Stethoscopes and Strollers

Hey Doc —

This is a conversation I’ve really been looking forward to sharing with you.

I’m joined by Dr. Traci De Splinter, an OB/GYN here in Texas and a seasoned physician mom whose daughters are now adults. I love conversations like this because most of the physician moms I talk to in this podcast are in the thick of early motherhood—myself included. There is something really powerful about hearing from someone who has lived through those years and can reflect back on them with perspective.

And Dr. Traci has quite a story.

In this first part of our conversation, we talk about what it looked like for her to have her first baby during residency, the realities of postpartum recovery while still in training, and the decisions physician moms often have to make around timing pregnancies and careers.

We also talk about:

• What maternity leave looked like during residency years ago
• Recovering from a difficult delivery while preparing to return to work
• The importance of asking for help—even when it feels uncomfortable
• Moving to a new city with a toddler while pregnant again
• What life looked like when her marriage ended shortly after starting her attending career

Dr. Traci shares honestly about some very hard years—two babies under two, a new job, a new city, and navigating life as a physician mom. She also talks about the support systems that helped her through that season and the lessons she carries with her now.

This conversation is thoughtful, candid, and full of perspective that many physician moms rarely get to hear.

🎧 Press play to hear my conversation with Dr. Traci De Splinter.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc —

There’s something I see over and over again when I work with physician moms.

You’ve achieved incredible things. Medical school. Residency. Building a career. Raising children. Holding together entire ecosystems of people who depend on you.

And yet, when I ask you to name something you’re proud of?

Silence.

Or you brush it off.

Or you immediately pivot to the next thing you still need to accomplish.

In this episode, I’m talking about why celebrating yourself can feel surprisingly difficult for high achievers—and why that matters more than most of us realize.

A recent conversation with a very successful business owner reminded me just how common this pattern is. Even after building something objectively impressive, he still struggled to recognize his own success. And honestly? The mindset sounded very familiar.

Many of us were trained to keep pushing, keep achieving, keep delaying satisfaction until the next milestone.

But if you never learn how to recognize your wins now, the next milestone won’t fix it.

In this episode, I’m sharing:

• How constantly chasing the “next thing” can quietly drain your sense of fulfillment
• Why high achievers often struggle to acknowledge their accomplishments
• The connection between celebrating your wins and building real confidence
• Why modeling self-celebration matters for the way our children learn to see themselves
• Practical ways to start recognizing your wins—even if it feels uncomfortable at first

Celebration doesn’t have to mean a party or a big announcement.

Sometimes it’s simply taking a moment to acknowledge what you’ve done and allowing yourself to feel proud.

If you don’t build the habit of recognizing your wins now, you may keep achieving more… and still feel like it’s never enough.

🎧 Press play on this episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers.

And then take a moment to celebrate something you’ve done—big or small.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

I’m in the middle of launching a brand-new HVAC business with my husband. And let me tell you: starting a business from scratch, self-funded, no clients, no safety net? It will humble you real quick.

I’ve been nauseous before networking meetings.

Sweaty before introducing myself.

Mortified after asking a very basic question at a major conference.

And I still did it.

Because here’s the truth I keep teaching my clients, and living in real time:

The absence of fear is not required.

You do not need to feel ready.

You do not need to feel confident.

You do not need to feel calm.

You just need to move.

In this episode, I’m sharing:

• What “doing it scared” actually looks like in real life (hint: it’s not glamorous)
• Why embarrassment isn’t fatal (even when it feels like it)
• The myth that confident women aren’t afraid
• How I’m teaching my children that bravery includes tears
• Why waiting to feel ready is keeping you stuck

If you’ve been avoiding something — a leadership role, a career pivot, a hard conversation, a negotiation — I want you to hear this:

Being scared does not disqualify you.

Fear is not a stop sign.

It’s usually a sign you’re stepping into something bigger.

Listen in, and then go do the thing. 🎧 Press play on this episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

What do you do when everything looks “successful” on paper… but you’re not actually satisfied?

In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Gina Dapul-Hidalgo — allergist, CEO, twin mom — we talk about the season that doesn’t get discussed enough.

The one where you’ve done everything right.

You trained.

You built the career.

You became the mom.

And yet… something feels off.

Dr. Gina shares what it was like to realize she wasn’t fulfilled and to invest in herself before she had proof it would work.

We talk about:

• The quiet dissatisfaction that creeps in after training ends
• Making a “scary” financial investment in coaching
• Discovering limiting beliefs she didn’t even know were running the show
• How being an IMG shaped her confidence, and how she dismantled that narrative
• Why she started taking 24–48 hours away each year (yes, with twins at home)
• And what it really means to bet on yourself as a physician mom

This conversation is about ownership.

Owning your brilliance.

Owning your dissatisfaction.

Owning your need for support.

Owning your ambition, especially after motherhood.

🎧 Listen to Part 2 now.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

What happens when you’re pregnant with twins, working full-time, and living in a city with no family nearby?

In this first part of my conversation with Dr. Gina Dapul-Hidalgo, board-certified pediatric and adult allergist, private practice CEO, and twin mom, we go back to the beginning.

Before the CEO title.

Before the older-kid stage.

Back to the pregnancy. The delivery. The five-week postpartum return to work.

Dr. Gina shares what it was like to carry twins to 38 weeks, build a life far from home, and realize in real time that there wasn’t going to be a built-in village waiting.

