The Doctor's Life

The Doctor’s Life podcast features lively and candid discussions with fellow doctors and scientists on how to achieve success in clinical medicine and non-clinical careers while staying healthy in mind, body and spirit and living a rich, purposeful life. Your host, Dianne Ansari-Winn, MD, MPH is a Board Certified Anesthesiologist and nationally recognized author, speaker, and coach. Dr. Dianne is known for her powerful and practical coaching, which she shares with her exclusive one-on-one physician clients. She is the founder of the Physician Vitality Institute, which has the mission of helping doctors to heal the world through being healthy in mind, body, and spirit. In 2011, 45% of U.S. physicians had at least one symptom of professional burnout, according to a study from the Department of Medicine Program on Physician Well-Being at Mayo Clinic. That number rose to 54% in 2014. At the Physician Vitality Institute, we work with doctors, help your doctors to rejuvenate themselves, create balance, and create vitality so they can give more to their patients and live the life they are dreaming about. We also create win-win environments for positive patient care and help to create solutions to create a supportive work environment to help relieve stress and burnout through systems that work.

How do you encourage others? Encourage X with James E. Brown, Jr. 05/09/2020

How do you encourage others? Encourage X with James E. Brown, Jr. All of us wish to encourage others but most of us feel inadequate around it. What you say and do for others to encourage them carries tremendous impact--think of the people that have influenced or even discouraged you during your life and you will know that this is true. In today's episode, Dr. Dianne interviews James E. Brown, Jr. who is the founder and CEO of Encourage X, which is truly unlike any internet website/platform that has been created to date. In Encourage X, there is wealth of knowledge on how to encourage people during not only grief and loss, but events that we celebrate as well. With a catalog of guides written by experts on over 1800 human experiences, if someone has gone through it and you want to know how to encourage them, Encourage X (encouragex.com) is your place. They start the conversation with James describing his personal journey through the corporate world to launching Encourage X (encouragex.com) which began with being encouraged in his freshman year in high school from a surprising source, and the details of what EncourageX has to offer to both individuals and organizations, including health care organizations. The platform has been white labeled and adopted by companies and health care systems to provide encouragement for their employees. Some exciting developments have been the opportunity for individual curators to publish their own helpful content, thereby essentially creating their own membership platform within EncourageX. In addition, there are way to create your own community and additional ways to curate your own family's content. They also have a detailed discussion about the confidentiality, privacy protection and standards of EncourageX and how it is distinguished well beyond social media sites in the community and family connections spaces. You can find EncourageX at www.encouragex.com. Contact James E. Brown, Jr. CEO at [email protected] Did you like this episode? Please subscribe on your podcast app. Have suggestions for other episodes? Contact us at [email protected] /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/14348975

5. Real Talk with a Medical Mama of Four! with Dr. Carolyn Fitzpatrick 03/27/2020

4. Physicians on Social Media--How To Do It Right with Sue Koch 03/06/2020

4. Physicians on Social Media--How To Do It Right with Sue Koch If you think social media is not for physicians, you are wrong! Sue Koch, a nationally recognized media consultant and I discuss why social media is a must for physicians. In our conversation, Dr. Dianne and Sue break down the myths around social media, explain its value and how it works, and give you a roadmap for starting in social media if you haven't used it much before. We start with a broad overview of what social media is and why physicians need to use it, including managing your personal brand (yes, you have one even if you don't think you do, and we discuss what a personal brand is), and your business brand (do you work? then you have a business brand as well). Sue explains the 4 major social media outlets (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter) and their unique characteristics and uses. Sue counsels on if you can do social media by yourself or if you need a team, and how to hire a social media manager. Sue then goes on to describe how to use social media in a safe way and how to get started if you haven't done social media before and you want to do it yourself. For those of you who are active, find out if you are doing it right!!! Learn the ABC's of how to create an effective social media post. For those of you who have been using social media, you will learn if you have been using it effectively and how to improve your presence if you already have one. There is so much rich content in this episode you will likely listen to it over and over again! Learn more about Sue Koch, Social Media Success Catalyst, Speaker and Consultant at: www.suekoch.com Email her at [email protected] all social media at @suekochcatalyst Learn more about Dr. Dianne and her work as a coach, coach trainer, speaker, and author of her bestselling book at www.drdianne.com. If you like this episode, subscribe, listen to other episodes, and recommend it to others! If you have suggestions, send them to [email protected] /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/13443419

