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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast Professional Certified Coach, Lynn Bagdasian.

Practicing gratitude can make life so much better. There’s so much chaos and stress in the world around us as physicians. Implementing a gratitude practice into our daily lives releases dopamine and can reduce stress.

When we express gratitude as a habit, we transform everyday routines into rituals. Think about something you do every day, like washing your hands, brushing your teeth, or making coffee. We do these so often that they become routine. But if we incorporate a gratitude practice into those behaviors, they become mindfulness rituals.

What steps does Lynn suggest we take to create a daily gratitude ritual?

• Step 1 - Think of 3 things that you’re grateful for. It doesn’t have to be big things, it can be simple things like running water, or sharing a conversation with your kids.
• Step 2 - Think of a routine habit that you do every day (ex. brushing your teeth or washing your hands).
• Step 3 - Incorporate the three things that you’re grateful for into these three routine daily tasks to form a mindfulness gratitude ritual.

Most importantly, PRACTICE a gratitude ritual for well-being!

BIO:

Lynn Bagdasian is the founder of Lynn Bagdasian Life Coaching, LLC, where she specializes in empowering clients to gain insight & clarity and reach their full potential. She earned her Certified Professional Coach (CPC) credential through the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and holds a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) accreditation with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Lynn holds a certification as a Grief Educator from David Kessler+grief.com, and is an iPEC Energy Leadership Master Practitioner.

Lynn serves as a volunteer, training and mentoring Tanzanian Coaches to support the next generation of East African women leaders.

When she's not coaching clients, leading workshops in her community or volunteering, Lynn enjoys spending time with her family & friends, meeting new people and traveling around the world. She is happiest when she is helping others create the life of their dreams.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast board-certified psychiatrist and performance coach, Ryan Davis, MD.

Ryan works with elite athletes and high-level professionals - most of whom are type A go-getters. While it’s a personality type that can take you far, it doesn’t always lead to a balanced life. Life balance is a bit of a cliche - it’s something we talk about a lot, but not attainable for many of us, and not one we strive to achieve.

One way to think about balancing priorities is like a tripod made up of three key components: self-care, career, and relationships. While these components may differ from person to person, they often represent the pillars of a fulfilling life. As a thought experiment, imagine forming a tripod with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger, connected by a rubber band. When you pull on one finger—putting more time and energy into that area—you increase the tension on the others. This simple exercise illustrates how shifting focus in one part of life can create strain in the others.

There will always be a give and take among our big three components. When we become unaware and the balance is disrupted, it can lead to burnout.

What steps does Ryan suggest we take to bring awareness to our work-life balance?

• Step 1 - Remember, we only have 100% to give. It’s important to realize that we only have so much to give.
• Step 2 - Consider what your “components” are. You don't need to limit yourself to just three; instead, make a list of your top 3-5 areas where you want to spend your time.
• Step 3 - Consider how you want to divide your 100%. How much do you want to allocate to your career, family, self-care, etc.?

Most importantly, PRACTICE your life balancing act!

BIO

Dr. Davis is a Harvard-trained, board-certified psychiatrist with advanced performance coach training. While not at the office Dr. Davis is a 3-time marathon runner, die-hard University of Michigan and Detroit sports enthusiast, and most importantly, an obsessed golfer.

Dr. Davis helps his clients gain insight into their psyche as it relates to their sport and personal life. Dr. Davis’ background allows him to offer unique mental coaching, creating resilient and driven athletes who live more purposeful lives. Dr. Davis provides performance coaching for elite athletes, teams, as well as business executives.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes ENT surgeon and professional coach Dr. Mel Thacker to the podcast.

There’s a fallacy among physicians that we have to show up in the clinic as the all-knowing ego in the white coat who has all the answers. But when we approach treatment this way, it actually disconnects us from our patients.

We need to learn how to step out of the hero identity because when we define ourselves as heroes, our patients often become victims. When we approach patient care humbly without the mindset that we’re “better” than our patients, it can create much better outcomes.

Instead of disempowering the patient, we lay out the situation as it currently stands and explain the options available. This invites the patient to become the creator of their own lives by giving them their power back.

What steps does Mel suggest we do to shift our mindset?

• Step 1 - Anytime you are feeling like a victim and you want to blame someone or something, ask yourself what you can create from this.
• Step 2 - Recognize when you see your patients inviting you into a collaboration of care.
• Step 3 - Try to move yourself out of the “hero” mindset and into a “coaching” mindset.

Most importantly, PRACTICE shifting your mindset from hero to coach!

BIO

Mel Thacker, MD, PCC, DipABLM, is a fellowship-trained rhinologist/otolaryngologist, professional certified coach, and lifestyle medicine specialist.

In December 2024, she left her successful surgical career to focus exclusively on coaching surgeons. Her mission is to help them reclaim purpose, clarity, and control in their lives.

