Mindful Practice Podcast

In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Nkem Ezeamama , an emergency physician, multifamily real estate investor, and founder of Phoenix Capital Investments , shares how uncertainty, burnout, and a desire for greater financial freedom led her beyond traditional medicine and into entrepreneurship. What began as passive real estate investing evolved into a mission to help physicians bu...

In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Diana Kumar and Dr. Teresa Walsh , OB-GYNs and co-founders of Gliss Wellness , share their inspiring journey from traditional medical practice to physician entrepreneurship. After years of working within systems that prioritized productivity, RVUs, and increasingly shorter patient visits, they decided to take a leap and create a model of care b...

What happens when a successful physician realizes that the way she has been practicing medicine is no longer sustainable? In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Sunny Smith , physician coach, CEO and founder of Empowering Women Physicians , shares her deeply personal journey from physician, professor, and overachiever to discovering the transformative power of coaching after a life-...

What happens when surviving cancer changes the way you see your life, career, and purpose? In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Verniese Moore shares her powerful journey from cancer survivor and physician to entrepreneur and founder of Vie Lorie , a luxury handbag brand rooted in the philosophy of living a “life of victory.” She reflects on how being diagnosed with lymphoma durin...

What happens when a physician realizes that traditional clinical practice is no longer the only way to create impact, income, and freedom? In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Bertina Hooks shares a deeply personal story about how she became an entrepreneur and why she chose to build multiple businesses instead of limiting herself to a single career path. She explores the motivati...

In this deeply personal episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Bertina Hooks spotlights her forthcoming memoir, From Fire to Freedom: A Memoir of Transformation, Renewal, and Resilience . Through her experience as a physician who underwent a right below-the-knee amputation in December 2022, Dr. Hooks explores disability, identity, resilience, equity, burnout, vulnerability, and the journey...

In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Bertina Hooks explores three powerful books that examine diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine: The Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, and Twice As Hard by Jasmine Brown. Through these stories, the episode examines medical exploitation, patient autonomy, historical mistrust...

In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Dixie Kidd, DO shares her journey of practicing medicine while living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, exploring how resilience, disability inclusion, workplace accommodations, and authentic physician identity can empower physicians to build sustainable and meaningful careers. What You’ll Discover: How disability and chronic illness shape the...

In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Jessica Bunin explores how psychological safety, authentic leadership, and inclusive workplace cultures empower physicians to thrive, strengthen healthcare teams, and improve patient care. What You’ll Discover: How physician identity influences career growth and leadership. Why psychological safety is essential for thriving healthcare teams. Th...

In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Laurie Chern shares how chronic illness, disability, and career reinvention can reshape a physician’s identity, strengthen resilience, and create new pathways for meaningful leadership in healthcare. What You’ll Discover: How chronic illness can impact a physician’s identity and career path. The emotional challenges of becoming both doctor and...

In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast , Dr. Jennifer Lincoln shares how patient advocacy, women's health education, and compassionate communication can help address bias, improve trust, and empower patients to take an active role in their healthcare. What You'll Discover: Why women are often dismissed in healthcare settings. How bias contributes to health disparities. Why health literacy...

In this opening episode of the Disability, Equity & Inclusion in Medicine Series , Dr. Bertina Hooks shares her personal experience of becoming a physician with a disability and the lessons it taught her about physician sustainability, inclusion, and healthcare systems. What You'll Discover: Why disability is a systems issue in medicine. How structural barriers affect physicians with disabilit...

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...