In this episode, Dr. Sunny Smith reflects on how a recent life threatening situation helped her to see what things really matter in the end, and how most of the things we spend so much time worrying about don't really matter at all. It changed her perspective to help her take radical responsiblity for making choices in her life that didn't serve her.

She also announced a brand new physician coach certification program that can be found at https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/certification/

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Our last episode was a conversation with Dr. Edith Eger on how we always have a choice. No matter our situation, we always have a choice. This episode is a reflection on a conversation with her and Oprah Winfrey that included how we go about making our choices when the answer doesn't seem clear. Oprah discussed her own reflections with and experiences of Inner Knowing. She says we were all born with an inner knowing and if we can just be still and listen, it is always there.

If you'd like to join us for a live workshop, simply go to https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/workshop

We'd love to see you there.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Edith Eger who is a 97 year old Holocaust survivor, clinical psychologist, and New York Times Best Selling author of the book The Choice.

The wisdom she shares is truly unforgettable.

She teaches us how her mother taught her that no one could take away from her what she put in her mind. She reminds us that we all have choice, no matter the circumstance.

Links from this episode:
For those who want to join us for a workshop go to http://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/workshop

Dr. Edith Eger's book - The Choice. https://dreditheger.com/the-choice/

In this episode we examine the evolution of the understanding of Learned Helplessness. We review the neuroscience that explains how helplessness is a default and what we are actually learning is control.

This allows us to have a deeper understanding for ourselves and compassion for ourselves when we do feel helplessness in the face of ongoing challenges.

It also empowers us to proactively strengthen our self-efficacy, agency, and autonomy.

Learned Optimism helps us remind ourselves that challenges are not personal, not permanent, and not pervasive.

Upcoming EWP in person event

EWP Toronto event with Liz Gilbert and Martha Beck

https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/toronto-2024/

References

Maier SF, Seligman ME. Learned helplessness at fifty: Insights from neuroscience. Psychol Rev. 2016 Jul;123(4):349-67. doi: 10.1037/rev0000033. PMID: 27337390; PMCID: PMC4920136.

In this episode we learn about Martin Seligman's initial experiments on Learned Helplessness. This context can help us better understand ourselves and why we may sometimes not believe that we have power to take action to decrease our own suffering.

In person event:
EWP Toronto 2024 with Liz Gilbert and Martha Beck - click here

Coaching Guide:
To download click here

Podcast link:
To send to a friend click here.

We'll be placing links to references here soon.

In this episode we talk about the indoctrination all of us went through during our medical training. In the next episode we will discuss learned helplessness, unlearning, and re-learning agency and self-efficacy.

References and resources mentioned in this podcast

References
1. Greenawald MH MD, FAAFP, Pipas CF MD, MPH, FAAFP. The Power Of Coaching: Supercharge Your Personal and Professional Well-being. Fam Pract Manag. 2022 Sep-Oct;29(5):12-16.
2. Shanafelt TD, West CP, Dyrbye LN, Trockel M, Tutty M, Wang H, Carlasare LE, Sinsky C. Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Integration in Physicians During the First 2 Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Mayo Clin Proc. 2022 Sep 14;S0025-6196(22)00515-8.


Empowering Women Physicians resources for you
Sign up for the EWP Coaching Program Waitlist
The Ultimate Coaching Guide for Women Physicians
Books We Love Guide
References (RCT & academic journal articles on physician coaching)
Dr. Katrina Ubell session inside EWP
Dr. Katrina Ubell's book

In this episode we talk about the important role of "micro-mentoring" in facebook groups for women physicians.

We also discuss one such example where women physicians reflect on and call out beliefs we have or actions we take, as if there were a badge of honor for sacrificing ourselves for others.

Let's tell the truth - from our own painfully gained knowledge that there is NO badge of honor for .... (insert some BS thing here that we have been led to believe we "should" do.

References

• Knoll, Miriam A. MD; Jagsi, Reshma MD, Phil. Cumulative Micro-Mentorship: How Social Media Is Facilitating the Advancement of Female Physicians. Academic Medicine: October 2019 - Volume 94 - Issue 10 - p 1404-1405.

Human beings are enthralled by stories and use them as tools to connect, to make sense of the world, to engage and transmit information from one person to another, one community to another, and one generation to another. Our stories influence our beliefs and our culture. Personal heartfelt stories engage our brain in unique and powerful ways. We'll talk about why we encourage others to tell their stories inside EWP, why micro-mentoring matters, and why Social Learning Theory suggests most human learning occurs observationally through modeling. One woman physician telling her story has the power to change the world around her. Thousands of women physicians telling their story has the power to change the culture of medicine.

References

Dr. Uri Hasson Lab at Princeton (Suzuki et al. Dialogues: Science and Power of Storytelling. J Neuroscience 2018 Oct 31; 38(44): 9468–9470. TED talk , Youtube Storytelling impacts our future) & Dr. Paul Zak. (Neuroscience of stories)

Bandura A. Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall; 1977.

David Foster Wallace - This is Water.

EWP website: https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/
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