We talk about the intentional decision she and her husband made to spend those first few days alone with their newborns, not because help wasn’t offered, but because they wanted to figure out who they were as parents first.

She opens up about:

• Going back to work before her body had fully recovered
• Navigating postpartum when your career doesn’t pause
• What partnership actually looked like at 2:30 a.m. with two crying babies
• And the quiet identity shifts that show up in things as small as swapping heels for flats

Whether you’re pregnant now, in the thick of postpartum, or long past the newborn phase but still navigating the weight of motherhood + medicine, this story will feel familiar in the best way.

🎧 Listen to Part 1 now, and make sure to come back for Part 2 next week.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

You already have the degree that matters, doc.

But somewhere along the way, many of us started believing that we need another certification, another course, or another set of letters behind our name before we’re “ready” to do the thing we actually want to do.

In this episode, I’m breaking down three common degrees I see women physicians chasing — not because they truly need them, but because they’ve been taught to delay, over-prepare, and perfect before taking action.

This isn’t about being anti-education. I love learning. But I want you to be honest with yourself:

→ Are you avoiding the leap by hiding behind a course?

→ Is this degree going to move you forward — or just keep you busy?

→ Do you actually need it… or just feel like you should?

Before you spend another dollar or minute chasing qualifications you may not even use — listen to this.

🎧 Hit play and find out what you actually need (and what you don’t) to get started.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

In this episode, I’m sharing a major life update that, on the surface, looks like a hard pivot, but is actually a continuation of everything I’ve been building since I left corporate medicine.

📣 I’m officially the co-owner of The General Heating & Air, a family-run HVAC company serving Greater Houston.

I’m still coaching and I’m still podcasting.

But how I spend my time is changing — and so is what I’ve learned about capacity, clarity, and what it really means to have transferable skills as a physician.

This isn’t about telling you to start a business. This is about expanding what you believe is possible in your life, especially when you’re a physician mom navigating the chaos of transition with a brain wired for overachievement and a culture that rewards self-sacrifice.

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why I’m adding HVAC business owner to my list of titles
• What almost broke me in the process (and how I knew it was time to shift my bandwidth)
• The myth of “I’m just a doctor” and why it’s keeping you stuck
• How every step of my journey — from burnout to social media to locums — prepared me for this
• Real-life examples of your transferable skills and how they show up outside of medicine
• Why I’ll be quieter on social media — but louder in new ways

Whether you’re in a transition, thinking about one, or recovering from one that didn’t go as planned, this episode will remind you:

You’re not stuck. You’re not behind.

And your next chapter doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s to be worth pursuing.

🔗 Links + Resources:

• Follow our new business: @TheGeneralHVAC on all platforms
• In Houston? Join our email list: Sign up here
• Listen to Episode 7: Your Dream Life or Mine? 

📩 Stay Connected:

Want support through your next big transition? Learn more about private coaching with me at drtoyacoaching.com

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc —

If you got sick tomorrow, would your family know how to care for you?

Would your partner step up?

Would your kids know what to do?

Or would you be left watching everyone wait for you to get better, so you can get back to doing everything again?

This episode is about the stories we tell ourselves about being “needed” and the quiet ways we teach our families to expect us to do it all. It’s not just about being unsupported in the moment, it’s about a pattern we’ve set over years of overfunctioning. And I’ll talk about where that pattern starts, how it plays out, and most importantly, how to change it.

I’m breaking down:

• Why being mad at your partner isn’t the full picture
• How gender roles show up in your house even when you don’t believe in them
• What your children are learning from the way you live not just what you say
• And the questions I want every woman physician to ask about the example she’s setting

Whether you have sons, daughters, toddlers, or teens — this one’s for you.

Not to shame.

To wake you up.

Because what you’re modeling right now, becomes their norm later.

🎧 Listen to the full episode now!

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc —

There’s a specific kind of dread that comes with a vague meeting invite.

No agenda.

No context.

Just: “Leadership wants to meet.”

You already know — it’s rarely good.

Whether you’re walking in with a heads-up or completely in the dark, this episode breaks down how to protect yourself when you’re called into a surprise meeting about your job. Not the one you asked for — the one they put on your calendar.

I’m sharing what I walk through with my clients in real time:

• What to do the moment you get the invite
• How to stay in control when you don’t know what’s coming
• And why your #1 job in the room isn’t to defend yourself — it’s to stay sharp

This episode walks you through exactly what to do before, during, and after a meeting like this so you’re not caught off guard, pressured into decisions, or left questioning what just happened.

If it’s already on your calendar, listen now.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

“I’ll do locums once the kids are older.”

Sound familiar?

That’s the line I hear most from physician moms when they’re curious about locums but don’t think it’s realistic with a baby or toddler at home.

But here’s the truth:

I started doing locums with a 2-year-old and a newborn and it turned out to be one of the best parenting decisions I ever made.

Not because it was easy.

But because it gave me more freedom, more presence, and more say in how I showed up — both at home and at work.

In this episode, I walk you through how I made it work:

• Why “wait until they’re older” might actually be harder
• How my setup (with daycare, nannies, and locums shifts) gave our whole family more peace
• What it took to breastfeed, pump, and store milk on the road
• And why leaving for 24 hours helped my husband and kids more than it hurt

This isn’t about pushing you toward locums.

It’s about showing you what’s possible, even when they’re tiny.

Because babies don’t need perfection. They need love, routine, and a mom who’s supported not sacrificed.

🎧 Tune in to hear how I made it work and why you just might be more ready than you think.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya