DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast

"There's a term that we use quite a bit called Strength Span. Everyone's using the term health span, but there's this concept of strength span, which is, how long can you maintain your strength into your later life? Which will help with a lot of this as well. That was one area. That person lost over 30 pounds in about six months by implementing these minor adjustments in nutrition, minor adjustments in sleep, minor adjustments in exercise. But when you stack them together, it only didn't just affect the physical, but it also affects the emotional and the mental." -Dr. Mark Kovacs If you like our podcast, please share it, subscribe, and leave us a 5-star review. This helps others to find us. We are grateful for you! Thank you for listening! On today’s episode, we’re excited to welcome guest Mark Kovacs, PhD, FACSM, CSCS, VP of Health & Performance at Canyon Ranch to share his insights on Health & Performance and how they can be applied for physicians and other healthcare providers. Dr. Mark Kovacs is an industry leader and innovator in the area of Health & Performance, committed to bringing the most innovative solutions and programs to Canyon Ranch, where he and his team have helped countless elite athletes, executives and physicians achieve their goals and improve their wellness and performance. In this episode, Dr. Kovacs discusses his experience helping physicians to improve their strength span, living well for longer, by building strength and incorporating science backed tools for well-being and longevity. He gives tips you can put to use starting immediately, and gives some meaningful examples of helping clients to overcome the obstacles between where they are and where they want to be. You don’t want to miss this inspiring episode! Please check out the Special Offer from Canyon Ranch for mentioning DocWorking by clicking here. Take the DocWorking 2-Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today. DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast empowers physicians and entire healthcare teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with episodes designed to help you maximize your own well-being, your life on your terms. If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, ListenNotes, Amazon, YouTube, and Podbean. Some links in our blogs and show notes are affiliate links, and purchases made via those links may result in payments to DocWorking. These help with our costs to provide this content for you. Thank you for supporting DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast!

Today we rewind back to one of our most popular episodes on DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast. “Your life becomes fused to what we do and it’s very hard, especially for physicians or healthcare workers, to say, ‘Well, you know, I’ve done this all my life and maybe that’s not what I need to do now.’” -Simon Maltais MD Ph.D. In this episode, Dr. Jen Barna has a very honest conversation about burnout and recovery with Cardiac Surgeon and author of the book, Healthcare Anonymous: Put Yourself First to Avoid Anxiety, Addiction, and Burnout, Dr. Simon Maltais. You would be hard pressed to find someone more driven or accomplished in his field than Dr. Maltais. At the top of his game and publishing a new article nearly every two weeks, Dr. Maltais realized that he was experiencing burnout. Dr. Maltais shares his story of taking a step back, considering leaving medicine, changing his definition of success, and ultimately creating a hybrid way to continue the work that he loves while making more time for himself and his family. Tune in to hear an honest and candid story of burnout and recovery and hear what Dr. Maltais believes is the future of medicine. For more information about Healthcare Anonymous: Put Yourself First to Avoid Anxiety, Addiction, and Burnout and offerings, please go here. Dr. Simon Maltais is an active cardiac surgeon in the United States. He is French Canadian and board-certified in Canada in cardiac surgery. He is an internationally recognized leader in the field of heart transplantation, mechanical heart devices, and alternative cardiac interventions. Before 40, Maltais had led two world-renowned programs in his specialty and has pioneered numerous novel approaches for advanced cardiac surgery interventions. At the age of 35, he was among the youngest promoted associate professors at a nationally recognized institution. He is a frequent keynote speaker, has published more than 160 articles and has contributed to numerous books. As he worked in two different countries and health systems, Maltais has a unique perspective on the delivery of care and its inherent challenges for healthcare workers. Dr. Simon Maltais earned his Medical Degree from Sherbrooke University, his Master’s Degree in Physiology from Sherbrooke University, completed his Adult Cardiac Surgery Residency at Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal University. He completed two fellowships, one at Buffalo University and the second, a fellowship in Heart Transplant and Mechanical Support at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. He obtained his Doctoral Degree in Biomedical Sciences (Ph.D.) at Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal University. He currently works at HCA Healthcare in California. Find full transcripts of DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast episodes on the DocWorking Blog - https://docworking.com/blog/ DocWorking Coaches Directory - https://docworking.com/physician-coach-directory/ If you like our podcast please give us a 5 star review wherever you listen to your podcasts. We would be extremely grateful! We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Amazon, YouTube, and Podbean. Some links in our blogs and show notes are affiliate links, and purchases made via those links may result in payments to DocWorking. These help toward our production costs. Thank you for supporting DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast!

