Broken Medical System

About this episode

Dr. Rachael Degurse discusses the challenges of the medical profession and her journey to reclaiming her mental health and autonomy in patient care.

In this Scars to Stars episode, Dr. Rachael Degurse opens up about what happens when the career you dreamed of your whole life starts costing you your mental health. Raised in Colorado, Rachael poured everything into becoming a physician—medical school, residency, years of relentless dedication—believing that once she “made it,” life would finally feel steady and fulfilling. But after her physician-owned practice was sold to a corporate entity, medicine became less about patient care and more about productivity, shrinking appointment times, changing pay structures, and constant pressure to do more with less. Rachael shares the reality behind the white coat: skipping meals, not having time to drink water or use the bathroom, carrying emotional exhaustion home, and feeling depression deepen as the joy of connecting with patients was stripped away. At her lowest point, she considered leaving medicine entirely—until she found a different path. Rachael courageously built a med spa while still employed, then took the leap to become her own boss. The result? Less money, but more freedom, more time with patients, and a return to herself. Now she’s expanding again—opening a…

People in this episode

Host: Deana Brown Mitchell

Guest: Dr. Rachael Degurse

Topics covered

• mental health
• medical system
• physician burnout
• patient care
• entrepreneurship
• healthcare autonomy

Keywords

• physician burnout
• mental health
• patient care
• med spa
• healthcare system
• entrepreneurship
• autonomy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Scars to Stars, medical school, corporate entity, med spa, membership-based primary care practice

Places: Colorado

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