Mindful Practice Podcast

What's keeping physicians from making meaningful career change? According to Dr. Bertina Hooks, it's often not a lack of opportunity—it's waiting for the perfect time, the perfect plan, or the confidence to magically appear. In this concluding episode of the Career Clarity and Pivot Series , Dr. Bertina Hooks introduces the Phoenix Position Pivot Roadmap, a practical framework that helps physician...

Think the hardest part of a physician career pivot is choosing the right path? According to Dr. Bertina Hooks, the real challenge isn't finding the next opportunity—it's developing the mindset to reinvent yourself. In this episode of the Career Clarity and Pivot Series , Dr. Bertina Hooks explores the internal shifts every physician must make before creating meaningful career change. From overcomi...

Feeling trapped in medicine? Believing your only choices are to stay in clinical practice or walk away completely? According to Dr. Bertina Hooks, that mindset may be one of the biggest myths physicians believe. In this episode of the Career Clarity and Pivot Series , Dr. Bertina Hooks challenges the idea that physicians only have two career options and introduces a more empowering perspective: ph...

Thinking about a physician career pivot but feeling like you’re starting over? In this episode of the Career Clarity and Pivot Series , Dr. Bertina Hooks challenges one of the biggest misconceptions physicians have about career reinvention: the belief that leaving traditional clinical medicine means starting from scratch. Instead, she explains why physicians are not starting over—they are repositi...

Feeling professionally unhappy doesn’t automatically mean you need another job. In this second episode of the Career Clarity and Pivot Series , Dr. Bertina Hooks explores one of the biggest mistakes physicians make when facing burnout, dissatisfaction, or career uncertainty: pivoting before gaining clarity. She breaks down why many physicians unintentionally recreate the same frustration in a new...

Changing jobs doesn’t always solve burnout, frustration, or professional dissatisfaction. In this first episode of the Career Clarity and Pivot Series , Dr. Bertina Hooks explores why many physicians remain professionally unhappy despite moving from one role, employer, or environment to another. She introduces the Phoenix Position Pivot Framework —a strategic roadmap designed to help physicians mo...

Recognizing burnout is one thing. Healing, recovering, and reclaiming yourself as both a physician and a person is something entirely different. Through a special “Burnout Book Spotlight,” Dr. Hooks shares five transformative books that reshaped her understanding of stress, habits, productivity, healing, and purpose. She challenges the culture in medicine that normalizes overwork, emotional suppre...

Knowing you need a career change is one thing. Actually making the transition is something entirely different. In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast, Dr. Bertina Hooks explores the difficult space many physicians find themselves in—the gap between awareness and action. She explains that while many physicians recognize their current role is no longer sustainable, they often get stuck aski...

Knowing you need a career change is one thing. Actually making the transition is something entirely different. In this episode, Dr. Bertina Hooks explores the difficult space many physicians find themselves in—the gap between awareness and action. After recognizing that their current role is no longer sustainable, many physicians become stuck asking questions like: How do I pivot without destabili...

When physicians feel overwhelmed in their careers, it’s easy to assume the only solution is to leave medicine entirely. But that assumption often comes from something deeper than dissatisfaction—it comes from a lack of clarity about what else is possible. In this episode, Dr. Bertina Hooks explores why many physicians get stuck in an “either stay or quit” mindset when facing burnout or overwhelm....

Most conversations about physician burnout focus on surface-level symptoms—exhaustion, emotional fatigue, irritability, and the need for time off. While these experiences are valid, they often don’t explain why burnout keeps returning even after rest or reduced workload. In this episode, Dr. Bertina Hooks reframes burnout as something more meaningful than a final diagnosis—it is often a signal poi...

Most conversations about physician burnout focus on the symptoms—exhaustion, fatigue, apathy, headaches, and the need for time off. But treating the symptoms alone rarely solves the deeper problem. In this episode, Dr. Bertina Hooks explores a powerful shift in perspective: burnout is not always the problem—it’s often a signal. Using a simple but powerful analogy of an orange under pressure, Dr. H...