On Episode 226, host Jen Barna MD welcomes Dr. Manizeh Mirza-Gruber to discuss how to connect heart, mind, body and spirit for healing, wellness and well-being, using Mind-Body Medicine and Mindfulness Meditation. Dr. Mirza-Gruber is a licensed board Certified Psychiatrist, Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, Certified Yoga teacher, and Certified Mind-Body Medicine Skills Facilitator. She describes herself as an individual, parent, and psychiatrist, and follows a holistic approach to life. She believes in connecting heart, mind, body and spirit for healing and wellness. She's been facilitating mind-body skills workshops and groups since January 2018 to bring healing in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and through the coronavirus pandemic. Manizeh leads meditation groups and teaches mindfulness classes and workshops, and she leads a free weekly virtual guided meditation called Mindful Mondays. Please join Manizeh Mirza-Gruber, M.D. for her annual “Gather in Gratitude” virtual workshop on Sunday, November 19th from 10am – 11am CT to share space and gratitude practices together before the holidays. This year, in addition to donating 25% of the registration fee to the Houston Food Bank as is the tradition, Manizeh will also be donating 25% of the registration fee to the Houston SPCA so she can contribute to meals and shelter for animals in need. Please reach out to Manizeh at manizeh@mindfulinpractice.com for more information. The link to register is in the flyer on her website www.mindfulinpractice.com and Instagram page @mindfulinpractice and this is the direct link to the payment page: https://www.mindfulinpractice.com/paymentportal We invite you to explore well-being resources at http:/DocWorking.com/ You can find our Trusted Resources here: https://docworking.com/trusted-resources/ Find a coach to help you accelerate progress toward what matters most to you: https://access.docworking.com/coaches-directory/ If you enjoy this podcast, please help us by leaving us a 5 star review wherever you like to listen. Thank you for listening and for being part of the DocWorking Community!

Ashley and Dr. Dave discuss their experience navigating medical training and how it took their relationship to the brink, and they share what steps they took to save their marriage. Dr. Barna welcomes Ashley and Dr. David Gay, hosts of On Call with Dr. Dave, a podcast where healthcare professionals share inspiring, humorous, shocking, and heartwarming stories. The conversation starts with Ashley highlighting the often-overlooked impact of home life on a healthcare professional's ability to show up, perform, and provide care to patients. Ashley and Dr. Dave share their personal journey, starting from their early days as a couple through medical training. They discuss the challenges they faced, such as multiple moves, financial stressors, and the lack of control over the medical training process. They also discuss ways to address those challenges. The guests open up about their struggles with fertility and the adoption process, expressing gratitude for the opportunities and blessings that emerged from those difficult times. In retrospect, Dr. Dave Gay acknowledges that he would have done things differently, including better communication and advocating for protected time with family. Ashley Gay shares her personal experience of feeling undervalued and urges listeners to advocate for themselves and prioritize their mental health and relationships. Listeners are invited to share their own experiences and insights, highlighting the importance of fostering connections and open communication within the medical community. Dr. Dave Gay is an Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon, and Ashley Gay owns a Marketing Agency. They reside in Austin, Texas. Instagram: @oncallwithdrdave FB: On-Call with Dr. Dave https://www.oncallwithdrdave.com/ If you enjoy this podcast, please click subscribe and leave us a 5-star review! This really helps others to find us, and that helps us to continue to create the podcast for you. Thank you! Key themes: medical training, relationships outside of work, community support, time management, work-life balance, work-life integration, advocacy, parenting, fertility struggles, adoption, resilience. It's time to revolutionize the way we approach our lives and careers as medical professionals, by prioritizing our own well-being throughout this life journey. Welcome to DocWorking, the transformative community created by a physician, for physicians and other healthcare professionals who are ready to make this change. Picture a world where personal well-being and a medical career coexist harmoniously. That's the vision we're bringing to life at DocWorking. Unleash your full potential, achieve financial independence, and align your lifestyle with what truly matters to you. Embrace the DocWorking community, where the art of living well meets the pursuit of enjoying a meaningful and impactful career. Together, let's redefine the possibilities! Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own well-being, so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you. Join DocWorking THRIVE. Take the DocWorking 2-Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today. https://DocWorking.com/ . Discover Your Path to Fulfillment and Personal Success as a Physician and Healthcare Professional. DocWorking brings together the coaching, education, tools & community you need to live your best life.

