICE awareness of personality types!
Guest Bio: Alan Reznik, MD, MBA
Dr. Reznik is a practicing orthopaedic surgeon and involved in medical teaching for over 30 years. He is recognized as one of “America’s Top Physicians” by Consumers Research Council of America and named “Top Doc” in Connecticut over 20 times by his orthopaedic surgeon peers, physicians, nurses and patients. He has served on many committees for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons including editorial board of AAOS Now. He has written "The Knee and Shoulder Handbook, the keys to a pain-free and active life" and "I have fallen and I can get up"on fall risks and prevention. An inventor, he holds 8 patents. He has lectured on patient safety, surgical risk reduction and AI development, liability and ethical use.
"It is with the understanding of differing perspectives, combining disciplines, constant collaboration, and an open mind that one achieves the best path forward." Dr. Alan Reznik
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Jeff welcomes to the podcast cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, executive coach, and advocate for those affected by Long Covid, Dr. Zeest Khan.
In 2020, Dr. Khan contracted Covid and her health deteriorated to such an extent that she was no longer able to work. Eventually, she was diagnosed with Long Covid and on the long road to recovery. As a result of this experience, Dr. Khan has pivoted her career to helping others with complex illnesses safely navigate the healthcare system.
As surgeons, we deal with crises all the time. In training, we learn skills to get us through scary and dangerous situations. We’re not just on salvage missions. Rather, we’re trying to optimize for good outcomes for our patients. These crisis management skills can be used to deal with situations in both our professional and personal lives.
What steps does Dr. Khan suggest we do to manage crises and optimize outcomes?
- Step 1 - Use reliable processes. When presented with a stressful situation, even as physicians our senses and executive functioning can fail us. Approaching an emergency with a reliable process that you’ve used before is a great way to handle a crisis.
- Step 2 - Use reliable procedures. Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t need to. When you’re in a difficult situation, ask yourself - “what works for you?” Focus on these approaches that have worked in the past.
- Step 3 - Use your team and available resources. In operating rooms specifically, it’s essential that everyone in the room is helping in a specific way. Each one of us can’t do everything, so it’s important to rely on our team and available resources.
Most importantly, prepare and PRACTICE crisis management!
BIO:
Dr. Zeest Khan is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, executive coach, and advocate for those affected by Long Covid. Disabled by the disease herself, Dr. Khan uses her unique perspective to bridge the divide between medical and patient communities. She is the creator and host of LongCovidMD, a podcast where she shares her journey, delves into the medical science behind Long Covid, and offers an inside look at the healthcare system. Through her work, Dr. Khan offers valuable insights and support for those navigating complex health challenges. Find her work at LongCovidMD.substack.com
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopaedic surgeon and educator, Alan Reznik, MD.
It’s a simple fact in the medical industry that everything works better when goals are aligned. Aligning your goals with the goals of your team members is a great way to better optimize your practice. Goals can vary widely between different employees - from improving patient outcomes, to simply going home at a certain time of day.
When goals are at odds with each other, things can get out of balance pretty quickly and lead to poor outcomes for both patients and medical staff.
What steps does Alan suggest we do to align our goals?
- Step 1 - Think about what makes you happy and why you’re doing the things you’re doing during your daily work routine.
- Step 2 - Check to see if those around you are thinking and acting the same way you are, making sure goals are aligned.
- Step 3 - If they’re not, try to realign things (financially, emotionally, mentally, etc.) so that everyone is on the same page and working toward the same ultimate goals.
**Most importantly, PRACTICE goal alignment to experience professional wellness!
BIO - Alan Reznik, MD, MBA**
Dr. Reznik is a practicing orthopaedic surgeon and involved in medical teaching for over 30 years. He is recognized as one of “America’s Top Physicians” by Consumers Research Council of America and named “Top Doc” in Connecticut over 20 times by his orthopaedic surgeon peers, physicians, nurses and patients. He has served on many committees for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons including editorial board of AAOS Now. He has written "The Knee and Shoulder Handbook, the keys to a pain-free and active life" and "I have fallen and I can get up" on fall risks and prevention. An inventor, he holds 8 patents. He has lectured on patient safety, surgical risk reduction and AI development, liability and ethical use.
"It is with the understanding of differing perspectives, combining disciplines, constant collaboration, and an open mind that one achieves the best path forward." Dr. Alan Reznik
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Chief Medical Officer of the Lorna Breen Foundation, Emergency Medicine Physician, and physician coach, Stefanie Simmons.
On this episode, Jeff and Stefanie discuss the need for better support for physician mental health in the healthcare system. In training, residents and fellows are often in vulnerable situations, as they do everything they can to succeed while dealing with stress and other factors like medical school debt. Faced with these challenges and more, many residents simply put their heads down and grind it out, rather than getting the help they need to succeed.
Then in practice, many physicians are hesitant to seek mental health services for themselves because they’re afraid it may impact their ability to get licensed, credentialed, or employed. Almost everywhere, simply having therapy is not going to require disclosure if there isn’t an impairing diagnosis. We need to make it easier and less taboo for physicians in all stages of their careers to seek mental health when necessary.
What steps does Stefanie suggest we take to address mental health concerns?
- Step 1 - Seek Counseling when you need it. Don’t assume that it’s not safe to receive mental healthcare if you need it. Check with your specific hospital or system to see what their practices are and don’t sacrifice your mental health.
- Step 2 - Consider Coaching. Speaking with a like-minded colleague in a coaching capacity is another excellent option for dealing with stressors.
**Most importantly, PRACTICE seeking mental health resources to experience well-being!
Guest Bio: Stefanie Simmons, MD, FACEP**
Stefanie is the Chief Medical Officer at the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation and a board-certified emergency medicine physician. She was the primary advisor to NIOSH for the Impact WellbeingTM guide for healthcare leaders, leads multi-state programs to improve the operational environment of care and remove barriers to mental health care, and serves as a national thought leader in healthcare worker well-being. Stefanie served as the Vice President of Patient and Clinician Experience for Envision over 7 years, serving 26,000 physicians and advanced practice providers with a focus on professional well-being, including translational research and programs designed to bring well-being best practices to clinical environments. She served as lead clinical faculty for the Clinician Experience Project Wellbeing program.
Stefanie earned her Bachelor of Science and Medical Doctor degrees from University of Michigan and completed residency training at the University of Michigan/St. Joseph Mercy emergency medicine residency. She has completed additional training in medical education, research methods, coaching, and positive organizational psychology.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast CEO of Vital WorkLife, Mitch Best.
Burnout in the healthcare industry is prevalent among physicians and healthcare executives, driven by an inefficient system where critical decisions are made daily. These decisions often carry an immense emotional toll, including grief.
For the system to function at its best, everyone involved must experience wellness. Achieving this requires two key steps: 1) changing the system, and 2) cultivating healthy wellness habits. Reaching this goal will take a collective effort. It’s essential to continue identifying meaningful support resources to help physicians and healthcare executives mitigate burnout and stress.
What steps does Mitch suggest we take to mitigate burnout and stress among healthcare leaders?
- Step 1 - Talk About It. Speaking with a peer about the things that are causing burnout and stress can go a long way towards mitigation.
- Step 2 - Create a Culture of Optimism. This is one of the key components of combating burnout among leaders and their medical staff.
- Step 3 - Seek Help When Needed. Holding a healthcare leadership role can be quite isolating. Building relationships (whether formal or informal) with like-minded professionals can go a long way in alleviating burnout.
Most importantly, practice techniques to mitigate burnout!