3. The Kids Are Gone, Now What?--The Empty Nest with Dr. Toyin Falusi 02/14/2020

3. The Kids Are Gone, Now What?--The Empty Nest with Dr. Toyin Falusi Empty nesting isn't just a "syndrome"--it's a life changing event in so many ways! Dr. Dianne Ansari-Winn and Dr. Toyin Felusi are empty nesters and living on their own after their kids have gone to college. It is a positive time for kids, but can be a hard time for parents. There is so much in this episode--personal experiences and practical advice for parents who are going through this experience or know someone who is going through it. Dr. Dianne and Dr. Toyin, who have become great friends since they did their first podcast in November 2017 where they discussed Dr. Toyin's book on divorce, candidly discuss their experiences with having first one child, then 2 years later a second child leave for college, their experiences of loss afterward, and their strategies to maintain their health and well-being, and eventually thrive in their new lives. They suggest how to best support your child when they do launch as well as how they are learning and navigating their new identities as parents without children living with them. They also share what it's like to live by themselves after decades of living with family. Dr. Toyin shows how one can use Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" as a guide to develop your own strategies and personal development into adjusting to the changes in life and a new way of being in multiple new roles and a new place in life. Dr. Dianne discusses empty nest as a loss with accompanying grief as well as change in parenting style and identity. She gives advice on how to be with, embrace and accept where you are, even if it hurts, so that you can move forward, including seeing a mental health professional if needed, as depression is a concern and the symptoms can look a lot like grief. Dr. Toyin and Dr. Dianne then discuss things that worked for them to work through their experiences of empty nest changes, and embrace their new lives, including adding more activities that satisfy their need to give to the world at large. Examples include Dr. Toyin's volunteering, mentoring, podcasting, and her book, and through Dr. Dianne's work as a coach, book author, speaker and training physicians in how to be peer coaches. ----------------------- Want to learn more and hear more from Dr. Toyin? Read her book The Decade After--Thriving After Divorce www.thedecadeafter.com on Amazon in print, Kindle and audiobook. You can find Dr. Toyin's podcast "10 minutes with TmFal" on your favorite podcast app--iTunes, Spotify, Anchor, Google podcast to name a few. Reach Dr. Toyin on Facebook at thedecadeafter Want to learn more about Dr. Dianne's work, read her book "Doctor, Heal Thyself", get in touch with her to work with her, learn more about becoming a coach yourself, or having Dr. Dianne come an speak to your group or give a workshop? Go to www.drdianne.com. Did you like this episode? Don't forget to subscribe, listen to other episodes, and share! Do you have suggestions for podcast episodes? Send them to [email protected]. /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/13142594

2. Professional Fulfillment, Self-Renewal, and CME: Physician Wellness Conferences with Dr. Imelda Tija and Dr. Alicia Kowalski 01/31/2020

Self-Coaching 101 Part 1 of 5 12/08/2019

4 Things You Need To Know Before Leaving Clinical Medicine 08/07/2019

Entrepreneurship and Running a Coaching Practice--The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly with Katrina Ubell, MD 10/05/2018