If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! “If you want to be successful, whether as a passive investor or active, you need to understand the business a little bit.” -Dr. Lydia Essary In this episode we welcome practicing dermatopathologist and co-founder of Lift Equity Invest, Dr. Lydia Essary. In this episode, Dr. Lydia Essary and Dr. Jen Barna discuss apartment and multifamily real estate investments and the tips and tricks on how to get started. Dr. Essary talks about how she began investing in multifamily properties and gives advice on the importance of education and mentorship when contemplating different investment opportunities. Dr. Essary also gives us the top criteria to look for when choosing investment properties. Lydia is a practicing physician dermatopathologist in Dallas, TX. She is also co-founder and principal at Lift Equity Invest, a company focused on helping busy physicians build passive income and generational wealth through apartment investing. Dr.Essary has invested in multifamily real estate syndications since 2019 as both a general partner in 713 units and a limited partner in over 4300 units. Dr. Lydia Essary’s social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-rocio-essary-md-a1218620/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/lift-equity/ https://www.liftequityinvest.com/ _ The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add a 24/7 CONFIDENTIAL COUNSELING CARE LINE to our new low cost DocWorking THRIVE Essential package, as well as even more CME credits for our THRIVE small group coaching and courses. Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE. You can take the first step today by taking the DocWorking 2-Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today! DocWorking empowers physicians and entire healthcare teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time. CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Amazon, YouTube, and Podbean. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Some links in our blogs and show notes are affiliate links, and purchases made via those links may result in payments to DocWorking. These help toward our production costs. Thank you for supporting DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast!

If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! “What you’re doing every day with this patient in front of you, this vulnerable person that’s come to you, it’s a privilege. This is an honor that society has given us that allows us to take care of that person. ” -David Alfery, MD Today’s guest is Dr. David Alfery, Anesthesiologist and author. In this episode, Dr. Alfery discusses his journey as a physician and the inspiration behind his new book, Saving Grace: What Patients Teach Their Doctors About Life, Death, and the Balance in Between. He shares the lessons he’s learned from his patients over the past 36 years as an Anesthesiologist and advice on how to stay connected to your purpose as a physician. _ Dr. David Alfery attended Tulane University where he obtained a BA in English. After graduating from LSU Medical School in New Orleans, he spent a year as a surgical intern at the University of Kentucky in Lexington before doing his residency in anesthesia at the University of California in San Diego. He stayed on there for an additional year of fellowship training in cardiothoracic anesthesia. In 1980 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he spent a thirty-six-year career in private practice. Dr. Alfery has served as a Chief of Anesthesia, President of the Tennessee State Society of Anesthesiologists, and was a founding member of Anesthesia Medical Group, one of the largest anesthesia practices in the United States. For twenty years he served as an Oral Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology, ending his tenure as a Senior Examiner. He holds an academic appointment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as Adjunct Associate Professor of Anesthesiology. Dr. Alfery has authored 10 chapters in medical textbooks and 41 peer reviewed articles in anesthesia medical journals. He invented several anesthesia devices for which he has been awarded 17 US and International patents. His new book, Saving Grace: What Patients Teach Their Doctors About Life, Death, and the Balance in Between, was published in January of 2023. Dr. David Alfery’s social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-alfery-94808410/ https://savinggracebook.com/ https://www.facebook.com/david.alfery.5/ https://www.tiktok.com/@drdavidalfery _ The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add a 24/7 CONFIDENTIAL COUNSELING CARE LINE to our new low cost DocWorking THRIVE Essential package, as well as even more CME credits for our THRIVE small group coaching and courses. Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE. You can take the first step today by taking the DocWorking 2-Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today! DocWorking empowers physicians and entire healthcare teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time. We are now enrolling for several new low cost DocWorking THRIVE Well-Being pilot programs, for your care team members including nurses, techs, medical assistants and others, as well as special programs for recruitment and retention of your new physician and other clinician hires. CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Amazon, YouTube, and Podbean. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Some links in our blogs and show notes are affiliate links, and purchases made via those links may result in payments to DocWorking. These help toward our production costs. Thank you fo

