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

June 01Negotiation Skills for Physicians: Why It Feels So Uncomfortable with Dr. Lee Sharma | Ep44
What if the real reason negotiation feels heavy for physicians isn’t the topic itself, but that we were never trained for it, and we’ve been taught to villainize instead of understand?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh sits down with Dr. Lee Sharma, a practicing OB/GYN with nearly 30 years in private practice and a Master’s in Conflict Resolution. Together, they unpack why doctors are comfortable with life-and-death decisions but freeze when negotiating contracts, protected time, or boundaries. Dr. Sharma explains the destructive role of villainization, how we create stories with heroes and villains that shut down curiosity, damage relationships, and block real solutions.
They discuss practical mindset shifts: moving from “winning versus losing” to alignment, replacing compromise with shared goals, and getting crystal clear on what you actually want in your professional and personal life beyond just money and call.
This conversation is essential for any physician who has ever felt uncomfortable asking for what they need or who has walked away from a negotiation feeling drained rather than empowered.
Top 3 Takeaways:
Villainization Kills Curiosity and Collaboration: When we turn people or systems into villains, we stop asking questions and start confirming our own story. This creates shame, blame, and broken relationships. Instead, look for common ground, even if it's just one small thing you share, to shift from enemy to collaborator.

Negotiation is a Skill, Not a Personality Trait: Physicians are trained to advocate fiercely for patients but often feel guilty or uncomfortable advocating for themselves. Clarify exactly what you want. Not just “more money” or “better call”, including schedule details, support staff, technology, and daily workflow so you can negotiate with confidence and alignment.

Move from Compromise to Alignment: Compromise often feels like a loss for everyone. Start negotiations from shared goals and alignment instead. This builds trust, fosters better long-term relationships, and helps create a practice and life that actually feel good at the end of the day.
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. Lee Sharma is a practicing gynecologist with nearly 30 years of experience in private practice in Alabama. She completed her OB/GYN training at UT Southwestern and holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution.
Dr. Sharma specializes in conflict analysis, negotiation, and the development of healthier healthcare systems. She works with individual physicians, physician groups, hospitals, and healthcare organizations to improve how they navigate difficult conversations, contracts, peer review, and workplace conflict.
She is also the host of the Scalpel and Sword Podcast, where she explores conflict and negotiation in modern medicine. Dr. Sharma is passionate about teaching physicians practical skills to advocate for themselves and their boundaries with confidence.
🔗 Connect with Dr. R. Lee Sharma:
🌐 Website: https://rleesharma.com
🎙️ Podcast: Scalpel and Sword: Conflict and Negotiation in Modern Medicine
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.
31 min
May 25Physician Burnout Isn’t What You Think It Is | Ep43
What if the real issue isn’t hating medicine, but that medicine never really leaves you at the end of the day?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh reframes physician burnout not as disliking the work but as the inability to shut it off. Many doctors still love complex cases, enjoy diagnostics, and care deeply about patients, yet their brains keep thinking about the work during the drive home, dinner, and bedtime. Drawing from his coaching experience (including the story of “Mark,” a cardiologist who still enjoys medicine but can’t put the hospital down), Dr. Hersh explains why medicine rarely gives a clean ending: unfinished notes, pending results, and open questions keep the mind in physician mode long after leaving the building.
He challenges the typical “resilience” and self-care narratives that miss this core issue and introduces a practical way to deliberately close the workday so you can actually be present at home.
The free 5-Minute Commute Reset is highlighted as a tool to create that mental shift, protecting family time without lowering clinical standards or abandoning the work you still love.
🔗 Free 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians: betterphysicianlife.com/commutereset

Top 3 Takeaways:
Burnout Often Looks Different Than You Think: Many physicians don’t hate medicine; they still enjoy the puzzles, cases, and patient relationships. The real pain point is that the job never fully ends: unfinished thoughts follow you home. Notice one moment when hospital mode invades family time and name it.

Medicine Doesn’t Give a Natural Off Switch: Training teaches you to keep thinking “Did I miss anything? What’s next?”, which protects patients but prevents mental closure. Recognize that pending labs, open notes, and unresolved questions keep your brain in physician mode. It's structural, not a personal failing.

