Podcast
Empowering Women Physicians
Hosted by Sunny Smith MD · EN
Medicine is truly the most noble profession. It is an honor and a privilege to be responsible for the health and well being of our society. As physicians, we aim to relieve human suffering. Then why are so many of us unhappy, stressed, and even considering leaving medicine?
Characteristics of self sacrifice and delayed gratification allowed women physicians to get through medical school and residency. Yet these very same traits can cause increasing distress and may no longer be serving us. This podcast encourages women physicians to reflect on the wise words of the Hippocratic Oath and consider what more they could be doing to maintain the utmost respect for their OWN human life and its quality.
Women physicians are strong, intelligent, resilient, hard working, insightful, and live their lives in service of others. Through this podcast, Dr Sunny Smith reminds them that they must first care for themselves so that they may care for others. As a practicing physician and certified coach, she offers tools that can be used to help them take a closer look at their life right now, what they love and what they'd like to change. She helps physicians set goals and empowers them to take steps toward creating their best lives starting today.
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode # 36 - Fierce Self Compassion with Dr. Kristen Neff
Apr 2200:34:06Tap to summarizeThis episode included clips from a workshop inside the Empowering Women Physicians coaching program with Dr. Kristen Neff on self-compassion. We discuss the difference between tender self-compassion and fierce self-compassion. Dr. Neff speaks up about the need for women to advocate for themselves and how that is indeed an act of self-compassion. We discussed that self-compassion can be measured using the Clinical Self-Valuation Scale and that it can be significantly improved in just a short period of time, as documented by a change from 18% to 64% of women physicians inside EWP meeting criteria for a self-compassionate perspective in just 8 weeks. Links for resources mentioned in this episode. EWP coaching guide https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/guide EWP Newsletter: https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/newsletter EWP Published data: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38840137/ Stanford Clinician Self Valuation Scale https://med.stanford.edu/wellmd/selfassessment.html Self-valuation. Attending to the most important instrument in the practice of medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31543254/ Study on self-valuation being the largest mediator in the difference in burnout between male and female physicians: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2846632
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Episode # 35 - Jill Bolte Taylor (the neuroanatomy of psychology)
Mar 1202:18:02Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we listen to a full two hour workshop held inside the EWP Coaching Program with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. She is a Harbard neuroanatomist who had a stroke that led her to see her brain and psychology in a whole new way. Her TED talk is one of the most watched of all time and author of the books My Stroke of Insight and Whole Brain Living. She shares her neuroanatomically based psychological paradigm to help others live more peaceful lives. In this workshop she discusses how this framework applies to us as physicians. For more information on our Physician Coach Certification visit https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/certification To get on on the waitlist / interest list go to https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/certificationwl
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Episode #34 - Radical Responsibility vs Over-Responsiblity
Mar 200:25:43Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we discuss the unseen burden and mental load of taking over-responsibility for things that aren't ours to carry. We discuss the difference between taking Radical Responsibility for those things that are yours to control (your thoughts, feelings, actions, and results) as opposed to taking responsibility for things that are not yours to control (such as others thoughts, feelings, actions, and results).
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Episode #33 - What Matters Most
Feb 2101:00:26Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Dr. Sunny Smith reflects on how a recent life threatening situation helped her to see what things really matter in the end, and how most of the things we spend so much time worrying about don't really matter at all. It changed her perspective to help her take radical responsiblity for making choices in her life that didn't serve her. She also announced a brand new physician coach certification program that can be found at https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/certification/ If you aren't signed up for our newsletter yet, you can do so at https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/newsletter
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Episode #32 - Oprah & Inner Knowing
Oct 1700:54:59Tap to summarizeOur last episode was a conversation with Dr. Edith Eger on how we always have a choice. No matter our situation, we always have a choice. This episode is a reflection on a conversation with her and Oprah Winfrey that included how we go about making our choices when the answer doesn't seem clear. Oprah discussed her own reflections with and experiences of Inner Knowing. She says we were all born with an inner knowing and if we can just be still and listen, it is always there. If you'd like to join us for a live workshop, simply go to https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/workshop We'd love to see you there.