“That’s the thing, when people start to approach their life in different ways, they start to see just how their life can change.” -Philippe Douyon MD For Episode 218, we are doing a replay of a great conversation between Coach Gabriella Dennery MD and neurologist Dr. Philippe Douyon. Dr. Douyon is a highly respected author, runs the Inle Brainfit Institute, and is a huge proponent of controlling brain health in order to support your overall health. Gabriella and Dr. Douyon speak about his personal journey, coping with renal failure that began as a young man, through college and medical school, and through two renal transplants, one of which was just recently. They speak about how chronic illness does not define us, how the inner workings of the brain affect our health and well-being, and how our thoughts are the one thing in this world that we can control. Tune in to hear how some simple changes can change the path you're on, and get you on the path you envision for yourself! Dr. Douyon is a board certified neurologist. He completed his residency at New York University and did his fellowship at New York Presbyterian-Cornell Medical in clinical neurophysiology. You can find Dr. Douyon on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or at his website, Inlebrainfitinstitute.com. You can also email him at philippedouyon@gmail.com Neuroplasticity: Your Brain’s Superpower: Change Your Brain and Change Your Life by Dr. Philippe Douyon The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add even more CME credits to the THRIVE memberships. Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE. You can take the first step today by taking the DocWorking 2-Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today! DocWorking empowers physicians and entire healthcare teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time. We are now enrolling for several new low cost DocWorking THRIVE Well-Being pilot programs that launch in late March, for your care team members including nurses, techs, medical assistants and others, as well as special programs for recruitment and retention of your new physician and other clinician hires. CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Google, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Amazon, YouTube, Podbean You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Some links in our blogs and show notes are affiliate links, and purchases made via those links may result in payments to DocWorking. These help toward our production costs. Thank you for supporting DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast!

“I guess the average person doesn't have a plan. So that's a good first start, like have a plan. Everybody should have a plan. That's good. But like a lot of people that do planning, they skip the most important part. What is your purpose in life? Why are you here? What's most important to you? What are your values like? Where do you want to go? What does your ideal future look like? I think it's hard to do that exercise in training because you're like, super, go, go, go.” - Daniel Wrenne Daniel Wrenne loves helping people use their finances to live better lives. During the work day, he is busy running Wrenne Financial Planning, a planning firm dedicated to helping physicians use money to live better lives and hosting the Finance for Physicians Podcast. Ultimately, he wants to live a life worth imitating and help others do the same. Above all, he values his faith in Christ and his family. Most of his spare time involves wrestling his boys Noah, Henry and Andrew, coaching soccer, and spending time with his wife Alison. Many people, especially physicians, can be intimidated to come forward with their problems around burnout and money. Burnout can be a hidden problem, even from ourselves. We are so accustomed to not being able to make ourselves vulnerable in our culture that we tend to deny it and tend to look for ways to solve it on our own. Often as physicians, we feel that we should be able to heal ourselves. We look for solutions without telling other people, which leads to higher suicide rate and contributes to the epidemic of burnout that we're facing right now. One thing that we see over and over again in our physician community at DocWorking is people who feel there's a big connection between being trapped by our finances and feeling burned out. The concept of having options of financial independence is so important, and Daniel explains how planning ahead and having your financial ducks in a row makes all the difference. Our mindset around money can greatly impact our financial path and keeping your values in mind when setting goals helps you stay on track. Daniel talks about how to sail your financial ship with direction, finding the right motivation for change, and how working with a coach, therapist, or financial planner is important for finding financial success and sustainability. What’s Inside: The link between burnout and finances and the impact of lifestyle creep The importance of a healthy money mindset and knowing your personal values How working with a coach, therapist, or financial planner can help you achieve your goals Mentioned In This Episode: DocWorking.com Finance for Physicians Podcast Wrenne Financial Planning Daniel Wrenne on LinkedIn Find full transcripts of DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast episodes on the DocWorking Blog The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add even more CME credits to the THRIVE memberships. Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE. You can take the first step today by taking our 2-Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today! DocWorking empowers physicians and entire healthcare teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time. If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Google, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Amazon, YouTube, and Podbean. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Some links in our blogs and show notes are affiliate links, and purchases made via those links may result in payments to DocWorking. These help toward

