Inspired Mom MDs

Find the full transcript at inspiredmommds.com/98.

“Your brain is giving you hints. We just need to quiet down and listen.”

When my guest, Karen Geiger, said that during our conversation, I thought, “She gets it.” 

If you’ve been feeling mentally overloaded, emotionally stretched thin, or wondering why your brain suddenly feels foggy and scattered, this conversation is going to feel like a deep exhale.

Today, we’re talking about writing for mental clarity, and how writing can help reduce cognitive overload. Karen blends brain science and therapeutic writing to help people process stress, burnout, and major life transitions.

And this conversation reaches far beyond writing itself, from stressed medical students trying to keep up to women navigating midlife changes, brain fog, and shifting identity.

You may walk away thinking differently about writing, and maybe even differently about yourself.

Links for Karen Geiger: 
Substack: https://karengeiger.substack.com/ and https://thewriteremedy.substack.com/about

Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

• Check out InspiredMomMDs.com for more information about how I help physician moms! 
• You can grab a copy of my freebie! Just click here for a quick download: 4 Steps to Take Back Control, Find Time for What Matters Most and Thrive in Your Practice and at Home

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most. 

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/97.

If you’ve ever wondered how to teach kids about money… but honestly weren’t quite sure where to start, you’re not alone.

Because most of us were never really taught this ourselves.
And now we’re trying to figure it out in real time…

We want to give them opportunities… without raising entitlement.
We want them to feel confident… but grounded in values.

So how do we actually do that?

Today’s conversation might shift the way you see all of it.

I’m joined by Dr. Michele Cho Dorado. She’s a pediatric gastroenterologist, real estate investor, children’s book author, and the founder of Prosperous Kids… where she helps families raise confident, capable kids through financial literacy.

But this isn’t just about money.
It’s about how our kids learn to think and make decisions.

And once you hear this… it’s hard to un-hear.

Links for Dr. Michele Cho Dorado:

Website: Prosperous Kids 

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @prosperouskids

LinkedIn: Michele C. | LinkedIn 

Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

• Check out InspiredMomMDs.com for more information about how I help physician moms! 
• You can grab a copy of my freebie! Just click here for a quick download: 4 Steps to Take Back Control, Find Time for What Matters Most and Thrive in Your Practice and at Home

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most. 

Find the full transcript and bonus resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/96.

“Even if it’s 10 minutes, take it for yourself because you need it.”

That is a powerful statement, spoken by Dr. Farah Deshmukh in this episode. She is an obesity medicine physician, mom, and children’s book author who found an unexpected path out of burnout.

For many physician moms, life becomes all about taking care of everyone else. After a while, it can feel like the authentic version of yourself has been packed away in a box somewhere high on a shelf.

You think, I’ll come back to it someday when work slows down or the kids get older – when I have more time. But “someday” is a moving target. 

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Farah shares how writing children’s books became an unexpected form of self-care for a physician mom, and how creativity helped her feel more like herself again. 

Amazon books by Farah Merchant: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Farah-Merchant/author/B0GCRJ3462?

Instagram: @RethinkHealthMD

LinkedIn: Farah Deshmukh MD

Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

• Check out InspiredMomMDs.com for more information about how I help physician moms! 
• You can grab a copy of my freebie! Just click here for a quick download: 4 Steps to Take Back Control, Find Time for What Matters Most and Thrive in Your Practice and at Home

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most. 

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/95.

You walk in the door after a full day. You’re already tired and just as you set your bag down, your phone buzzes.

A message from a colleague.

It could be a question or a comment with a certain tone.

You feel that pull to respond and try to get it just right – clear, professional, not misinterpreted.

You reread it, adjust it, and wonder if you’re overthinking this. 

You send it anyway.

And still… something feels off.

If you’ve ever noticed yourself caught in overthinking as a physician mom, you know exactly this feeling.

Later that night, it’s back in your mind. What you said. What they meant. What they might be thinking. Trying to get it exactly right. Trying to manage how it was received. Trying to control something that isn’t fully yours to control.

And it hits you: this isn’t working anymore.

Today I’m talking about that moment—and how to shift out of trying to control everything, and back into what’s actually yours to hold.

Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

• Check out InspiredMomMDs.com for more information about how I help physician moms! 
• You can grab a copy of my freebie! Just click here for a quick download: 4 Steps to Take Back Control, Find Time for What Matters Most and Thrive in Your Practice and at Home

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most. 

Find the full transcript and bonus resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/94.

Parenting as a doctor mom can feel surprisingly hard.

You spend your day calm and focused with patients… solving problems and helping people through some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives.

And then you walk through the door at home.

Suddenly the skills that serve you so well in medicine don’t always translate. 

You’re tired, your kids need you, emotions are high, and instead of feeling steady and patient, you feel reactive and overwhelmed

Some days it feels like parenting as a doctor mom is harder than residency. 

Today I’m joined by Dr. Juhi Raizada, a pediatrician, parent coach, and physician mom of two. With nearly two decades in pediatrics, she now helps parents navigate the space between being an excellent doctor and being the parent they want to be at home.

Medical training wires us to fix problems at work, not necessarily at home. Listen in for new, creative ways to move from reactivity to peace with your kids.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/doctorjuhi/

Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

• Check out InspiredMomMDs.com for more information about how I help physician moms! 
• You can grab a copy of my freebie! Just click here for a quick download: 4 Steps to Take Back Control, Find Time for What Matters Most and Thrive in Your Practice and at Home

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most. 