She is also the host of the groundbreaking podcast, Surgeons with Purpose, and the Founder of Empowered Surgeons Group, a program that will teach you everything you didn't learn in surgical training.

Follow her on Instagram here
Connect on LinkedIn here

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast, Quality Improvement Executive Leadership Consultant, Margie Nelson, MS, MT, EMT, CPXP.

Margie has spent the past 20 years as a hospital quality and safety specialist handling risk, quality improvement, and communication enhancement.

Physicians are generally recognized as healers, but when they’re first thrown into a leadership position, physicians are less likely to have experience in leading people (especially other physicians). When taking roles that require supervision of people, there’s a different skill set you need to develop to become a great leader.

A few simple actions can make all the difference in building trust among your team.

What steps does Margie suggest to improve communication and trust among your team?

• Step 1 - Create an action plan. That means living your own values so that your team leads in the same way you do.
• Step 2 - Embrace teamwork. Advocate for your team. Celebrate their wins. Discuss when things go wrong.
• Step 3 - Instill trust. Build a culture of collective excellence and elevate your team by your own leadership example.

Most importantly, PRACTICE intentional communication to lead your team!

BIO

Margie Nelson, MS, MT, EMT, CPXP, is a Quality Improvement Executive Leadership Consultant with a demonstrated history of working with hospital and healthcare systems on quality, safety and patient experience of care. Most recently she added Physician Wellness to her skills administering a Physician Coaching program at Envision Healthcare which made a significant impact on physician wellness and improvement of quality and safety scores. Margie’s education and training include a BS and MS from the George Washington University in Medical Technology and Healthcare Quality and Safety. She has worked on both sides of the care and regulatory aspects of Healthcare and continues to bring value to physician relationships with patients, leaders and colleagues.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast, Quality Improvement Executive Leadership Consultant, Margie Nelson, MS, MT, EMT, CPXP.

Margie has spent the past 20 years as a hospital quality and safety specialist handling risk, quality improvement, and communication enhancement.

Margie has recognized that quality of care is directly related to how well a patient understands what the physician is telling them. Many physicians don’t always have time to develop the relationship that the patient requires to build that trust and desire to take care of themselves.

Effective communication between physicians and their teams is foundational. Physicians need strong communication skills with peers and leadership, as well as with their patients. Often strong communication in one area will positively impact the others.

What steps does Margie suggest to improve communication between physician leaders, physician reports, and ultimately, patients?

• Step 1 - Set the expectation that colleagues can always come to you with questions, challenges, or suggestions.
• Step 2 - Exhibit the characteristics that you want to see in others.
• Step 3 - Acknowledge existing challenges and ask for partnership in solving those challenges.

Most importantly, PRACTICE improving how you communicate!

BIO

Margie Nelson, MS, MT, EMT, CPXP, is a Quality Improvement Executive Leadership Consultant with a demonstrated history of working with hospital and healthcare systems on quality, safety and patient experience of care. Most recently, she added Physician Wellness to her skills, administering a Physician Coaching program at Envision Healthcare, which made a significant impact on physician wellness and improvement of quality and safety scores. Margie’s education and training include a BS and MS from the George Washington University in Medical Technology and Healthcare Quality and Safety. She has worked on both sides of the care and regulatory aspects of Healthcare and continues to bring value to physician relationships with patients, leaders and colleagues.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes ENT surgeon and professional coach Dr. Mel Thacker to the podcast.

Each of us carries two inner selves — the essential self and the social self. When these two are in harmony, we’re capable of extraordinary things. But when they’re out of alignment, it can lead to dissatisfaction, stress, or burnout.

The essential self is our true nature — who we are at our core, from birth. The social self is the identity we build over time to meet the expectations of others. As infants, we cry when we’re upset — pure essential self. As adults, we may feel like crying but force a smile to keep others comfortable — the social self at work.

So how do we bring these two selves into balance? Dr. Thacker offers three key steps:

• Step 1 - Recognize that most of us are living unconsciously. We tell ourselves we’ll be happy after we attain the next milestone. This is the arrival fallacy. Instead, we need to live consciously.
• Step 2 - Explore your earliest memories and consider why they stand out. These moments can offer valuable insights into your essential self — the version of you that existed before external expectations took over.
• Step 3 - Consider working with a coach to explore, identify, and integrate your essential and social selves. A coach can help you uncover unconscious patterns and align your path with who you truly are..

Most importantly, PRACTICE being your essential self!

BIO

Mel Thacker, MD, PCC, DipABLM is a fellowship-trained rhinologist/otolaryngologist, professional certified coach, and lifestyle medicine specialist.