“If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else. And as caretakers, we are professional caretakers. It is completely true, although we like to think that it's not. We like to think that with our training and with our logic, that we can just overcome everything.”- Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington Physicians across the country are feeling burned out. We’re committed to finding ways to decrease stress in our lives and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Between December 2021 and January 2022, about 2,500 US physicians took a survey conducted by researchers at the AMA, Mayo Clinic, Stanford University, and the University of Colorado. The survey results showed that 63% of physicians had at least one manifestation of burnout. If you're a physician, clinician, or healthcare worker and you're feeling burned out, not only are you not alone, you're likely a part of the majority. Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington is back on the show to have a frank conversation about burnout and the importance of prioritizing your own well-being in order to begin to shift your life. If you're not experiencing burnout, chances are you're already doing some of these things to protect your resilience and well-being. Dr. Bright Ellington is an internal medicine physician and medical billing expert. She earned her M.D. at the University of Michigan Medical School and trained at the Cambridge Hospital of Harvard Medical School. She's practiced in primary care and psychiatric settings and then transitioned her work into the insurance world where she became a health insurance executive. She's the author of the What Your Doctor Wants You to Know series, is a former NY1 News health contributor, and has been featured in Dallas News, several podcasts, and national magazines. You can hear my previous conversations with Dr. Bright Ellington in the episodes linked below. Dr. Bright Ellington shares her amazing story of how she took control of her mental and physical health and well-being. Not only did she take the risk to shift her career, but she also had to battle breast cancer. If she hadn’t made the commitment to put herself first when she did, her diagnosis and road to recovery would have been much more difficult. In medical school, physicians are taught to be superhuman at all times, which just isn’t practical or sustainable. We discuss why you should put yourself and your family over your job, why it’s important to lean on friends, therapists, and coaches, and the importance of setting yourself up financially to take the leap. What’s Inside: Dr. Bright Ellington’s transformative story of how she overcame burnout and breast cancer. Why you should prioritize your well-being and your family over work. The importance of setting yourself up financially before stepping away from a career. Mentioned In This Episode: DocWorking.com 26: Physician Burnout: Proactive Steps You Can Take Today 195: Americans and Crushing Medical Debt with Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington 210: One Physician’s Journey into Non-Clinical Work with Dr. Virgie Bright-Ellington Dr.Virgie@CrushMedicalDebt.com Find full transcripts of DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast episodes on the DocWorking Blog The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add even more CME credits to the THRIVE memberships. Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE. You can take the first step today by taking our 2-Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today! DocWorking empowers physicians and entire healthcare teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time. If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grate

“And so what I play with a lot with my physician clients is you're really good at being highly capable people who handle challenging and complicated things. But in this setting, can we shift, gear down to something that's more simple, that's more in line with your views, and then it gives you more time to be and to rest and to use this season, the cozier, darker season of this holiday, to slow down and to have a little more presence and comfort for yourself instead of frenzied running around.”- Jill Farmer Jen and I want to talk about something that's pretty timely, and that's holiday stress. When we were having a recent conversation on this very subject, we realized that it's one of those things that's universal for a lot of us, no matter what stage or season of life you're in. The holidays, particularly that period between Thanksgiving and the new year, can be really pressurizing for people, so we wanted to talk to you about some ideas of things that may help you reframe some of the stress and help you feel a little more peaceful and connected to what matters most to you this season. This time of year can often be about everyone else’s expectations, so it’s really important to set the right intentions for ourselves. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to make everything perfect for our families and friends, but we have to stay connected to our own values. If you notice yourself feeling under pressure, take time out to sit down and ask yourself what truly matters. Many of us also feel like there’s never enough time to get everything done, as there are so many extra tasks this time of year. The truth is, the same amount of time in a day exists during the holiday season as it does on normal days, so it helps to take a moment to reframe and set realistic expectations. Another way we can get a bit triggered is when we’re around extended family that we maybe don’t see that often. It’s easy to regress back into old patterns from childhood and outdated ways of thinking. One of the best ways to plan ahead is to set healthy boundaries, whether that looks like avoiding discussion of certain topics or making a commitment to only spend a certain amount of time around particular family members so you can stay present. Practicing these skills not only helps us enjoy the holidays with loved ones but can also benefit our communications outside of the home in our professional lives. What’s Inside: How to handle the holiday seasons with ease and reduce stress. How to deal with time pressure and trying to manage extra holiday tasks. The importance of reframing and boundary setting around holiday gatherings. Mentioned In This Episode: DocWorking.com Find full transcripts of DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast episodes on the DocWorking Blog The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add even more CME credits to the THRIVE memberships. Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE. You can take the first step today by taking our 2-Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today! DocWorking empowers physicians and entire healthcare teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time. If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Google, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Amazon, YouTube, and Podbean. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Some links in our blogs and show notes are affiliate links, and purchases made via those links may result in payments to DocWorking. These help toward our production costs. Thank you fo

