The Long Call

How do you become the kind of physician you want to be? This episode reviews 10 books that can shape one's approach to medicine, leadership, productivity, and life beyond the hospital. From developing expertise to managing your time and finding purpose, these recommendations offer inspiration and practical insights for physicians at every stage of their careers. And don't worry — there's not a medical textbook in sight!

Books featured in this episode:

1. Grit — Angela Duckworth
2. Peak — Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool
3. Cutting for Stone — Abraham Verghese
4. Being Mortal — Atul Gawande
5. What Works for Women at Work — Joan C. Williams and Rachel Dempsey
6. Four Thousand Weeks — Oliver Burkeman
7. The 12 Week Year — Brian Moran and Michael Lennington
8. From To-Do to Done — Maura Thomas
9. Life on Purpose — Victor Strecher
10. A Promised Land — Barack Obama

Honorable mentions:

• Drive — Daniel Pink
• The Covenant of Water — Abraham Verghese
• When Breath Becomes Air — Paul Kalanithi
• Ask for It — Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
• Best Laid Plans — Sarah Hart Unger
• The Happy Inbox — Maura Thomas
• Getting Things Done — David Allen

What books have influenced your approach to medicine, leadership, or life? We'd love to hear your recommendations! Write to us @ [email protected]!

What happens when a physician is named in a malpractice lawsuit—and how do you navigate a process you were never trained for?

We sit down with Dr. Sarah Gutman to talk candidly about medical litigation, from the initial shock and isolation to finding support, understanding the legal process, and separating a lawsuit from your identity as a physician. We discuss why residents should learn about the medical-legal system early, how colleagues and programs can better support physicians going through litigation, and the importance of creating safe spaces to process difficult outcomes. Most important is a reminder that can be hard to hear in the middle of it: you are not alone, and being named in a lawsuit does not define the doctor you are.

Residency application season is upon us - what actually catches a PD's eye when reviewing them? In this episode, MDK pulls back the curtain on review of residency applications, from personal statements and letters of recommendation to application gaps, hobbies, and yes...typos. Along the way is some practical advice for helping to tell an authentic, compelling story, with the goal not to look perfect but to help programs understand the physician you are becoming.

Call shifts are demanding, unpredictable...and also some of the most memorable parts of training. In this episode, we share our practical survival tips for before, during, and after call — from sleep, caffeine, food, and what to wear to managing downtime, protecting your mental energy, and keeping the team vibes immaculate. We also reflect on why call can create such strong camaraderie and connection, even in the middle of the exhaustion.

In this episode, Khaila takes us behind the scenes of the fellowship interview trail while the experience is still fresh. She shares what surprised her most, how fellowship interviews differ from residency interviews, the questions that kept coming up, and what helped her prepare (without over-preparing). We also talk about evaluating program fit, the role of mentorship, interview fatigue and comparison, and the shift from trying to prove you belong to recognizing that getting the interview means you already do.

Join us for a conversation with senior resident Dr. Hannah Foster about what it can look like to build a family during residency — from welcoming a child as a junior resident to navigating pregnancy during chief year. She shares an honest look at pregnancy, parental leave, returning to work, childcare, emotions, support systems, and the ways parenthood has shaped her identity as both a physician and a leader.

What does it really mean to become a senior resident? In this episode, we talk through the leap from managing discrete tasks to carrying the bigger-picture responsibility for a team, patients, and the flow of a service. We discuss the increased weight of clinical decision-making, difficult conversations, feedback and leadership among former peers...and the unexpected rewards of seeing how far you have come!

Residency graduation doesn't mean you've finished learning - it just means you are learning in a new way. This is exciting, and, possibly, terrifying. In this solo episode, Mary reflects on the advice she often shares with new grads, including how to keep growing as a physician, build systems that make work and life more sustainable, and approach the early years of practice with confidence, intention, and kindness toward yourself and others.

Tis the season for welcoming new interns! As we divert our energy to preparing for the new academic year and intern orientation, we invite our listeners to take another listen to our ideas for best practices for supporting new residents. Let us know what you have found most successful, or other elements of support we should incorporate! 

Residency training is constantly evolving...but is it getting better? In this episode, we explore generational differences in medical training through a conversation between a current resident (Dr. Sanjana Satish) and an attending physician (Dr. Uduak Andy) over a decade removed from residency. Together, they discuss how duty hours, technology, wellness initiatives, supervision, autonomy, and work-life balance have changed over time, along with the advantages and tradeoffs of each era of training. Whether you're a trainee, educator, or simply curious about how medicine has evolved, we offer a thoughtful look at what has changed — and what has stayed the same.