The Artist: Uchenna Umeh, MD, MBA

 I want to let you know that we here at MD coaches are very proud to announce our newest offering group coaching for Physicians.
This is a small virtual and confidential cohort that will inspire participants to ReDiscover personal and professional fulfillment.
The cohort begins on Tuesday July 26 and runs on till August 30th.
And you can earn one CME credit per session totaling six credits and all to learn more and to register.
Please visit www.apmt.us dot store space is limited so be sure to register today.
You know there’s all these things that are happening that essentially take our autonomy away from us I did not feel like medicine was going in the right direction.

[1:00] Paging dr. cook paging dr. cook dr. cook you’re wanted in the o.r. dr. KO you’re wanted in the.

[1:08] Music.

[1:28] Hello everyone and welcome to prescription for Success I’m dr. Randy cook your host for the podcast which is a production of MD coaches.
Providing leadership and Executive coaching for Physicians by physicians.
To overcome burnout transition your career develop as a leader or whatever your gold might be.
Visit MD coaches on the web at my MD coaches.com because you’re not in this alone.
And don’t forget CME credit is available when you listen with us just look for cmf I in the show notes to learn how.
My guest today is a family physician who recognized early in her career that work-life balance was easier said than done.
That prompted her to come up with some remarkably realistic Solutions.
So let’s hear a doctor Laura Hockman tell her story.

[2:25] I’m really excited today to be having a conversation with dr. Laura hochman who is you’re out in the the Austin Texas area am I right about that Laura,
Yeehaw in Texas,
okay that says it when we know that you’re the real deal and looking forward to the conversation
with you today you’ve got some really unique ideas about how to make life as a physician better and I’m looking forward to hearing about all of that but.
As we always do I want to hear something about your Beginnings God can you tell us where your interest in medicine had its beginning where their family members who were in it or did you come to it all on your own just what was the story.
Yeah when I was a kid I had a couple of uncles her were
who are Physicians and one in particular you know he was everything a kid liked in an adult he was fun and funny and so he was a doctor so that’s kind of where I got my idea of I want to be just like him and so you know that’s kind of where the idea started to form and you know on career day at school I would dress up as a doctor so
I probably brain mush washed myself a little bit as I was growing up that I was going to be a doctor
and I really really do enjoy biology and learning about the body and all of that so so it was just kind of a natural segue I enjoy caring for people.

[3:54] And you know I went to college so I grew up in South Africa
in South Africa was going to ask you I thought I thought I caught a touch of an axe yeah it comes and goes
so in South Africa After High School you go straight to medical school there’s no in between college and so I really had a little bit of a hard time understanding the American.
System where you don’t go to college
I mean you don’t go to medical school straight from high school so I went into college with the idea of I’m going to be a doctor and I kind of geared everything towards that and I had an idea you know trying to be
you know think like an American like oh I should use College to really explore other things and I kind of did but really only half-heartedly.
And so was very single track minded I’m I tend to be very stubborn and I had told myself I was going to be a doctor and so I became a doctor and when did I start
I really apologize for interrupting you but when did you come to this country After High School.

[4:58] Okay so you were in your late teens when you began to adjust to this American System of education and and and so I apologize for the interruption but take it up,
from that point
so yeah that’s how I decided to go into medicine I really loved surgery so I went to medical school with idea that I was going to be a surgeon I did and
you know while I was there this is before social media became as big as it is now and,
so I didn’t have the large Network that I do now and I couldn’t find a female surgeon that had the family balance and the work-life balance that I was looking for in a career course you couldn’t
and so I changed my mind because of that and ended up going into Family Medicine.

