Fem MD

Thinking about starting your own private medical or surgical practice? Where do you even begin? This is business 101, basics for the modern physician. In Episode 2 of The Business of Surgery , facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lauren Umstattd breaks down the financial and operational foundations of launching a physician-owned practice. From loans and lines of credit to pricing, startup costs, and creatin...

Welcome to The Business of Surgery , a brand-new 12-part summer series on FEM, MD . Every week this summer, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lauren Umstattd pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to build a successful private practice - from financing and hiring to marketing, leadership, pricing, and the mindset required to bet on yourself. In Episode 1, Lauren starts with the most important q...

Women physicians are often expected to do it all: care for patients, raise families, support everyone around them, and somehow never ask for anything in return. In this episode of FEM, MD, host Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with physician, writer, and creator Dr. Laura Vater for an honest conversation about toxic martyrdom in medicine, physician burnout, motherhood, sleep deprivation, and building...

Why are so many women physicians walking away from medicine? In this episode of FEM, MD, host Lauren Umstattd sits down with retinal specialist and physician coach Dr. Shanika Esparaz to discuss the wake-up call that forced her to rethink everything. After experiencing debilitating physical symptoms—including the worst headache of her life—Dr. Esparaz realized that what looked like success on the...

Dr. Betsy Dovec was one of the busiest bariatric surgeons in the country when she made a decision that shocked many of her colleagues: she walked away from a secure, high-paying hospital position to build her own practice and surgery center from the ground up. In this episode of FEM, MD, Betsy shares the behind-the-scenes reality of launching Body by Bariatrics, navigating non-competes, securing a...

On this episode of FEM, MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Natalie Krane for a candid conversation about the surprising overlap between elite athletics and surgical training. From Division I soccer and career-ending injuries to residency culture, burnout, performance psychology, and personal wellness, they unpack the coping mechanisms that make...

What happens when a long-term marriage evolves beyond monogamy? In this episode of FEM, MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with clinical psychologist and relationship coach Dr. Rachel Meir to explore what it actually looks like to open a relationship—and why more people are questioning traditional models of love. Dr. Meir shares her personal story of being married for over 20 years before coming ou...

What does it actually take to build a successful surgical practice—and a life outside of it? In this episode of FEM, MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lindsey Pennington to talk about the realities of modern surgical careers: from patient red flags and pricing decisions to working with your spouse, motherhood, and building a business that’s ac...

What if the most dangerous relationships don’t look dangerous at first? In this episode of FEM, MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with psychotherapist Vanessa Reiser to unpack the reality of narcissistic abuse—how it starts, why it’s so hard to leave, and why even highly trained professionals aren’t immune. From love bombing and future faking to gaslighting and trauma bonding, this conversation br...

In this special episode of FEM MD , the tables turn. Host Dr. Lauren Umstattd steps into the hot seat as she’s interviewed by her cousin, former Emmy-winning journalist Brooke Martin. What follows is an unfiltered look at the woman behind the brand—surgeon, founder, mother, and builder of one of the most sought-after facial plastic practices in the Midwest. They cover: What it actually takes to bu...

In this episode of Fem MD , Dr. Lauren Umstattd speaks with Marta Ravin—Emmy-nominated executive producer, showrunner, TEDx speaker, and creator of Personality Hire, a framework focused on the human skills AI can’t replace. Marta shares her deeply personal journey with body image, weight, and identity, shaped by early childhood experiences, cultural pressures of the ’80s and ’90s, and decades in e...

In this powerful episode of FEM, MD , Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with ENT surgeon-turned-author Frances Mei Hardin to discuss her debut memoir and the hidden emotional cost of surgical training. Frances Mei speaks candidly about the anger she carried out of residency and how writing became the vehicle that transformed it. From resident-on-resident hostility and weaponized reporting systems to t...

In this episode of Fem MD, host Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with Dr. Maheetha Bharadwaj, a urology resident, educator, and content creator. Maheetha shares her journey into medicine, from her early love of science and the arts to choosing urology—a field that blends surgery, patient care, and navigating sensitive topics with empathy. She offers an inside look at the realities of surgical residen...