Entrepreneurship and Running a Coaching Practice--The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly with Katrina Ubell, MD In this episode of The Doctor’s Life podcast, host Dr. Dianne Ansari-Winn sits down with Dr. Katrina Ubell for a continued discussion on the topic of entrepreneurship, what it looks like to have a successful coaching practice and how to successfully transition out of full-time clinical medicine. In this continuation of their prior conversation Dr. Dianne and Dr. Katrina discuss what it looked like for each of them to finally transition from clinical medicine to an entrepreneurial endeavor in coaching. While part 1 of their discussion looked at the steps and process it will likely take to make the decision to leave a clinical practice, this accompanying discussion focuses more on the practical aspects of what it looks like to do that successfully. The aim here is to help doctors who may be considering a transition to know the crucial things they will need to assess before making the jump into another business venture as they try to do it as smoothly and successfully as possible As Dr. Dianne and Dr. Katrina discuss, they both decided to leave clinical medicine for a number of reasons, but prior to making the change, both had given the overall transition a lot of time and attention. Dr. Katrina, who was a pediatrician for a number of years prior to leaving her practice in 2015, made the change to life-coaching as a way to improve her overall health and wellness while still finding enjoyment doing something she highly valued. But as she shares, there were a number of things that she needed to consider before making the jump, including the financial implications of a major change like this. While both Dr. Dianne and Dr. Katrina were able to make the transition out of clinical medicine with little impact to their overall economic well being, they identify that many in this position are not as easily able to do that. The encouragement then is to decide what style of life you will want and need during the transition and to make sure you have a concrete plan moving forward before you start. While having a working spouse or significant other may be of great benefit, there are still realistic conversations that will need to take place prior to making the change as you plan for the worst case scenario. The reality for most, as they admit, may be to keep working your day job until you can financially make the transition through creating a nest egg to carry you through. Similarly, there will also need to be a change in your overall mindset as you leave a steadily paying opportunity while you look to “earn back” your newfound investment through hustling and working in a way where you wouldn’t want to fire yourself. The reality, as they propose, is that in order to succeed you need to be investing your time and effort in a way that will help make sure you succeed. Another focal point of their conversation is reviewing both the realistic positives and negatives of making the transition into full-time entrepreneurship. While many think that working for yourself or being your own boss comes with few (if any) challenges, this is not the reality. To be clear, Dr. Dianne and Dr. Katrina do offer some talking points about the great benefits of entrepreneurial ventures like having uncapped growth opportunity, always having the ability to improve or change things you don’t like and getting to do what you do like. But aside from these there are also opportunities to see your strengths played out in a new way which can be personally fulfilling. But these positives are also met with some real challenges, such as a temptation to over work and a consistent need to hold yourself accountable while you’re being stretched (at times, uncomfortably). While trying to bring a realistic perspective, the two posit that the reality is that non-clinical work is still work. And while there is tremendous benefit to making the change out of clinical medicine and into an entrepreneurial or coaching role, there is still tremendous need to find the right balance while working diligently to take care of yourself. Learn more about Dr. Katrina: Learn more about her program Weight Loss for Busy Physicians: Sign up for her program: Learn more about the Weight Loss for Busy Physicians Podcast: Connect with Dr. Katrina on Facebook: Connect with Dr. Katrina on LinkedIn: Follow her on Instagram: @coachkatrinaubellmd or Follow her on Twitter: @katrinaubellmd or Follow her on Pinterest: /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/7069574

Success! in a Non-Clinical Medical Career with Dr. Katrina Ubell 09/21/2018

Success! in a Non-Clinical Medical Career with Dr. Katrina Ubell In this episode of The Doctor’s Life podcast, host Dr. Dianne Ansari-Winn sits down with Dr. Katrina Ubell for an interesting discussion on how to approach making the decision to either leave or stay in the field of clinical medicine, and the individual journeys that led to them each leaving behind their calling as traditional physicians to become full-time life coaches. Dr. Katrina is a pediatrician and a certified life and weight loss coach who helps others through her program Weight Loss for Busy Physicians. Through this conversation, Dr. Dianne and Dr. Katrina build on their own experiences to share how the paths of their journeys led them to clinical medicine, but has since ultimately led them to leave the field as well. Dr. Dianne and Dr. Katrina, who were both experiencing varying degrees of depletion due to their work life, give personal insight into how they came to the decision to leave the field of medicine while not leaving their calling to still give back and help others. To begin the conversation, Dr. Katrina describes what her life was like at the point that she found herself handing in her resignation at a successful private practice she’d worked at for 10 years. As she recalls, she feared her work life was becoming too stagnant for her to grow. Similarly, she also found herself being viewed as more of an instrument in a “money making machine”, rather than as a human being amongst a community of fellow physicians. After wrestling with these issues she knew she needed to make a life change, for her family’s sake and her own wellbeing. As she and Dr. Dianne discuss, having had previous exposure to life coaching (and finding it interesting), she began to give serious thought to what it would mean for her and others if she chose to leave the clinical medical field and become a life coach. Knowing how beneficial it would have been to their own lives as physicians, Dr. Dianne and Dr. Katrina urge other physicians through this conversation to begin the process personal introspection as soon as possible. They urge other physicians to take into account: what strengths they have, what they like or enjoy, how they envision their life in the future, and how their goals and strengths currently work together. The goal here is to enable fellow physicians to start asking the difficult questions they waited so long to ask, which prolonged their frustrations and personal/professional challenges. Dr. Katrina likewise shares how a lack of introspection and false assumptions had previously kept her from laying all possible career options out on the table, leading to her declining opportunities without giving them a real chance. Understanding how detrimental that was, both Dr. Dianne and Dr. Katrina discuss how it is possible to create your dream job instead of just settling for the jobs that already exist around you. Dr. Dianne and Dr. Katrina resolve their conversation by encouraging fellow physicians to seek out a life coach who is neutral, one who helps to sort out what is important to you, will help you explore your thoughts and feelings, and move toward living a better, healthier life. Because of their personal experience in the clinical medical field, they both know the perceived drawbacks and reasons why busy physicians stay away from seeking out life coaching, but it is because Dr. Dianne and Dr. Katrina have been through the proverbial trenches that they know just how important it is to have someone in your corner, encouraging you and working with you to invest in yourself for optimal wellness. Learn more about Dr. Katrina: Connect with Dr. Katrina on Facebook: Connect with Dr. Katrina on LinkedIn: Follow her on Instagram:@coachkatrinaubellmd Follow her on Twitter:@katrinaubellmd /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/7069550

The Solution for Loneliness in Physicians with Aparna Iyer, MD 09/07/2018

The Solution for Loneliness in Physicians with Aparna Iyer, MD In this episode of The Doctor’s Life podcast, host Dr. Dianne Ansari-Winn sits down with Dr. Aparna Iyer to talk about the issue of loneliness in physicians. Dr. Aparna is a board-certified psychiatrist and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center. Dr. Aparna specializes in physician wellness, perinatal mental health, and integrative psychiatry. In this conversation, Dr. Dianne and Dr. Aparna define loneliness and the severity of its effects, talk about how loneliness is uniquely difficult for physicians to overcome, and provide action steps to fight through loneliness for ultimate physician wellness. Towards the beginning of this conversation, Dr. Aparna defines loneliness as the subjective experience of feeling disconnected from people. With this in mind loneliness can be identified as the result of having a lack of authentic connection. This lack of authentic connection, she explains, is the reason that so many doctors feel isolated despite living in constant physical proximity to hundreds of people, illuminating the difference in quantity of relationships versus quality of relationships. Dr. Aparna learned about this distinction between quantity and quality of relationships by observing famous Hollywood stars with millions of fans who still suffer from loneliness. As a result, she believes that the solution to fighting loneliness is through deepening a few relationships instead of creating a thousand shallow ones. Reviewing a major theme in their conversation, Dr. Dianne and Dr. Aparna discuss some of the unique factors that contribute to the loneliness of physicians. Dr. Dianne proposes that one of the biggest issues is the competitive and hierarchical culture that physicians have created. She talks about her battle with loneliness while working at a trauma center, and how she was afraid of sharing her struggles with more tenured physicians because of how it would make her look. But in hindsight, she recognized that most of the physicians around her were probably experiencing the same struggles and isolation but were just unwilling to be transparent about it. As the conversation comes to a close, Dr. Dianne and Dr. Aparna provide some tangible ways to battle loneliness in your own life, particularly as a physician. The first and foremost solution is initiating vulnerability. Reaching back to the definition of loneliness, they expound on the fact that it is not a matter of quantity of relationships but quality. So the first step to fighting loneliness is to deepen established relationships. The second solution is to join or establish a formal support group. Dr. Aparna shares about a physician wellness support group she created when she moved to Dallas two years ago, and how it has made a huge impact on her professional community. Loneliness is an epidemic, and this conversation proposes that the antidote is simple to understand by difficult to live out: pursuing authentic and vulnerable relationships with the people around you. The overall goal in cultivating personal vulnerability is the overall health and wellbeing of physicians who are seeking to overcome loneliness. Learn more about Dr. Aparna Follow Dr. Aparna on Instagram @aparnaiyermd or Follow Dr. Aparna on Twitter @aparnaiyermd or Connect with Dr. Aparna on Facebook Connect with Dr. Aparna on LinkedIn /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/7010523

The Way to Wealth for Physicians with Buck Joffery, MD 08/24/2018

The Way to Wealth for Physicians with Buck Joffery, MD In this episode of The Doctor’s Life podcast, host Dr. Dianne Ansari-Winn sits down with Dr. Buck Joffrey to talk about wealth management. Dr. Buck is a surgeon, asset manager, founder of multiple seven to eight-figure businesses, host of The Wealth Formula Podcast, and author of the international #1 bestselling book 7 Secrets of Eternal Wealth. Dr. Buck’s mission is to provide financial education for high-paid professionals. In this conversation, the two define holistic wealth, push back against conventional wisdom offered in finance, and provide tangible action steps for joining the upper echelon of wealth management. At the beginning of their conversation, Dr. Buck shares how he went from having a narrow mind on wealth management as a physician to experiencing true financial freedom. While he used to believe “wealth” meant being able to live out your desired lifestyle independent of active income, he found that reaching that milestone left him unsatisfied. But that dissatisfaction led to great things because through some soul-searching and self-education in wealth management, Dr. Buck discovered the keys to joining the top percentage of the world’s wealthy and realized his passion for teaching others about wealth management was more fulfilling than money could ever be. Thus, by pursuing work that he was passionate about, Dr. Buck became holistically rich in life. The second key part of this conversation centers around the many lies found in the conventional wisdom of wealth management. Dr. Dianne and Dr. Buck draw a parallel between corrupt motives in big business and the ways that many wealth management advisors and agencies are ironically perpetuating poor stewardship of money. They denounce blind faith in the conventional financial wisdom and then make a case for the time-tested form of investing in tangible items such as land and real estate rather than equity markets. Finally, as the conversation closes, Dr. Buck provides tangible action steps towards achieving holistic wealth. First, he mentions seeking formal education (such as an accounting class) and professional advising from CPAs and lawyers. Second, he reveals a secret form of health care used by the world’s wealthiest people that never loses money and has the potential for massive earnings. He also talks about how physicians can get out of “the golden handcuffs” of a career that pays their bills but drains their souls. This conversation on wealth management is filled with invaluable advice, both practical and inspirational, that will liberate physicians of all income levels. Check out The Wealth Formula Podcast: Read Dr. Joffrey’s book 7 Secrets of Eternal Wealth: or text “Wealth Formula” to 44222 and instantly receive a digital copy of the book Follow Dr. Joffrey on Twitter @BuckJoffrey Connect with Dr. Joffrey on Facebook: Connect with Dr. Joffrey on LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/6961880

Dr. Dad: Fatherhood in Medicine with Dr. David Draghinas 08/10/2018

Dr. Dad: Fatherhood in Medicine with Dr. David Draghinas In this episode of The Doctor’s Life podcast, host Dr. Dianne Ansari-Winn sits down with Dr. David Draghinas to discuss the experience of fatherhood while being a physician. Dr. Draghinas (Dr. Dave) is an Anesthesiologist at a private practice in Dallas and the host of the podcast, where he recently . He was previously a physician in the US Navy and is the father of three children. As we learn, each of these factors contributes to his unique insights on how to thrive in life as a medical profession. In this conversation, Dr. Dianne and Dr. Dave talk about how having kids has changed his perspective on his work, what he believes kids want and need to thrive, and how young fathers can flourish by grasping just three key concepts. To start the conversation, Dr. Dave talks about having children later on in life, and how it has affected his outlook on being a physician. The first major impact fatherhood had was realizing that his children looked up to him as a role model, particularly because of his occupation. Secondly, having kids taught him the value of a healthy work-life balance, as the core element of any healthy relationship is quality time spent together. Third, he talks about how having kids has shown him the bigger picture of life and the importance of cultivating personal health for longevity. These three concepts helped him adapt his thinking about his career in light of his role as a father. As the conversation continues to unfold, Dr. Dave delves further into the topic of what children need to be healthy and thrive. Ultimately, he believes children need the intangible items of a parent’s time and attention to be healthy. But unfortunately, there is a common narrative among medical professionals of overworking and being too busy to spend healthy amounts of time with their families at home. This sad fact leads Dr. Dianne and Dr. Dave to discuss the value of quality time versus the value of buying more things for one’s kids, driving home the idea that for parents, spending time will always be more important than buying things. Finally, Dr. Dave provides three need-to-know keys for every new or prospective father. The keys are time, presence, and awareness of your kid’s attention. As he shows, spending quality time with one’s child is a fundamental need to build a thriving relationship. But father’s must fight to be present not only physically, but also mentally. The greatest threat to every father’s attention is the smartphone in their back pocket, and Dr. Dave shares an intimate story of how he learned this firsthand from his young son. Lastly, he talks about how children are always observing their parents’ speech and actions. Through all of this dialogue, Dr. Dave provides an invaluable perspective on how to thrive as an individual, as a father, and as a physician. Follow Dr. Draghinas on Instagram and Twitter: Connect with Dr. Draghinas on Facebook: Learn more about the Doctors Unbound podcast: Listen to Dr. Dianne on the Doctors Unbound podcast: Check out Dr. Draghinas’ website on anesthesia: /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/6899610