About Mitch Best
As the CEO of VITAL WorkLife for over a decade, Mitch guides the company's vision, directs the senior leadership team, and works towards achieving organizational objectives. His focus extends to empowering hundreds of thousands of physicians and APPs, enabling them to reach their full potential, all while fostering a vibrant and celebrated company culture.
He began with the company in 2001 as Director of Business Development, moved up to Vice President in 2004, became COO in 2008, and eventually acquired the company in 2013.
With a background in behavioral health consulting and diverse industry expertise, Mitch infuses his work with passion and enthusiasm, offering a quick start nature, servant leadership and diligent oversight. He has also been actively engaged in executive and mental health & well-being industry groups for more than 15 years.
Mitch, a Minnesota native, resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children, emphasizing work-life balance through family time and an active lifestyle. He holds a BA in psychology from the University of Minnesota.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast, hip & knee arthroplasty surgeon, Dr. Peter Gold.
Out of all surgical subspecialties, orthopedic surgeons have the highest rate of suicide. Rates of burnout and depression are similarly bad among orthopedic surgeons. Too often, we get caught up in these numbers and can’t see the forest for the trees.
The qualities required to become a great surgeon set us up for both success and failure. In general, we have stressful jobs; we’re perfectionists; and we have bad self-care habits. Additionally, we like quick fixes. But taking care of yourself is not a quick fix.
What steps does Peter suggest we do to practice better self-care as surgeons?
- Step 1 - Forget the numbers. It’s easy to get wrapped up in statistics surrounding burnout, depression, and suicide. We need to look past these numbers and accept that these issues impact surgeons.
- Step 2 - Recognize the effects. Once you accept the fact that burnout and depression are prevalent in our profession, the next step is to start recognizing their effects. Start to notice when these things impact you and how.
- Step 3 - Return to your source of joy. Think about the things that bring you joy in life. Maybe you love playing golf or cooking food for your family. Whatever your source of joy, return to it when you’re feeling stressed out.
Most importantly, PRACTICE self care for improved well-being!
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Jeff welcomes to the podcast Bradley Block, otolaryngologist and host of the podcast, the Physician’s Guide to Doctoring.
Brad started his podcast because he was looking for resources to help him communicate better with his patients. He covers a variety of topics that are geared towards assisting physicians to be the best version of themselves in and out of the exam room.
In any given doctor-patient encounter, both parties want the same thing: to move in the direction of better health. During the encounter, there’s what the physician wants out of it and what the patient wants out of it. The physician wants to acquire the information needed to arrive at a diagnosis. The patient wants to be heard. So how do we?
What steps does Bradley suggest we do to make both of these things happen more efficiently and effectively?
- Step 1 - Look the patient in the eye long enough to note the color of their eyes. A lot of times, when we enter the exam room, we are reviewing notes or charts and may not proactively address the patient. This only takes a few extra seconds, but goes a long way to making the patient feel seen.
- Step 2 - Notice something about the patient. This can be something as trivial as what the patient is wearing, or asking if they have any upcoming plans. This makes it obvious that you are recognizing the patient as more than just the sum of their symptoms.
- Step 3 - Ask the patient what worries them about their symptoms. This is called asking the question behind the question. It’s one thing to ask a patient about their symptoms, but asking them what worries them about those symptoms takes things to another level.
Most importantly, practice improving patient interactions!
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast hip and knee arthroplasty surgeon, patient and peer advocate, Dr. Peter Gold.
Physicians can gain valuable insights by seeing things from the patient's perspective. Dr. Gold tragically gained this perspective in 2015 when he was shot in the stomach while trying to stop a robbery. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and is now thriving as a practicing surgeon. Experiencing trauma surgery as a patient was an eye-opening experience for him.
Physicians have a lot to manage in patient care, but there are times when we should slow down to recognize that patients might be scared, worried, or nervous, and often don't know what's going on. Knowing that probability can help us become better physicians and connect more easily with patients.
Slow down. Pause.
If you ensure your patient understands what you're saying, you will likely assuage their fears. That’s when we should display confidence and impart knowledge as physicians.
What steps does Peter suggest we take to see things from a patient’s perspective?
- Step 1 - Remember that patients are likely scared, stressed, or experiencing other negative emotions. This might be just another Tuesday for you, but for your patient, this is a new or difficult experience.
- Step 2 - Slow down. Taking a moment to slow yourself down when talking to a patient can make a huge difference. It shows that you care about their situation.
- Step 3 - Convey and boost confidence by imparting knowledge. Tell your patient what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re going to do about their situation. Knowledge breeds confidence in both the patient and the physician.
Most importantly, practice having a patient’s perspective!
Guest BIO
Peter Gold, MD is a hip and knee arthroplasty surgeon at Panorama Orthopedic & Spine Center in Denver Colorado. He completed his residency at Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Medical Center and a joints fellowship at The Rothman Orthopedic Institute. He is active in AAHKS as the secretary of the Young Arthroplasty Group and a previous health policy fellow. He also runs a nonprofit organization in New Orleans, Strong City, which aims to support the future of underserved youth.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopedic surgeon and educator, Dr. Alan Reznik.
In essence, there are two types of employees. Employee A is happy in their work, puts their nose to the grindstone, and does their job to the best of their abilities. They’re also very loyal, enjoy socializing with their colleagues, and content with where they are in their careers. Employee B is also qualified and does a good job, but maybe isn’t as sociable with their colleagues and isn’t as “settled in their chair.” This employee is more likely to revise their resume and search for new jobs or promotions regularly.
As a person who manages employees, which employee would you rather have on your team? Of course, you’re always going to have a mix of both types of employees (and not every employee will fall perfectly into each category), but it’s a productive thought experiment. Many managers assume that having all Employee As on their team is the best-case scenario, there’s value in considering why Employee B might be preferred.
Because they’re so entrenched in their job, Employee A may be more cautious in their work and reticent to take risks and bring new ideas to the table that might cost them their job. Employee B, on the other hand, challenges the employer to make the workplace continually better.
What steps does Alan suggest we do to incorporate this information into our professional lives?
- Step 1 - Take a look at your colleagues and try to recognize those who fall into the Employee A and Employee B categories.
- Step 2 - Now look inward and try to identify these traits in yourself. Are you more of an Employee A or an Employee B? Recognizing where you fall on this spectrum can help you make better decisions about your career.
Most importantly, practice supporting employee satisfaction!
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Send us a Text Message.
- Jeffrey M. Smith, MD, FACS, PCC, orthopaedic trauma surgeon and SurgeonMasters CEO.
- Dr. Jim Naples, a Harvard ENT at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Jim Doorley, PhD, CMPC, Clinical and Sports Psychologist for the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Research Fellow in Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School
In this episode of the SurgeonMasters Podcast, Jeffrey M. Smith, MD, FACS, PCC interviews a Harvard ENT specialist James Naples, MD, and clinical sports psychologist, Jim Doorley. They discuss integrating psychological strategies from sports performance into surgical training, emphasizing the importance of mental fitness, emotional regulation, and resilience in enhancing surgical performance and how it relates to addressing physician burnout.
The discussion underscored the importance of mental resilience and psychological skills for surgical success, paralleling their significance in sports. James Naples, MD, and Jim Doorley highlighted techniques for immediate recovery from intraoperative mistakes and long-term well-being strategies. Efforts are underway to develop a customized curriculum for surgical trainees to address their specific performance mindset needs and challenges. The conversation also addressed balancing emotional detachment and empathy in medicine and how the process relates to physician burnout. Additionally, there was a light-hearted debate on the pros and cons of listening to music in the OR, reflecting diverse preferences among surgeons. Finally, the team addressed the need for institutional support in providing resources and training to enhance surgeons' mental fitness and overall performance.
