Dr. Rhian Davies shares her journey from cardiology fellowship to becoming an interventionist specializing in complex high-risk PCIs and CTOs while balancing her passion for competitive horseback jumping.

• Meeting Dr. Lombardi at a fellows course in 2018 despite initial intimidation
• Transitioning from fellowship to practice and dealing with being the first female interventionist in her practice
• Finding balance between professional responsibilities and personal passions 
• Mental and physical parallels between competitive jumping and performing complex interventions
• Navigating a devastating elbow injury that threatened both career and personal identity
• Learning to communicate honestly about struggles rather than suppressing emotions
• Building genuine relationships with colleagues and creating community support systems
• Developing mental preparation techniques for both riding competitions and complex cardiac cases
• Recognizing the importance of maintaining passions outside of medicine for mental well-being

"To truly enjoy this career, you have to be ready for not every case going as planned. This field is unbelievably rewarding, and the cases that go amazing and save lives are wonderful, but there are those that don't, and being prepared for that is important."

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Dr. Jesse Kane shares his journey from interventional cardiology fellow to attending physician at the University of Vermont, exploring how his diverse training experiences shaped his approach to medicine and patient care.

• Moving between different institutions exposes physicians to varying approaches and helps identify best practices
• Redefining success means focusing on helping patients and being a good teacher rather than case volumes or technical metrics
• Physical manifestations of stress during complex procedures can include tension headaches and pain
• Building a supportive community of colleagues is essential for managing the psychological challenges of high-risk interventions
• Creating clear boundaries between work and home life becomes increasingly important, especially when starting a family
• Cultivating a team-oriented culture in medicine promotes innovation and growth
• Simple strategies like keeping your phone out of reach at home can improve presence with loved ones
• Medicine needs to preserve space for innovation and pushing boundaries, even when success isn't guaranteed

If you're interested in joining this conversation or sharing your own journey, please subscribe to the podcast and share it with others who might benefit.

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After cardiology fellowship, physicians face critical career decisions balancing technical skills, personal fulfillment, and family demands that shape their professional trajectories. Dr. Amy Cheney shares her journey from UW fellowship to community practice, revealing insights about transitioning from academic to private practice settings.

• COVID disruptions during fellowship created uncertainty but built valuable adaptability skills
• First job after training wasn't the right fit despite appearing aligned with career goals
• Finding practice partners with shared clinical philosophy proved essential for professional satisfaction
• Working with another high-risk PCI operator provides both technical collaboration and emotional support
• Learning to establish boundaries between work and home life requires intentional practice
• Two-physician marriages need structured communication about schedules and childcare responsibilities
• Women in interventional cardiology face unique challenges requiring confidence and resilience
• Personal tragedy can ultimately enhance professional empathy and perspective
• Finding mentors who share similar life circumstances provides crucial guidance
• Academic concepts translate differently to community practice but remain valuable foundations

We need to maintain work sustainability through proper boundaries and prioritizing family time. The culture of medicine is changing to value physician wellbeing alongside technical excellence.

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Physicians aren't broken - the healthcare system is. Dr. Gabe Charbonneau joins Bill to discuss physician burnout and the hopeful path forward through solidarity, boundaries, and reclaiming joy in medicine.

• Dr. Charbonneau shares his journey from rural Idaho inspiration to experiencing severe burnout in his first post-residency position
• Medicine Forward was born from collaboration with Dr. Eric Topol to create a physician organization focused on the doctor-patient relationship and humanity in medicine
• Two essential paths exist for tackling burnout: the inner path (personal boundaries and wellness) and system advocacy (changing the broken structures)
• Perfectionism in medicine creates isolation and "terminal uniqueness" where physicians suffer alone rather than supporting each other
• Physicians must learn to care for each other and model the compassionate behavior they want to see in healthcare
• Current Medicine Forward initiatives include a documentary, coaching programs, and building communities of support for physicians
• True leadership requires caring about people rather than just managing them - a critical missing element in healthcare systems

To learn more or join the movement, visit medicineforward.org where you can become a member for $5 per year and connect with others working to fight burnout and reclaim the joy in medicine.

https://x.com/gabrieldane

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-charbonneau-md-66978449/

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Dr. Bill Lombardi celebrates his 100th podcast episode by reversing roles, allowing his early guests Dr. Aaron Grantham and Dr. Jared Frizzell to interview him about his personal transformation and journey to better.

• Discussing the "two steps forward, one step back" reality of personal growth and how to prevent falling all the way back
• Recognizing physiological triggers when slipping into old patterns and using mantras like "I'm a good and worthy man" to reset
• Moving from external validation to intrinsic worth by developing radical acceptance and forgiveness
• Confronting past trauma, particularly from his relationship with his perfectionist father
• Changing his approach to parenting by no longer defining success through academic achievement and finances
• Evolution of the CTO space in interventional cardiology and recognizing the importance of psychological well-being
• Finding purpose in serving others rather than in technical achievements
• The importance of vulnerability and having supportive relationships when facing life's challenges
• Recognizing that worthiness comes from within rather than external achievements

I hope this episode helps you get a little bit better and I look forward to seeing you for episode 101. Good luck this week on your journey to better.

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Joe Green, a former Olympic pole vault hopeful, shares how his journey from ambitious athlete to purpose-driven entrepreneur taught him valuable life lessons about failure, faith, and finding peace.

• Growing up in a small mountain town, Joe developed an "aggressive curiosity" that fueled his various pursuits
• Joe describes how witnessing a customer die from a heart attack at 24 sparked his realization that a job isn't everything in life
• "You always end on a failure" – a pole vaulting lesson that taught Joe resilience and quick recovery from setbacks
• "Full speed is safest" – why halfhearted commitment is more dangerous than full commitment in both sports and life
• Finding peace at 28 when retiring from Olympic training to align with his evolving values and purpose
• Joe outlines his "four tethers" theory for stability: physical health (downward), relationships (side-to-side), career (forward), and spiritual (upward)
• The suicide epidemic among youth stems from lack of purpose and self-worth – how to help others find meaning
• Joe and his wife's businesses focus on free enterprise and business ownership as vehicles for positive change
• The importance of creating spaces for civil discourse where people can disagree respectfully and learn from each other

"Whatever you're about to do, you have to be all in."

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Lisa Hunt shares her transformative journey on the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage across Spain that helped her shed lifelong burdens of shame and rediscover her authentic self. Her story illustrates how stepping away from modern life's shallowness and embracing vulnerability can lead to profound spiritual freedom.

• Flight attendant Lisa felt called to do something deeper as she approached the age her mother was when diagnosed with cancer
• A spontaneous trip to Barcelona and reflective journaling sparked healing and self-discovery
• At the Cross of Montserrat, Lisa experienced a spiritual moment that called her to walk the Camino
• The pilgrimage began mentally a year before her feet touched the path
• Fellow pilgrims shared remarkably deep conversations without the "masks" people typically wear
• At the Iron Cross, Lisa left a rock symbolizing childhood shame and limitations
• A profound sense of lightness and freedom followed her surrender, symbolized by a rainbow appearing on her path
• Lisa reclaimed her authentic self by confronting childhood shame, including a painful memory of being punished for her dress length
• The journey transformed her approach to life, allowing her to live with boldness and authenticity
• Lisa now strives to be a safe space for others to share their true selves

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Two cardiac specialists explore the transformative power of medical collaboration, discussing how cross-specialty partnerships are revolutionizing patient care and creating space for innovation. They examine how breaking down traditional silos between cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, and interventional cardiology leads to better outcomes and professional growth.

• The evolution of cardiac surgery from siloed approaches with arbitrary anatomic boundaries to collaborative, technology-driven care models
• How Dr. Chris Burke revitalized the Ross Procedure program by partnering with a pediatric surgeon, creating a program that has now completed over 140 procedures
• Building institutional cultures that support innovation while managing the inherent risks of pushing medical boundaries
• The emotional toll of high-stakes surgery and strategies for maintaining equilibrium when facing poor outcomes
• Why medical professionals need formalized emotional support and coaching throughout their careers, not just during crises
• The importance of separating decision-making quality from outcomes when evaluating surgical performance
• How collaboration across institutions through registries and consortiums accelerates learning and improves care

Share this episode with others who might benefit. Leave us a review on Apple and Spotify, or reach out with questions or comments via email, text, or DM. Good luck on your journey to getting better.

https://sites.uw.edu/uwmtap

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Sarah Samaan Sarah, MD, FACC, FACP, FASE, a retired cardiologist turned physician coach and art educator, explores how visual thinking strategies and leadership coaching can transform healthcare culture and combat physician burnout.

• Completed Harvard's visual thinking strategies program using art to develop communication, collaboration, and comfort with ambiguity in healthcare
• Visual thinking involves group art observation with two key questions: "What's going on in this picture?" and "What do you see that makes you say that?"
• Art-based approaches help physicians develop emotional intelligence and openness to multiple perspectives
• Many physicians struggle with time management, EHR burdens, and leadership issues that contribute to burnout
• Leadership in medicine often lacks proper training, with many promoted for technical skills rather than leadership abilities
• Facing dilemmas (choices with no perfect solution) requires different skills than solving problems with clear answers
• Competition, volume metrics, and ego-driven incentives are destroying medicine's culture
• Setting boundaries is crucial - integrating personal values with professional values prevents saying yes to work while saying no to family
• Create a personal mission statement to guide decision-making aligned with your true priorities

• Free values workbook available at mindfulphysiciancoaching.com

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Joy Glasser, a certified leadership coach with over two decades of experience, shares insights on how coaching differs from therapy and addresses the unique challenges physicians face in their professional lives. She illuminates pathways to self-awareness, better leadership, and finding balance in a demanding healthcare system.

• Coaching fundamentally differs from therapy—coaches believe clients aren't broken and need no fixing
• Physicians typically struggle with being "fixers" while lacking self-awareness about their own needs
• System pressures create burnout with physicians feeling pushed to perform without adequate support
• Self-leadership starts with being present and making intentional choices rather than reactive decisions
• Building trust requires vulnerability and honesty, both with oneself and with colleagues
• Finding time for self-reflection isn't about having more hours but prioritizing meaningful presence
• Dealing with uncertainty means shifting from hope (expectations) to wonder (curiosity)
• Putting your phone in airplane mode creates space for genuine connection and self-awareness

If you're looking for a coach to help you get to the next level, contact Joy Glasser at Glasser Group.

https://www.glassergroup.net/

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