So many women physicians have come close to or have experienced burnout and it can be completely debilitating. Dr. Laura Demoya shares how she used her experience with burnout to rediscover her self-worth and how she chooses happiness daily.

 

How to Develop Your Own Sense of Self Worth

1. Be Happy with Who You Are
2. Ask for Help When You Need It

 

About Dr. Laura Demoya

Dr. Laura Catalina Demoya,  F.A.C.P., was born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She finished high school and college in Florida and went on to pursue her medical degree at UNPHU (Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña) in Santo Domingo in 2001.

She completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, Texas. In 2006 she joined the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) where she has been practicing for the last ten years in a variety of clinical settings. She is a member of the MedProvider Inpatient Care Unit which one of the premier groups in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in partnership with the Baylor Scott and White Health System.  

Since 2008, she has also staffed the Preoperative Clinic in her group providing assistance to surgeons with high quality, evidence-based, peri-operative management of individuals with high risk and complex chronic medical conditions. Dr. Demoya also has extensive experience in  Long Term Acute Care combining her inpatient practice with LTACH services over the last ten years. 

She is part of the Faculty of the Internal Medicine Residency program at BUMC and is currently Assistant Professor of Baylor Scott and White Medical Center. She was also an Attending Physician at the Residency Clinic from 2009 to 2013.

Dr. Demoya served as the official medical expert for Univision Channel 23 in Texas affiliated with BUMC for many years. She reported on current medical topics, educating viewers in Spanish on relevant health issues. 

From 2010 to 2013 she served on the Board of Directors for the Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians. She has been a very active ACP member and is a fellow of the college in April of 2014. She currently serves on the Hospitalist Committee of the chapter.

After many years of practicing hospital medicine, Dr. Demoya decided to see patients at a Retirement and assisted living facility where she practices in a concierge manner.

She is also a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Demoya has 2 daughters and enjoys traveling the world, hiking, and loves the culinary arts.

 

Rising After Burnout

Burnout rarely comes out of nowhere, as Dr. Laura Demoya explains. Burnout usually has a slow and gradual approach - but an approach that, if you’re not paying close attention, can still take you completely unawares.

When Laura experienced her burnout, she quickly realized she couldn’t keep on the way she was going. Leaving clinical medicine, she started working at a concierge practice for patients in retirement. 

Laura describes her first experiences with life coaching as realizing that all her dreams are within reach if they’re actually what she wants to achieve. And that’s the best advice she can give you, too: if you want it, you can absolutely make it happen.

 

Cultivating Inner Peace and Self-Worth

One of the biggest revelations Laura had was discovering her own sense of self-worth. She stopped punishing herself and started praising her accomplishments - even if those looked different than they used to.

Laura cultivated a sense of peace and inner happiness that helped her figure out what truly mattered to her. Another big piece for her was learning when she needed to ask for help - and actually doing it. There is no shame in asking someone to help you when you feel you need it, but so often, women are hesitant and nervous about actually taking that step.

Laura’s best advice for discovering her self-worth is to be happy with who you are and where you are now and to ask for help when you need it. Give yourself grace, create space, and find in yourself that peace and self-worth.

 

Homework for Women Physicians

How do you find your own sense of peace? How confident are you to ask for help when you need it? Let me know in the comments on the episode page.

 

In This Episode 

• How burnout happens slowly and gradually [3:45]
• How coaching can help you realize and live out other dreams you might have [6:30]
• What can happen when you allow yourself a sense of peace and happiness [10:00]
• Why you should ask for help when you feel you need it [16:30]
• How creating space and finding self-worth creates peace [21:00]

 

Quotes

“Through coaching, I found courage, and I came to a place a self-realization that I deserve what I was looking for and what I wanted.” [7:53]

“The other thing that works for me, and I believe a lot of women have trouble with, is not punishing yourself when you have a night out, or you’re on vacation, or you’re traveling. The same goes for your exercise routine.” [18:10]

“You have to ask for help. Sometimes you think that you’re doing everything that you can, but you’re not.”  [19:37]

“There’s always room for improvement and you have to love yourself.” [20:51]

“It takes a lot of work. I think it takes much forgiveness and grace that you have to give yourself. You can cry it out, come to peace with who you are and what you want, and know that you don’t owe anybody anything but your happiness and best example, and go on from there.” [23:00]

 

Resources Mentioned

Check out the full episode page here

What Body Type are You? Take the Quiz.

Join the Waitlist for G.O.A.L.S Society

Find Life Coaching for Women Physicians Online

Follow Dr. Ali Novitsky on Facebook | Instagram 

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts

Podcast production by the team at Counterweight Creative

 

Related Episodes

Episode 47: From Burnout to Business Owner with Dr. Michelle Quirk 

Episode 18: “I Am Afraid That I’m Burning Out” with Dr. Amelia Bueche 

Episode 27: “I Can’t Be Happy Unless I Leave Clinical Medicine”