Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career

By Doctor Podcast Network, Physician Coach, Michael Hersh MDBusiness Medicine Health & Fitness Education Self-Improvement Careers

Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career episodes

August 10Leading Through Uncertainty: What Teams Need When Nobody Knows What Comes Next | Ep54
What happens to people and teams when certainty disappears?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh welcomes back Dr. Kemia Sarraf for the second installment of their four-part leadership series. Together, they examine the profound impact uncertainty has on our nervous systems, our relationships, and our ability to think, lead, and collaborate effectively.
Drawing from neuroscience, trauma responsiveness, leadership science, and neurophysiology, Dr. Sarraf explains why uncertainty is one of the most metabolically expensive experiences humans endure. She explores how prolonged uncertainty heightens threat responses, increases cognitive biases, erodes our ability to recognize cues of safety, and contributes to exhaustion, polarization, and diminished well-being.
The conversation highlights practical ways leaders can become intentional cues of safety, helping teams regulate stress, restore trust, and remain connected even when answers are unavailable. Through examples from healthcare, military leadership, and Lodestar's Brave Leadership program, Dr. Sarraf demonstrates how uncertainty can be navigated skillfully and why hope grows when people feel equipped with actionable tools.
Three Actionable Takeaways:
Recognize the Cost of Uncertainty: Uncertainty consumes significant cognitive and emotional resources. Understanding its effects can help leaders approach themselves and others with greater compassion.

Become a Cue of Safety: Leaders can intentionally create environments that reduce threat responses through transparency, consistency, nourishment, physical presence, and predictable structures.

Slow Down During Activation: When people become reactive, their nervous systems require time to regulate before meaningful conversations can happen. Pausing and co-regulating help preserve relationships and improve communication.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
About the Guest:
Dr. Kemia Sarraf is a board-certified internal medicine physician, founder, and CEO of Lodestar Consulting and Executive Coaching. With over two decades of experience in medicine, public health, nonprofit leadership, and trauma mitigation, she brings a unique perspective to supporting high-performing professionals. Her trauma-responsive coaching approach, informed by her clinical background and personal commitment to healing, helps physicians and others navigate chronic stress and burnout. Dr. Sarraf completed her Medical Degree and Master of Public Health at the University of Utah School of Medicine and her residency in Internal Medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, focusing on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Sarraf lives on a farm in Central Illinois with her husband, four sons, and numerous animals.
Connect with Dr. Sarraf:
🌐 Website: www.lodestarpc.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkemia

📸 Instagram: @drkemia

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KemiaS
About the Host:
Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.
His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.
Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching
TikTok: @betterphysicianlife

If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians.
Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next.
You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset

The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
35 min
August 03Why Soft Skills Are Not Soft: The Hidden Foundation of High-Performing Teams | Ep53
Why do talented teams sometimes struggle despite having highly skilled members?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh welcomes back Dr. Kemia Sarraf, founder of Lodestar Consulting and Executive Coaching, for the first of a four-part series exploring the hidden drivers beneath burnout, leadership, and team culture. Together, they challenge the notion that trust, safety, and connection are merely "soft skills" and instead present compelling evidence that these elements are foundational to high-performing teams.
Drawing on neurophysiology, leadership research, trauma responsiveness, and experience working with physicians, military personnel, educators, attorneys, and law enforcement professionals, Dr. Sarraf explains why tending to the nervous system is essential to helping teams perform under pressure. They discuss psychological safety, Google's Project Aristotle findings, the four pillars of trust, trust wobbles, repairing ruptures, leadership vulnerability, and why trust can be built much faster than most people realize.
This conversation offers practical insights for leaders seeking to create healthier teams, improve communication, and return to the kind of meaningful work that first inspired them to enter medicine.
Three Actionable Takeaways:
Build Trust Intentionally: Trust grows from four pillars: these are authenticity, reliability, compassion, and competence. Identifying your own "trust wobble" helps you strengthen relationships and lead more effectively.

Lead Through Nervous System Awareness: High-performing teams thrive when leaders intentionally create cues of safety that reduce stress and allow team members to think, collaborate, and perform at their best.

