Physician Wholeness Episodes

In this episode, I speak to Dr. Diana Mercado, a family medicine physician in Texas. Dr. Mercado graduated from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry, earned her medical degree from the University of Texas, and did her residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Diana became a family medicine physician so that minority patients would have a physician who “looks like them.” Today Dr. Diana Mercado is a mentor, Clinic Medical Directo...

Dr. Jennifer McKenney is a family physician in her hometown of Fredonia Kansas, a town of approximately 2500 people in southeast Kansas. She has owned and managed an independent practice for the last eleven years. Nine years ago, Dr. McKenney's workload almost spiraled out of control when she found out that another physician at her Fredonia, Kansas-based family practice had passed away unexpectedly. However, with the help of a virtual scribe, she was able to focus on providing patient care and ...

Twenty years ago, Dr. Catherine Toomer, a Family Medicine physician had a 50% chance of living for five more years due to obesity complicated by heart failure. With young babies that she desperately wanted to see grow, she knew she had to do something, quickly. She turned to her medical education for information that turned everything around. She lost 60 pounds in under six months while still eating food she enjoyed and without exercise or weight loss medication. This was two decades ago and she...

​​A new study from Jackson Physician Search reveals that 69% of employed physicians are disengaged from their employers or thinking of seeking employment elsewhere. This number is quite alarming! No wonder many hospitals have a problem with retention and teamwork. For many physicians, being at the top has left them feeling so isolated, siloed, and alone. ​​ ​​In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Nora Vasquez, a compassionate physician coach who uses high-performance coaching to elevate your pe...

Backlogs are terrible, aren’t they? When was the last time you went home with all your work done? A lot of times, we as physicians find ourselves sneaking some work home and instead of spending time bonding with our families, the few hours left in the day are spent charting. Over time, our backlog becomes our source of shame, guilt, frustration, and even overwhelm. As a result, some of us have had our jobs threatened due to mountains of unfinished charts or inboxes. If you feel out of control, ...

Why is burnout so common among physicians? Is it because we are taught to work pretty much until we drop? Last year alone, 42% of hospital physicians reported burnout! This number is surprisingly high, given that we as physicians are constantly recommending mental health support to our patients. It's high time we normalized this kind of support too! In today's episode, I am joined by Dr. Amelia Bueche, a DO who is a specialist in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine. She is on a mission to nurture h...