Many physicians reach a point in their careers where something feels off. The work is still getting done, but the fulfillment, energy, or alignment is missing. In this episode, Dr. Bertina Hooks explores why so many physicians feel stuck and how to begin moving forward with clarity rather than panic. In this episode, Dr. Hooks explains how not every difficult season in medicine is the same. She br...

In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast, Dr. Bertina Hooks explores why physicians must eventually redefine success in order to avoid burnout and build sustainable careers. Traditional success in medicine often centers on achievement — prestige, income, productivity, and recognition. But when success is defined only by “more,” it can lead to endless pressure and exhaustion. Dr. Hooks share...

In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Bertina Hooks tackles one of the most quietly painful challenges in medicine: giving yourself permission to evolve. Whether you're questioning your specialty, stepping into leadership, or feeling called toward something beyond clinical practice, this episode is your reminder that growth is not betrayal, it's maturity. What You'll Learn in This...

Most physicians don't fear leaving medicine. They fear not being able to afford it. And that fear when it's undefined feels infinite. In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast, Dr. Bertina Hooks breaks down the financial frameworks that turn overwhelming fear into a manageable, strategic plan. No toxic positivity. No reckless courage. Just clarity, the kind that lets you make career decision...

A career pivot is not failure, betrayal, or quitting. Board-certified internal medicine physician Dr. Bertina Hooks explains how to take the panic out of career transition and redesign your medical career with intention instead of fear. In This Episode: Medicine trains physicians for a linear path. Deviation is rarely discussed and often judged. Fear shows up quickly: "I wasted my training. I'm di...

What happens when you achieve everything you worked for in medicine, but success stops feeling successful? Board-certified internal medicine physician Dr. Bertina Hooks explores the moment when external achievement no longer matches internal reality, and why redefining success isn't failure it's maturity. In This Episode: There comes a moment for many physicians when success quietly stops working....

What happens after the white coat myth breaks? Board-certified internal medicine physician Dr. Bertina Hooks guides you through life after realizing medicine doesn't have to define your entire identity. This episode explores the uncomfortable in-between space, the grief that comes with expansion, and what freedom looks like for physicians rebuilding their lives. In This Episode: After naming the t...

The white coat ceremony marks the beginning of your medical journey, but what happens when that symbol of professionalism becomes your entire identity? Board-certified internal medicine physician Dr. Bertina Hooks explores the white coat myth: the dangerous belief that medicine must define you, sustain you, and justify your suffering. In This Episode: Dr. Hooks shares her personal white coat cerem...

Physician burnout affects 40-60% of doctors, but many don't know that coaching can be a powerful tool for burnout recovery. In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast, board-certified internal medicine physician and certified life coach Dr. Bertina Hooks explains how coaching specifically helps physicians heal from burnout—and why it's different from therapy and mentoring. If you're a burned-...

Think you're burned out? You're not alone and you're definitely not broken. In this powerful episode, Dr. Bertina Hooks cuts through the wellness industry to reveal what physician burnout really is, why it happens, and why your yoga retreat isn't fixing it. This isn't another "self-care solves everything" lecture. Dr. Hooks breaks down the systemic issues driving physician burnout, from moral inju...

In this deeply personal premiere episode, board-certified internal medicine physician Dr. Bertina Hooks shares the story that nearly ended her career and her life and why she created this podcast for physicians drowning in burnout. In This Episode: Dr. Hooks takes you inside the moments that broke her: working 20+ patient days on an oncology floor, delivering devastating news while running on empt...

Welcome to the Mindful Practice Podcast, a judgment-free space created specifically for physicians who are navigating burnout, identity shifts, and career transitions. Hosted by Dr. Bertina Hooks, a board-certified internal medicine physician, certified coach, and writer, this podcast is your safe haven to explore what it truly means to build a sustainable medical career and a life that goes beyon...