[5:50] But you know I often think how my trajectory would have been different because I would have gone into,
ENT instead of family medicine but,
but you know I like medical school I loved medical school when you got there did you really feel like man I’m in the right place yeah oh yeah it was hard but it was definitely right yeah I had to or anything really terrible about it at all.
The volume of what you have to study was just horrific.
It was so much studying all the time and everything that that led to which is you know a complete lack of balance I mean I missed weddings and I missed holidays and all sorts of events because you know.
I think I missed the birth of something yummy like
big things because there’s so much but yeah I loved it I loved the camaraderie I went to medical school in Galveston which is a small island and we all knew each other and it was
it was like living on those set of friends I left my front door unlocked and my friends would just come and go as they you know if they were in the area so I really liked it I loved the people I was with I found the material fascinating I love learning about.
The body and it’s cool to learn to really help people and really be a part of people’s lives in that very intimate way.

[7:06] And about how far along in medical school were you when you made this decision that it was going to be Family Medicine.
Halfway through interview season interview interview for residency for residency okay
so I applied to enti applied to Family Medicine Family Medicine was my backup because I really liked it and I was like well if I don’t get into you know ENT is more competitive you are actually making applications.
In different fields of practice at that,
yeah yeah I did and so it’s interesting yeah I had an idea already by the time I sent the application in,
what I was thinking and so I had scheduled all of my ENT applications for the very end of interview season and then I made up my mind and I cancel the interviews.

[7:57] Oh I see so you didn’t you didn’t follow through with the complete application yeah exactly so so I got up until scheduling interviews and then I canceled him.

[8:06] And when you got in residency was it did it seem like.

[8:11] You would really found exactly where you wanted to be or whether do any disappointments what was that like there were parts of it that I loved I picked a residency specifically for
the people that I felt that I identified with and I absolutely loved the people in my program I was in a great City I picked a procedure heavy program because I you know still had that,
love of procedures so I did learn a lot of procedures and I really enjoyed getting to know the patient very very much I mean I think that’s absolutely by far my favorite thing about medicine but there was definitely a listed as well
no that was in Denver Colorado oh really yeah okay.

[8:52] That’s quite a change yeah but yeah I did feel like there is that’s okay I feel like I felt.
When I was there that there was maybe something else as well that I wanted to do maybe more specialized do more you know.

[9:09] Something I didn’t know what it was but but I’d still loved family medicine and I think you know after I graduated residency and joined practice,
you know the I think what I just realized is I absolutely loved the relationships that I was able to form with my patients so much so that.
I didn’t feel like there was ever.
Anything else I needed to be doing mmm-hmm medically speaking well tell us about that first year after you finished residency what was that line.
The first year so my husband was finishing up his residency in Psychiatry so he’ll you know that’s four years ago when Debra Messing is 3
so I spent the year doing Locum tenens for the hospital system that.
That I completed my residency in so I already was familiar with the EMR and I was familiar with the system and how they worked and so I Locum dat all the different,
practices around town which I really really like more it was wonderful I loved it I got to you know
see all different practice settings you what worked see what didn’t work I got to you know meet all different interesting idea and and I got to make my own schedule I mean if I didn’t want to work one day
because I wanted to spend the day with my kid no big deal I did that so.

[10:35] That that was a really really fun year it’s it was definitely scary to be out on my own and there were days when I would call you know the attending precepting room and say hey can I just run this patient by you because most of the time I was so low
or you know I had a patient who I still had a very close relationship with all the Specialists and all the
ER doctors from the system so I would call them and say you know every now and then I remember calling an ER doctor wants and saying Hey doctor
so on so you know I have this patient you can you saw her and I just wanted to see like you know this is what I’m thinking does that make sense because
you know you didn’t find anything and so so I enjoyed it like I just
I was very fortunate to have a good relationship with the all the doctors in town and and I was really able to just kind of get my own footing and.
And feel more comfortable being on my own actually after residency you know it sounds very much like.
What I think anyway that medicine is supposed to be like we are actually called upon in the Hippocratic oath to teach one another to share with each other and it sounds like,
during those first years that’s exactly what you had.
Yeah absolutely I mean I can’t agree more I think as a group we’re stronger and better we can be better for our patients we can be better for ourselves and our families I think you know Physicians should be collaborating and working together.

[12:01] And it makes it makes everything better a period of locums,
and then did you ever try to establish yourself with a group where you were going to be for a while or what happened what happened next.