Here are 10 highlights from the podcast:
- Surgical Mindset vs. Performance Mindset:
- Challenges in Surgical Training
- Initial Collaboration and Goals
- Curriculum Development
- Key Skills and Topics
- Experiential Learning
- Broader Mental Fitness Concepts
- Performance and Resilience
- Burnout and Emotional Management
- Institutional Support
Overall, the podcast underscores the critical role of psychological training in enhancing surgical performance and the need for a comprehensive approach to integrating these skills into surgical education.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast executive coach and former healthcare system leader, Theresa “T” Hamilton-Casalegno, ACC, FACHE.
In this episode, Theresa broaches the neuroscience of coaching – a fascinating and extensive topic that can’t be fully covered in one podcast – to address how the coaching relationship benefits physicians.
She tells us that certain parts of the brain light up when we hold people in what’s called a naturally creative, resourceful, and whole state. In other words, professionals will usually rise to the occasion when given the chance. As a coach, this is a great way to approach conversations with clients, as it makes them much more open to learning and creating long-lasting change.
What steps does Theresa suggest we take to implement neuroscience concepts into coaching sessions?
- Step 1 - Be Curious Rather than Trying to Solve a Problem. It’s all about the coach asking open-ended questions and being curious, as opposed to making assumptions and giving instructions to try and solve a problem. On the receiving end of coaching, know that your curiosity is also critical to growing and achieving your best self.
- Step 2 - Help People Work from a Position of Strength. Focus on a person’s strengths and help them determine how they can use those strengths to accomplish their goals. As a coaching client and probably performance-driven self-critic, first shifting your thinking towards your strengths creates a more open mind for constructive feedback.
- Step 3 - Ask Disruptive Questions. New learning and growth come from the ability to challenge assumptions, limiting beliefs, or current thinking. Give people space to think about a different way of doing something. We don’t need to change beliefs or values.
Most importantly, PRACTICE positivity, curiosity, and developing new neuro pathways in coaching sessions!
Bio: Theresa “T” Hamilton-Casalegno, ACC, FACHE
Certified Executive Coach – Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute, University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business
Theresa “Terri” Hamilton has spent more than 30 years in executive leadership positions, including fifteen years as Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of a regional healthcare system; five years as a Chief Executive and Vice President of a for-profit hospital; and twelve years in high-tech publishing as a Publisher and Vice President.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Emmanuel College, Boston, Massachusetts, and a Master of Science in Health Administration from Simmons University, Boston. Terri is also a Board Certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast ophthalmology specialist and physician coach for introverts, Dr. Charity Hix.
Introverts have many traits that make for great physicians. They’re inquisitive, introspective, constantly researching, and thinking things through from multiple angles. While those traits are great for being a physician, the way the healthcare system is organized can make the job of a physician very draining.
Introverts tend to regain their energy through solitude, but medicine necessitates being around other people. There’s a misconception that introverts don’t like people. That’s not necessarily true - they just need time alone to function optimally. As a practicing physician, there isn’t a lot of alone time baked into your day so you have to be proactive in carving out space for yourself to recharge. (Note: Even if we are an extrovert or land somewhere in the middle, recharging to be our best is critical!).
What does Charity suggest we do to recharge?
- Create Self-Awareness. In order to get anywhere, you need to first understand where you currently stand. Whenever you’re doing a specific activity during your workday, take stock of how you feel. Are you engaged, bored, stressed, etc.?
- Take Baby Steps to Adjust. Small changes can create a big impact. Based on how you react to certain situations, be proactive about making incremental changes to your daily routine.
- Communicate Your Needs. Let other people know about your energy needs. Most people will be happy to accommodate you.
Most importantly, PRACTICE recharging to create sustainability!
Guest Bio: Charity Hix, MD
Charity is a physician burnout coach helping introverts in healthcare escape feelings of apathy, irritability, and resentment brought on by the increasing demands and decreasing rewards of medicine.
She uses her 20 years of experience in clinical medicine combined with coaching to help introverts discover ways to be diligent, thoughtful clinicians while prioritizing their needs and protecting their energy. She wants you to know you don’t have to feel guilty for wanting a thriving life inside and outside of medicine.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
PRACTICE Your Best!
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopaedic surgeon and educator, Alan Reznik, MD.
As surgeon leaders, sometimes it can feel like our employees or members of our team are getting in our way or, even worse, trying to sabotage us. But it’s important to step back and realize that in the vast majority of cases, people are showing up to work intending to do a good job, even if there are barriers in the way that are preventing that from happening.
In general, people work for some combination of three reasons: 1) they love their job, 2) they’re loved by their job, or 3) they have an opportunity to improve themselves. Most people need at least two of these three in order to feel satisfied. To that end, there are actions we as surgeons can take to help our employees feel more satisfied with their jobs.
What steps does Alan suggest we do to help our team members feel satisfied at work?
- 1 - Provide Love. Offer encouragement and cultivate a healthy work environment that employees look forward to participating in.
- 2 - Provide Opportunity. Where able, provide opportunities to your employees. This is especially important if a team member lacks an essential ability or skill.
- 3 - Provide Money. If and when possible, offer your employees a raise. When people are paid well they feel appreciated.
Most importantly, PRACTICE supporting your team with love, opportunity, and money!
Guest Bio:
Dr. Reznik is a practicing orthopaedic surgeon and involved in medical teaching for over 30 years. He is recognized as one of “America’s Top Physicians” by Consumers Research Council of America and named “Top Doc” in Connecticut over 20 times by his orthopaedic surgeon peers, physicians, nurses and patients. He has served on many committees for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons including editorial board of AAOS Now. He has written "The Knee and Shoulder Handbook, the keys to a pain-free and active life" and "I have fallen and I can get up"on fall risks and prevention. An inventor, he holds 8 patents. He has lectured on patient safety, surgical risk reduction and AI development, liability and ethical use.
"It is with the understanding of differing perspectives, combining disciplines, constant collaboration, and an open mind that one achieves the best path forward." Dr. Alan Reznik
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
PRACTICE Your Best!
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Richard A. Schaefer, MD, MPH, an orthopaedic surgeon and human at Johns Hopkins University.
As surgeons, creating understanding and make strong connections with our patients can lead to better oucomes. Often, our patients want to better understand us too. When we have communication with mutual understanding, everyone benefits.
Knowng our patients beyond their medical condition can be an effective tool to ease any nervousness on the patient's part and ultimately help us provide better care.
So what does Richard suggest we do to make better connections with our patients?
Most importantly, practice humanizing patients to offer the best care!
Guest Bio:
Richard A. Schaefer, MD, MPH is an orthopaedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. He grew up in Buffalo, NY, after which he went to West Point followed by medical school at Tulane. He did his orthopaedic residency at the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Colorado, and orthopaedic oncology fellowship at Mayo Clinic. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins, Dr. Schaefer served for over 30 years in the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of colonel. He had a number of stateside and overseas assignments at military medical facilities, including two tours in Afghanistan. He received several military decorations and awards for his service, including the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge.
In addition to his clinical practice at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Schaefer is a medical student advisor, providing longitudinal school and career advising to a cohort of students from their first day and throughout the 4 years until they graduate. He has a variety of outside interests including travel, art, and sports, and is a lifelong die-hard fan of the Buffalo Bills.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
PRACTICE Your Best!
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast CEO of VITAL WorkLife, Mitch Best, a mental health and well-being expert for healthcare organizations and their workforces with a niche in physician-focused behavioral health solutions.
Over the past several years, many healthcare organizations have started recognizing the critical importance of prioritizing the well-being of their care teams, not only for the good of the individual but also for the bottom line. While it is important organizations are starting to offer resources that make a real difference, the environment must be a safe space for physicians to take advantage of these resources.