AI (Artificial Intelligence) Scheduling and Prevention of Physician Burnout: Suvas Vajracharya, PhD 07/27/2018

AI (Artificial Intelligence) Scheduling and Prevention of Physician Burnout: Suvas Vajracharya, PhD In this episode of “The Doctor’s Life” podcast, host Dianne Ansari-Winn, MD speaks with Suvas Vajracharya, PhD about AI scheduling and how it can be utilized to fight against physician burnout. Dr. Vajracharya is the founder and CEO of Lightning Bolt Solutions, a company which has developed the leading artificial intelligence technology for physician scheduling. Dr. Vajracharya worked as a staff scientist at the Los Alamos National Lab before he began creating solutions for physician scheduling using AI. Throughout their conversation, Dr. Dianne and Dr. Vajracharya discuss the pathway to his now current profession, the struggles of physician scheduling, and how Lightning Bolt Solutions is working to reduce physician burnout and get doctors in front of their patients instead of their calendars. As the conversation begins, Dr. Vajracharya tells the story of what led him to found Lightning Bolt Solutions. While he was working at Los Alamos scheduling supercomputers, he was approached by a high school friend from Wisconsin about resolving scheduling conflicts for a group of internal medicine doctors. Through this process, he learned about the complexities of scheduling physicians and developed the software to harness the scheduling expertise of doctors while outsourcing the heavy lifting to computers. Although the founding of Lightning Bolt Solutions didn’t happen until much later in his career, this early work in software scheduling was pivotal for teaching him the scope of the problem, and ultimately led to the creation of the company. Additionally, Dr. Dianne and Dr. Vajracharya unpack the complexities and problems involved in scheduling doctors. They talk about how the most fundamental problem with scheduling is trying to meet a plethora of conflicting variables. These variables include providing a healthy work-life balance, meeting personal scheduling preferences, allotting vacation time while also keeping the institution open, fairly distributing holiday working hours, staying personally unbiased, and preventing burnout. The possible number of schedules that can be made based on this long list of variables is endless, and many doctors are losing countless hours that ought to be spent with patients staring at calendars and spreadsheets. As Dr. Vajracharya explains, that’s exactly where Lightning Bolt steps in to help. Dr. Vajracharya walks the listeners through the process that Lightning Bolt implements in order to delegate the scheduling tasks to a computer by having a “brain dump” with the doctor and inputting all of the variables into their software. During this dialogue, he and Dr. Dianne discuss the correlation of scheduling to doctor turnover rates and physician burnout. He then provides empirical evidence of how Lightning Bolt’s software has worked to reduce burnout and turnover rates in the places it has been implemented. In summary, this conversation provides an insightful glance into the ways that AI is being harnessed to help doctors reach their full potential and guard themselves against personal and professional burnout. Connect with Dr. Vajracharya on LinkedIn: Learn more about Lightning Bolt Solutions: Email them: [email protected] Follow them on Facebook: Follow them on Twitter @LBSolutions Check out their YouTube channel: /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/6834424

