The Balanced Medics' Handover Podcast

Dr. Phillippa Smith shares her journey from surgical training (SET program) to medical administration training (RACMA), highlighting the possibility of changing career paths at any point. She discusses her background in science and academia, her transition to government work, and her decision to pursue medicine. Dr. Smith also explains her initial interest in surgery, the process of applying to the surgical training program, and the factors that led to a career change to medical administration. Additionally, Dr. Smith discusses her experience juggling medicine and motherhood, as well as the impact of fertility on women in medicine.

Takeaways

- It is possible to change career paths at any point in your medical career

- Seeking support from mentors, career coaches, and loved ones can help navigate career decisions and personal challenges

- Building a strong support network is crucial for success and wellbeing

- Reflecting on what’s worth it for you is really important in making career decisions and when considering changing career paths

Dr Sarah Arachchi is a paediatrician, soon to be author, speaker, mother of two boys and a strong advocate for women. She has organised conferences and events for medical parents and currently co-convenes the RACP educational sessions for paediatricians as well as being a member of the AMA Women in medicine committee.

We discuss:

- How mentorship and support are crucial in a medical career

- Being a parent and a doctor

- Fertility in medicine

- Representation matters

Dr Adaira Landry is an Emergency Medicine Physician, and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School with almost a decade of experience mentoring students and early-career professionals. She is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and mentor. She co-founded Writing in Color, a nonprofit that teaches the craft of writing. 

Dr Resa E. Lewiss is a Professor of Emergency Medicine, TEDMed speaker, designer, entrepreneur, educator, mentor, and point-of-care ultrasound specialist. She also hosts the Visible Voices Podcast, amplifying content in the healthcare, equity, and current trends spaces. 

They're on to discuss their upcoming book, 'Micro Skills: Small Actions Big Impact', which is a business self-help book about reaching big goals in small actionable steps. They share their personal journeys in medicine and writing, as well as what drew them to emergency medicine. The book covers various themes, including self-care, communication, reputation building, networking, conflict navigation, and finding new opportunities. The authors emphasise the importance of self-care first, before everything else.

We Discuss

• The importance of self-care and the impact of the workplace environment on professional success
• Dr Lewiss & Dr Landry's new book, 'MicroSkills: Small Actions Big Impact'

• Self-care and compassion are essential to prevent burnout and promote well-being
• The importance of authentic self-expression, doing things you enjoy, and how this helps us show up as better versions of ourselves

Dr. Malathi Acharya shares her journey from being a hospitalist to becoming a primary care physician and eventually starting her own practice in integrative medicine. Dr. Acharya emphasises the importance of self-care and self-nourishment in combating burnout and finding meaning and purpose in medicine.

We discuss:

- How self-care and self-nourishment are essential in combating burnout and finding meaning and purpose in medicine

- Starting your own practice requires learning new skills and overcoming fears, but it offers the opportunity for greater control and fulfilment

- Emerging models of medicine that provide hope for a more balanced and fulfilling career

Dr. Patrick Johnson, a psychiatrist and the medical director of the Victorian Doctors' Health Program, discusses physician suicide and wellbeing. He shares his journey to becoming a psychiatrist and his interest in doctors’ health. Dr. Johnson emphasises the importance of addressing loneliness, shame, and depression as risk factors for suicide. He highlights the need for leadership and wellbeing in the medical profession and encourages open conversations and connections among colleagues. 

We discuss how:

- Loneliness, shame, and depression are significant risk factors for physician suicide

- Leadership and wellbeing are crucial in addressing mental health issues in the medical profession

- Open conversations and connections among colleagues can help prevent physician suicide

- Prioritising wellbeing is essential 

- Supervision and coaching are valuable resources for doctors to gain wisdom and navigate the challenges of their careers

- Balance is a dynamic process that requires actively making time for different aspects of life

If you or someone you know needs help please call your local doctors' health service or Lifeline.

Dr Stephen Bergman AKA Samuel Shem, author of famed ‘The House of God’, is on to talk his new book.