To that end, Mitch is calling for physicians and surgeons to become well-being advocates - physicians who are trained proactively to be spokespeople for their well-being and their colleagues' well-being, and offer proactive solutions in non-crisis situations.
The goal is to weave the importance of well-being into the fabric of healthcare organizations nationwide.
What steps does Mitch suggest we take to pursue self-advocacy?
- Step 1 - Educate Yourself. One of the easiest ways to be an advocate for yourself is to educate yourself on the importance of well-being.
- Step 2 - Seek Our Resources. See what well-being resources are offered by the organizations or associations you are a part of.
**Most importantly, PRACTICE self-advocacy for the good of yourself and your community!
About Mitchel Best**
As the CEO of VITAL WorkLife for over a decade, Mitch guides the company's vision, directs the senior leadership team, and works towards achieving organizational objectives. His focus extends to empowering hundreds of thousands of physicians and APPs, enabling them to reach their full potential, all while fostering a vibrant and celebrated company culture.
He began with the company in 2001 as Director of Business Development, moved up to Vice President in 2004, became COO in 2008, and eventually acquired the company in 2013.
With a background in behavioral health consulting and diverse industry expertise, Mitch infuses his work with passion and enthusiasm, offering a quick start nature, servant leadership and diligent oversight. He has also been actively engaged in executive and mental health & well-being industry groups for more than 15 years.
Mitch, a Minnesota native, resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children, emphasizing work-life balance through family time and an active lifestyle. He holds a BA in psychology from the University of Minnesota.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
PRACTICE Your Best!
Jeff welcomes to the podcast clinical psychologist and certified mental performance consultant, James Doorley, PhD, CMPC.
Dr. Dorley explains that performance psychology can teach us a lot as surgeons. Through his collaborative work with Dr. Naples he has learned that the mental side of surgery is not emphasized as much as it could be in many surgical training programs. Many surgeons have a casual understanding of these mental aspects, but it’s not built into our training or emphasized during our careers.
Performance psychology is different from talking about feelings or emotions with a therapist; it’s akin to a quarterback working with a mindset coach to play their best under duress.
What steps does Jim suggest we take to implement performance psychology skills into our daily routines?
What steps does Jim suggest we take to implement performance psychology skills into our daily routines?
- Step 1 - Raise Awareness. Become aware of performance psychology and its benefits to the medical community. The best sports teams in the US are now employing performance psychologists to help elite athletes perform their best. Surgeons can and should be doing the same.
- Step 2 - Incorporate Performance Psychology. Use performance psychology skills like visualization, bolstered by decades of science, to support your best practice.
Most importantly, PRACTICE performance psychology to improve performance!
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
PRACTICE Your Best!
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Otolaryngology surgeon, James Naples, MD.
In this podcast, we discuss the surgical mindset. If you’re a performance-driven surgeon, it can be difficult at times to manage the challenges of the perfectionist mindset. We expect our best every time and the best out of those around us.
There are times when we struggle in ways that appear technical but are more psychological, how our hands function is simply a manifestation of what our mind is doing. As a result, it’s important to address the performance mindset so that we can improve efficacy across the board.
What steps does Jim suggest we take to improve our mindset as surgeons?
- Step 1 - Rehearse & Visualize. Surgery is 1% perspiration and 99% preparation. Rehearse and visualize important events before they happen so you’re better prepared.
- Step 2 - Script All Possible Outcomes. If you think through every possible outcome and how to react to each, you will be fully prepared for the procedure.
- Step 3 - Limit Distractions. This may be controversial, but it’s important to remove all distractions (including music) from the operating room to clear your mind and find readiness. [Jim and I may have some different opinions on this, which we will share in a future podcast.]
Most importantly, PRACTICE your surgical mindset to attain the best outcome!
BIO:
Dr. James Naples is the Residency Program Director of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and a Clinical Advisor at Harvard Medical School. He has mentored residents and students through various stages of their training, and focuses on ways to improve their performance. Clinically, he is interested in cochlear implant, Acoustic Neuroma and vestibular disorders. Dr. Naples earned his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and stayed there to complete his residency training in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. He then completed his fellowship training in neurotology at the Perelman School of Medical at the University of Pennsylvania.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast physician scientist, Rachel Draelos, MD, PhD.
The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is probably one of the leading causes of physician frustration. EMRs are “broken” in a few different ways. First, the user interface is poor and confusing. Second, the underlying data is messy and fragmented. This limits what you can do in the interface. Rachel’s company is working on creating a new Electronic Health Record (EHR) that’s easy to use and crafts the data specifically to unleash the power of AI in medicine to help with all kinds of different administrative tasks.
AI is a contentious topic in medicine. Some are excited about its potential, while others are nervous about its implications.
What steps does Rachel suggest we do to better leverage AI in medicine?
- Step 1 - Understand the different types of AI. Artificial intelligence comes in a variety of different forms. Machine learning and neural networks are forms of AI that can be extremely beneficial in the field of medicine.
- Step 2 - Identify key areas of administrative burden. These could include prior authorizations, billing, coding, etc.
- Step 3 - Spend some time on Google searching for AI tools that can automate those tasks.
Most importantly, practice leveraging tech to mitigate administrative burdens!
BIO: Rachel Draelos, MD, PhD
Rachel is a physician scientist, and the first person to graduate from Duke University with an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Computer Science. Her research focuses on novel artificial intelligence methods development for medical applications. She has published across multiple areas of artificial intelligence, including computer vision, natural language processing, explainable AI, and expert systems. Her machine learning models have been applied to medical images, medical notes, EHR data, and genetic data. Dr. Draelos is the Founder & CEO of Cydoc, a health AI company. The Cydoc Smart Patient Intake Form generates medical notes from patient intake forms, saving 10 minutes per patient visit. Dr. Draelos is also the author of the popular AI and medicine blog Glass Box, and the Founding Consultant of Vismedica AI, a firm that offers healthcare and AI consulting services.
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast pediatric physician and coach, Stacia Dearmin.
The unfortunate truth is that most surgeons in the United States will be named in a malpractice lawsuit at some point in their careers. Despite that, it’s a topic we don’t often discuss.
Most compassionate surgeons are hit hard when a patient has an unforeseen negative outcome. Adding a malpractice lawsuit on top of a negative outcome can be overwhelming and injurious to a surgeon physically, mentally, and emotionally.
What steps does Stacia suggest we do to become better equipped to deal with malpractice litigation?
- Step 1 - Connect with someone about your personal experience in a protected space. The isolation that stems from a malpractice lawsuit exacerbates suffering. We need other people to lean on when we’re suffering.
- Step 2 - Educate yourself about malpractice litigation. Recognize that, as doctors and not attorneys, we are not experts in litigation. However, learning the basics of the process can help us better prepare.
Most importantly, practice preparation for potential malpractice litigation!
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
PRACTICE Your Best!
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast, leadership and health coach, Becky Wolfe.
During her career as a Physician Assistant, Becky noticed that the healthcare system was treating a lot of chronic diseases but not doing as much to help patients get well. That disconnect and frustration resulted in Becky pursuing a career in health coaching.
Now Becky’s primary coaching focus is helping teams function optimally. You need to have high levels of trust in order for teams to function well. Every member of any healthcare team has the same ultimate goal in mind – the patient outcome. It’s important for each member to have a clear role and identity in attaining that goal. If everyone has a solid understanding of their role, communication will improve drastically.
What steps does Becky suggest to help teams function optimally?
- Step 1 - Double Down on Communication. It’s the building block of any successful team. You need more communication, not less. Schedule regular meetings to get everyone on the same page efficiently.