The ME Factor: Burnout in Men with Dr. Ganz Ferrance, PhD 07/13/2018

The ME Factor: Burnout in Men with Dr. Ganz Ferrance, PhD On this episode of “The Doctor’s Life” podcast, host Dianne Ansari-Winn, MD sits down with Dr. Ganz Ferrance to talk about an important, yet under discussed topic: men and burnout. Dr. Ganz is the author of The Me Factor: The Systematic Guide To Getting What The Hell You Want. He holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, has been featured on Good Morning Canada and CTV News, and is a prominent speaker in both the US and Canada. During their conversation Dr. Ganz and Dr. Dianne talk about the multiple stages and symptoms of burnout, as well as the roadblocks that prevent men from fighting and preventing burnout, while offering simple solutions that can be taken, including the importance of questioning everything they do by asking “is this working?.” As the author Stephen Covey famously said, “Most people spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success, only to realize when they get to the top that the ladder has been leaning against the wrong wall”. This is something very prevalent in today’s culture. Realizing this, Dr. Ganz’s work as a counseling psychologist and author is aimed at preventing men in particular from climbing up the “wrong walls” in life and burning out as a result. The challenge becomes knowing what the right walls are! This is where the conversation with Dr. Ganz is focused in hopes of brining clarity to these issues, to help the listener understand what burnout is and how to avoid it. So what does burnout look like? As Dr. Ganz explains, early on the symptoms include a sense of exhaustion and an overall inability to enjoy oneself. But as it grows and reaches the later stages the symptoms can be detrimental, including physical sickness. In some instances burnout can develop so far as to utterly cripple professionals and bring careers to a standstill, something Dr. Ganz has himself witnessed and has dedicated his life to helping professionals avoid. As the conversation climaxes, the doctors discuss how one of the biggest problems behind burnout is that most men lack the knowledge to realize they are going through it. When dealing with intense levels of stress and burnout men will often de-personalize the issue by lashing out at traffic, the weather, or a spouse. But the challenges that men face must be overcome, because the stakes are too high. As Dr. Ganz illustrates, if you don’t put gas in the vehicle until the end of the journey, you won’t ever make it to the end. What he means is that if men don’t learn to take care of themselves from the start of their careers, they will inevitably burn out and hurt everyone else within their sphere of influence. So what is the solution to treating and preventing burnout? Dr. Ganz provides concrete answers as to how men can objectively measure themselves for burnout, and fight against their own tendencies to overlook their personal wellbeing. One simple but highly effective solution he offers is the task of questioning everything. By this he means constantly asking the simple question “is this working?”, something he believes will help passionate professionals go from unconsciously pursuing every opportunity they come across, to living a meaningful existence marked by focused success as they are enabled to say no to climbing the ladders that do not lead them where they really want to go. Learn more about Dr. Ganz: Check out Dr. Ganz’ book The Me Factor: The Systematic Guide To Getting What The Hell You Want: Follow Dr. Ganz on Twitter: Follow Dr. Ganz on Facebook: Connect with Dr. Ganz on LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/6802359