‘Our Hospital’ is the final book in Shem’s Healing Quartet, about the COVID-19 pandemic and money-driven bureaucracy in medicine. 

It was fun to speak with Shem to hear about his colourful life & provocative books.

‘The House of God’ is a satirical novel, exposing the dark side of medicine training. It’s often said that ‘The House of God’ did for the art of medicine what ‘Catch-22’ did for the art of war.

We discuss:

- Shem’s reason for going into medicine (Harvard Med OR conscription to the Vietnam War)

- Why Shem got into writing (and how he got F for writing in Harvard & didn’t write for 4 years after that)

- ‘The House of God’

- His new book ‘Our Hospital’ 

- Shem’s hope for the future of medicine & healthcare workers

- The importance of sticking together and human connection

Dr Jolie Keenan is an infectious disease physician, real estate investor, mother, and founder of Best Year Journals. Best Year Journals was created after witnessing patients write down lists of dreams and aspirations post life-changing diagnoses. Jolie noticed that often the dreams were being written down for retirement, so she decided to create these journals with her mother so that we can live our “retirement” goals NOW. 

We discuss:

- Migration

- Choosing our specialty

- Highlights & challenges of infectious disease 

- Exploring the world outside of medicine

- Entrepreneurship 

- A little bit of magic

Dr Mary Leung is on this episode to discuss how she recovered from burnout and found a path that aligned with her values more. Dr Leung is a physician specialised in medical oncology, haematology, and internal medicine. She went from feeling trapped and devalued at work to regaining control of her life.

We discuss:

- what led up to Mary’s burnout

- the danger of self-sacrifice

- how she transformed her life

- how caring for ourselves helps how we relate and help others

- the importance of boundary setting

- we are worthy, just as we are

- the power of gratitude and curiosity

This episode we have Sharee Johnson on. Sharee is a registered psychologist and executive coach to leaders, business owners and health professionals. Sharee is the founder of Coaching for Doctors and author of bestselling book The Thriving Doctor. As part of Coaching for Doctors, Sharee also offers Recalibrate, an immersive development program for doctors that is due to start in-person this 8th of March in Melbourne. There is an online version starting in April this year if this suits better.

For those listeners who would like to sign up, you can mention that you listened to this podcast episode and take advantage of the early bird prices.

For junior docs, there is still 1 scholarship per program available if you’d like to apply. 

We discuss:

- Why Sharee became a coach for doctors

- Stoicism, perfectionism & overachieving 

- “Work-life balance”

- Unhelpful habits we may have, how to notice them and change them for more helpful ones

- Mindfulness (bear with us)

- Tips on how to thrive in medicine and take care of ourselves

- What the Recalibrate Program offers doctors

Today we have Dr Nishi Bhopal, a psychiatrist, sleep medicine physician, who practices holistic medicine, calling from San Francisco. Nishi did all the things she was supposed to do, but found herself experiencing high levels of stress in training, that ultimately led to burnout. Nishi is on to share her story and how she turned her experience into a practice that helps to heal others.

This episode we my friend on, Dr Charlotte Cachia, my friend from internship & residency who has a big career change.

From critical care to a non-clinical specialty, pathology, Charlotte is on to share her story. I’m so grateful for Charlotte’s vulnerability and honesty in how she healed from burnout and found a career in medicine that helps her live a more fulfilling life. 

We discuss:

- Charlotte’s journey from young high school graduate to even younger doctor

- Charlotte’s experience with burnout, the contributing factors, and the build up to the moment she decided to leave her job as a critical care SRMO

- What places us more at risk of burnout (like people-pleasing and overachieving)

- The importance of TIME to think over our next steps

- How it is OKAY to change directions in our career, at ANY time

- Charlotte’s transition from critical care to pathology

- Pathology training & tips on what to do if you’re interested in it

This episode we have Dr Barb Blasko, an Emergency Medicine Specialist and owner of a mobile healthcare service for equestrian events, called Show MD. This episode is all about how we can combine our passions to create our own unique career. Instead of ‘either/or’, we can be ‘yes, and’.