[12:16] So next we moved to Austin Texas and that was the plan so I was offered to stay at a few of those practices but but we moved to Texas so that wasn’t going to happen
so I joined a private practice in Austin when I moved
there were a lot of really great things about it we had scribes when we needed them we had a little bit more time with patients and it was physician-owned which is,
you know has always been my interest in being in a physician-owned practice,
and that was good I mean it was great I was there for about four or five years until they were bought by a big hospital system,
and oh boy yeah you know where the story is going.
And I really want to hear it let’s let’s let’s look so let’s share the dirty laundry so I,
I was extremely hesitant to join eventually what I ended up deciding was I’ll join them very poor time.
As a way to maintain a relationship with my patients but it wasn’t something that I wanted to do even close to full time because I knew that just wouldn’t be in line with how I want to live my life.

[13:32] So I spoke with the system I spoke with the hospital about joining them.
And what it came down to actually was that I wouldn’t agree to the terms on their contract and they wouldn’t budge on the any of them and so I actually did not sign and I left.
With no backup plan and and have you ever.
And I apologize for the interruption but I’m really interested in whether or not you have maintained any.
Contact with the people that you were practicing in in that group and how has it worked out for them and if the answer is no I don’t hear from them anymore that’s okay but I am curious.

[14:17] Yeah I haven’t haven’t kept in touch with those people we.
We there was one other physician who was part time and we lost touch but I don’t know how it worked out for them but they’re still there.
But clearly things got better for you what was what was next for you
so next I had the most awesome summer ever it was summer so my kids my kids were home we we went to the zoo and we did all sorts of fun things that you know.
I always wanted to do with my kids and I took them on little trips to middle of nowhere towns where we just hung out and played board games and it was fun so this summer ever and then I was then,
yeah it was great and then and then another practice opportunity I was approached by a recruiter.

[15:11] I did not plan on ever going back to Medicine ever again because I had impart lost hope for the future of medicine I didn’t think that.
If we were going in a good trajectory and I didn’t feel like there was anything I could do to change it so you know when I was a coach told me about.
Where that came from what what clearly you’re talking about something that a lot of people in medicine are feeling nowadays
and I really like to take the opportunity when I can to get my guests too,
verbalize about those feelings because as you already know it helps to know that there’s somebody.

[15:57] It’s having the same feelings because you can feel very much alone alone but what was going through your mind at that point,
yeah oh my goodness well I had contemplated leaving medicine for a little while before the big hospital both the practice anyhow I was burned out even in a private practice setting I you know
all the Hoops that we have to jump through with prior authorizations and needing to fit a certain number of things into a visit in a certain
certain amount of time you know,
the a lot of you know misunderstanding I mean I don’t think this is the major part of why I felt it but you know it’s very disheartening when patients come in demanding something that you know will hurt them.

[16:42] That that was very hard because.
I would spend far more time and effort and energy explain to them why they don’t need what they want than just giving it to them which you know they would have had a better experience but I don’t want to cause c-diff or you know any of the other things that come with you know
all the things that they ask for is there was certainly a fear of litigation you know where I do my best to take care of people and
and I always have people’s best interest at heart and there was a big fear that someone was going to turn around and sue me maybe because I made a mistake or
I didn’t make a mistake or I caught someone else’s mistake but because that person made the mistake
you know you know there’s all sorts of litigation fears that I had.
But the big big part of it was just not having the time that I felt that I needed with my patients or not being able to affect change when it was needed and you know.

[17:45] I still see this in a lot of Physicians where either you need to.
Not be double booking or you know you ought when we ask for a change in how we practice and that’s not given to us or,
we have a staff member maybe who’s completely incompetent and hurting the patients but they don’t you know we’re not allowed to.
Do anything about it or if we have a dangerous patient we’re not allowed to fire them you know there’s all these things that are happening that essentially take our autonomy away from us
I did not feel like medicine was going in the right direction.
Hi I’m Rhonda Crow founder and CEO for empty coaches here on RX for Success we interview a lot of great medical professionals on how they grew their careers
how they overcame challenges and how they handle day-to-day work.