Repair Ruptures Transparently: When trust is broken, acknowledge the impact, invite feedback, and communicate how you plan to move forward differently. Honest repair strengthens relationships over time.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
About the Guest:
Dr. Kemia Sarraf is a board-certified internal medicine physician, founder, and CEO of Lodestar Consulting and Executive Coaching. With over two decades of experience in medicine, public health, nonprofit leadership, and trauma mitigation, she brings a unique perspective to supporting high-performing professionals. Her trauma-responsive coaching approach, informed by her clinical background and personal commitment to healing, helps physicians and others navigate chronic stress and burnout. Dr. Sarraf completed her Medical Degree and Master of Public Health at the University of Utah School of Medicine and her residency in Internal Medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, focusing on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Sarraf lives on a farm in Central Illinois with her husband, four sons, and numerous animals.
Connect with Dr. Sarraf:
🌐 Website: www.lodestarpc.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkemia

📸 Instagram: @drkemia

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KemiaS
About the Host:
Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.
His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.
Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching
TikTok: @betterphysicianlife
If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians.
Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next.
You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset

The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
34 min
July 27Staying in Medicine Long Term: What Makes a Medical Career Sustainable with Dr. Peter Crane | Ep52
What happens when a practicing physician suddenly finds themselves on the other side of the chart?
In this powerful episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh sits down with Dr. Peter Crane, a rural family physician living with metastatic cancer. Dr. Crane shares his deeply personal journey, from discovering a 26-centimeter sarcoma at age 43 to undergoing radiation, major surgery, and ongoing treatment, and how this experience reignited his love for medicine and clarified what makes a medical career truly sustainable.
Together, they discuss why physicians often lose sight of their original calling, the importance of intentional career reassessment, financial preparedness, the power of saying “no,” and the need for physicians to reclaim agency in their professional lives. This conversation is both moving and practical, a reminder of the profound privilege of practicing medicine and how to protect that joy for the long term.
Three Actionable Takeaways:
Reassess Your Career Intentionally: Around years 8–12, take stock of your work. Ask yourself: “If this were my business, is this how I would choose to practice?” This reflection prevents resentment and helps you design a career that fits.

Build Financial and Personal Sustainability: Secure your finances early, maintain disability insurance, and create space for rest, meals, and recovery. True longevity in medicine requires more than just reducing hours; it demands control over your time and energy.

Focus on Gratitude and Impact: When days feel heavy, intentionally remember the unique privilege of being a physician. Highlighting the positive difference you make (rather than only the frustrations) transforms daily experience and supports long-term fulfillment.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
About the Guest:
Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified family physician practicing full-spectrum rural medicine in Idaho. After a life-altering diagnosis with a rare sarcoma at age 43, his perspective on medicine was profoundly transformed. He is the creator and host of the Doctors Making a Difference podcast, where he highlights physicians making a meaningful impact through leadership, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and innovative practice models.
Connect with Dr. Peter Crane:
Podcast: Doctors Making a Difference
Website: doctorsmakingadifference.com
YouTube: Doctors Making a Difference
About the Host:
Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.
His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.
Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching
TikTok: @betterphysicianlife

If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians.
Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next.
You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset

The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
28 min
July 20How Physicians Are Expanding Career Options Inside Medicine | Telemedicine & Entrepreneurship with Dr. Leo Damasco and Phoebe Gutierrez | Ep51
What if physicians don’t actually want to leave medicine but just want more control over how they practice it?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh is joined by Dr. Leo Damasco and Phoebe Gutierrez for an honest conversation about telemedicine, physician autonomy, and navigating alternative career paths within healthcare.
Together, they explore why so many physicians are drawn to telemedicine and flexible work models, but also why many doctors underestimate the operational, regulatory, and business realities that accompany these opportunities. From medical directorships and PC ownership to compliance concerns and burnout in virtual care, this episode dives into the questions physicians should ask before jumping into telemedicine.
Dr. Damasco shares his personal experience transitioning into telemedicine during the COVID boom, while Phoebe offers insight into the regulatory and operational side of digital healthcare, including the risks physicians unknowingly assume when they accept certain roles. This conversation is both a practical guide and a broader discussion about physician leadership, career design, and reclaiming influence in the future of medicine.
Three Actionable Takeaways:
● Flexibility Without Clarity Can Lead to More Burnout: Many physicians pursue telemedicine looking for freedom, but without understanding what they truly want from their careers, they can quickly recreate the same dissatisfaction in a different environment.
● Physicians Need to Understand the Business and Compliance Side of Telemedicine: Medical directorships, PC ownership, and telemedicine roles often involve responsibilities physicians do not fully understand. Asking deeper operational and regulatory questions is essential for protecting both licenses and careers.
● Physicians Belong at the Center of Digital Healthcare: Telemedicine and digital health are shaping the future of medicine. The more physicians step into leadership, operational, and strategic roles, the more influence they can have on building healthcare systems that actually work for patients and providers.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
About the Guests:
Dr. Leo Damasco is a pediatric and emergency medicine physician who has spent years working in telemedicine and virtual care. He helps physicians better understand the realities of telemedicine careers, operational structures, and how to navigate digital healthcare opportunities safely and strategically.
Phoebe Gutierrez specializes in healthcare compliance, operational strategy, and regulatory affairs within digital health and telemedicine. She works closely with physicians and healthcare organizations to help build compliant, sustainable telemedicine infrastructures while educating clinicians on the risks and realities of the industry.
Podcast: Telemedicine Talks

Website: telemedicinetalks.com

Slack Community: Available through the Telemedicine Talks website
About the Host:
Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.
His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.
Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching
TikTok: @betterphysicianlife

If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians.
Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next.
You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset

The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
29 min
July 13 When Doctors Mistake Setbacks for Failure | Ep50
What if the setback you’re experiencing is not failure, but incomplete information?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh reflects on Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and the famous story of “Three Feet from Gold.” While physicians are often taught persistence through years of medical training, the challenge later in their careers is not simply working harder; it is learning to navigate uncertainty when the next step is no longer clearly defined.
Dr. Hersh explores how many physicians interpret disappointing early results as evidence that an idea, career pivot, leadership path, or side project is unrealistic. Whether it’s pursuing leadership, negotiating schedule flexibility, consulting, or building something outside clinical medicine, early obstacles often become personal verdicts instead of opportunities for reassessment.
This episode is a reminder that stalled progress does not always mean the goal is wrong. Sometimes the problem is not effort, but perspective, timing, strategy, or fatigue. And sometimes the most important career decisions deserve the same thoughtful reassessment physicians naturally apply inside the exam room.
Three Actionable Takeaways:
● Early Setbacks Are Not Always Final Answers: A disappointing first attempt does not automatically mean the idea is wrong. Physicians often mistake incomplete information, poor timing, or lack of experience for evidence that they should stop altogether.
● Exhaustion Can Distort Career Decisions: Many doctors evaluate major life and career questions when they are mentally drained after clinic, call, or long workdays. Fatigue can make temporary frustration feel permanent and cause physicians to abandon ideas prematurely.
● New Career Skills Require Beginner-Level Patience: Leadership, negotiation, consulting, business, and entrepreneurship are skills that naturally feel uncomfortable at first. Physicians are accustomed to expertise, which makes the discomfort of learning something new especially difficult to tolerate.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
About the Host:
Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.
His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.
Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching
TikTok: @betterphysicianlife

If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians.
Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next.
You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset

The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
17 min
July 06The Time Problem Most Doctors Never Solve | Ep49
What if the problem isn’t your productivity system, but the assumption that you should be able to fit everything in?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh reflects on Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman and the reality that time is not something physicians can endlessly optimize. While medicine trains doctors to work harder, absorb more, and stay endlessly productive, the demands of modern clinical life often exceed what any schedule can realistically hold.
Dr. Hersh explores the quiet but constant feeling many physicians carry: being perpetually behind. Behind on notes, inboxes, family time, exercise, friendships, and even their own lives. He discusses how efficiency can help, but cannot solve the deeper issue of unrealistic expectations and unchecked work demands.
This episode is an invitation to stop treating life as something that starts “after things settle down,” and instead begin intentionally deciding what deserves your best time, energy, and attention before those opportunities quietly disappear.
Three Actionable Takeaways:
Efficiency Cannot Solve an Impossible Workload: Physicians are trained to optimize everything, but many schedules simply contain more work than time allows. Better workflows and templates help, but they cannot fully eliminate the emotional burden of constantly feeling behind.