We discuss:

- How she got to where she is now

- Why Barb chose Emergency Medicine

- How Barb combined her love of horses with medicine

- Tips on starting your own business

This episode we have Dr Mary Magdy on to discuss her role as a Principal Investigator in Clinical Trials. This job is a hidden gem that remunerates well. It’s a growing industry in Australia and not want some might think when they hear research. Tune in to learn more about this role that is a great option for doctors that want to stay in medicine, keep seeing patients, but in a different way.

We discuss:

- Mary’s journey in medicine and how she found clinical research

- What clinical research is

- Who funds this type of research 

- The different roles in a clinical trial

- What a Principal Investigator & Sub-Investigator is - and a detailed overview of what they do

- The highlights and lowlights of the job

- The type of person that would be suited to this job

- Who could apply

This episode we have Dr Bishan Rajapakse on. He is an Emergency Medicine Specialist, writer, educator, and advocate for wellbeing, culture, and safety. Bishan came on to share his story & wisdom. This episode is great to show us all how there is no rush to the consultant finish line. We all do life at our own pace and that is more than okay.

We discuss:

- Bishan’s scenic route to specialisation

- How he lived his life with what made sense to him (instead of what makes sense to others)

- Following your ‘gut’ and your values

- How Bishan considered leaving medicine at one point, and then reconnected to his why

- Changing specialties

- Taking time off during training

- The “medical treadmill” (and hopping off it)

- Not feeling like you fit the mould of medicine and certain specialties

- Failure!!! & medical shame

- Valuing who WE ARE, over what we do

Ready to take radical responsibility for our 2024?

This episode is all about how we can reflect on 2023 and design our 2024 to be the year we want it to be.

Looking forward to witnessing your powerful 2024.

We’re so excited to share the latest episode of the podcast. Dr Kristine Goins, also known as The Nomad MD, is our guest. Kristine is an integrative adult and paediatric psychiatrist and world traveler. She is living proof that doctors can work remotely and is on a mission to help digitise medicine. Kristine is a coach to help other physicians change their life from traditional medicine to pursue location freedom.

We discuss:

- Kristine’s journey from traditional medicine to pursuing location freedom

- Her own experience with burnout

- What integrative medicine and integrative psychiatry is

- The role of travel in healing 

- How Kristine became a digital nomad & continued to practice medicine

- Kristine’s vision in transforming the healthcare system

This episode we have the inspiring Dr Vanessa Atienza-Hipolito on to share her journey. Vanessa is a Clinical Breast and Interventional Radiologist and solopreneur. She is the Clinical Director and business owner of Women’s & Breast Imaging in Cottesloe, educator, co-author, mother and triathlete. Vanessa is an international medical graduate and dedicates her recent award, Filipino-Australian of the Year, to all migrant people and migrant doctors.

We discuss:

- Her journey through medicine

- How she changed from surgical trainee to radiology training

- Why she migrated to Australia

- Her experience as an international medical graduate in Australia and how she became registered as a radiologist in Australia 

- How she became a business owner and solopreneur

- Why she writes

- Healing from burnout and having a life that is more than work

- The importance of asking for help, and the moment when Vanessa did reach out for help during a period of burnout

This episode we have Dr Toni Liu back! Listen to episode 2 to hear our first chat about people-pleasing and how to beat it. This time we are chatting all about those tricky emotions surrounding leaving medicine. Dr Toni Liu is a physician from the US who left medicine to be a cartoonist, digital nomad, and self-love and relationship coach. 

We discuss:

- The emotions we both felt when contemplating leaving medicine

- What came up when we left full-time clinical medicine (it wasn’t all sunshine straight away)

- How we can navigate those tricky emotions and pursue our dreams

- Dealing with unsolicited advice

- How we both are now vs at the start of our journeys

This episode we have Dr Seema Pattni, a mother, GP and career coach with a special interest in coaching women of South Asian backgrounds. Seema kindly came on to the pod to discuss how we can make empowered choices in our lives. I’m sure we have all felt a bit lost at some point in our lives, moving past this fog can be scary. Where do we even start?