Deliberately Close the Day to Reclaim Your Evenings: Create a clear endpoint so your mind can stand down. Download and try the free 5-Minute Commute Reset daily. It's designed exactly for the drive home or walk from the clinic, helping you transition so you’re actually present with the people who matter most.
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.
14 min
May 18When Caring Too Much Hurts Physicians: The Hidden Cost of Over-Responsibility | Ep42
What if caring deeply didn’t mean carrying everything?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh gives physicians permission to care less, not about clinical excellence or patient outcomes you control, but about the extra weight of everything else that lands on you. He shares how accountability for decisions can silently spread to carrying noncompliant patients, system delays, prior authorization denials, complaints, and RVU dips all the way home.
From his own experience, replaying cases at night, checking portals before dinner, and bringing irritation to family dinners didn’t make him a better doctor. It just exhausted him. The turning point was learning to separate what’s truly yours from what isn’t, and giving the workday a defined end. He offers the 5-Minute Commute Reset to help you create a clean transition so you can leave the mental load at work. If everything feels like it’s on you, this episode shows how to care deeply without carrying everything, protecting your peace and presence at home.
🔗 Free 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians: betterphysicianlife.com/commutereset
Top 3 Takeaways
Accountability versus Over-Responsibility: You are responsible for your clinical decisions, not for patient compliance, system delays, prior-auth denials, or every outcome. At the end of one shift, ask: “Was this my decision or something outside my control?” If it’s the latter, practice letting it stop there.

Carrying It Home Is Not Professionalism: Replaying cases at night, checking portals before dinner, and bringing RVU stress to the table doesn’t make you a better doctor; it just steals your presence at home. Notice one moment when work thoughts follow you through the door and consciously release them.

Create a Clean Ending to Your Day: The transition between clinic and home is everything. Download the free 5-Minute Commute Reset and use it daily; it gives your workday a defined endpoint so you can actually be present with family without lowering your standards.
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.
13 min
May 11When Physician Compensation Becomes the Scoreboard: Why Income Matters More Than It Should | Ep41
What if the real issue isn’t how much you’re paid, but what your paycheck has quietly become the only scoreboard for your entire career?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh explores the hidden shift many physicians experience: compensation stops feeling like fair pay and starts feeling like proof that all the sacrifices were worth it. Drawing from his own journey, he unpacks why money becomes the default metric when autonomy shrinks, how endless comparisons keep you chasing “more,” and why even a bigger salary rarely fixes the underlying friction of inboxes, calls, and lost time at home. He reveals the deeper questions beneath “I should be making more”, control, respect, time, and alignment, and shares a practical 5-minute commute reset to stop carrying work calculations home.
If you’ve ever wondered whether doubling your income would actually make the job feel better, this episode gives you the clarity to separate compensation from identity and start measuring your career on your own terms.
🔗 Free 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians: betterphysicianlife.com/commutereset
Top 3 Takeaways
Compensation Is a Metric, Not Your Identity: When pay becomes the only way to know if your career is “working,” you’ll always feel behind. Try this: this week, ask yourself, “If my income doubled tomorrow but nothing else changed, would the daily friction disappear?” The honest answer usually reveals what you’re really seeking.

What “I Should Be Making More” Is Actually About: Most compensation frustration isn’t greed. It’s a cry for control, respect, and fairness. Separate the money ask from the real ask (schedule autonomy, fewer unpaid tasks, clearer boundaries). Write down one non-financial change that would make the current setup feel tolerable.

