Host Frances Mei Hardin sits down with Dr. Mel Thacker, ENT, surgeon coach and mindset expert, for a raw conversation about the stories we tell ourselves—and how they shape everything from imposter syndrome to ego, burnout, and healing.

Together they unpack the hidden beliefs that define identity in medicine: why so many surgeons build self-concepts on fear or perfection, how ego can masquerade as confidence, and what it takes to evolve beyond the profession that once defined you.

Tune in for an honest look at self-knowledge, ego death, and freedom after medicine.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Mel Thacker, MD

Connect with Mel: https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/mel-thacker-md

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Follow Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

What happens when medicine meets art? In this episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, Dr. Frances Mei sits down with Dr. Ryan Montoya to explore the growing field of Graphic Medicine — where comics and storytelling are used to share powerful experiences from the world of healthcare.

Together, they unpack how visual storytelling can make medical experiences more human, accessible, and emotionally resonant — for both patients and clinicians. From burnout and recovery to empathy and education, Ryan explains how creating and reading comics can help us better understand what it means to heal.

Dr. Montoya also shares his own journey as a physician and artist, offering insights for anyone curious about starting creative projects in medicine. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, a patient, or a fan of narrative art, this conversation will change the way you see stories in medicine.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Ryan Montoya, MD

https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/ryan-montoya-md

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Following Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/oct/08/stay-true-to-yourself-fly-closer-sun-what-ive-learned-from-50-years-of-rejection

00:25 Welcoming Dr. Ryan Montoya

04:36 The Transition to Graphic Medicine

07:51 Navigating Personal Interactions and Social Discomfort

20:02 The Evolution of Storytelling in Graphic Medicine

23:04 The Importance of Trust in Writing

30:53 The Pain of Rejection in Creative Pursuits

40:41 The Journey of Starting Now

Abhilasha joins Surgeon, Interrupted to share her story as an international medical graduate, model, and soon-to-be resident—challenging the narrow ideas of what a “serious doctor” looks like. From growing up in India with Air Force parents to researching hepatology at Duke and navigating the U.S. Match, she’s learned to balance medicine with creativity, confidence, and self-care.

Together, we unpack how women in medicine can reject judgment, keep their hobbies, and still be taken seriously. Abhilasha talks about her modeling journey, dealing with criticism, and finding power in doing both.

Topics include:

• The IMG experience and applying for residency in the U.S.
• Modeling, self-image, and bias in medicine
• Why hobbies matter for burnout prevention
• The cultural shift toward multidimensional doctors

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Abhilasha K

Connect with Abhilasha: @kato_nato

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Following Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

00:00 – Intro: Meet Abhilasha

Frances Mei introduces Abhilasha — an international medical graduate from India, researcher at Duke, and model redefining what a doctor looks like.

02:00 – From India to Duke: The IMG Journey

Abhilasha shares her path from med school in India to research in gastroenterology and hepatology at Duke University.

06:00 – When Mentors Said “Hide It”

Frances Mei reflects on being told to leave modeling off her application — and the double standards women face in medicine.

08:00 – Beauty, Bias, and Early Criticism

Abhilasha recounts how body comments and early discouragement shaped her confidence — and why she kept pursuing modeling anyway.

10:00 – A Medical Emergency Before Step 2

The story of an unexpected anaphylactic shock right before her exam — and what it taught her about the U.S. healthcare system.

13:00 – Making Modeling Part of Medicine

Abhilasha explains how she lists modeling in her residency application — and how program directors actually respond.

16:00 – When Hobbies Save You From Burnout

Frances Mei and Abhilasha discuss how creative outlets like modeling and dance can prevent burnout and make better doctors.

19:00 – Judgment and Authenticity Online

The reality of being a visible doctor on social media — from criticism to reclaiming your identity.

23:00 – Why Some Doctors Lose Their Hobbies

Frances Mei opens up about losing herself during residency — and how she sees a new generation doing it differently.

25:00 – Culture Shift: Medicine Meets Art

Abhilasha talks about finding community with other creative physicians like @dancingurodoc and how that changed her outlook.

30:00 – Skills That Overlap: Modeling and Medicine

Adaptability, presence, teamwork — how modeling unexpectedly sharpened her clinical skills.

33:00 – Toxic Mentors and “Malignant” Programs

Abhilasha shares the story of a rotation gone wrong — and what it revealed about power in medicine.

36:00 – The Doctors We Want to Be

What good mentorship looks like, why approachability matters, and how some doctors inspire change just by being kind.

38:30 – Abhilasha’s Parting Wisdom

Her message to all future doctors: make time for yourself, protect your peace, and remember — people will talk either way.

41:00 – Closing Thoughts: Give Them Something Good to Talk About

Frances Mei wraps up with a reflection on confidence, culture, and redefining what it means to be a “serious” doctor.

In this episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, oral and maxillofacial surgery resident Dr. Claudia Dukler shares her journey as a first-generation Ukrainian American and the daughter of a dentist who inspired her path. She reflects on the balance between compassion and confidence in surgical culture, pushing back against the idea that kindness is weakness. From navigating a male-dominated specialty to staying grounded in her identity, Dr. Dukler offers an honest look at what it means to lead — and care — in modern medicine.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Claudia Dukler, D.D.S.

Connect with Claudia: https://www.instagram.com/claudiadukler

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Following Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

After nearly a decade in surgery, I finally stepped away — not just from the operating room, but from the version of myself that could only feel safe inside control. This episode of Surgeon, Interrupted is about what happened when I stopped performing productivity and let my nervous system breathe for the first time in years.