We discuss:

- How we can make sustainable career and life choices based on our own values

- Seema’s journey through medicine, why, and how she re-evaluated her own career

- How we can identify our own values

- The importance of knowing our core values

- How we can apply them to make the change we want in our lives

- Navigating conflicting values

This episode we have Dr Matthew Coleshill (BSc (Hons), PhD) from the Black Dog Institute on the pod to discuss physician mental health & The Essential Network (TEN) for health professionals. I feel very privileged to share this episode to help normalise talking about mental health in doctors and to share another resource that is available to all of us.

This episode happens to be published after the recent loss of one of our own to mental health. It’s okay to not be okay. There is help out there. Please reach out to your loved ones, colleagues, GP, professionals or one of the resources listed in our bio and show notes. 

Having a mental health struggle does not mean you are not fit to practice or not well enough to be a doctor. It is so human and more common than you may think. You are not to blame, things are tough out there. I’m sure we have all struggled in medicine at some point in our lives. I know I have. 

I would like to share the memory and impact of Dr Trudy Hong, who left this world too soon. We need change in the health system, not just momentary outrage. My dream is we can be that change.

This episode we discuss:

- The Essential Network (TEN) for health professionals of the Black Dog Institute - a free mental health resource for health professionals that is confidential and separate to our employers

- What is unique about physician mental health

- Physician anxiety, PTSD & burnout

- Signs and symptoms of common mental health issues we may face as doctors and human beings

- Where we can get help if we need it

Resources for help now

This episode we are lucky to have Dr Chloe Walters on, a paediatric trainee and mental health advocate. Dr Walters shares her mental health story and is working to fight the stigma of mental illness. Hearing her story shows how powerful vulnerability is, and we hope this episode can help someone feel less alone. 

It’s okay to seek help if you need it. 

We discuss:

- Chloe’s journey through medicine with mental illness

- How she was diagnosed with bipolar

- Why Chloe decided to share her story

- The stigma around mental health 

- The importance of sharing stories to break this stigma

- Chloe’s hopes for how mental health will be seen in medicine

This episode we reflect on the podcast so far.

What has been covered, highlights from our inspirational guests, and lessons learnt.

If you want to hear more about someone or something please send through a voicemail or message.

This episode our very special guest is Dr Rachel Beanland, a Public Health Medicine Specialist, mindfulness meditation teacher, and coach for doctors. Rachel is also the host of The Authentic Tea Podcast, a great pod to listen to if you haven't yet. We are lucky to have her on to share how she created her own unique path in and outside medicine.

We discuss:

- Her alternative journey in and outside medicine

- How she created her unique intentional career & how we can do it too

- Working remotely in public health

- Rachel’s shift from hospital medicine to public health

- Fear of failure

- Celebrating diversity in medicine

This episode our exciting guest is Dr Alex Kharazi, a cardiothoracic surgeon, mother, skydiver, and author. Dr Kharazi comes on to share her story, discuss her new book, “The Heart of Fear”, and the links between high-risk sports and medicine. We also discuss how we can go beyond our limiting beliefs in medicine and seek out all the possibilities.

We discuss:

- How she became interested in surgery after a skydiving malfunction

- Her new book - “The Heart of Fear”

- Alex’s writing journey

- How medicine can approach our current challenges, ways we can challenge our thinking, go beyond limiting beliefs, and change the culture in medicine

- What medicine can learn from high-risk sports 

- Changing our decisions from fear-based, risk-averse to authentic decision-making

- The arrival fallacy 

This episode our inspiring guest is Dr Ali Tahayori, who holds a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Fine Art. Dr Tahayori currently exhibits his art internationally, while working as a Rehabilitation Medicine Specialist. Dr Tahayori was born and raised in the homophobic climate of 1980s Iran and moved to Australia in 2007. His art reflects on the identity of an outsider, which was assumed from the environment he grew up in as well as dealing with migration.