In this episode of FEM MD, host Dr. Lauren Umstattd engages in a candid conversation with Dylan Cade Bates, a seasoned law enforcement professional and mental health advocate. They explore the unique challenges faced by women in law enforcement and the importance of mental health for first responders. The discussion highlights the need for support systems and the significance of addressing mental...

In this episode of Fem MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd speaks with Dr. Stephanie Pearson, an OB-GYN whose surgical career ended after a work-related shoulder injury sustained while delivering a baby. What should have been a routine delivery resulted in permanent damage, ultimately preventing her from returning to operative or obstetric practice. Dr. Pearson shares the difficult aftermath of her injury, in...

In this episode of Fem MD , host Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with Brooke Martin—Emmy Award–winning news anchor turned author—to discuss her powerful memoir, Controlled Burn . Brooke opens up about her journey of faith, resilience, and love in the face of unimaginable loss after her daughter, Emma, was diagnosed with a fatal condition. Together, they explore the inspiration behind the book, the e...

In this episode of Fem MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd interviews author Audrey Bellezza, who shares how, at age 50—healthy, active, and a mom of two boys—she was blindsided by a diagnosis of stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer. Audrey recounts the shock, the agonizing period of unknowns, and how biomarker testing revealed a mutation-driven cancer. She explains her targeted therapy treatment, its difficult...

In this episode of Fem MD , Lauren sits down with Emmy-nominated producer Chelsea White — known for her work on Watch What Happens Live and The Drew Barrymore Show — for an honest, layered conversation about identity, neurodiversity, and the freedom that comes from embracing every part of who you are. Chelsea was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at just three years old, a moment that shaped how sh...

In this raw and unfiltered episode of Fem, MD, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Melyssa Hancock opens up about her 12-round, 3-year IVF journey—one that spanned multiple clinics, a cross-country move of frozen embryos, a complicated surrogacy process, canceled transfers, and more than $250,000 in out-of-pocket costs. We talk about: Fertility preservation as a surgical trainee Why she switched IVF clinic...

In this episode of Fem, MD , Lindsey White—professional fit model, jewelry designer, and mother—joins to explore how fashion, identity, and creativity collide. Through years of working within an industry obsessed with measurement and perfection, Lindsey learned the tension between being the “ideal” body and living in a body that evolves. She opens up about the quiet discipline behind fit modeling,...

When a freak accident ended her performing career, Lala Ziemski turned pain into purpose—pivoting from the stage to the kitchen, and eventually building The Firefly , a boutique hotel and restaurant in Panama. Now a private chef in New York City and host of the podcast Put It In My Mouth , Lala joins Dr. Lauren Umstattd for an open conversation about resilience, creativity, and redefining success....

Dr. Lily Nguyen’s path to medicine didn’t begin in a classroom - it began at the bedside. After five years as a nurse, she made the rare leap from nursing to medical school and is now completing her residency in radiology. In this episode of Fem MD , Dr. Nguyen reflects on how her nursing background shaped her clinical intuition, her empathy, and her definition of “success.” We talk about identity...

What does it take to survive — and actually thrive — as a surgeon when the system keeps asking you to show up like a machine? In this episode of Fem MD, host Dr. Lauren Umstattd talks with Dr. Mel Thacker — double-boarded ENT, lifestyle medicine specialist, and surgeon-coach — about the “dark surgeon psyche,” the ways training teaches us to disconnect from our bodies and feelings, and how to come...

What does it really take to be happy? In this episode of Fem, MD , host Lauren talks with happiness coach Dannie De Novo , who shares her powerful journey from years of depression and anxiety to building a life rooted in true joy. Dannie opens up about breaking free from destructive cycles, challenging the idea that happiness is out of reach, and finding the courage to face yourself honestly. Toge...

What if the secret to a long, fulfilling medical career isn’t doing more—but doing less? This week on Fem MD , host Lauren sits down with Dr. Joan Chan , a Canadian family physician, coach, mom, and host of The Other Human in the Room . Joan shares her radical approach to working under maximum capacity, teaching physicians how to reclaim space, set boundaries, and prioritize joy without sacrificin...