Supporting your physician partner during medical training and long hours requires tangible strategies that balance their needs with your own wellbeing. We explore practical ways to maintain connection despite exhaustion and limited time together.

• Small acts of kindness like packed lunches with notes, sharing funny memes, or keeping a connection journal can maintain intimacy
• Creating a calm landing zone at home allows them space to decompress before engagement
• Normalizing emotional rollercoasters and protecting their sleep schedule demonstrates understanding of their challenges
• Choosing empathy over resentment requires perspective-taking during lonely moments
• Supporting your spouse doesn't mean abandoning yourself - build in recharge time
• Finding community with other physician spouses provides crucial emotional support
• Creative connection strategies like "shower talks" help carve out uninterrupted time together
• Action steps include choosing one support gesture, checking in with yourself, and connecting with the physician spouse community

If this episode helped you, please share it with another physician spouse or subscribe. DM me on Instagram or email at [email protected] with your own stories and tips for supporting partners during medical training.

Summer as a physician spouse presents unique challenges as we juggle solo parenting while our partners work full-time, but with the right approach, we can create magical moments amid the chaos. I'm sharing five practical strategies to help med spouses navigate summer while maintaining sanity and building meaningful family memories.

• Create weekly rhythms instead of rigid schedules—themed days provide structure without overwhelming
• Involve kids in planning by creating a summer bucket list of activities they want to do
• Document moments through shared photo albums or a "summer gratitude wall" to help include your working spouse
• Schedule self-care time, even if it's just an hour to yourself while trading childcare with a friend
• Lower expectations and prioritize joy over perfection—sometimes ice cream for dinner creates the best memories
• Find ways to include your spouse through shared photo albums and gratitude walls
• Plan one sacred family time each week, even if brief
• Let your spouse be the "fun parent" when they're home instead of loading them with chores

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another med spouse who could use some solidarity. I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, or suggestions for future podcast topics or guests! You can DM me on Instagram or email me at: [email protected]

Lisa Alemi shares her journey from full-time orthopedic physical therapist to stay-at-home mom to pelvic floor specialist while navigating life as a medical spouse. She offers honest insights about finding confidence in your parenting role and creating systems that help medical families thrive amid the chaos.

• Transitioning from career-focused physical therapist to stay-at-home mom after realizing she couldn't juggle clinic management with her husband's surgical schedule
• Creating the Relocation Guide after moving cross-country with a 4-month-old baby and selling thousands of copies
• Developing Move Mama Move from a blog into a platform supporting parents through major life transitions
• Reframing "default parent" as "primary parent" or "lead parent" to recognize the importance of clearly defined family roles
• Adapting to different seasons of life as family needs and medical career demands evolve
• Knowing your personality type and creating routines that work for your energy levels
• Outsourcing strategically without breaking the bank through online grocery shopping, mother's helpers, and childcare swaps
• Building confidence in your parenting decisions and trusting your intuition

Connect with Lisa on Instagram @move_mama_move and visit her website for parenting support, pelvic floor therapy resources, and relocation guidance.

Click here to access Lisa's PDF resource, which offers practical insights and tools for thriving as a primary parent. 

Michael Johnson, founder of Michael Johnson Legal, shares essential insights about physician employment contracts and reveals why these agreements are typically more aggressive than those in other industries.

• Understanding physician contracts is critical for career autonomy and financial well-being
• The majority of clients are physicians entering their first employment agreement after training
• Best practice is to start job search 9-18 months before completing training
• Get educated on compensation structures before interviews - most physicians are paid on volume, not just base salary
• Typical compensation ranges from 40-45% of net collections or varying work RVU rates depending on specialty and location
• Non-compete clauses remain enforceable in most states and can force physician relocation
• The "non-negotiable contract" myth: most employers will make reasonable adjustments when approached professionally
• Legal representation typically costs $1,000-$2,000 - a small fraction of the contract's value
• Two most concerning contract terms: inability to terminate without cause and restrictive non-compete clauses
• Educational resources available at michaeljohnsonlegal.com and through the Instagram account @physiciancontracts

Check out our educational course - nine hours of CME-eligible content at physiciancontracts.com that can help you prepare for this important career transition.

Michelle Gothier, life coach and single mom, shares her journey from burnout in the corporate world to finding balance and helping others create more intentional lives. Her transition from an overwhelmed physician spouse to a thriving entrepreneur offers valuable insights for anyone facing similar challenges.