Listen to his unique story to hear how we can bravely follow our interests at any stage and create something beautiful out of our experiences.

We discuss:

- Dr Tahayori’s journey in art and medicine

- How he almost became an architect

- Where our interests in life come from, ourselves or external influence

- Ali’s drive to create art

- Listening to what he really wanted - and deciding to study art

- Being an outsider and dealing with our identity

- Balancing art and medicine

This episode we are lucky to welcome Dr Cheryl Martin. Dr Martin is an Emergency Physician, chair of the Australian College of Emergency Medicine workforce wellbeing executive, and host of The Mind Full Medic Podcast. Dr Martin is on the pod to answer some tough questions about navigating uncertainty in medicine; from clinical decision making, to rostering, to jobs, and training programs. Have a listen for some tips on ways we can care for ourselves through these tough moments in medicine.

We discuss:

- Cheryl’s journey through medicine

- Professional Fulfilment as a new lens for wellbeing in medicine

- Uncertainty in medicine, and why it’s so challenging

- How to deal with uncertainty - in clinical decision making, rostering, and our training

- Ways to manage living in different cities for training

- Managing setbacks in training

- How we can best care for ourselves & others through difficult moments in medicine

Dr Marianne Gazet is a Foundation Year 2 Doctor in the U.K (PGY2 equivalent in Australia) who is also the creator of the podcast More Than Medical Students. Her podcast is all about how we are more than our titles, medical student or doctor. We’re lucky to have her on the pod to discuss her perspective on how we can live our lives as more than health professionals, and her own journey!

We discuss:

- Why it’s important to remember we are more than our titles (doctor or medical student)

- Marianne’s journey in medicine

- Taking gap years in medicine

- How she started More Than Medical Students - content creating, studygram, collaborating with other medical students 

- The transition from medical student to doctor

- Tips on keeping your other interests alive

Kylie Brennan is here this episode to share her rich story. From registered nurse to the pharmaceutical industry to mindset coach running her own business, Kylie has had many roles. This episode is all about how we can give ourselves permission to change course in our life to fulfil our values and curiosity.

We discuss:

- Kylie’s time as a nurse

- Why Kylie decided to search for something more

- Burnout and how it’s related to moral injury

- Kylie’s transition to the Pharmaceutical Industry from clinical work

- How she started her own business as a mindset coach

- Kylie’s current work as a mindset coach that is dedicated to helping others to fulfil our highest potential (using neuro-linguistic programming)

- The inner critic (that we all share)

- Her book - Focus is Fertiliser

In this episode, we sit down with the inspiring Dr. Olivia Ong - a mother, Rehabilitation and Pain Specialist, author, and coach renowned for her expertise in resilience and burnout. After being hit by a car, as a first year registrar in 2008, she was told she would never walk again or practice medicine. Against all odds, Dr Ong learnt to walk again and is still practicing medicine. Beyond this, Dr Ong uses her experience in her motivational speaking, writing, and her business The Heart Centered Doctor aimed at helping doctors around the world lead the life they deserve without burnout.

We discuss:

- Recovering from paralysis and learning to walk again

- The greatest teaching she learnt from her accident

- Self-compassion, what it means, how it helps, and how to grow it

- How self-compassion changed her life, and can change all our lives

- The lack of control we experience in medicine and how we can navigate this

- 5 things to help control our internal world

- How to get connected with how we’re feeling and ways to handle challenging emotions

- Dr Ong’s approach of Heart-Centered Care - living a life by design not by rosters

In this episode, we're honoured to welcome back Dr. Violet Kieu, a distinguished Fertility Specialist and consultant Gynaecologist. Join us as we dive deep into the world of fertility and family planning, celebrating women's health week with Dr. Kieu's expert insights. We also tackle the big question – to freeze or not freeze our eggs?