Stop Carrying the Numbers Home: The mental math about RVUs and reimbursement doesn’t have to follow you through the door. Use the free 5-minute Commute Reset (betterphysicianlife.com/commutereset) to create a clean transition and protect your evenings and presence with family.
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
May 04All the Risk, None of the Control: Physician Burnout and Advocacy with Kim Downey | Ep40
What if the real solution for physician well-being isn’t another self-care lecture, but fewer impossible demands and more people who actually understand what you’re carrying?
In this raw and hopeful episode of the Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh welcomes Kim Downey, founder of Stand Up (for) Doctors. A physical therapist and three-time cancer survivor, Kim’s life changed forever when her trusted physician died by suicide. Since then, she has built a platform that amplifies physician voices and helps patients see the human behind the white coat.
Together, they unpack inbox overload, prior-authorization battles, moral injury, and the quiet resignation many doctors feel. They discuss why self-care messages miss the mark, what patients misunderstand about doctors, and the power of storytelling to reduce isolation. Kim shares her two collaborative books and the upcoming physician-only retreat in October 2026 that is creating real community and hope for physicians nationwide.
This conversation is essential for any doctor who is tired of carrying it all alone and ready for realistic change.
Top 3 Takeaways
Name the Real Problem: Most physicians don’t need more self-care advice; they need fewer things on their plate that shouldn’t be there. Distinguish burnout from moral injury; the deep frustration of knowing what your patient needs but being blocked by the system. Try this: this week, write down one example of moral injury you or a colleague faced and share it anonymously with a trusted peer.

Doctors Are Human, Patients Need to See It: Patients often view physicians as superhuman robots who never struggle. Kim’s powerful reminder: behind every white coat are the same life challenges everyone else faces (divorce, grief, illness, parenting). Read one chapter from the White Coats books or share a short story because, every time a doctor speaks up, another doctor feels less alone.

Start Small, Stay Connected: You don’t have to turn advocacy into a second job. Become an ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation or Clinician Burnout Foundation, join the monthly newsletter, or register for the October 2026 physician retreat (use code VIP100 for $100 off). Community and shared stories are the antidote to isolation.
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:
Kim Downey is a physical therapist, three-time cancer survivor, and the founder of Stand Up for Doctors, a platform dedicated to advocating for physician wellbeing and amplifying the voices of doctors across healthcare. After the suicide of her trusted physician during her own cancer journey, Kim turned personal grief into a mission to help patients understand the invisible pressures physicians carry every day.
She serves as an ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation and the Clinician Burnout Foundation, and as a community ambassador for Medicine Forward. Through her channels on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon, with 150 episodes, a monthly Substack newsletter, two collaborative books (White Coats Courageous Hearts and White Coats Human Hearts) and an upcoming physician-only retreat (October 9–12, 2026), Kim creates safe spaces for doctors to share stories, build community, and reclaim their humanity in medicine.
Website: https://standupfordoctors.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-downey-a9307b72/
Substack: https://standupfordoctors.substack.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5eCZQaoq918YX6dz23roEQ
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5V1uc7FjqJqDnpqXRHl6TY?si=6df7b47fb0e04b14&nd=1&dlsi=4265bcddd0ef41cc
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stand-up-for-doctors/id1879595452
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
April 27When Medicine Stops Feeling Like Medicine | Ep39
What if feeling "stuck" in medicine isn't just the system's fault, but a subtle handoff of your agency?
In this episode of the Better Physician Life Podcast, Dr. Michael Hersh validates the real constraints of 2026 medicine: metrics, monitoring, and constant pressure, while unpacking the victim cycle: from pre-bracing reactions and habitual grievance to armored resignation that conserves energy but shrinks influence. For caring physicians showing up despite the grind, he reveals how anger without action spins into vigilance, costing curiosity and presence. With tools to notice small shifts, like assuming "no" before asking, he empowers you to reclaim authorship without big overhauls, proving acceptance doesn't mean surrender. A vital reset for anyone tired of reacting and ready to re-engage on your terms.
Top 3 Takeaways
Spot Resignation Masquerading as Realism: Bracing for problems (e.g., policy emails or EMR glitches) confirms a "this is just how it is" story, shrinking curiosity. Next shift, pause and ask, "Am I responding to now or my expectation?"

Channel Anger into Decisions, Not Grievance: Valid frustration signals misalignment, but spinning complaints keeps you vigilant without progress. Redirect by turning one grievance into a micro-action, like voicing a suggestion or boundary. Remember, habitual venting protects in the short term but exhausts in the long term. Decisions restore direction.