[18:41] I really hope you’re getting a lot of great information but if you’re looking for an answer to a specific problem management or Administration challenge.
Or if you’re feeling just a bit burnt out like maybe you chose the wrong career.
Well then there’s a faster way to get the help you need now it’s not counseling it’s coaching.
RX for success is produced by MD coaches a team of Physicians who have been where you are I know you’re used to going it alone.
But you don’t have to get the support you need today visit us at my MD coaches.com to schedule your complimentary consultation.
Again that’s my MD coaches.com because you’re not in this alone.

[19:28] We’ll get back to our interview in just a moment but right now I want to tell you a little bit about physician Outlook.
If you haven’t discovered this remarkable magazine please do so very soon it was created by physicians for Physicians to showcase the intersection between clinical and non-clinical interests whether it’s writing
painting cooking politics and dozens of other topics physician Outlook gives a physician perspective
it’s available online and in print it’s really unique among physician lifestyle magazines and like the prescription for Success podcast
physician Outlook amplifies the voice of any physician who has something to say it also engages patients who still believe in physician-led,
team-based care and prescription for Success listeners can get 3 months free when you enter our promo code.
RX for success and select the monthly option at checkout and so really great deal on this stunning publication and now let’s get.

[20:32] Music.

[20:42] What was your personal solution how how did you go about rescuing yourself well that that’s there comes the best summer ever,
when I essentially I was just a stay-at-home mom and it was it was so much fun but you know not not something that I necessarily plan to do forever.
I didn’t know what the solution was I knew that I had to do something but I didn’t know what I.
I’m not the kind of person that can just like I when I see things that are like that I I can’t just sit back and watch them so it was always on my mind of how can I do something what can I do to be a part of the change.

[21:23] And then another job.
I feel like it fell into my lap where you know this recruiter approached me and I went to interview and I remember leaving the interview with this gut feeling of,
don’t do this like absolutely don’t do this this is
you’re just getting yourself right back into it you finally got out of medicine after thinking about it and you know burning out and,
and you know then my brain kicked in and said well but this is the perfect job I’m going to have time with patients I don’t need to deal with insurance companies like this job is exactly what.
I’m trying to you know it’s exactly not what I’m trying to avoid it is what I’m trying why I got into medicine but I had so much apprehension because of what I had felt before that I didn’t know if I even wanted to take what looked to be incredible.

[22:14] So I did take this job and M so.
Grateful that I did not listen to my fears because it was exactly what medicine should be I had time with patients I didn’t need to deal with insurance companies you know.
It was it was great I worked with an incredible staff I had nurses rooming the patients they could preempt things for me they you know they drew blood we could do a lot.
And it restored my faith in medicine and it made me realize that there are so many of us that are leaving medicine because of.

[22:58] Of the way we’re treated or all the Hoops that we have to jump through when.
Or you know we feel like we’re maybe not resilient enough or we’re not.

[23:09] We’re just not enough or we’re not made for medicine when really it’s just the system is so broken but they are.
Places where we can work and enjoy ourselves and.
I feel that we can actually practice medicine and not just practice insurance company medicine hmm.
That’s a very encouraging story yeah so go ahead and tell us more about that how did that how did that work out it was fun it was great you know I.
I learned that I enjoyed practicing medicine again which gosh how sad that I would need to learn that you know.

[23:47] So so what I ended up doing was I ended up recruiting a few Physicians to.
Join this company because I loved it and they went from burnout to enjoying medicine again and.
And that’s kind of when I realized like okay so I need to be a part of helping doctors find places where they can be happy rather than you know.
In these large systems where they just feel like another number and and in this practice I
interviewed a lot of doctors to join in addition to the ones that I recruited to join for me and it was like I mean I feel like I could put on
I could put on replay everything they said
about why they’re trying to leave its I just feel like a number I have no voice I don’t feel like I can practice medicine I don’t have enough time with patients and so I mean I feel like I could just print hit play and that’s how every doctor that I was speaking to as feeling.

[24:41] And and you know here I am and I felt so awful to tell people I’m sorry you didn’t get the job because.