After two years in academics, she realized how much she valued autonomy and pivoted to private practice, serving a Massachusetts community for nearly a decade. But when panic attacks and insomnia took hold, she turned to coaching—transforming the most emotionally painful year of her life into her greatest teacher. She emerged on the other side as a better human, clinician, surgeon, wife, mother, and friend. After that experience, her work evolved from taking care of patients to resourcing her fellow surgeons.

• Watch her TEDx talk, "How to Save Lives with Two Minutes of Listening," here.
• Her second TEDx talk, "Seeing Beyond the Red Swans," will be available in Spring 2025.

She is also the host of the groundbreaking podcast, Surgeons with Purpose, and the Founder of Empowered Surgeons Group, a program that will teach you everything you didn't learn in surgical training.

Social Media:

Follow her on Instagram here
Connect on LinkedIn here

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast pediatrician, startup founder, and people connector, Dr. Zhen Chan.

In addition to earning his medical degree, Zhen earned an MBA during the middle of his residency, which offered a unique perspective.

Zhen is most passionate about solving large pain points for the healthcare industry. One of the main ways he pursues this goal is through networking with people in healthcare - not just those in the clinical sphere, but those behind the scenes as well.

As physicians, we go through med school and residency and the education and training process is primarily focused on the clinical aspects of medicine. But practicing medicine in the modern day system requires at least a baseline knowledge of many other things (operations, informatics, management, insurance, etc.) That’s not standardized in our medical training so we need to find ways to fill those gaps in our training. One of the best ways to do that is through making connections.

What steps does Zhen suggest we take to make better connections?

• Step 1 - Reach out to one other physician. Many physicians are hesitant to do this, but quite often, the person you’re reaching out to wants to provide advice or mentorship.
• Step 2 - Make networking a part of your life. That way, the world gets a lot smaller and you’ll have better options when you’re looking for new opportunities.
• Step 3 - Reach out to another physician with similar interests and continue this process to make networking a regular part of your life.

Most importantly, PRACTICE building connections through networking!

BIO: Zhen Chan, MD MBA FAAP

Healthcare Management | Pediatrics | Physician

Dr. Zhen is a pediatrician in Washington, DC with an MD and an MBA in Health Management and Policy. He is actively developing a career that integrates his interests in healthcare strategy and emerging health technology that can make a scalable impact on patient care outcomes, access, equity, and physician well-being.

He worked for one year in a healthcare venture capital company focused on pediatric health innovation as a Venture Fellow and later a Senior Associate. During residency, he was a Co-Chair of the Housestaff Quality Council at Weill Cornell Medicine, QI Captain for the primary care center where he had his pediatric continuity clinic, and an Advocacy Co-Chair for the pediatric department. He has extensive experience leading quality improvement initiatives and advocacy projects focusing on childhood obesity, HPV vaccinations, and food insecurity.

Currently, Dr. Zhen is the founder and CEO of Grapevyne, a pioneering physician job search platform that leverages physician peer-to-peer referrals to address the physician shortage crisis and issues around physician burnout by improving how physicians choose jobs and match to communities that need them.

Certifications: Board Certification in Pediatrics, Licensed in DC, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, IHI

Open School Basic Certification in Quality & Patient Safety

Awards: Distinguished Housestaff Award, Gold Humanism Honor Society, VC University Scholarship Recipient, MD MBA Scholarship Recipient

Social Media:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and Chief Medical Officer at Connecticut Orthopaedics, Dr. Alan Reznik.

There’s an old saying - “hire slow, fire fast” - which essentially means to take your time hiring the right candidate for the job and, if you have a bad employee, get rid of them quickly so that a single bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch. Sometimes making a good hire can boost everyone's morale, while making a bad hire can destroy the office culture you’ve built.

That all sounds good, but how do you hire a good employee?

When hiring for a position, there are certain protocols you can follow to make sure you’re doing everything within your power to make a good hire.

What steps does Alan suggest we take to hire good people?

• Step 1 - Vision - Have a well-defined job description and know what you’re looking for in the role to properly evaluate a candidate’s skill set.
• Step 2 - Evaluation - Meet with the prospective employee and get a sense of what they think the job entails to see if that matches your vision for the position.
• Step 3 - Fit - Finally, the prospective employee must be a good fit for the organization. How will they fit with the rest of the team?

Most importantly, PRACTICE a system for hiring good people!

BIO: Alan Reznik, MD, MBA

Dr. Reznik is a practicing orthopaedic surgeon and involved in medical teaching for over 30 years. He is recognized as one of “America’s Top Physicians” by Consumers Research Council of America and named “Top Doc” in Connecticut over 20 times by his orthopaedic surgeon peers, physicians, nurses and patients. He has served on many committees for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons including editorial board of AAOS Now. He has written "The Knee and Shoulder Handbook, the keys to a pain-free and active life" and "I have fallen and I can get up" on fall risks and prevention. An inventor, he holds 8 patents. He has lectured on patient safety, surgical risk reduction and AI development, liability and ethical use.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!