We discuss:     

• What fertility medicine and family planning really means
• How to optimise our fertility with a preventative approach (including men’s health)
• When we should start family planning
• Reproductive freedom & choice 
• How likely we are to fall pregnant in our 20s, 30s & 40s
• When we should seek fertility advice 
• Infertility 
• Family planning options including for: same-sex couples, single women and women over 35
• When we should consider freezing our eggs
• Is it better to freeze eggs or embryos?
• Process of IVF, and the pros & cons, cost per year for storage

This episode we have a fellow podcaster and Melbourne-based doctor Dev Raga speaking about money! He works as a GP and is the host of ‘my millennial money professional’ podcast. Dev kindly shares his wisdom and tips on how we can apply simple money concepts to our own lives to gain greater freedom & choice.  

We discuss:

- Basic financial principles & tips for all of us to get our money working for us

- How Dev got into podcasting about finance 

- That money concepts aren’t as complex as the human body!

- What financial independence is & how we can achieve it

- Why we often don’t speak about money + why we don’t get taught much about it

- How our training is often longer as a profession, but a great time to learn how to invest & save

- Money may not bring happiness, but it can provide options

Dr Hilton Koppe is back! Hilton self-published his first book One Curious Doctor earlier this year, since then he has now published a second edition of the book through Wakefield Press. 

Hilton kindly has come on to talk about self-publishing vs publishing companies - as he’s experienced both. A great episode for those wanting to release a book into the world. 

The second edition is available now for those wanting to read One Curious Doctor.

We discuss:

- What Hilton’s been up to since the last episode

- The publishing process - and how to self-publish

- Self-publishing vs publishing company including profit difference

- How it is to work with an editor 

- Hilton’s feelings towards the reception of his book so far

This episode we are lucky enough to speak with Julian Meagher, a Sydney based artist who has exhibited extensively across Australia, Asia and America. Including being a finalist in the Archibald Portrait Prize multiple times. Before becoming a professional artist, Meagher went to med school and practiced as a doctor. Meagher is living proof that we can pursue the career that calls to us - even if it’s very different from medicine.

We discuss:

- His unique path in medicine

- Why & how he transitioned from medicine to art 

- The uncertainty in the first 5 years as a painter and how the transition was

- Importance of friends, community and mentors

- The identity of being a doctor and dealing with this when leaving medicine — Meagher is now “thankful rather than fearful”

- How the time to study medicine & work as a doctor is never wasted

- Letting go of failure

- How Meagher never fully let go of medicine - and still works in surgical assisting (but out of choice and enjoyment)

This episode we have Dr Cara Fox on to discuss her unique path in medicine. Dr Fox is a great example of how medicine does not have to be traditional or linear. We explore her alternate path and hope to show others that you can follow whatever piques your interest.

We discuss:

- Her non-traditional journey through surgery, economics, global health, scuba diving + more

- How she decided GP training wasn’t for her - it’s ok to change!

- Moving to Berlin for a medical education start-up

- Travelling to the Philippines with the under-23 female soccer team as a Sports Medicine Doctor (coincidentally this episode is released after the historic win of the Australian female soccer team, Go The Matildas!)

- More about Sports Medicine

- Her current role as a Medical Advisor + more information about pursuing this role in general

- Following your interests, wherever they may lead you 

Dr Kelly-Anne Garnier is a General Practitioner who is passionate about Lifestyle Medicine. Her path in medicine started off uniquely, she was initially a banker! Now she is dual trained in General Practice and Lifestyle Medicine. This episode is all about this unique specialty and Kelly shares tips on if it could be a right fit for you.

We discuss:

- Her “long road” route to medicine (another example that we all have our own timelines)

- Listening to that little voice telling you there’s time for change

- What Lifestyle Medicine is 

- Why Kelly was drawn to Lifestyle Medicine

- How to apply for Lifestyle Medicine + the requirements 

- The exam process

- Managing our careers with intention

Dr Jemma Hogan is a doctor specialising in both medical administration (RACMA) and paediatric medicine (RACP). She is currently working as the Director of Medical Services and as a Paediatric Advanced Trainee! This episode we shine a light on med admin, a lesser known medical specialty, and speak about dual training.