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Episode #31 - Dr. Edith Eger
Sep 1900:44:31Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we are joined by Dr. Edith Eger who is a 97 year old Holocaust survivor, clinical psychologist, and New York Times Best Selling author of the book The Choice. The wisdom she shares is truly unforgettable. She teaches us how her mother taught her that no one could take away from her what she put in her mind. She reminds us that we all have choice, no matter the circumstance. Links from this episode: For those who want to join us for a workshop go to http://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/workshop Dr. Edith Eger's book - The Choice. https://dreditheger.com/the-choice/
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Episode #30 - Learned Helplessness Part 2 (Learning Control)
Sep 5, 202400:41:56Tap to summarizeIn this episode we examine the evolution of the understanding of Learned Helplessness. We review the neuroscience that explains how helplessness is a default and what we are actually learning is control. This allows us to have a deeper understanding for ourselves and compassion for ourselves when we do feel helplessness in the face of ongoing challenges. It also empowers us to proactively strengthen our self-efficacy, agency, and autonomy. Learned Optimism helps us remind ourselves that challenges are not personal, not permanent, and not pervasive. Upcoming EWP in person event EWP Toronto event with Liz Gilbert and Martha Beck https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/toronto-2024/ References Maier SF, Seligman ME. Learned helplessness at fifty: Insights from neuroscience. Psychol Rev. 2016 Jul;123(4):349-67. doi: 10.1037/rev0000033. PMID: 27337390; PMCID: PMC4920136.
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Episode #29 - Learned Helplessness Part 1
Aug 28, 202400:46:24Tap to summarizeIn this episode we learn about Martin Seligman's initial experiments on Learned Helplessness. This context can help us better understand ourselves and why we may sometimes not believe that we have power to take action to decrease our own suffering. In person event: EWP Toronto 2024 with Liz Gilbert and Martha Beck - click here Coaching Guide: To download click here Podcast link: To send to a friend click here. We'll be placing links to references here soon.
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Episode #28 - Indoctrination
Oct 15, 202200:53:19Tap to summarizeIn this episode we talk about the indoctrination all of us went through during our medical training. In the next episode we will discuss learned helplessness, unlearning, and re-learning agency and self-efficacy. References and resources mentioned in this podcast References 1. Greenawald MH MD, FAAFP, Pipas CF MD, MPH, FAAFP. The Power Of Coaching: Supercharge Your Personal and Professional Well-being. Fam Pract Manag. 2022 Sep-Oct;29(5):12-16. 2. Shanafelt TD, West CP, Dyrbye LN, Trockel M, Tutty M, Wang H, Carlasare LE, Sinsky C. Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Integration in Physicians During the First 2 Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Mayo Clin Proc. 2022 Sep 14;S0025-6196(22)00515-8. Empowering Women Physicians resources for you Sign up for the EWP Coaching Program Waitlist The Ultimate Coaching Guide for Women Physicians Books We Love Guide References (RCT & academic journal articles on physician coaching) Dr. Katrina Ubell session inside EWP Dr. Katrina Ubell's book
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Episode # 27 - There is no badge of honor
Sep 16, 202200:32:27Tap to summarizeIn this episode we talk about the important role of "micro-mentoring" in facebook groups for women physicians. We also discuss one such example where women physicians reflect on and call out beliefs we have or actions we take, as if there were a badge of honor for sacrificing ourselves for others. Let's tell the truth - from our own painfully gained knowledge that there is NO badge of honor for .... (insert some BS thing here that we have been led to believe we "should" do. References Knoll, Miriam A. MD; Jagsi, Reshma MD, Phil. Cumulative Micro-Mentorship: How Social Media Is Facilitating the Advancement of Female Physicians. Academic Medicine: October 2019 - Volume 94 - Issue 10 - p 1404-1405.
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