- Step 2 - Build Deeper Layers of Trust. Get to know the members of your team on a more personal level. Even if it may feel a bit awkward or too personal, ask them about their hobbies and interests outside of work. This will create a much deeper bond that will help improve communication and teamwork.
Most importantly, PRACTICE people development to build stronger teams!
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
PRACTICE Your Best!
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast physician coach Joseph Kaczmarczyk, DO, MPH, MBA. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a cascade of seemingly endless changes. While everyone’s experience of the pandemic […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast physician coach Joseph Kaczmarczyk, DO, MPH, MBA.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a cascade of seemingly endless changes. While everyone’s experience of the pandemic has been unique, there is one aspect that’s shared between physicians and patients alike: No one is immune to change. But the change brought on by the advent of COVID-19 was unlike anything we’d seen before.
The new normal for change is “3-D change” - which is defined by three dimensions: (1) it’s perpetual; (2) it’s pervasive; (3) it’s exponential. With this new 3-D change, we need to adapt our leadership styles accordingly. Sapient leadership invokes humanism and refers to the quality of wisdom and to being human.
What steps does Joe suggest we do to practice sapient leadership?
- Step 1 - Think of a change you’ve experienced. How would you characterize that change? Was it pervasive, perpetual, or exponential?
- Step 2 - Consider how the experience of that change impacted you. How did it alter your thinking?
- Step 3 - Ponder what you are going to do differently in the future as a result of that change?
Most importantly, practice sapient leadership!
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
PRACTICE Your Best!
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast author, international speaker, and consultant in performance and sport psychology, Dr. Haley Perlus. The principles of sport / performance psychology have many applications for surgeons, who are always striving […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Joseph M. Kaczmarczyk, DO, MPH, MBA.
Joseph specializes in teaching physicians about crisis leadership and crisis management. Although there is overlap between crisis leadership and crisis management, there is a distinct difference between the two. Crisis leadership is knowing the right thing to do, while crisis management is knowing how to do things right.
Since every physician may be called on to be a crisis manager, it’s important to know what comprises crisis management. Joseph prefers to define crisis management using the GHP model - which consists of four components.
- Component 1 - Issues Management. This consists of performing an environmental scan to identify any issues with the potential to become crises, generating a risk image, obtaining stakeholders’ views of these threats, and to ascertain the probable consequences.
- Component 2 - Planning & Prevention. This consists of establishing a proactive policy to respond to potential crises and preparing contingency plans.
- Component 3 - The Crisis. This consists of evaluating your response to the crisis, targeting your message to the appropriate audiences, and minimizing harm to your stakeholders.
- Component 4 - The Post-Crisis. This consists of monitoring the crisis, informing stakeholders of your actions, evaluating how the crisis management plan worked.
Most importantly, practice crisis management!
SurgeonMastersis a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.
Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.
PRACTICE Your Best!
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Carla welcomes orthopaedic surgeon and coach, Jeffrey M Smith, MD, FACS, PCC to the 100th episode of the SurgeonMasters podcast! A huge part of the SurgeonMasters podcast has been inspiring others by highlighting issues […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast physician leader and coach, Joseph M. Kaczmarczyk, DO, MPH, MBA. Although crisis leadership and crisis management are often used interchangeably, there is an important distinction between the two. Crisis […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast Carla Smith, MD. Carla is an orthopaedic surgeon, educator, and coach. As physicians, we talk a lot about having compassion for our patients but we don’t really talk about […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopaedic surgeon, Wendell Cole MD. Dr. Cole is also the host of the popular orthopaedic podcast, Nailed It. The Nailed It podcast grew from Dr. Cole’s desire to learn […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…
Jeff welcomes to the podcast board-certified pediatrician and founder of Doctoring Differently®, Dr. Naomi Lawrence-Reid.
Doctoring Differently® is focused on teaching physicians that they can create the lives and careers that they deserve. Many physicians are unaware of the plethora of professional options available to them. We’re often taught that there are only a few career paths to choose from. But there are so many alternative options that can lead to better, more fulfilling careers.
What steps does Naomi suggest we do to build the careers of our dreams?
- Step 1 - Understand that there are no rules for a career in medicine! The traditional career paths are not the only ones available.
- Step 2 - Survey your career options. This can include opportunities inside and outside of medicine. Explore what others have done and even what no one has done before.
- Step 3 - Begin the process that will create the career that you want. Take action and pursue the career of your dreams.
Most importantly, begin to PRACTICE doctoring differently!
Guest Bio:
Dr. Naomi Lawrence-Reid, M.D. is a board-certified pediatrician and founder of Doctoring Differently®, a company uniquely centered around educating and supporting physicians in their pursuit of unconventional clinical and non-clinical career paths. Dr. Lawrence-Reid created this platform after personally exploring many of the flexible and lucrative job opportunities that physicians are not taught at any point in medical education. She now utilizes her unique methodology to educate physicians on creating careers that prioritize their individual interests while promoting lifelong curiosity, creativity, and satisfaction in medicine.
Dr. Lawrence-Reid is a proud Boston-area native now warmly based in San Diego, California. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University, University of Massachusetts Medical School, and she completed pediatrics residency at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore/Einstein in Bronx, New York. She has served as a staff physician at Rady Children’s Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, and various other southern California hospitals. In addition to Doctoring Differently®, Dr. Lawrence-Reid is owner and medical director of NLR Med Aesthetics and she remains a vocal advocate for health and safety policies that protect the children of San Diego county.
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Retired US Navy Captain and New York Times Bestselling author, David Marquet. David was a nuclear submarine commander who came up through an organizational structure that rewarded knowing the right answer and following orders. In many organizational structures, people are often biased towards doing what they’re told, even if they […]
Jeff welcomes to The SurgeonMasters Podcast orthopaedic trauma surgeon and founder of SIGN Fracture Care, Dr. Lewis G. Zirkle. SIGN is a humanitarian organization that builds sustainable orthopaedic capacity in developing countries by providing relevant education to surgeons, then manufacturing and donating the instruments and implants needed to treat fractures. Dr. Zirkle was inspired to […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast SurgeonMasters collaborator and physician coach, Dr. Errin Weisman. Burnout is a common topic in the medical community. It’s been a topic of discussion for so long that some physicians […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopaedic surgeon, Darin Davidson, MD. Polyvagal theory describes how we experience life as humans at the most foundational level. Using that information, it then provides a very actionable framework […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast surgeon, MD, PhD, and co-founder of surgical intelligence startup Theator, Dr. Tamir Wolf. Surgery is essentially an apprenticeship. As a result, the performance of a surgeon – what they […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast pediatric orthopaedic surgeon and physician leadership advocate, Dr. Alvin Jones. As surgeons, we’re trained to perform procedures with the utmost technical precision. But we’re often not well trained at […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Stuart Slavin MD, MEd – a Senior Scholar for Well-Being at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The well-being movement has changed a lot over the past decade. Right now, it feels like we’re a little bit stuck. Maybe we shouldn’t be focusing solely on well-being activities like […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Alvin Jones. All surgeons are leaders. Even if we don’t have a formal leadership role, we are leaders in the OR. It can sometimes be […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast Julie Samora, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at Ohio State University. Second Victim Syndrome can impact any surgeon when a patient experiences a bad outcome. Many healthcare providers who make […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast Dr. Ara Feinstein, an Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Arizona, College of Medicine – Phoenix. Ara is also a Physician Executive, an active member of a Federal Disaster […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… In this episode of the mini-podcast, Jeff welcomes Stuart Slavin MD, MEd – a Senior Scholar for Well-Being at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Currently, there’s a big focus on system-wide […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Paul DeChant, MD., keynote speaker, author, and executive coach assisting healthcare leaders create more resilient organizations.