Notice Where Armor Blocks Options: Protective distancing like fewer risks, and narrowed input feels like adaptation, but thins judgment and leadership. Start small: Identify one "contained" moment daily (e.g., skipping an idea), then experiment with offering it. Ask: "What's this costing my agency right now?" to loosen the default and expand your practice.
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.
18 min
April 20People-Pleasing in Medicine: The Cost of Being “Easy to Work With” | Ep38
What if your "team player" yeses are quietly eroding your energy and authenticity?
In this candid episode of the Better Physician Life Podcast, Dr. Michael Hersh exposes people pleasing as medicine's unspoken training ground, from med school squeezes to mid-career overloads, where obligation masquerades as reliability, leading to irritation, resentment, and half-present relationships.
Sharing his pivot from yes-to-everything to purposeful boundaries, he reveals the avoidance reflex behind it all, why it doesn't serve anyone long-term, and how to pause for honest yes/no decisions that protect what matters. A must-listen for physicians tired of smoothing over at the expense of self, with tools to rebuild integrity and make your yeses meaningful again.
Top 3 Takeaways:
Spot the Avoidance Reflex: People pleasing isn't niceness. It's dodging discomfort, like saying yes to extra shifts or family asks to skip awkward pauses. Next request, pause and ask, "Does this yes reflect what I want, or just avoid a negative reaction?" Choose honesty over obligation.

Differentiate Obligation from Purpose: Early-career yeses build skill. Mid-career, they often stack resentment. Dr. Hersh invites you to ask, “What do I actually want to say yes to now?” Identify 3 draining yeses this week, and convert one into a clean, purposeful no to create space for what restores you.

Reclaim Integrity at Home and Work: Managing everyone else’s mood drains your presence. Real care sounds like, “I want to be here, and I need 10 minutes.” Dr. Hersh suggests using a brief pause in transitions to make your capacity clear (not to create distance, but to prevent the silent no’s to yourself that erode connections 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.
17 min
April 13The Confidence Problem Physicians Don't Talk About | Ep37
What if your hesitation isn't about ability, but trusting yourself to handle the unknown?
In this episode of the Better Physician Life Podcast, Dr. Michael Hersh dives into the self-confidence gap that keeps high-achieving physicians stuck in the familiar rather than pursuing new roles, boundaries, or pivots. Drawing from his own journey, he distinguishes clinical confidence ("see one, do one, teach one") from self-trust ("I can handle discomfort"), revealing how fear of feelings, like rejection or inexperience, fuels waiting. With practical insights on signaling steadiness, settling rooms as a leader, and navigating transitions, Dr. Hersh equips mid-career doctors to act without full proof, embracing action as evidence. Essential listening for anyone tired of "maybe later" when it comes to what you truly want.
🔗 Free 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians: betterphysicianlife.com/commutereset
Top 3 Takeaways:
Distinguish Confidence from Self-Confidence: Clinical wins build execution skills. Self-confidence is trusting you'll handle discomfort or failure. Dr. Hersh suggests reframing “I’m not ready” to “I can figure this out,” then taking one small, clean action (like stating a preference without qualifiers), to build tolerance over time.

Signal Steadiness to Lead Without a Title: Self-doubt shows in hedging language ("I'm probably wrong, but..."), teaching others to undervalue you. Swap it for direct statements to ease rooms and foster respect. Practice: In your next meeting or at home, state one decision plainly; notice how it settles energy and invites steadiness from others.

Train Transitions to Expand Beyond the Familiar: Stuck in mental loops post-shift? Self-trust means leaving unfinished tasks without clinging to control. Start with Dr. Hersh's Commute Reset: Use the 5-minute tool daily to clear your head, proving you can adapt and be present, turning hesitation into momentum for new pursuits.
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.
19 min
April 06“I Don’t Have the Bandwidth”: How Physicians Can Slow Down and Create Space in Their Career with Dr. Moe | Ep36
What if the "just how it is" fatigue in your practice isn't permanent, but a signal to shift without abandoning what you love?
In this empowering episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh welcomes Dr. Maureen Gibbons, a former emergency medicine nocturnist turned virtual lifestyle medicine pioneer and author of Freedom to Shift. Sharing her journey from 15 years of night shifts to a soul-nourishing multi-state practice, Dr. Moe reveals why bandwidth creates white space for reflection, how to audit energy drains, and strategies to downshift a revved-up nervous system, all while staying clinically engaged. Ideal for physicians sensing unsustainability but fearing change, this conversation offers hope, exercises, and permission to redesign without anyone else's permission.
Top 3 Takeaways
Create Bandwidth for White Space: Mid-career fatigue often stems from a lack of margin. Dr. Moe shares how a simple one-week "vital metric review" that tracks energy restorers vs. drainers, uncovers hidden overloads, like trying to cram 32 hours of activities into a 24-hour day, and helps physicians make small, practical adjustments that restore breathing room without blowing up their careers.