Find the full transcript and bonus resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/93.

If you’ve ever found yourself Googling “I’m worried about my child’s eating and weight,” this is for you.

Today I’m joined by Dr. Wendy Schofer, a board-certified pediatrician who practiced for years inside a system built on prescribing answers. But after watching families struggle with food fights, body image worries, and guilt, she noticed something. The advice sounded right, yet it wasn’t helping at home. And she felt that tension in her own life too.

What changed everything was a different question: What is actually working?

This episode is about shifting the focus from fixing your child to understanding the emotions underneath the worry. Because sometimes the most important person in the room isn’t the child on the exam table. It’s the parent sitting beside them.

Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

• Check out InspiredMomMDs.com for more information about how I help physician moms! 
• You can grab a copy of my freebie! Just click here for a quick download: 4 Steps to Take Back Control, Find Time for What Matters Most and Thrive in Your Practice and at Home

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most. 

Find the full transcript and bonus resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/92.

“I’ve done all the right things, so why am I not happier?”

If that question has ever crossed your mind, you’re not alone.

So many women physicians reach this moment and immediately question themselves.

Am I just stressed?

Do I need a vacation?

Or is this actually growth asking for my attention?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Lillian Emlet, physician educator and certified professional energy leadership coach, to talk about what these inflection points really mean

We explore how to recognize when you’re outgrowing a role, how to tell the difference between stress and expansion, and what it actually looks like to say yes to yourself without burning everything down.

If something in you has been whispering, “There’s more,” this conversation will help you listen differently.

Guest Links:

Transforming Healthcare Coaching - Coaching for Clinicians

Lillian Liang Emlet, MD MS CHSE CPC ELI-MP | LinkedIn

Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

• Check out InspiredMomMDs.com for more information about how I help physician moms! 
• You can grab a copy of my freebie! Just click here for a quick download: 4 Steps to Take Back Control, Find Time for What Matters Most and Thrive in Your Practice and at Home

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most. 

Find the full transcript and bonus resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/91.

Many doctor moms I know can tell you their next professional milestone. Fewer can tell you what their body has been trying to say lately.

There’s a question we rarely pause long enough to ask: Can stress affect fertility?

Not in a dramatic, breaking-news kind of way. It’s more subtle.
In the exhaustion that hits when you finally sit down.
In cycles that begin to feel unpredictable.
In the aches you override because the next deadline is approaching.

Today, I’m joined by Dr. Yemi Famuyiwa, a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and doctor mom, who explains what chronic stress actually does to the reproductive system and why your menstrual cycle is a vital sign, not an inconvenience.

This episode is about listening now, before “I’ll deal with that later” turns into years.

And it’s full of clarity and hope.

Links for Dr. Yemi:

Fertility Specialist | Maryland - Montgomery Fertility Center

Oluyemisi Famuyiwa MD, FACOG | LinkedIn

Oluyemisi’s Substack | Oluyemisi Famuyiwa, MD FACOG | Substack

Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

• Check out InspiredMomMDs.com for more information about how I help physician moms! 
• You can grab a copy of my freebie! Just click here for a quick download: 4 Steps to Take Back Control, Find Time for What Matters Most and Thrive in Your Practice and at Home

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most. 

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/90.

Medicine teaches you how to save lives. 

It rarely teaches you what repeated exposure to suffering does to you.

Today’s episode is about traumatic stress in physicians – not burnout, not weakness, and not something you can outwork.

I’m joined by Dr. Kimia Serraf – Dr. K – a physician, public health expert, and nationally recognized leader in trauma-informed education and culture change.

At one point she says, “Stress isn’t the problem. Unprocessed stress is.”

We talk about why compartmentalization works… until it doesn’t, how trauma accumulates quietly, and what it means to be fully professional without disconnecting from your humanity.

If medicine feels heavier than it used to, and you can’t quite explain why, this conversation will.

Let’s begin.

Links for Dr. K:

Lodestar - https://www.lodestarpc.com/

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

Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/KemiaS

Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

• Check out InspiredMomMDs.com for more information about how I help physician moms! 
• You can grab a copy of my freebie! Just click here for a quick download: 4 Steps to Take Back Control, Find Time for What Matters Most and Thrive in Your Practice and at Home

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most. 

Find the full transcript at inspiredmommds.com/89.

You are smart, accomplished, deeply trusted… and yet may feel like you fall short.

You may not feel good enough as a doctor mom, even after years of training, sacrifice, and success. Especially if the bar keeps moving, Especially if you’re tired of meeting others expectations.

I’m joined by Dr. Ana Tanase, board-certified in pediatrics and integrative medicine, and a mom of three, who brings clarity and compassion to the idea of enough.

At one point she says, “Women often spread themselves thin to please everyone. And usually, the first thing to disappear is themselves.”

We talk about invisible labor and why so many women are quietly reimagining how they practice medicine, and how they live.

This is a conversation about self-trust, stepping out of the boxes, and remembering something simple and radical:
you are already enough.

Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

• Check out InspiredMomMDs.com for more information about how I help physician moms! 
• You can grab a copy of my freebie! Just click here for a quick download: 4 Steps to Take Back Control, Find Time for What Matters Most and Thrive in Your Practice and at Home

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most.