We believe that the primary driver of burnout is the workplace, not the physician. As surgeons, we’re knowledgeable, trained, and dedicated. The problem is that we’re often in a work setting that depersonalizes our care, exhausts our empathy, occupies us with unfulfilling tasks, and basically overwhelms our passion.
In many ways, the opposite of burnout is professional fulfillment, which comes when we are deeply engaged in work that is meaningful to us. This professional fulfillment is difficult to achieve when our workplaces are overwhelming us on a daily basis. Dr. DeChant shared more detail on the drivers of burnout as they correlate with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
If we can address the drivers of burnout on an organizational level, then we can reduce the impact of burnout on individual surgeons.
What thoughts does Paul suggest we do to address burnout on an organizational level?
- Step 1 – Don’t blame yourself or allow others to blame you for getting burned out! Remember – the main driver of burnout is the workplace, not the worker.
- Step 2 – Compare Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and your system’s drivers of burnout.
- Step 3 – If you are a leader, shadow a physician. If you are a physician, ask a leader to shadow you. These interactions might find some common ground and make connections that begin to swap fulfillment for burnout.
Most importantly, practice organizational wellness!
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Paul DeChant, MD., keynote speaker, author, and executive coach assisting healthcare leaders create more resilient organizations. We believe that the primary driver of burnout is the workplace, not the physician. As surgeons, we’re knowledgeable, trained, and dedicated. The problem is that we’re often in a work setting that depersonalizes our […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast Professor at The University of New Mexico (UNM) and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Dr. Bob Schenck. As surgeons, it’s important to consider the work culture […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast “recovering” radiologist and mindset coach, Dr. Tracey O’Connell. Throughout her career as a physician, Tracey has had many moments of feeling “not good enough” — which is something a […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopaedic surgeon and advocate, Arianna Gianakos. The rates of bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination present in the medical field are alarmingly high. These abusive behaviors in our field can […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast “recovering” radiologist and mindset coach, Dr. Tracey O’Connell. Shame is ever-present in the field of medicine. As medical professionals we are burdened with an incredible number of expectations, which […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast Professor at The University of New Mexico (UNM), and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Bob Schenck. According to Bob, a great leader has three major attributes: […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast physician coach and family physician, Errin Weisman, DO. In this episode, Errin takes the reins and interviews Jeff about his recent surgical sabbatical. Earlier this summer, Jeff had lumbar […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast OB/GYN and physician coach, Dr. Beverly Joyce. Beverly focuses her coaching efforts on helping surgeons manage life transitions throughout their careers. Physicians often think their life is going to […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast Urologist and mentor, Dr. Tim Terry. Tim has been a visiting professor in four countries and has published more than 90 academic articles. Tim focuses a lot of his […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast urologist and physician coach, Kelly Casperson, MD. As surgeons, we often deal with the concept of permission. We needed permission to get into med school, residency, and our first […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast family physician and author, Dr. Jenny Brockis. Jenny focuses much of her work on psychological safety – a topic that has been largely neglected in the medical community until […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast OB/GYN and physician coach, Dr. Beverly Joyce. Physicians tend to think of themselves as being able to handle whatever’s thrown their way. We think we’re very resilient, but when […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast certified physician coach and physician executive, Dr. Terri Malcolm. As physicians, we are expected to be really good at communication. And while most physicians are great at explaining medical […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast urologist and mentor, Dr. Tim Terry. Tim has been a visiting professor in four countries and has published more than 90 academic articles. Reflective practice is the cornerstone of […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast family physician and author, Dr. Jenny Brockis. Jenny always wanted to run a family practice. That was her dream and she achieved that dream. But being a perfectionist, a […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon and patient advocate, David Hanscom, MD. For the first part of his career, David was absolutely fearless. Then one day at age 37, he began […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast Dr. Dana Corriel, a board-certified internist and the founder of SoMeDocs. Dana strongly believes that all physicians can positively impact their careers by embracing social media the right way. […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast physician and entrepreneur, Dr. Michelle Mudge-Riley. Michelle has spent more than 16 years assisting physicians with career strategy and transitions. Many physicians are afraid when they start to feel […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast psychologist, success coach, and international best-selling author Dr. Sharon Grossman. There are many factors that contribute to physician burnout – from system-wide issues, to internal demands that we place […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast certified physician coach and physician executive, Dr. Terri Malcolm. Terri reminds us that emotions play a pivotal role in our actions, behaviors, and thoughts. As physicians, it’s important for us to be emotional scientists. As a physician coach, Terri strongly believes that we need to attain a better understanding of […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Dr. Kara Pepper – a practicing primary care internist, certified life coach, and primary care physician for Atlanta Ballet. Most physicians are aware of the concept of second victim syndrome – the negative experience or emotion that physicians may experience after an adverse event. On top of the experience of […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Dr. Paul DeChant, an experienced physician executive, leadership coach, and an expert on physician burnout. We spend a lot of time on the personal aspects of burnout, but not nearly enough time discussing the organizational drivers of burnout. Most people understand the manifestations of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, cynicism, etc.), […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast psychologist, success coach and author of the international bestseller, “The 7E Solution to Burnout” – Dr. Sharon Grossman. In her book, Dr. Grossman offers strategies for people in high stress professions (particularly physicians) to be able to coach themselves through burnout. Many people don’t have a firm grasp on the […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Dr. Darin Davidson – an orthopedic surgeon and health & wellness consultant. Darin argues that we can and should be doing a much better job of practicing holistic wellness in our careers and in our lives. That means integrating the complementary areas of psychology, nutrition, sleep, and more to help […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Dr. Kara Pepper, a practicing primary care physician, as well as a certified life coach! The topic for today’s podcast is Imposter Syndrome. Kara worked as a professional ballet dancer after high school. After a brief career filled with injuries, she needed to find a different occupation. So she went […]
Jeff welcomes back to the podcast, Dr. Kyle Jones, Associate Professor in the Department of Family & Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah. Kyle’s book, Fallible: A Memoir of a Young Physician’s Struggle with Mental Illness, explores a lot of serious issues that impact many medical students and physicians throughout their careers. Over 40% […]
Jeff welcomes back to the podcast SurgeonMasters collaborator and Emmy-award winning documentary filmmaker Robyn Symon. Last time she was on the podcast, we talked about Robyn’s documentary film Do No Harm which investigates the high rate of burnout and suicide among physicians and how it links to medical errors and patient safety. And with September […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast SurgeonMasters collaborator and physician coach, Dr. Errin Weisman. On this episode, Errin and Jeff talk about different coaching styles and clarify what coaching is. Errin uses her energy and experience in coaching to provide lots of encouragement. As a coach, she is not telling people what to do. There are […]
Jeff welcomes to the SurgeonMasters podcast award-winning author, Karla McLaren, M.Ed. Everyone is experiencing some level of anxiety during this global pandemic. While most people try to avoid anxiety at all costs, Karla suggests we embrace our anxiety! Fear, panic, and anxiety are connected, but all different. It’s important to be able to identify what […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Senior Manager of Education Programs in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Miami and physician wellness advocate, Dr. David Cohen. While most of what you hear about mindfulness meditation these days focuses on things like exercises, mantras, breathing, and the like – there are other practices that focus […]