For thirty days, I wandered through Europe — Paris, Nice, Lugano, Milan — without a set itinerary or a defined goal. What began as a sabbatical became something deeper: a full-body reset. I learned that healing doesn’t always happen in silence or stillness; sometimes it happens when you let novelty and beauty rewire the way your body experiences safety.

In this episode, I unpack what it means to:

• Let go of rigid timetables and trust spontaneity again
• Disconnect from the endless stimulation of the digital world
• Discover the difference between necessity and desire
• Recalibrate a nervous system shaped by years of hypervigilance and performance
• Reclaim a sense of peace that isn’t conditional on achievement

This is not a travel vlog. It’s an autopsy of being in the wrong career and a love letter to what remains after the unraveling — a reminder that rest can be radical, that stillness can be learned, and that healing sometimes begins not when you return home, but when you allow yourself to get lost.

If you’ve ever wondered what might happen if you stopped trying to control every outcome, or if you’ve felt trapped in the rhythm of “always on,” this story is for you.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Following Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

In this episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, Frances Mei Hardin, MD sits down with Natasha Singareddy, a first-year medical student and Hippocratic Collective intern, to talk about medicine as both an art and an unfinished product. Natasha shares why she chose medicine after experiences in digital health startups, how she leans on gut instinct even when it’s imperfect, and what it means to create guardrails that protect identity and curiosity during training.

They also explore love and relationships in medicine - why “parallel pedigree” expectations are outdated, what it means to have a partner outside of medicine, and how the right relationship can regulate your nervous system instead of draining it.

This conversation is a reminder that being a great physician starts with preserving your own humanity—your values, your creativity, your relationships, and your trust in yourself.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Natasha Singareddy

Connect with Natasha:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-singareddy/

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Follow Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

What does it mean to navigate medicine as the eldest daughter of immigrants, a perfectionist student, and now a chief resident in radiation oncology?

In this episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, Dr. Christina Huang shares her journey from shy, rule-following child to confident physician leader. We talk about the realities of pre-med pressure, navigating med school and board exams, and the pivot from wanting to be a surgeon to finding her place in radiation oncology.

We cover:

– Eldest daughter dynamics and the weight of expectations

– The pressure cooker of pre-med and med school perfectionism

– Burnout, identity crises, and why “pivots” in medicine aren’t failures

– Discovering radiation oncology (and what brachytherapy really is)

– The power of grassroots culture change in residency and beyond

Dr. Huang’s story is a reminder that medicine is never a straight path, and that the real strength comes from looking inward, owning your decisions, and helping to create a healthier culture for those who follow.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Christina Huang, MD

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Follow Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

What does it look like to grow up, and grow together, through residency, marriage, and building a life outside of medicine?

In this special anniversary episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, Frances Mei and her husband Colin celebrate nine years since their very first date. They reflect on their engagement, early struggles during residency, and the evolution of their relationship through career pivots, personal growth, and life transitions.

They talk about:

– The reality behind their engagement story (and a golden-hour fight before the proposal)

– Why honesty, direct communication, and not taking things personally became cornerstones of their relationship

– How they navigated the chaos of residency and self-discovery as a couple

– The importance of trust, humor, and simply enjoying each other’s company over time

– Why “interesting” might be the most important trait Colin ever looked for in a partner

This is a candid, funny, and deeply personal conversation about partnership, growth, and what it means to choose each other, over and over again, for nearly a decade.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Follow Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

What happens when you realize your residency isn’t the right fit - after you’ve already started?

In this episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, Dr. Olivia Perez (@drliv.md) shares her bold decision to leave family medicine after intern year and successfully reapply to dermatology. She opens up about the doubts, the guilt, and the logistics of making such a high-stakes switch, and why two “lost” years are nothing compared to decades of fulfillment in the right specialty.

We talk about:

– Recognizing when you’re in the wrong field and finding the courage to pivot

– How Dr. Perez navigated ERAS, planning, and backup options

– The role of mentorship and seeing examples outside medicine

– The psychological fallacies that keep doctors stuck in the wrong path

– Why enjoying the day-to-day matters more than chasing the “shiny object” at the end

Dr. Perez’s story is a powerful reminder that the straight path isn’t the only one, and that sometimes the bravest move is to start over.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Dr. Liv Perez

Connect with Liv:

Substack: https://drliv.substack.com/

IG & TikTok: @drliv.md

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Follow Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

What happens when you refuse to be one-dimensional in medicine?

In this episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, Dr. Alyssa Cole (@doctor.cole), a PM&R physician specializing in cancer rehabilitation, shares her journey of weaving multiple identities into her career: physician, MBA, pageant competitor, children’s book author, and content creator.

We talk about:

– Why authenticity, boundaries, and “mosaic careers” matter in medicine

– Navigating social media as a physician without compromising professionalism

– Pageantry, advocacy, and the lessons she brings back into the clinic

– Redefining “influence” in medicine and turning it into inspiration

– How Gen Z doctors are reshaping medicine around well-being and humanity

Dr. Cole’s story is a reminder that being human isn’t a liability in medicine—it’s the point.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Dr. Alyssa Cole

Connect with Alyssa:

IG & TikTok: @doctor.cole

Blog: https://dailydoseofvita.blogspot.com/

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Follow Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to  ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩  on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.