[24:50] I know what they’re trying to leave but then I’ll see you in Facebook groups and everywhere else private practices that are struggling to find Physicians and
you know their questions are but why we have so much autonomy we can practice medicine how we want to practice medicine when we need to make a change we make the change.
And so you know that’s kind of where I was like that’s how I can make a change as I can help to match these practices with Physicians.
And try to kill two birds with one stone with a physician own private practices that are struggling to find people can find the Physicians who are burned out in the large systems and have no autonomy and try to match them together to try to help
both sides that shrimp that is really a remarkable Discovery because I think your.
Exactly right A lot of people are under the impression that no matter where you go it’s going to look always the same,
so go on with the story I’m really fascinated to or I’m looking forward to finding out.
How you get people matched up with the places where life is better.

[26:05] Yeah so I have practice to the practices I work with I vet them,
life is better when you find the right place for you right so.
The right place for me is not going to be the right place for my best friend who’s also a family medicine physician because we what’s important to us is different so a lot of what I do is really really get to know the practices that I work with.

[26:33] And you know try to find them a physician that matches their value system and their goals.
And and same thing for the physician if I get to know physician and what’s important to them than I try to match them with a practice that.
Matches that as well so how does out of these practices find you.

[26:54] You know that’s a good that’s a good question I think it’s almost let’s go ahead and name it what what is this company called that does this.
It’s called happy day Health yeah I like that part thank you so how did they find you.
So my website is www.happinessis.jeunesseglobal.com dad there’s a contact form on there where it goes straight to my email
that’s that’s typically where people go to contact me I believe that most people find me by word of mouth so I’ve been extremely fortunate as far as finding practice practices Finding Me
I’ve
I loved most of them and I pretty much just work with practices where I really feel like they have their Physicians best interest at heart heart so you have you have both,
Physicians seeking employment calling you and you have.

[27:47] Practices with opportunities calling you and I’m really
really interested in finding out more about how you vet the practice opportunities that you might recruit for how do you how do you find out if they are the real thing or if they’re a bunch of crooks.

[28:07] Yeah that’s a good question it’s it’s a little bit of a.

[28:13] I would say a little bit of a leap of faith it’s a lot of what they say.

[28:19] Generally kind of steers me to understanding who they are and it’s a lot of what they don’t say so you know a lot of it is.

[28:29] When I speak with practices they you know they’ll say things like you know.
Well here’s an example I don’t know how to explain it without giving examples one of the practices I’m working with is this wonderful family physician and she
you know she’s telling me what she’s looking for and all that and she says when I left residency I had young kids at home and I was allowed to work.
After I drop them off until before I pick them up and.
What I would love to do is to be able to pay that forwards and find a physician who also would like to work Mom hours because you can’t find that anywhere else.

[29:07] And so that’s a little bit of those types of things where they tell me you know or I have another practice that is.
It has no turnover even in its medical assistance is how wonderful a place to work it is but she tells me stories about you know
we take care of each other we all take care of each other and you know if I’ve noticed that one of my medical assistance is really busy then I helped her and if she notices that I’ve been so busy that I haven’t eaten all day she makes me a sandwich and brings it to me and makes me sit down and eat a sandwich between
so
so a lot of it is you know these stories about what they tell me about their practice or you know they’re they’re able to say you know one practice it was the
you know after covid-19 pandemic had been out for a little while and she was telling me how she was trying to make sure that her Physicians were okay and
just recently says and you know I decided to buy them a 12-week course in mindfulness meditation because I feel like they would just benefit from it who wouldn’t benefit from learning meditation.

[30:10] So so it’s you know the practices are just they really have their best interest at heart.
And do I understand this correctly you you actually have practices contact you and tell you that they’re looking for that they have opportunities.
For Physicians and after a conversation you just say you know I don’t really think I’m right for you to do you do that.