Jeff welcomes to the SurgeonMasters podcast orthopedic surgeon and health & wellness consultant, Dr. Darin Davidson. The current pandemic provides a great example of how holistic methods can be used to complement the more traditional medical practices to result in an improved overall state of wellness. There are lifestyle factors that we all engage in […]
Jeff welcomes to the SurgeonMasters podcast primary care physician and physician coach, Dr. Kara Pepper. There’s never been a more relevant time to talk about burnout in the medical community because so many physicians are experiencing it to some degree in light of the Coronavirus pandemic and the open wounds of racism. Burnout is not […]
Jeff Smith welcomes Heidi Allespach, PhD, an Associate Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, Medicine & Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to the SurgeonMasters mini-podcast. Heidi is a clinical psychologist who has worked with graduate medical learners for more than 20 years. She devotes her time to enhancing surgeon wellness through […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast Associate Professor (Clinical) in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine, Dr. Kyle Jones. Kyle is also the author ofFallible: a memoir of a young physician’s struggle with mental illness. In his newly released book, Kyle describes his experience as a physician […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast general surgeon and certifiedGallup Strengths Coach, Dr. Laura Grimmer, MD. Now, more than ever, it is important to focus on what we do best. First, determine some of your strengths. What do you do best? What do you do better than your colleagues? What comes easier to you? What does […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast CFO & Practice Administrator of Access Omnicare and the FORM Hand, Wrist & Elbow Institute, Amirra Besh. Amirra is also a strong wellness advocate and practitioner who has competed in more than 8 Spartan Races. In this episode, Amirra and Jeff talk about the importance of incorporating wellness in our […]
Jeff welcomes to the podcast award-winning documentary filmmaker and physician advocate, Robyn Symon. Robyn directed the film Do No Harm which investigates the hidden epidemic of physician suicide, burnout, and the link to patient safety. The film follows the stories of several physicians in medical school, residency, and clinical practice working in our toxic healthcare […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast SurgeonMasters collaborator and physician coach, Dr. Helane Fronek. Helane joins Jeff to offer her perspective on where we’ve been making a positive impact on burnout in medicine. Regardless of […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast SurgeonMasters collaborator and physician coach, Dr. Errin Weisman. On this episode, Errin and Jeff talk about being comfortablewith being UNcomfortable. Is there a new skill you want to learn […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the mini-podcast CFO & Practice Administrator of Access Omnicare and FORM Hand, Wrist & Elbow Institute, Amirra Besh. The topic of discussion in this episode is Walk and Talk! As the […]
It’s important we slow down and acknowledge our successes from time to time, look back and reflect on what we have accomplished. Let’s set aside our perfectionist tendencies and focus on our impact. This is the 50th episode of the SurgeonMasters Mini-Podcast and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you. Here’s to […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopaedic surgeon and New York Times Best Selling author Timothy Browne, MD. Tim recently released the third novel in a medical thriller series titled The Rusted Scalpel. Sounds like […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… In this episode of the mini-podcast, Jeff welcomes Dr. Errin Weisman. Errin is an osteopathic family practice doctor and physician coach. She is also a fierce physician wellness advocate. In this episode Errin and […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… In this episode of the mini-podcast, Jeff welcomes Dr. Errin Weisman. Errin is an osteopathic family practice doctor and physician coach. She is also the creator of the website TruthRX’s. How can we expect […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… In this episode of the mini-podcast, Jeff welcomes Dr. Jennifer Weiss. Jennifer (Jen) is a pediatric sports surgeon at Kaiser Permanente, and Chair of the Communications Cabinet of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons […]
Pump the brakes on your week to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… In this Podcast, Jeff welcomes back Shruti Tannan, MD for a longer conversation. Not interested in learning how to market yourself? Do you feel icky with self-promotion? Maybe you recognize the importance and you’re looking to get started […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… In this episode of the mini-podcast, Jeff welcomes Leah Weiss, PhD. Dr. Weiss is a researcher, lecturer, consultant, entrepreneur, and author. She teaches Compassionate Leadership at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and is […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the SurgeonMasters mini-podcast plastic surgeon and hand specialist, Dr. Shruti Tannan. The topic of discussion in this episode is DIY Marketing! At one time Dr. Tannan was in academic practice, before […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… In this episode of the mini-podcast, Jeff welcomes Daniel Schlatterer, DO, to the SurgeonMasters Mini-Podcast. Dan is an orthopaedic trauma surgeon and vice chair of the residency program at Atlanta Medical Center. About four […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… In this mini-podcast episode, Jeff welcomes orthopaedic trauma surgeon Assistant Program Director for Broward Health Orthopedic Residency, Brian J. Cross, MD, or “BJ.” The topic of discussion in this episode is: Be Smooth! More […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… In this episode of the mini-podcast, Jeff is reporting from the 2019 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. An important session at the conference addressed a broad spectrum of ideas […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… In this episode of the mini-podcast, Jeff travels to Palm Desert for One AO, the annual CMF, Spine, Trauma and Vet meeting organized by AO North America. The theme of this year’s meeting was, […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the SurgeonMasters mini-podcast orthopaedic surgeon and current hand fellow at Thomas Jefferson University, Paulvalery (Paul) Roulette, MD. The topic of discussion in this episode is Responding to Criticism! Paul describes the […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the mini-podcast Ryan Inman, MBA. Ryan is the founder of Financial Residency – a free financial education podcast for physicians and Physician Wealth Services, a fee-only financial planning company. The topic […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes back to the podcast sleep medicine specialist and Chief Medical Officer of Optimism, Dominic Munafo, MD. The topic of sleep hygiene is so important, Jeff invited Dominic back to give us more […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast physician (and physician coach) Dr. Michelle Mudge-Riley. Michelle is the founder of Physicians Helping Physicians and Scout A Career. The topic of our discussion in this episode is Run […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast sleep medicine specialist and Chief Medical Officer of Optisom, Dominic Munafo, MD. The topic of discussion in this episode is Sleep Hygiene! Most surgeons could probably use more sleep, […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes back to the mini-podcast advocate and SurgeonMasters team member, Paul Hiller. On this episode, the team discusses the important role asking questions plays in performance improvement. Jeff explains that the old method […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes back to the podcast plastic surgeon and SurgeonMasters contributor, Jonathan Cabin, MD. The topic of discussion in this episode is Opting-Out – a strategy Jonathan employs to manage his time and the […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast Basil Besh, MD, orthopaedic hand surgeon and physician leader. The topic of discussion is leadership, a quality Basil describes as natural to physicians and “intrinsic to the profession.” Whether […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode, Jeff welcomes back Dr. Todd Swenning to discuss the importance of “Get To!” Todd points out that compromise is often defined in negative terms. If we want to encourage conflict resolution, […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode of the podcast, Jeff welcomes back spine surgeon and chronic pain researcher Dr. David Hanscom to discuss how our home should be a safe haven away from negativity and judgment. This […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode, Jeff welcomes back Jonathan Cabin to the mini-podcast. Jonathan and Jeff share with us a social media strategy we can use as a performance improvement tool in our personal and professional […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode of the podcast, Jeff welcomes back Karla McLaren to talk about System Change! While we can all benefit from the many strategies that we teach on these mini-podcasts, Karla shares with […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast Jeff talks about the goals of the SurgeonMasters Podcast, and encourages listeners to “Help Us Help You!” SurgeonMasters is passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of surgeons […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode Jeff welcomes Matthew Twetten, MBA, a health policy expert in physician payment and coding, to talk about financial wellness and being properly reimbursed for MORE of the work we do. Our […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode Jeff welcomes Dr. Todd Swenning who tells us how he put into action a brewing interest in humanitarian work with a 2017 trip to Paraguay, and how rapidly that is fostering […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming to the mini-Podcast Dr. James Dahle, apracticing ER physician, and the founder and author of The White Coat Investor. This