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Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career

Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career

By: Doctor Podcast Network Dr. Michael Hersh
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 Many physicians feel stuck. But what if mid-career medicine didn’t mean burnout, boredom, or being boxed in? Better Physician Life, hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, is the podcast that helps doctors reclaim clarity, joy, and purpose in their careers—without quitting medicine. Through honest solo episodes and transformative guest interviews, Dr. Hersh explores what it really means to design a life in medicine on your own terms. This is where mindset meets reinvention—and where stuck doctors find the tools to get unstuck.©2025 Better Physician Life Podcast Career Success Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • I Didn't Go Into Medicine To Become This | Ep6

    I Didn't Go Into Medicine To Become This | Ep6
    Sep 8 2025
    “I didn’t go into medicine to become this.” It’s a quiet thought. But most of us have had it at some point in our careers. We start with purpose, with energy, with an eagerness to help. And then… the years add up. Patient after patient. Room after room. The tragedies and the hard conversations. The exhaustion of being everything for everyone else. We hold it together with a thin veneer—until it cracks. And somewhere along the way, we notice we’ve become someone we barely recognize. The snapping. The shutting down. The quiet retreat inside ourselves.In this episode, host Dr. Michael Hersh and guest Dr. Kemia Sarraf, dive into the unseen toll of medical training and practice. Reflecting on their shared journey through residency, they discuss how unprocessed stress compounds into burnout and disillusionment. Dr. Sarraf introduces powerful tools like co-regulation—how connection with colleagues disrupts trauma—and the importance of "resourcing" to prevent embodiment of harm. This episode blends personal storytelling with actionable strategies, offering physicians a path to heal, reconnect with their purpose, and lead with compassion in their demanding roles.Top 3 TakeawaysAcknowledge and Name Trauma – Recognize that trauma in medicine is not a personal failure but a systemic issue; naming it opens the path to healing.Practice Co-Regulation – Build connections with colleagues to disrupt traumatic stress; shared experiences and support are powerful tools for resilience.Prioritize Resourcing – Identify and access what you need (e.g., time, community, self-compassion) to prevent stress from becoming embodied trauma.About the ShowCreated for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.About the Guest: Dr. Kemia Sarraf is a board-certified internal medicine physician, founder, and CEO of Lodestar Consulting and Executive Coaching. With over two decades of experience in medicine, public health, nonprofit leadership, and trauma mitigation, she brings a unique perspective to supporting high-performing professionals. Her trauma-responsive coaching approach, informed by her clinical background and personal commitment to healing, helps physicians and others navigate chronic stress and burnout. Dr. Sarraf completed her Medical Degree and Master of Public Health at the University of Utah School of Medicine and her residency in Internal Medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, focusing on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Sarraf lives on a farm in Central Illinois with her husband, four sons, and numerous animals.Connect with Dr. Sarraf:🌐 Website: www.lodestarpc.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkemia📸 Instagram: @drkemia📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KemiaSAbout the HostDr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md 📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.
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    45 mins
  • You Don't Know What You Don't Know | Ep5

    You Don't Know What You Don't Know | Ep5
    Sep 1 2025

    Can awareness transform your medical practice and personal life? Host Dr. Michael Hersh dives into the deceptively simple concept of “you don’t know what you don’t know” on Better Physician Life. Reflecting on his own shift from coasting on autopilot to embracing intentional awareness, he shares how physicians’ ingrained need to “have all the answers” can create invisible mental ruts.

    Drawing on his own experiences, Dr. Hersh introduces practical tools, like the “thought download”—a no-filter brain dump to separate facts from stories—and “habit anchoring,” which ties mindset check-ins to daily routines like showering or bedtime.

    He addresses the brain’s negativity bias, offering strategies to pause, question unhelpful thoughts, and celebrate small wins to build resilience. This episode weaves personal storytelling with actionable advice, providing physicians with tools to break free from mental tire tracks, reduce burnout, and rediscover choice in their demanding routines.

    Top 3 Takeaways
    1. Practice Thought Downloads – Write down all thoughts without judgment, then separate facts from stories to challenge unhelpful assumptions and gain clarity.
    2. Use Habit Anchoring – Tie mindset check-ins to routines (e.g., showering, bedtime) by asking, “What am I thankful for?” or “What went well today?” to build awareness.
    3. Celebrate Small Wins – Log three daily successes, even minor ones, to retrain your brain to see beyond problems and foster mental resilience.

    About the Show
    Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.

    About the Host

    Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.

    His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.

    Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.

    🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:

    🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com

    🔗LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
    📸Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
    📺YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
    📘Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching

    📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife

    The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • A Good Doctor Doesn't Do That | Ep4

    A Good Doctor Doesn't Do That | Ep4
    Aug 25 2025

    Dr. Michael Hersh gets honest about the silent rules many physicians live by: always be available, always stay clinical, never stray from the traditional path. But what happens when those rules begin to feel like a cage rather than a calling?

    Through personal stories, reflective exercises, and heartfelt insight, Dr. Hersh invites listeners to examine the story they've inherited about what it means to be a “good doctor.” He explores how fear, guilt, and outdated expectations can stifle creativity and authenticity and how shifting that story opens the door to purpose, possibility, and a more human version of success.

    Whether you’ve felt hesitant to try something new, questioned your worth outside of clinical practice, or are simply wondering what else might be possible, this episode offers a compassionate, courageous starting point.

    Top 3 Takeaways
    1. Name the Rules – Write out the “I am” and “I’m not” statements that shape your identity as a physician. Then swap the “I” for “you” to see whose voice you're really following.
    2. Challenge the Narrative – Ask yourself: Who gave me this definition of a good doctor? Is it still serving me, or just keeping me safe?
    3. Take One Small Step – You don’t need to reinvent your life—just take one small, curious step toward something that lights you up.
    About the Show

    Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.

    About the Host

    Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.

    His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.

    Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.


    🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
    🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
    🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
    📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
    📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
    📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching

    📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife

    The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
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