A conversation about wellness, sustainability, and restoring your purpose in medicine.

This episode is an invitation to reframe how we view our role in medicine. We emphasize long-term well-being over short-term fixes and prioritizing the human side of medicine. We share practical tools for rekindling your passion and calibrating your energy. 

Dr. Linda Hawes Clever is the founding President of RENEW, a nonprofit dedicated to helping healthcare professionals, especially doctors, maintain and regain their enthusiasm, effectiveness, and sense of purpose. Dr. Hawes Clever has spent decades advocating for physician well-being.  In this conversation, she shares valuable insights on how we can renew, refresh, and recalibrate for greater sustainability in our work and lives.

Dr. Hawes Clever earned her medical degrees from Stanford University and has held numerous distinguished positions, including Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF, Associate Dean at Stanford, and founding Chair of Occupational Health at California Pacific Medical Center. She is an active member of the National Academy of Medicine and has received multiple prestigious awards, including the American Medical Women’s Association Elizabeth Blackwell Award, the Stanford Medal for extraordinary service to the university,  the ACP AlbertStengel Award for Service and Achievement, and the California Medical Association’s Nye Award for her contributions to physician health and well-being. 

When Dr Clever and I were trained I medicine, we were told we should focus our attention exclusively on patient care and stay out of politics and systems. We encourage you to broaden your perspective.

Physician Wellness is art, science, and business. It is an opportunity. This mindset shift allows you to approach challenges with curiosity and openness, leading to new and creative solutions for sustaining well-being. 

Conversation, connection, and renewal are essential. Friendship and human connection can be life-saving. This is why small group coaching, retreats, and ongoing communities of support are so critical for physician wellness and sustainability. 

Memorable moments:

• Physician wellness is a value, not a problem. When we treat it as a value, we create opportunities instead of obstacles.
• Friendship is a life-saving relationship. We’re not meant to navigate life’s challenges alone.
• Wellness doesn’t have to be complicated—it starts with connection, conversation, and curiosity.
• We tend to listen to respond, rather than listen to understand. Imagine the change if we simply paused and truly heard one another.
• Which balls are rubber and which are glass? Knowing the difference can prevent exhaustion and help us prioritize what truly matters.
• No mud, no lotus. Sometimes our most beautiful transformations come from the messiest moments.
• Patients want their doctors to be well. The best care comes from those who have the energy and capacity to give it.
• We are allowed to see ourselves with the same compassion we show our patients. Doctors are human too.
• Burnout isn't just an individual issue—it’s a systemic one. But real change starts with small, human moments of connection and renewal.
• Curiosity is the source of discovery, adventure, and even joy. If you’ve lost your curiosity, it might be time to renew.

Dr. Clever’s work at RENEW focuses on bringing health to those who give health, helping medical professionals regain their passion and sense of purpose. She believes that by learning to listen, connect, and prioritize our well-being, we can create a more sustainable and fulfilling career in healthcare. RENEW: www.renewnow.org.   Follow RENEW on Instagram: @renew_now_org.  The Fatigue Prescription: Four Steps to Renewing Your Energy, Health, and Life, is Dr. Hawes Clever's book. It includes valuable insights for those feeling overwhelmed by the demands of juggling too many responsibilities.

If you are juggling too many responsibilities, consider joining a community of support at Pause & Presence.

Pause & Presence programs offer the perfect space for you to recharge, find camaraderie, and explore meaningful conversations that can transform both your practice and your life.

Renew, refresh, and recalibrate in Transition Well, Ongoing Presence, or at a Pause & Presence Retreat. All include an abundance of conversation, connection, and community. 

www.jessiemahoneymd.com/transition-well

www.jessiemahoneymd.com/ongoing-presence

www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats

Find out more about coaching with Jessie: www.jessiemahoneymd.com

Hire her to speak or lead a wellness workshop or retreat for your group. 

www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking

*Nothing shared in the Mindful Healers Podcast is medical advice.

 

#physicianwellness #mindfulnesscoach #pauseandpresence #physiciancoach