[30:35] I do yeah wow you got to be one and one in a gazillion.
And and how about the how about the Physicians that come to you to to help them.
Replacement that you to find placement do you ever turn any of them down or are you pretty much engaged with everybody that calls,
it depends you know there’s a job for everyone I know what my practices are looking for so.
They may not be the right fit for that practice but there may be something else so a lot of Physicians don’t actually want private practice so I my practices that I work with are old physician-owned small practices.

[31:26] But if.
If a physician contacts me wanting a hospital employed position because you know sometimes they do or academics I do have access to those jobs I
joined a very large network of healthcare recruiters where you know we can.
Share a little bit so if I have an applicant or a physician that’s interested in you know I don’t know medical directorship then I can look you know.
Among their Network and see if there’s something that works better for them there so my jobs are not always right for every physician but if I know what they’re looking for I can help them find it yeah,
and you started this if I’m doing my arithmetic arithmetic correctly it’s only about 11 months that happy day Health has been underway am I correct about that.

[32:16] Exactly and it and it really has been very successful at sounds like.
You know it’s it’s really cool I think I’ve been very successful in being able to effect change in helping Physicians to see.
In part what they’re worth and I don’t mean financially I mean financially to I guess but
you know what is the worth of their time with their families and all of that I started a YouTube channel a few weeks ago talking about this
and I’ve seen your YouTube channel thank you it’s very engaging and thank you and what I try to do is just you know helping Physicians see
you know all the things in life other than,
the burnout that we’re so used to and it’s pretty cool actually I was speaking with a physician last week who explained to me starting salary versus ending salary you know when
which is a way I talked about on the YouTube channel and
and I said to that’s crazy I’ve never heard anyone else explain it to me this way I’m the only person I know that thinks this and and her response was oh no I know this is because
I watched your video and it made sense to me and that’s now how I think so it’s cool like I really feel like.
I mean I value success in like how I’m able to make a difference and make a change and I think you know I’m starting to see those differences and it’s really really cool,
so what do you envision as.

[33:46] The endgame this is a this is a unique service that you offer.
And it sounds like your clientele is growing.
Do you anticipate growing it to the point that you will have to add.
Additional Physicians to do the exam to do precisely the kind of interviewing of clients and applicants.
How do you spread this good thing around is it to make yours bigger or is it to encourage other potential physician recruiters to do a similar sort of thing how do you see the future.

[34:28] That’s a very big question I see a lot of things it is you’re clearly the expert nobody else as far as I can tell.
I see a lot of things so the one.
As far as growth of my company if there is a need that I would be ecstatic you know my biggest barrier to growth is.
Physicians are not open to moving even when we’re miserable.
My hope is that we are able to be open-minded to that and and there’s more.
Right now there’s more jobs than they are candidates My Hope Is that once Physicians kind of wake up and realize like oh my gosh like there is more to life than.
Just churning through the patient’s every 5 10 15 minutes rather than you know.
All the other things that come with with medicine My Hope Is that I can grow this because.
There are enough of us that are in private practice or own our own thing or feel empowered enough to make a big change,
and so my hope is to grow at mostly because it to me that kind of indicates that that there’s a good change happening and there’s a good movement happening.

[35:49] The other ways when I see him do it to you know it’s the.

[35:57] One of my great complaints and people hear me whining about it all the time is the that Physicians don’t work for patients anymore they work for,
the hospital or they work for some gigantic group or whatever and it sounds like you’ve created a way to.
Really reconnect Physicians with what they probably got into the.
To the field of medicine for and we really really really do need more of that and I apologize for the interruption I want you to go ahead with your thought if you can remember.
No that’s okay and I’ll expand on that because I completely completely agree with you and my hope as well this is one of the end game things or long-term.