“Physicians are the hardest working folks in terms of, on average, if you compare the average physician with any other line of work or profession. We're hardworking folks and there are private equity folks, corporations, non-physician folks in turtlenecks that know this and exploit this. And that is something that we have to be aware of when we are becoming employed physicians.” - Dr. Virgie Bright-Ellington A lot of us are interested in transitioning into nonclinical careers or picking up a side gig that we can do in addition to our clinical career. This is something we get a lot of questions about at DocWorking, and our guest has successfully made that transition and can walk us through the steps. Dr. Virgie Bright-Ellington is an internal medicine physician and medical billing expert. She earned her M.D. at the University of Michigan Medical School and trained at the Cambridge Hospital of Harvard Medical School. She has practiced in primary care and psychiatric settings, and then she transitioned her work into the insurance world where she became a health insurance executive. She’s also the author of the What Your Doctor Wants You to Know series, a former NY1 news health contributor and was featured in Dallas News, several podcasts, and national magazines. Dr. Bright-Ellington has been a guest here on DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast before, and you can listen to the episode all about crushing medical debt by clicking the link below. Here, she shares her journey of how she went from a practicing physician to a successful author and entrepreneur. We discuss nanny culture and living in New York City and what ultimately caused Dr. Bright-Ellington to make the transition to a non-clinical career. As a mother, being there for her children was so important, so she started searching for ways to make passive income while still seeing patients on a part-time basis. However, things didn’t go quite as planned, as her father suddenly passed away and got divorced, causing her to rethink her role as head of the household. She then got a job within the insurance industry handling appeals. We discuss how Dr. Bright-Ellington found her publishing company and PR agent, and advice for others who are considering a similar path. Much of what got her to the next level was good old-fashioned hard work, persistence, and making the right connections. We also talk about investing, specifically using your retirement accounts to fund your startup business venture and the importance of having a solid marketing plan. It’s a misconception that entrepreneurship is an easy road, and Dr. Bright-Ellington pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to succeed. What’s Inside: •Dr. Bright-Ellington’s journey from practicing physician to entrepreneur. •What to expect when transitioning to a non-clinical career. •How to use retirement accounts to finance your startup. •Why having a solid marketing plan is key in entrepreneurial success. Mentioned In This Episode: •DocWorking.com •Americans and Crushing Medical Debt with Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington – EP 195 Find full transcripts of DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast episodes on the DocWorking Blog The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add even more CME credits to the THRIVE memberships. Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE. You can take the first step today by taking our 2-Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today! DocWorking empowers physicians and entire healthcare teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time. If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely gratefu

“One thing I do want to point out to investors is when we look at investments, the first thing we look at is the return. I’m guilty of it because that’s the whole point of the investment to see how much my money can grow. And then maybe the last thing we’ll look at is, oh, who is running it? But I think the more you invest, the more you really look into these, it should be the other way around. It should be who is running the property.” - Dr. Cherry Chen Although Dr. Cherry Chen specializes in internal medicine, she’s also an expert in real estate. Dr. Chen is also the founder of The Real Estate Physician, a business she created in 2018 to empower her physician colleagues in commercial real estate investments. Dr. Chen received her M.D. at Texas A&M College of Medicine with honors and completed her training at Oregon Health Science University. She has experience with commercial real estate investments across multifamily, self-storage, manufactured home parks, and as a limited passive investor, as well as raising private equity capital. After contributing to her 401k and IRA, Dr. Chen grew curious about other investment opportunities outside of the stock market. She was also curious about the potential for early retirement, financial independence, and growing her net worth, even though she was fairly young in her career. Although she loves being a physician, Dr. Chen began wondering what her alternatives would be if she decided to stop practicing medicine and how to make her money work hard on her behalf. This inspired her to pursue real estate and share her wisdom with other doctors through The Real Estate Physician. Through her business, she helps others grow their wealth independent of the time they put in as doctors. Dr. Chen shares what the process of diving into her first real estate investment was like and how to make intelligent investments. She also highlights the important characteristics investors should consider if they’re interested in passive investments, one of them being a thorough assessment of the property management company. Dr. Chen also explains how syndications work and the advantages they provide to investors. We wrap up by discussing the difference between multifamily investments and commercial investments like self-storage and mobile home parks. What’s Inside: How Dr. Chen became interested in real estate and why she started The Real Estate Physician. What investors should look for when considering passive investments. Key criteria to assess when considering a property manager. What syndications are and how they work. The difference between multifamily investments and self-storage or mobile home parks. Mentioned In This Episode: DocWorking.com TheRealEstatePhysician.com Find full transcripts of DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast episodes on the DocWorking Blog The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add even more CME credits to the THRIVE memberships. Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE. You can take the first step today by taking our 2 Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today! DocWorking empowers physicians and entire health care teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time. If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Google, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, ListenNotes, Amazon, YouTube, and Podbean. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Some links in our blogs and show notes are affiliate links, and purchases made via those links may result in payments to D

