Inspired Mom MDs

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/33 . I have mastered the art of turning a five-minute task into a five-hour ordeal. And I can’t say I’m proud of this fact.  You know when a sneaky little habit convinces you that cleaning the fridge is more urgent than finishing your work? Or how about texting a friend, washing last night’s dirty pan sitting in t...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/32 . Ever found yourself knowing what you should do, but struggling to actually do it? You’re not alone. I’ve been there, and I’m still figuring things out! I’ve been:       The Late-Night Worker – knowing I needed more family time, but work kept me in my office.        The Ice Cream Aficionado – aiming for a heal...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/31 . A wave of nausea gripped her as she plopped in her car and headed to work.  This feeling was nearly every day in the past year and growing. That was Anna (her name is changed), a successful surgeon and mom of 3 young kids.  Each morning, she brushed aside her body’s little alarm bells to repeat the same night...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/30 . “What do you do?” It’s an inevitable question to get a picture of who I am.  When people ask my kids, they just answer “ Doctor. ”   And there you go; I am defined by one all-encompassing word. Doctor has weight to it, right?  But it also has hidden meaning – a debt often paid with health and well-being.   Th...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/29 . Every day, I'm reminded of the extraordinary woman who shaped my world.  Today, on her birthday, I honor her legacy. Her laughter echoed through our home, her kindness warmed our hearts, and her integrity guided our lives. My kids were too young to fully appreciate her influence. They were only a year ol...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/28 . Just when I feel I’ve got the hang of parenting, my kids get older. They enter a new stage I don’t feel equipped to handle.  I find it difficult to transfer all my wisdom of talking to a 13-year-old, for example, to my next kid that hits 13. It doesn’t work; they are apples and oranges.  For me, reading paren...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/27 . Some days I think my drive to be a rule-follower is the pits .  I have this sense of responsibility and commitment to do things the “right way.” I was just professing to my husband that maybe being too honest holds me back.  And you know what? He agreed! He wasn’t hinting I should lie, rather he made me think...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/26 .  Eat when you can, sleep when you can, pee when you can.  Does this sound familiar?  This phrase is a war cry for busy physician moms who barely have time to sit, let alone warm up food or find a bathroom.  It is also a perfect catchphrase for describing scarcity mindset for physicians.  This mindset is indoc...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/25 . Do you ever feel you are slogging through your morning?  I do. In fact, that is me today, in this moment as I jot down ideas for this episode.  I planned this morning last night. I knew I had a late am meeting on my podcast writing day. So, I set my alarm one hour early.  I also set the timer on my coffee mak...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/24 . “ I just don’t have the time.” When I asked over 20 physician moms what they would want if they could have anything 3 or 6 months from now – time was a top contender for the number 1 thing.  Oh, to have more of this precious resource! You can spend more time with your kids, friends and family. You can have mo...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/23 . Has someone ever stolen your idea in a meeting? Not too long ago my introvert self was sitting in a day-long meeting.  I did a lot of listening that day but did speak up with an interesting idea.  Unfortunately, another person repeated my idea in their dramatic soliloquy, and everyone nodded. They didn’t nod...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/22 . I was that mom. I still am that mom.  I’m that mom who jumps through a flaming hoop 8 feet off the ground for her kid.  Honestly, I feel in my heart you are too.  Now imagine that burning circle represents buying tickets for a mega pop star concert.  You finally make it through that hoop, singed but relieved,...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/21. “ What if we custom crafted our lives to fit our needs, and we didn't apologize for that?” (Sharon Hull MD, MPH) Dr. Sharon Hull believes this is a “ bespoke life ” and entirely within reach.  My special guest for this episode, Dr. Hull shares her wisdom culminated from over 35 years as a primary care phy...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/20 . The expectation to be constantly available, coupled with a deep-rooted desire to care for others, can create an overwhelming sense of obligation.  The result? You’re left with this monster of a to-do list that has a mind of its own! Why is that? Why is it so hard to just say “ no ” sometimes – to protect what...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/19 . Is work-life balance a myth? It could be an unmet expectation. You juggle stethoscopes and sippy cups, diagnose diseases and reign in diaper disasters.  You dream of a thriving career and picture-perfect family, but the reality? Often, those expectations feel like a constant tightrope walk. You push yourself...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/18 . There is a fear alive inside every parent -- the fear over the little things, and the unspeakable.  How do I raise these little people, now my teenagers, to be happy and fulfilled individual humans?  I don’t want to impose my fears on them, but at the same time I need to teach them justifiable caution.  As a...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/17. “Is there a certified medical professional on board?”  The question hung in the jet fuel infused air as we were taxiing for takeoff on a recent flight.  I had just settled in with my noise cancelling headphones, my psychology chapter pulled up on my phone, and my notebook and pen. I was relieved to catch up on...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at https://inspiredmommds.com/16 .  There’re all sorts of ways to lose your identity. You may spend 20 years in your specialty and then leave clinical medicine all together. Or maybe lose something a bit less dramatic, but equally important.  Take, for example, a physician mom excelling in many areas of life, including a sport or an ac...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/15 . You’ve worked for 36 hours straight with minimal food or rest. You stood tall in the face of angry attendings, patients and even their family members.  You’ve also endured the guilt from missing out on events with family and friends.  You have grit. You wouldn’t be where you are without it. But that doesn’t s...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/14. You know those days where the world seems a bit off its axis?  I’m talking about when one crazy setback after another all seem to fall within a 24-hour period.  It feels like this can’t be coincidence, right? Well, it probably is, but my overactive mind starts piecing together a conspiracy. I mean that in jest...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/13 . So often people have told me “ Just listen to your gut .” Easy for them to say, right? In my opinion, they are speaking out of hindsight.  Think of the moment your body tells you “ No ” as the words fall out of your mouth, “Y es .” Passivity is easy. Resistance takes energy. But with work, errands, kids, and...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at InspiredMomMDs.com/12 . I took one of those burn out inventories and was shocked to see how much compassion I’d lost for my patients.  My career helping people had turned into just a job. I would clock in, try to fight for good medicine among insane rules, and go home, exhausted.  The day at work was governed by Time, with a capital...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/11 . Sometimes I feel like I’m swept up on a runaway train. And yet, it keeps adding passengers! In this daydream the passengers represent my work and the train represents my mind. I’m travelling so fast that time is imperceptible. Details get blurry and I don’t see that a fixed belief keeps me on this ride.  My i...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/10 .  My legs ached, my eyelids were heavy and I just didn’t have the energy to deal. I was exhausted.  As I went about my day on autopilot, the realization hit me. I have spent years, literal years, feeling this way. I didn’t know any better.  I accepted fatigue as normal. Relief from short vacations were quickly...

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/9 . I’ll be honest, the term “ moral injury ” is new to me this past year. In the climate of discussion around the burnout phenomenon, moral injury is both an intriguing and a refreshing term.  In a moment of synchronicity, I was listening to a podcast by Katrina Ubell, MD on my drive home from work at the same ti...