Embrace Active Rest to Reset Your Nervous System: For busy brains, passive downtime can feel torturous. Opt for "active rest," such as light reading or guided activities, to unwind without boredom. Dr. Moe explains feeling her system shift post-EM (e.g., enjoying thrill rides again) and urges physicians to notice when "I can handle it" masks wired-for-hustle habits, then experiment with fluff novels or family "rest weeks."

Shift Identity Without Losing Your Doctor Self: You don't have to leave medicine to evolve. Dr. Moe's story shows that translating EM skills to coaching and lifestyle medicine preserved her clinical core while adding wisdom.
Challenge: List three non-fleeting interests (what you rave about at dinner), pick one to explore, and remember: No permission needed to drop a shift or tweak your model for sustainability.
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. Maureen (Moe) Gibbons, MD, CISSN, is a former emergency medicine nocturnist turned virtual lifestyle medicine pioneer. With 15 years in high-volume trauma care, she pivoted after recognizing burnout's toll, including a stress-linked cardiovascular diagnosis, to launch Active Medical Solutions, a multi-state telehealth practice. A serial entrepreneur, triathlete (7 Ironmans), and coach.
Her book Freedom to Shift guides mid-career physicians toward sustainable reinvention, nervous system resets, and white space for joy without leaving medicine.
Book: Freedom to SHIFT
Website: https://amslifestylemedicine.com
Instagram: @drmoegibbons
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.
31 min
March 30When Medicine Doesn’t Turn Out the Way You Planned | Ep35
What happens the moment you open the envelope or get the news and realize the future you sacrificed years for, planned your entire life around, isn't going to happen? In this episode of Better Physician Life, host Dr. Michael Hersh opens up about one of the most defining moments of his life: opening his Match Day envelope in 2003 and realizing the New York future he had planned—family, friends, training, everything—was gone in an instant. Instead of pausing to register the loss, he adapted quickly, treated his residency as temporary, and kept orienting toward a life that no longer existed.
He reflects on how this pattern shows up for physicians: the residency that didn't match, the fellowship far from loved ones, the career arc or location that never felt right, yet we push forward, minimize disappointment, and stay anchored to "what should have been." Drawing from the Chicago Fire of 1871 analogy (the city wasn't rebuilt as before; a new version emerged), Dr. Hersh explains why arguing with reality keeps attention split, creates distance from the present, and blocks new possibilities. He shares how letting go—not lowering ambition, but releasing the old plan—allowed him to invest fully where he was, build relationships, meet his wife, and create a life he couldn't have imagined.
The episode offers practical steps: name the loss without solving it, allow both disappointment and gratitude to coexist, and redirect attention to what's real now. He ties it to the free Five Minute Commute Reset as a daily space to notice what's still being carried from the past.
Free 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians: betterphysicianlife.com/commutereset
Top 3 Takeaways
Acknowledge the Loss Before Adapting: Physicians excel at resilience and "making the best of it," but skipping the step of registering what ended (a hoped-for residency, location, life chapter) keeps attention anchored to a future that no longer exists. Naming the loss without analysis, blame, or forced positivity, frees mental energy and stops the exhausting argument with reality.
Clinging to the Old Plan Costs the Present: When you're still oriented toward "what should have been," the current life feels like a placeholder. This divided attention creates distance from people, opportunities, and growth right in front of you. Letting go isn't defeat; it's choosing to build from where you actually are, opening space for unexpected good (family, career, purpose) that couldn't exist under the old blueprint.
Rebuild Like Chicago After the Fire: The original plan burned down; you can't recreate it. A new version—different structure, different priorities—can be stronger and more lasting. The real work is shifting attention from "getting back to" something impossible to fully inhabiting and investing in what's here now.
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.
19 min