[36:45] Things that I’d like to see happen is I would.
The hospitals to attract to their Physicians right now they’re attracting them with you know shiny objects of high salary and lots of PTO and all those things I’d love them to attract and recruit and retain their Physicians because of how well they’re treated,
and so you know if my job because if my happy day Health becomes obsolete because doctors are so happy to be Hospital employed.
That’s still a win in my in my eyes because.
That’s what I’m hoping for and I think that enough if enough of us are in private practice and the hospitals have a hard time recruiting Physicians because of this they will have to change their tune or because they keep losing Physicians,
they’ll have to I mean they won’t have a choice
so that’s what am I in the games I have a lot of other you know hopes there’s one of the other issues with with employment is the high turnover rate so I have an idea of how I’d like to help with that but I really need to build out one thing at a time so,
so you know I think you’re exactly right about all that.
The youth mentioned and the difficulty that I see with hospitals is that for the most part they are such large organizations,
a lot of hospitals are now part of a much bigger group and that means that they are.

[38:14] Beholden to investors and the people that run those organizations by their very nature are people who look first
add their balance sheet before they look at the satisfaction of their.
Employees now you and I understand that if you have happy employees you’ll have a really popular hospital but I don’t know how we get that message across to.

[38:42] The c.e.o. types if you got any thoughts on that.
I think they’re starting to wake up there was a study done I believe I came out around.
Maybe August or September of last year and it was done it was looking at burnout in different hot different settings and one of the interesting things that it
it did was it asked the administrators if there,
if their Physicians were burned out and I lost their Physicians if they were burned out and I think about 30 percent of Hospital administrators say the.
Yes we think that there’s some burnout whereas something like eighty percent of Physicians,
so that so so I think a part of it is education I think you know I think it’s very unfortunate that Physicians can no longer owned hospitals because we’re the ones that get into this because we care and not.
With a purely Financial reason.
I think it would be great if Physicians can own hospitals again because you know where the backbone of healthcare.

[39:49] I do think you know there’s physician Wellness committees coming up and all of that and I think the more of us that are vocal about it the better I know I was speaking with someone earlier today about you know being
being labeled as a disruptive physician for trying to make change actually spoken to people today the troublemakers for trying to take care of our patients when our when our clinics are flooded or you know we get reprimanded for
asking to fire a patient that’s that’s dangerous or you know all these silly things or you know when we speak up against them we get.
Labeled as disruptive or fired or replaced so.

[40:32] The solution I think has to be that enough of us are willing to walk away I
I don’t know what other solution there is other than as banging our heads against the wall telling them where burned-out were burned out were burned out I think people have to just be willing to put their
money where the mouth is and get up and leave the systems that are abusing them.

[40:57] When you know the I think and I want to make me the focus of the show but I am interested in your opinion on this I think the model actually already exists
you can have excellence in healthcare you can have people in charge you understand what excellent Healthcare looks like and the only place you have to look is at
places like Mayo Clinic and the auctioneer clinic and the Lahey Clinic and institutions of that sort,
who keep their Physicians heavily involved in the decision making.
That goes into the running of the organization’s the problem that I see is there’s just not.
Enough of that and if more people are doing what you’re doing and pointing out to Physicians that they can actually step in and be
part of the solution I think we might have a chance at success would you agree with that.

[42:01] 100% 100% I couldn’t agree with you more the organizations and this is this is a part of my private practice tends to have lower burnout rates it’s because the doctors have a say and you know I think,
you know there’s a study multiple studies that have come out showing physician coaching helps and and then of course then it ends,
affects the bottom line as well which is what they care about but I agree I think you know the organizations that involve their Physicians tend to be more successful,
financially as well because they don’t have to keep people turn over the doctors are
dying to tell you what they need just listen you know just listen to the doctors and I understand the caveat that doctors have no business training and don’t understand
that we need to make money in order to be able to hire you.
But so we’re smart people you know teach us teach us about that and if we need longer visits we need longer visits you know so I think the big thing is just listen the doctors will tell you what we need.

[43:11] I think there is no better word to close the conversation then listen
Lara and I thank you very much for sharing your time with us today has been great hearing your story but what I’m going to do now is take the opportunity to turn the program over entirely to you and we’re going to do
for all about I’m going to close my Mike and dr. Laura Hoffman is going to share with us her personal prescriptions for success.