3-2-1 Podcasting with Nii Darko, DO 06/29/2018

3-2-1 Podcasting with Nii Darko, DO On this episode of “The Doctor’s Life” podcast, Dr. Dianne speaks with fellow physician turned podcaster Dr. Nii Darko, DO for an engaging conversation centered around the seemingly disconnected worlds of medicine and podcasting. A board-certified general surgeon and host of the top 100 Apple podcast “Docs Outside the Box”, Dr. Darko joins the conversation to talk about his experiences both as a physician and a podcaster. A best-selling author & New York native, Dr. Darko was first inspired to enter the medical field from tv figures he watched growing up who embodied the roles of doctor and family-man, ideals that resonated with what he was aspiring for in his own life. And so, after entering medical school he began a lifelong career in the field he has now dedicated his life to while finding unique and engaging ways to bridge the gap into creativity through the non-traditional medium of podcasting. During their discussion the docs discuss many things, including Nii’s initial entrance into podcasting. As he explains it was after graduating from medical school and while looking for an appointment that fit his long-term goals, he began meeting people who were doing interesting things outside of traditional medicine, who were using their medical training for things outside of typical medical practices. This inspired him to see that a doctor’s training and experiences could be utilized outside of the run-of-the-mill methodologies he was used to. Seeing the need for a voice of authority to speak to these opportunities in his own career discipline, the “Docs Outside the Box” podcast was started in April 2016 and it’s message has gained tremendous popularity while engaging a field of people that have been traditionally overlooked in podcasting. Aside from the personal history of the start of the “Docs Outside the Box” podcast the docs also speak more broadly about why they have entered the world of podcasting and the personal values they have gained through it. While they affirm they have both grown in their public speaking and networking capabilities because of podcasting, they acknowledge the road has not always been easy. The two discuss what it often takes to start a podcast-mainly reaching out to peers and those you already know, to have them speak about their own experiences. They also speak to the (more than a few) potholes, road bumps and cringeworthy moments they’ve come across in the journey and how to grow through them. With the tremendous traction gained in podcasting, especially in the medical community, the docs also speak to how they have bonded with other like-minded professionals through networking opportunities and resources like industry-focused FaceBook pages like the Physician Podcasting Network. As the conversation climaxes the two also get very practical, discussing their process of recording, editing, hosting and posting their podcasts, as well the premise of Nii’s Amazon best-selling book 3-2-1 Podcast where he discusses some basic elements of podcasting in hopes of encouraging other would-be podcasters to take on this exciting yet unique challenge! While the conversation centers around podcasting in the medical community, the realities offered transcend career-paths as they note that podcasting is merely an opportunity for people to tell their own story and help other people learn and grow from their own experiences while rallying people around common interests. Learn more about Dr Darko: Learn more about the “Docs Outside the Box” podcast: Follow Dr. Darko on social media: @docsotb Email him: [email protected] Follow him on : /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/6757503

Parenting Secrets with Dr. Jarret Patton 06/15/2018

Parenting Secrets with Dr. Jarret Patton On this episode of “The Doctor’s Life” podcast, Dr. Dianne speaks with a special guest about the difficulties of parenting. We all know that parenting can be hard, especially for busy doctor parents! Pediatrician and best-selling author Dr. Jarret Patton speaks with Dr. Dianne Ansari-Winn to discuss how to navigate even the toughest parenting challenges. In this continuation of their previous podcast conversation, Dr. Jarret and Dr. Dianne review some simple, yet strategic parenting techniques that are approachable for everyone, regardless of what stage of parenting you are in. The strategies offered are a valuable resource in a culture where parenting techniques seem to be complex and always changing. Dr. Jarret is an Xavier graduate and board certified pediatrician with over 20 years of experience, who now offers transformative relationship advice for hospitals, physicians, parents and children through education, motivation and empowerment. He is the best-selling author of Licensed to Live and Whose Bad @$$ Kids Are Those?: A Parent's Guide To Behavior For Children of All Ages. While recognizing that the parenting market is flooded with resources and advice from many different people from varying backgrounds, Dr. Jarret gets back to his roots as a pediatric physician as the foundation of his parenting advice, effectively speaking to what many would identify as an important responsibility that can simply become an afterthought. During their conversation, Dr. Jarret and Dr. Dianne cover some often-asked questions such as how to effectively deal with temper-tantrums, how to encourage nutrition for picky eaters and how to deal with a child’s sense of entitlement. They also offer valuable thoughts on dealing with behavioral issues in kids who are not your own, offering practical advice on how to deal with all of these issues effectively and in a way that is beneficial for a child’s overall development. The two also provide input to help parents grapple with how to enforce structure, consistency and follow-through as Dr. Jarret touches on some strategies he offers in his parenting boot-camp. And by listening to this conversation, parents will learn not just when to say no , but more importantly, when to say yes in parenting. As the discussion closes, the doctors offer some final thoughts for parents on developing a parenting style for you and your co-parent as well as how to raise your child through the uniquenesses of today’s modern world, reminding the listener about the importance of getting everyone on the same playbook to effectively modify behaviors quickly and with consistency. Finally, make sure you listen to the close of the episode for a special offer from Dr. Jarret, just for “The Doctor’s Life” podcast listeners! Listen to Part 1 of the conversation with Dr. Jarret: Learn more about Dr Jarret: www.doctorjarret.com Follow Dr. Jarret on social media: www.facebook.com/doctorjarret www.twitter.com/doctorjarret www.linkedin.com/in/doctorjarret www.instagram.com/doctorjarret Learn more about Dr. Jarret's parenting resources: /episode/index/show/thedoctorslife/id/6704227