We discuss:

- Why she chose to do dual training in Paediatrics and Medical Administration

- What working as a Director of Medical Services involves

- What Medical Administration is

- What the day to day role is like

- The hours

- What it’s like being a dual trainee

- The requirements for RACMA & different pathways 

This episode we have the lovely Dr Leslie Gan on to speak about a lesser known medical specialty. Dr Leslie Gan is a rehabilitation medicine physician and Co-Director of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics in a public health service in Queensland.

We discuss

- How she re-evaluated her life while doing BPT and changed paths

- Why she chose Rehabilitation Medicine

- What the specialty is all about 

- The requirements - (BPT not required)

- Who would be suited to the job

- The exams are separate to BPT exams! 

Find out more by reaching out to your nearest friendly rehab physician or reach out to Dr Leslie Gan for more info.

Associate Professor Samantha Loi is a Principal Research Fellow at the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre and a neuropsychiatrist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

We discuss

- How she got into research

- Why she chose Psychiatry as a specialty

- How she got into neuropsychiatry

- The levels of seniority in research

- Samantha’s typical work day

- Who would be suited to research and how to get involved

Email contact@balancedmedics.com if you’d like to speak with Samantha.

Dr Surina Taneja is a junior doctor from England who is interested in a career in surgery, but also took the time to explore other options. Surina worked in Australia, as a doc, for two years and has kindly come onto the pod to share her story. She explores her interests and shares her experiences in medicine on YouTube. Surina is particularly passionate about maintaining a work life balance in the pursuit of our career dreams. 

Update: she has been accepted into surgical training in the U.K, congrats Surina!

We discuss:

- why she went into medicine

- why she side-stepped off the medical training ladder

- Her first two years as a junior doc in the UK

- How she found her first year in Australia (spoiler: it wasn’t the paradise that was sold to a lot of docs from the UK)

- The reality of working in Australia

- The ups and downs of taking a year off from the medical conveyor belt

- Her YouTube journey

- How to handle references when you take time off

Dr Jo Hely is our latest guest! Jo is a doctor who has worked in hospital administration, junior doctor education, medical regulation and medico-legal roles. Throughout her years in medicine, she met doctors who were dissatisfied with their careers and saw a real need for a career advisor with a specialised medical background. 

Now Jo is behind Insight Medical Careers, that offers services that include establishing your career direction, career change, and advancing into specialty training (including interview prep).

Also, this 13th of July, Jo is running another round of The Bigger Picture! A 6-week course for women doctors to gain greater clarity around your values and where work fits into your bigger picture. If you’re interested, use the code TBP when signing up to get the discounted price. 

We discuss:

- Her medical journey

- Why she chose medical administration training

- How a serious medical diagnosis of a loved one affected her path

- How and why Insight Medical Careers was born - to create a career and life that you love

- The Bigger Picture - Jo’s latest project, focused on helping women in medicine live life by their values & developing networks

Dr Chido Mwat is a Zimbabwean comedian, writer, film and web content maker living in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). She does all this while working as a doctor in ED.

We discuss:

- How she blends her creative side with working as a doctor

- Juggling “the creative” & “doctor” identity 

- Her inspiration at the moment & the need to be creative

- Chido’s current projects 

- Embracing failure

Dr Karen Barnard thought medicine would be her forever career, but after 30 years of clinical experience, she realised it was time for a change. With the support of her mentor coach, she found the perfect career for her as a physician career coach. Now Karen dedicates herself to helping doctors transition out of clinical medicine.

We discuss:

- Her own medical journey

- Why she felt it was time for a career change & the moment she began to notice this need to change

- How she made that career transition leap - it’s a process

- Her biggest barrier in her career change

- Advice for everyone listening who is questioning their career in medicine

Dr Ben Bravery's journey through medicine isn't the typical one. In 2011, while living in Beijing, China and building his own science communication business, Ben was diagnosed with Stage 3C colorectal cancer. He was 28 years old. He returned to Australia and underwent 18 months of treatment. After this, Ben needed a change. He decided to become a doctor. Ben is now undertaking speciality training in Psychiatry. His memoir ‘The Patient Doctor’, published in 2022, speaks of his journey and mission to change health care for the better. 