• Michelle's background includes 20 years in the corporate world while married to a physician
• The breaking point came when she felt inadequate as both a parent and professional
• Her shift to life coaching began after recognizing she needed more tools beyond "working harder"
• Life coaching differs from therapy by focusing on forward action and accountability
• The "rewriting your story" technique helps combat catastrophic thinking and what-if spirals
• Acknowledging feelings rather than suppressing them creates more capacity for joy
• Visualization practices help align daily decisions with your desired future
• Managing expectations during transitions prevents unnecessary disappointment
• Creating a "to-don't list" reduces decision fatigue and protects your energy
• Setting clear boundaries around time, commitments and activities transforms daily life

For more resources and Michelle's quiz on why you're feeling overwhelmed, visit michellegothier.com. You can also listen to her podcast "Overwhelmed Working Woman" for weekly quick tips to reduce stress.  Or send her a DM on instagram @michellgautheircoaching.

I was skeptical about ChatGPT until my kids and real estate coach convinced me to try it, and now it's completely changed how I manage the chaos of physician spouse life. This free tool acts as a smart assistant at your fingertips that helps with writing, organizing, brainstorming, and simplifying tasks without judgment or guilt trips.

• Writing assistance for emails, messages, and communications that adapts to your personal style and voice
• Planning and productivity help when feeling overwhelmed with competing priorities
• Organization tools for managing kids' activities, meal planning, and household scheduling
• Parenting solutions for picky eaters, summer activities, and rainy-day entertainment
• Specific planning capabilities for dinners, date nights, social media auditing, and even vacation itineraries
• Better results come from being very specific with your instructions and requests

If this episode gave you a laugh, lightbulb moment, or just helped make life a little less stressful, please share it with another physician spouse who might need it. Hit subscribe or leave a review if you feel inclined - I'd be so appreciative. Remember that perfection is overrated, but community is everything.

Chris Herring shares his journey as a physician spouse, discussing the challenges and rewards of supporting his wife through OBGYN residency while raising two young children and managing his own career.

• Co-founder of Other Side Med, a community of 17,000 physician families offering support and resources
• Describes feeling isolated during early residency years before finding community with other physician spouses
• Highlights the lack of resources specifically for male physician spouses compared to female counterparts
• Shares practical strategies for work-life harmony including weekly family business meetings
• Discusses using a nanny and family support to manage dual careers with children
• Provides insights on real estate investing for physician families, including "house hacking" with medical tenants
• Emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and seeking support rather than trying to handle challenges alone

If you're struggling as a physician spouse or looking for community, reach out to Chris through Instagram or the Other Side Med website. As Chris says, "There's not a question or feeling that you're having that we haven't shared ourselves."

Medicine shapes our physician spouses in hilarious and sometimes mind-boggling ways beyond their professional lives. These quirky behaviors stem from their brains being full of medical knowledge, leaving little room for everyday things.

• Physicians develop the ability to sleep anywhere, anytime—even falling asleep at restaurant tables or mid-conversation
• They constantly lose personal items, from wedding rings to electronics, due to mental overload
• The infamous "you're fine" diagnosis is applied to family members for virtually any ailment
• These quirks aren't signs of incompetence but beautiful reminders of their demanding profession
• When physicians let their guard down at home, it means you're their safe place where they can finally relax

Please send this episode to a fellow spouse who needs it, leave a review, and remember that what looks like chaos can also be a great love story. DM me on Instagram at Amanda Barron Realtor with your thoughts, topic ideas, questions or guest suggestions.

Being busy has become our society's badge of honor, but there's no gold medal for exhaustion. We've been conditioned to believe that unless we're hustling and overachieving, we're not doing enough.

• Managing a household alone while your partner works in medicine is challenging, even without children
• It's okay to have days where you choose rest over productivity
• Imperfect moments often become cherished memories
• Finding community with others in similar situations provides essential support
• Lower the bar without guilt during difficult seasons
• Find a "freezer friend" to share meal responsibilities
• Use paper plates, embrace frozen meals, and let the laundry wait sometimes
• Combine social connection with movement through walk-and-talk meetups
• Welcome people into your home even when it's not perfect
• Redefine winning the day—focus on connection, not tasks
• People remember how they felt in your home, not how clean it was

Share this episode with someone who could benefit from hearing this message, and please send any questions or comments my way.

Kristi Hargiss from The Med School Wife shares her family's shocking experience of going unmatched in orthopedic surgery despite a stellar application, and how they pivoted to find success in general surgery.

• After being told not to worry about matching, Christy's husband received the devastating "we regret to inform you" email on Match Monday
• Instead of accepting a position through SOAP that didn't feel right, they made the bold choice to delay graduation and set up six away rotations
• Through these rotations, they discovered general surgery was actually a better fit than their original orthopedics plan
• For those facing the unmatched experience, Christy recommends: grieve later, find mentors, broaden your approach, get to work, and write out your story
• Going unmatched is more common than most realize – in their match cycle, over 8,400 applicants didn't match to categorical positions
• Two key pieces of advice for medical families: embrace mutuality in your medical marriage and start preparing financially for residency during medical school

• The AMA Road To Residency Guide

Connect with Kristi on Instagram @themedschoolwife_kristi or at TheMedSchoolWife.com to learn more about navigating the medical journey together.