The pandemic has altered the lives of high-achieving career moms. Now more than ever, they are continuing to juggle their careers, while spending more time with their families, doing household chores, providing care and guidance, and helping out with their children's online education.

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Leah Backhus, MD, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at VA Palo Alto and has been in practice for 19 years.. She's also a mom and an academic surgeon at Stanford University.

On the 6% podcast, we talk to women from different career paths but I have to say that I have a great deal of respect and a soft spot for my fellow surgeons.

Leah and I discuss her experience being one of the few black female surgeons, her childhood, and why she pivoted from wanting to become a neurosurgeon to cardiothoracic surgery. We talk about the value of women supporting women in the workplace, being true to your passions, your path, and forging your way to success on your terms.

We also tackle how the pandemic made her realize that she needs to be with her kids more, why coaching trainees and providing emotional support can change their lives, and how a spouse's contribution is important as well.

Episode highlights:

• How to balance your career and home life
• The unique strengths of female leadership
• Why having a female mentor in the workplace is incredibly important
• Leah's priceless advice for women who want to work in the field of medicine
• Why you need to figure out your passion before pursuing a career
• How you can deal with imposter syndrome
• Why you have to develop resilience and your own meaning of success
• The value of peer-to-peer counseling to get you through tough times
• How to empower yourself through optimism and self-care
• The significance of positive feedback given by people in positions of power
• The necessity of having a supportive spouse or partner
• How women expect more from themselves and become even more stressed out

Get in Touch with Leah:

Twitter @leahbackhusmd

Doximity doximity.com/pub/leah-backhus-md

Stanford stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/b/leah-backhus.html#

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