week, Dr. Dahle talks to us about our own financial literacy and […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming to the mini-Podcast Dr. David Hanscom, an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in complex spine problems. This week, Dr. Hanscom talks to us about the technique of expressive writing to help with […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming to the mini-Podcast Dr. Ann Marie Warren, a licensed psychologist and Associate Investigator of Trauma Research. Dr. Warren talks to us about PTSD and associated self-care tips. We’ve chosen to […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming to the mini-Podcast Dr. Lisa Merlo, a licensed clinical psychologist at the University of Florida. Dr. Merlo talks to us about physician impairment and ways that we can help physician […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming to the mini-Podcast Dr. Benjamin Szerlip, an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery in Austin, Texas. This week, Dr. Szerlip talks to us about looking back, and identifying […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming back onto the mini-Podcast Dr. Jonathan Cabin, board-certified facial plastic & reconstructive surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. This week, Dr. Cabin will talk to us about the post-game debrief, specifically how […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are talking about one of the 8 PRACTICEs of Highly Successful Surgeons, namely the ability to deal with problems and dilemmas with complex problem solving through simplicity, by […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming back onto the mini-Podcast Dr. Todd Swenning, Director of Orthopaedic Trauma at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California, and Medical Director for the Institute of Clinical Orthopedics and […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming back Karla McLaren, where we talk about empathy and how it applies to burnout for healthcare professionals. We discuss the difference between compassion fatigue and empathic […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are talking about visualization, which is the mental process of focusing on an outcome or successful completion, of a series of tasks. It’s a mental practice that you […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming back Stephanie Mathless, where she builds on the fundamental breathing techniques from Episode 10 that aimed to calm, relax and destress. On this new episode she introduces two […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are talking about measuring our own self-improvement by ‘Knowing Your Handicap’ and how this system can be applied from golf to other parts of our lives and career. […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming a new guest, Stephanie Mathless, where she discusses the importance of breathing techniques and the resulting benefits of bringing focus to your breathing, most notably its calming […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming a new guest, Katie Klein, where she discusses the use of improvisation to improve collaboration by using other people’s ideas to create something together. She describes it […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are talking about the benefits of ‘Faking It Until You Make It’ and how confidence is key. How do you Fake It Till You Make It? By doing […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming back orthopaedic trauma surgeon, Phil Stahel, where he discusses one of the concepts of his book: knowing your janitor’s name. This concept originates from a quest […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are discussing attending annual meetings after the AAOS last week. How do you get the most out of attending annual meetings and conferences? By doing the following: Pre-op, […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming back onto the mini-Podcast Dr. Todd Swenning, Director of Orthopaedic Trauma at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California, and Medical Director for the Institute of Clinical Orthopedics and […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are discussing the benefits of role-playing. How do you set the scene for role-playing? By doing the following: Come up with a situation that you’re trying to work […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming onto the mini-Podcast Dr. Todd Swenning, Director of Orthopaedic Trauma at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California, and Medical Director for the Institute of Clinical Orthopedics and Neurosciences. […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… We are welcoming orthopaedic trauma surgeon, Phil Stahel, onto the MINI-podcast for the second time in a row, where he’ll challenge us to work on becoming minimizing risk in order to become better surgeons. […]
Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… We are welcoming orthopaedic trauma surgeon, Phil Stahel, onto the NEW Surgeon Masters podcast, where he’ll challenge us to work on becoming better listeners in order to become better surgeons. How does he recommend […]
Today, I continue our conversation with Dr. David G. LaVelle, MD on The SurgeonMasters Podcast. During his more than 30 years of surgical work, Dr. LaVelle has watched surgery transform from a practice that occasionally held a certain butcher-shop feel, to a highly technical and refined art form. He has experienced every aspect of life […]
Today, I welcome Dr. David G. LaVelle —an Orthopaedic Surgeon practicing for over 30 years—onto The SurgeonMasters Podcast. During his three-plus decades of work, Dr. LaVelle has seen the world of surgery change and change dramatically. No more dramatically than when he was recently forced to surrender his surgical practice due to progressive arthritis disabling […]
Today, I welcome Dr. Kamshad Raiszadeh—a well-renowned spine surgeon with more than 20 years of surgical experience—onto The SurgeonMasters Podcast. During his two-decades of work, Dr. Raiszadeh has noticed a dramatic and dangerous increase in surgery for the treatment of neck and low back pain, a trend he is trying to combat through his new […]
Karla McLaren is an award-winning author, and social science researcher. Her lifelong work focuses on her grand unified theory of emotions, which revalues even the most “negative” emotions and opens startling new pathways into self-awareness, effective communication, and healthy empathy. She is the founder and CEO of Emotion Dynamics, LLC. Karla is also the author […]
Today, I welcome Mary Kay Czerwiec—Artist-in-Residence at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine—onto The SurgeonMasters Podcast. After graduating from Loyola University of Chicago with a BA in English, MK went on to receive a BSN in Nursing from Rush University, and an MA from Northwestern in Medical Humanities and Bioethics. In addition to her clinical nursing […]
Today, I welcome Dr. Philip Stahel—orthopaedic trauma surgeon at Denver Health, the regional safety-net hospital and Level 1 trauma center in Colorado. Dr. Stahel is a dual US-Swiss citizen who grew up in Milan, Italy, and trained at Medical School of the University of Zurich, Switzerland before completing his postgraduate training at the University of […]
Today, I welcome Dr. Dana Covey—Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery with expertise in sports medicine at UC San Diego—onto the SurgeonMasters Podcast. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Dr. Covey served with distinction as a Navy orthopedic surgeon, making multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a leader of Marine Corps far-forward surgical […]
Today, I’m happy to share the microphone with Greg Campbell, M.D., a private practice surgeon in North County San Diego, where he works strictly with trauma and acute care surgery. Dr. Campbell is an accomplished U.S. Navy veteran, happy husband to a wonderful wife, and proud father of four children. Dr. Campbell credits his ability […]
I’m thrilled to be joined by Orthopaedic Surgeon and Colonel (retired US army) James Ficke, M.D., Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and director of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is also orthopedist-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. After more than 30-years of military service, he is highly respected […]
Today’s guest is Erick Santos, MD, an Orthopedic Surgeon who practices in South Texas. He was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore for undergrad in Biomedical Engineering and then went onto a Master’s degree, Ph.D. and MD at the University of Pennsylvania. He served in the US […]
My special guest is Lew Schon, MD, FACS, an Orthopaedic Surgeon who specializes in foot and ankle surgery. He has been practicing for 25+ years and is a dedicated educator and practitioner. Lew is an example of a Surgeon who is very positive, has created a highly successful practice with a lifestyle-friendly schedule, and takes […]
Dr. Bander is a licensed psychologist and board-certified coach with over 30 years of clinical, teaching, training and coaching experience. Her passion is wellness and creating environments that support healthy behaviors. She is keenly aware that we spend the greatest part of our lives at work – and that our workplaces can promote well-being while […]
In 2011, out of frustration with the insurance companies, Jonathan Nissanoff (Orthopaedic Surgeon) began researching advanced strategies for receiving payment on underpaid claims. On this podcast, he will share his concept and knowledge base that most surgeons will need to be more appropriately paid for the work that we do.
Jeff’s special guest is Dr. Chris Born, a practicing Orthopaedic Surgeon who models “The Highly Successful Surgeon.” He will share a very personal perspective that is relevant to every Surgeon. Now, he is applying what he has learned to be proactive and optimistic as he looks into what his retirement might look like over the next […]
Jeff’s special guest is Taylor Riall, MD, Surgical Oncologist, Chief, Division of General Surgery / Surgical Oncology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Listen to learn how to effectively respond to situations that occur in your environment with much less stress.