“If we are serious about this quintuple aim, this lofty goal of improved health outcomes at lower cost with better experiences for our patients, all of that in an environment of equity and physician wellbeing, then we really need a shift in health and healthcare. Because what I see is that patients are disenchanted with healthcare. They don't feel that their physicians have time for them. They don't feel heard. And I see physicians leaving healthcare because the system is really not conducive to either group.”- Dr. Iris Schrijver Dr. Iris Schrijver is a certified lifestyle medicine physician who also specializes in clinical pathology and molecular genetics. She's an adjunct clinical professor of pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine and a past president of the Association for Molecular Pathology. Dr. Schrijver has served as the medical director for a volunteers in medicine organization because she believes that health care is a basic human right. Together with her husband, an astrophysicist, she wrote Living with the Stars, a popular science book about connections between the human body and the universe. And more recently, she has written On the Path to Health, Wellbeing and Fulfillment. Originally from the Netherlands, Dr. Schrijver eventually landed at Stanford to be trained in clinical molecular genetics and clinical pathology, or laboratory medicine. She then became a faculty member in the pathology department where her main purpose was to direct the diagnostic molecular genetic pathology lab. After a long and rewarding career there, she and her husband made a joint decision to step away and pursue new adventures. They moved from California to Oregon where Dr. Schrijver became involved in a free clinic and ultimately became its medical director. She also discovered lifestyle medicine and was so impressed with its urgency and the science behind it that it inspired her to become certified in it herself. Her experience also inspired her to write her latest book. Dr. Schrijver shares just how important lifestyle medicine is and that it has a solid base in science. She explains the six pillars of health, well-being, and fulfillment and what they mean for both physicians and their patients. We discuss how to sift through all of the information that is out there and how small shifts add up to big, lasting changes. It can be challenging for physicians to “walk the walk” when it comes to lifestyle medicine, and Dr. Schrijver offers her advice. She also shares practical ways for physicians to integrate lifestyle medicine principles into their daily practice. What’s Inside: How Dr. Schrijver became involved in lifestyle medicine. The six pillars of health, well-being, and fulfillment. How to integrate lifestyle medicine into your personal life and professional practice. Mentioned In This Episode: DocWorking.com American College of Lifestyle Medicine LifestyleForHealthandWellness.com IrisMD@Stanford.edu On the Path to Health, Wellbeing, and Fulfilment: To Your Health Find full transcripts of DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast episodes on the DocWorking Blog The past few weeks have been busy at DocWorking! We have been working behind the scenes to add even more CME credits to the THRIVE memberships. Let your CME budget help you prioritize your own wellness so you can get on with living your best life on your own terms, as defined by you, with DocWorking THRIVE. You can take the first step today by taking our 2 Minute Balance to Burnout Quiz! Where are you on the Balance to Burnout Continuum? Take the quiz and find out today! DocWorking empowers physicians and entire health care teams to get on the path to achieving their dreams, both in and outside of work, with programs designed to help you maximize life with minimal time. If you like our podcast and would like to subscribe and leave us a 5-star review, we would be extremely grateful! We’re everywhere you like to get your podcasts! Apple iTunes, Spotify