[43:38] All right I have three prescriptions for personal success prescription number one.
Self-awareness one tab poq six months number 90 with unlimited refills
so for self-awareness I think it is super important to put a reminder on your calendar so that you don’t forget just to check in with yourself so
we get so caught up in our daily lives that we don’t actually.
Realize what’s going on with ourselves and we’re just get so caught up in the rat race
that we may not notice that maybe restoring to burn out maybe we’re not maybe we don’t have enough time with our spouse or our kids or our parents or our friends you know there’s so many things that we
put aside
for so many reasons and in a big part of that as Physicians we put it aside for our patients and in part we neglect ourselves so what I recommend to.
A lot of the candidates in the Physicians that I speak to is every 6 months put it on your calendar to just sit down for an hour and check in with yourself,
how are things going for you how is you know how would you like your life to be different what can you change realistically what can you change maybe in the future so maybe it’s not realistic now
but what would you like to be different and how can you get there and and a lot of this comes up with you know burnout in practices or.

[45:08] Or you know practicing maybe in a way that you don’t want to be practicing or living the life that you do or don’t want to be living so check in with yourself every 6 months set it on the calendar don’t forget.
And don’t put it off when you see it on the calendar prescription number two is self care.
Take one tab po daily number 90 with unlimited refills
so this goes off of prescription number one which is self-awareness it is so important to take care of ourselves
so that we can take care of our families and our patients and our friends so make sure you do something everyday for yourself whether that’s exercise,
get a good night’s sleep meditate have a hobby maybe your hubby is something that is exercise so
awesome then that’s killing two birds with one stone but really make sure to take care of yourself as like you know we say put your oxygen mask on before you put on your child’s off oxygen mask if you take care of yourself you’ll be able to be more present for your family more present for your
patience and just a happier person and then my third prescription for success is bravery.
One tab po daily PRN number 90 with unlimited refills.

[46:30] In life and in our careers there are going to be so many things that scare us whether that’s standing up for ourselves standing up for our patients standing up for our families.
And those scary things shouldn’t hold us back and what I believed true bravery to be is.
When there’s something that scares you,
but you know it’s something that’s right or that you should do and you do it anyway you do it scared so absolutely Embrace bravery if it means
being labeled a disruptive physician because of something that needs to happen for your safety or your patient safety or your staff,
do be brave step out of your comfort zone because in your comfort zone is where.
A lot of a lot of what we’ve gotten ourselves into has happened and we need to step out of our comfort zone and be brave and face our fears to effect real change for ourselves our patients our families.

[47:36] And the lives of everyone around us and those are my three prescriptions for Success you are wise beyond your years,
and I really appreciate you sharing your wisdom with us today it’s been a lot of fun talking with you before we go I want to give you an opportunity to,
tell our audience so we’re you can be found and how you can be contacted.
Yeah absolutely and I would really really appreciate if anyone reaches out to me I would really really love to speak with you my website is www.happinessis.jeunesseglobal.com it is not.com so
on there there’s a contact form you can fill it out and I will get back to you it
typically takes me just a few days but I will definitely get back to you you can find me on LinkedIn I live on LinkedIn so I’m Laura hochman MD on LinkedIn
and you can just reach out you know friend me reach out to me or as called connect connect with me there
I have a YouTube channel called happy day Health by Lara hochman MD please go check it out subscribe like anything that you see and share it with anyone that you think
may be helpful but I’m on everything on Tick-Tock I’m on Instagram and please do contact me I’d love to hear from you.

[48:53] Well I think a lot of people probably will our and they’ll be glad they did and by the way I really do like your YouTube channel.
It’s very entertaining and very informative.
And once again thank you so much for being here it has been a great pleasure having you on prescription for success
thank you so much for joining us today we really appreciate a review from you and a five-star rating helps give our podcast much more visibility.
And reach many more listeners.
Exclusive content is available on our patreon page including membership only material like personal rapid fire Q&A sessions with our.

[49:35] To be sure you never miss an episode visit our website at RX for success podcast.com to.
And while you’re there learn how to get CME credit from cmf I just by listening.

[49:50] Special thanks to Ryan Jones who created and performs our theme music and remember. to fill your prescription for success with my next episode.

[/expand]