The Non-Urgent Parts of Life Are Often the Most Important: Relationships, health, rest, and meaningful experiences rarely show up as emergencies, which is why they are often postponed. Over time, however, these neglected areas become the source of regret physicians feel most deeply.

“Temporary” Overwork Easily Becomes a Lifestyle: Many doctors live in survival mode while telling themselves things will settle down later. But when every year follows the same pattern, temporary stress quietly becomes the permanent structure of life.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
About the Host:
Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.
His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.
Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching
TikTok: @betterphysicianlife

If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians.
Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next.
You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset

The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
17 min
June 29Knowing When to Quit: When Persistence Stops Paying Off in Medicine | Ep48
What if the real issue isn’t burnout in the dramatic sense, but quietly realizing you’re continuing more out of familiarity than desire?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh discusses Annie Duke’s book Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away. He examines how the same grit that got physicians through training and early career can make it hard to recognize when a practice structure, schedule, or role no longer fits as well as it once did.
Drawing on the book, Dr. Hersh explores concepts such as escalation of commitment, the sunk cost fallacy, the tension between exploiting (optimizing the current setup) and exploring (considering new options), and the challenge of identity tied to being the reliable, always-available physician.
He emphasizes that most doctors aren’t looking to leave medicine entirely; they just want to ensure the way they’re working still supports the life they want to live. The episode encourages physicians to define clear “kill criteria” or decision points in advance and create space to step back and evaluate what still makes sense.
🔗 Learn more about coaching with Dr. Hersh: betterphysicianlife.com
Top 3 Takeaways:
Persistence Can Become a Trap: The same determination that helped you succeed in medicine can make it difficult to notice when small, temporary increases in workload have become permanent. Subtle signals like hesitation before opening the schedule or hoping for cancellations often appear before obvious burnout.

Sunk Costs and Identity Make Change Feel Bigger: We’ve invested years, our identity, and our reputation in our current path. Changing structure can feel like changing who we are, leading to “escalation of commitment,” in which we double down on more effort instead of reconsidering the setup itself.

Define Decision Criteria in Advance: Just like in clinical medicine, set clear signals ahead of time for when to reassess. Exploration doesn’t mean you have to quit; it often confirms your current path still works or reveals small, helpful adjustments.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
About the Host:
Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.
His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.
Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching
📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife
If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians.
Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next.
You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset

The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
17 min
June 22Why Doctors Keep Working Even After They Have Enough Money | Ep47
What if the financial plan you’ve been working toward is already working, but your life hasn’t caught up?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh explores a powerful idea from Die With Zero by Bill Perkins: money isn’t the only resource that matters, time and health are just as important, and they don’t grow in the same way.
He examines a common but rarely discussed pattern among physicians, continuing to work at the same intense pace even after financial stability is achieved. Despite growing accounts and improving projections, schedules remain full, extra shifts continue, and life stays organized around maximizing income.
This episode challenges physicians to reconsider not just how much is “enough,” but enough for what, and how to align their time with the parts of life that matter most while those opportunities are still available.
Top 3 Takeaways:
Money Grows, But Time and Health Don’t: While financial assets compound over time, your ability to enjoy life—through time, energy, and health—does not. Delaying life experiences can mean missing the window when they’re easiest and most meaningful.

Continuing Is Easy, Adjusting Is Hard: Physicians are trained to keep going: more shifts, more patients, more productivity. But even when financial pressure decreases, the pace often stays the same out of habit, responsibility, or system expectations.