We discuss

- His memoir ‘The Patient Doctor’

- How he went from a zoologist working with giant pandas to medical doctor

- The moment he was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 28 years old

- How his experience in the hospital as a patient spurred him to become a doctor to change the health system

- Medical training & the system 

- How we can protect ourselves from moral injury & compassion fatigue

- How he held onto and continues to hold onto his humanity during medical training

- What’s next for him

Our guest Dr Eunice Chou, is a doctor from New Zealand and digital nomad. She is currently exploring the world and sharing videos of her life on YouTube!

We discuss:

- Why she became a digital nomad & how she is doing it

- Her plans for her year off

- Why she decided to take the year off

- Burnout

- Her experience as a junior doctor

- How she’s exploring what she really wants to do in life

- The reactions of others to her year off

Our guest Dr Sonia Henry is a GP and published author, passionate about welfare of doctors, improving health equity, especially in remote Australia and First Nations health. Her first book 'Going Under' was an Australian best seller and her memoir 'Put Your Feet In The Dirt, Girl' is going to be released on May 30.

Sonia came on to discuss her alternative path in medicine and new book!

We discuss:

- Her writing journey & how she became a published author

- Juggling writing & doctoring

- Her amazing debut novel Going Under

- Her journey into the Australian desert & new memoir Put Your Feet In The Dirt, Girl

- The viral post she wrote ‘there is something rotten inside the medical profession’

- Dealing with the ‘online haters’

- How she came to love being a rural doc

- That we can shed our labels and be whoever we want to be

Dr Emily Amos came on the pod to talk about her portfolio career, and share how this approach can create greater fulfilment & balance in our life. Dr Amos is a General Practitioner, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, 200hr yoga teacher, university tutor and registered mindfulness meditation teacher. She also hosts the mind.life.me podcast, talking about what’s good for our mind, body and soul.

We discuss:

- what is a portfolio career

- the distinction between portfolio career vs “side-hustle”

- overwhelm

- her burnout recovery journey

- how she designed a life that fulfils her

- the doctor identity and what it means to be a “good doctor”

Dr Violet Kieu is a consultant Gynaecologist specialising in fertility, reproductive endocrinology, and fertility preservation. She is also a writer, and shares all about fertility medicine through her blog Freeze Fertility.

We discuss

• Why she chose fertility medicine
• Societal factors in making life choices, especially medicine
• Requirements in becoming a fertility specialist
• Her typical day
• All about her writing

Stay tuned for part 2 - all about our own fertility in medicine, to freeze or not to freeze, that is the question.

This episode we are lucky to have Rachel Clark, a medical science liaison (MSL) with 20 years experience in this role. She generously shared all about this profession and how this position can open up doors for you in many industries and other roles.

It’s a great option for those without medical registration, like new graduates or interns.

We discuss

• What is an MSL
• The day-to-day activities
• The industries you can work in - pharmaceutical, medical devices, biotechnology and managed care companies
• How you can carve out a niche for yourself based on your interests
• The flexibility and diversity of the role
• Advice on what you should do before applying for a role
• Requirements needed for role
• How to get around the “experience needed” requirement
• How there is room to grow
• Who would be suited to MSL

(Apologies for my loud mic, it was new at time of recording and turned up too high)

This episode we are lucky to have Dr Chelsea Turgeon here to talk about her amazing journey from O&G trainee (resident) to digital nomad, healthcare career coach, author and podcaster. Chelsea quit training to pursue her own path and now works to help others find their own fulfilment in career and life.

We discuss

• External validation
• The moment she decided to drop out of residency and bought a one-way ticket to South Korea
• Trusting her intuition in becoming a digital nomad 
• Her burnout, hitting rock bottom, then coming out the other side
• How her plan evolved from aspiring travel blogger to healthcare career coach
• Navigating unsolicited advice about major career & life changes
• If she ever looked back