The Real Question Isn’t “How Much Is Enough?”, It’s “Enough for What?”
At some point, the goal shifts from maximizing income to maximizing life. This means intentionally deciding how much you actually need to work, and protecting time for family, relationships, and experiences that won’t wait.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
About the Host:
Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.
His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.
Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching
📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife
If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians.
Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next.
You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset

The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
22 min
June 15When Doctors Start Feeling Stuck in Their Careers | Ep46
What happens when you’ve mastered medicine, but something still feels incomplete?
In this solo episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh reflects on a powerful idea from From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks: the skills that drive success early in a physician’s career are not the same ones that create meaning later in life.
He explores the concept of fluid intelligence: the speed, pattern recognition, and technical skill that medicine rewards early on, and how it gradually gives way to crystallized intelligence, a deeper, experience-based wisdom that becomes more valuable over time.
Dr. Hersh also unpacks the “striver’s curse,” the endless cycle of achievement that leaves many high-performing physicians feeling like they’ve never quite arrived. He discusses how career milestones lose their lasting impact, why professional success can feel surprisingly isolating, and the difference between “deal friends” and “real friends.”
This episode is an invitation to rethink what the second half of a medical career can look like, not just in terms of productivity but also in terms of purpose, connection, and intentional living.
Top 3 Takeaways:
The Skills That Built Your Career Won’t Sustain It Forever: Early success in medicine relies on speed and technical excellence (fluid intelligence), but long-term fulfillment comes from perspective, judgment, and experience (crystallized intelligence). Recognizing this shift is key to navigating mid-career transitions.

Achievement Alone Doesn’t Create Lasting Satisfaction: The “striver’s curse” keeps physicians chasing the next milestone, but the feeling of “arrival” is always temporary. True fulfillment requires redefining what “enough” means beyond constant achievement.

The Second Half of Your Career Is About Intentional Living: As careers evolve, the focus shifts from proving competence to designing a life. This includes building meaningful relationships, exploring new roles like mentorship or teaching, and deciding how work fits into the life you actually want.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
About the Host:
Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.
His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.
Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching
📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife
If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians.
Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next.
You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset

The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
20 min
June 08Why Doctors Procrastinate (And Why It Feels So Personal) | Ep45
You finished clinic, the inbox is mostly clear, but those six charts are still open. You know they’ll only take 15 minutes, yet you keep putting them off. Sound familiar?
In this solo episode of the Better Physician Life Podcast, Dr. Michael Hersh explores why procrastination feels so personal for physicians. Even though doctors are highly responsible and excellent at handling difficult tasks, small delays trigger harsh self-judgment that keeps the cycle going. He explains that procrastination is rarely about laziness; it’s usually about avoiding what the task represents: uncertainty, perfectionism, mental exhaustion, or the lack of external structure that medicine normally provides.
Dr. Hersh breaks down common physician procrastination patterns, including decision fatigue at the end of the day, perfectionism that prevents starting, and the way unfinished tasks quietly drain mental bandwidth for months. Most importantly, he offers practical strategies to break the cycle: shrink the task to something small enough to begin, create your own structure instead of waiting to “feel like it,” ask “what exactly am I avoiding?”, and rebuild self-trust through small, repeated follow-through.
This episode is for every physician who has ever thought, “Why didn’t I just do that already?” and wants to stop letting procrastination quietly shape their career and life.
Top 3 Takeaways:
Procrastination Isn’t Laziness, It’s Avoidance of What Comes Next: You’re rarely avoiding the task itself. You’re avoiding the uncertainty, the numbers, the conversation, or reopening the visit in your head. Naming exactly what you’re avoiding is the first step to breaking the cycle.

Self-Judgment Makes It Worse: Delaying a task is one thing. Adding layers of “I should be better than this” turns a 15-minute job into months of background mental pressure. Shame doesn’t motivate; it usually leads to more distraction and avoidance.

Shrink the Task and Add Structure: Make the next step ridiculously small (open the file, spend 10 minutes, finish one chart). Then schedule it like clinic, give it a specific time block. Physicians thrive with structure; create your own instead of waiting until you “feel like it.” Small, repeated follow-through rebuilds self-trust over time.
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention.
About the Host:
Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work.
His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love.
Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh:
🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com
🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md
📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife
📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching
📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife
If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians.
Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next.
You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset

The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
21 min