The Worthy Physician
"Reigniting your humanity and passion for medicine."
Welcome to The Worthy Physician, a podcast for physicians, other healthcare workers, and high-performing individuals seeking to reconnect with their humanity, rediscover their passion for medicine, and redefine fulfillment. This podcast offers reflection, healing, and authentic storytelling in a world where burnout, imposter syndrome, and overwhelming expectations are shared.
Medicine is more than a profession—it's a calling. Yet, modern healthcare often leaves physicians feeling disconnected, chasing milestones that fail to bring lasting satisfaction. The Worthy Physician challenges these narratives, prioritizing well-being, core values, and authenticity.
Why Listen?
1. Physician Burnout: Understand its causes and recovery strategies to rediscover joy in medicine.
2. Authentic Self: Explore your identity beyond the white coat and integrate it into all aspects of life.
3. Imposter Syndrome: Overcome doubts, embrace your worth, and value your contributions to medicine.
4. The Arrival Fallacy: Break free from achievement-driven dissatisfaction and find fulfillment in the present.
5. Core Values: Align decisions with what truly matters to live purpose-driven lives.
6. Financial Empowerment: Gain insights on managing debt, creating sustainability, and building financial literacy.
7. Real Stories: Hear physicians' struggles and triumphs, fostering connection and solidarity.
8. Healing Through Storytelling: Share and listen to stories that inspire resilience and growth.
What to Expect
Each episode blends:
- Engaging in Conversations with experts in medicine, psychology, and finance.
- Real-life stories from physicians who've navigated similar challenges.
- Practical Strategies for addressing burnout, improving balance, and enhancing well-being.
- A Supportive Community that celebrates your victories and offers encouragement.
Why It Matters
You are more than your profession—you're a human being with dreams and aspirations. The Worthy Physician reminds you to prioritize your values, honor your well-being, and reignite your passion for medicine.
Who Should Listen?
This podcast is for physicians seeking clarity, fulfillment, and alignment, whether struggling with burnout, imposter syndrome, or the pressures of the medical field.
Join the Movement
Redefine what it means to be a physician today. Subscribe to The Worthy Physician and take the first step toward a healthier, more compassionate approach to medicine.
The Worthy Physician
When Fear Protects Your Values
We explore how fear hides in perfectionism, avoidance, and imposter syndrome, and show how to turn it into values-based action. A brief breath exercise and practical prompts help you name the fear, reframe it, and choose the next right step.
• fear as information, not instruction
• perfectionism and avoidance in clinical life
• amygdala and the physiology of fear
• identity threats and imposter syndrome
• values mapping to transform fear into action
• a simple breath practice and self-talk
• practical micro-steps for clarity and courage
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who'd love it too
Don't forget to follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram for more updates and insights
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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Though I am a physician, this is not medical advice. This is only a tool that physicians can use to get ideas on how to deal with burnout and/or know they are not alone. If you are in need of medical assistance talk to your physician.
Learn more about female physicians' journey through burnout to thriving!
https://www.theworthyphysician.com/books
Let's connect for speaking opportunities!
https://www.theworthyphysician.com/dr-shahhaque-md-as-a-speaker
Check out the free resources from The Worthy Physician:
https://www.theworthyphysician.com/freebie-downloads
Battle of the Boxes
21 Day Self Focus Journal
Welcome to another episode of The Worthy Physician. I'm your host, Dr. Supna Shaw Hawk, reigniting your humanity and passion for medicine. With each episode, we bring you inspiring stories, actionable insight, and expert advice. Get ready for another engaging conversation that could change the way you think and live. As a physician, your income is your greatest asset. Protect it with Pattern Life, the easy, stress-free way to find the right disability insurance. With unbiased comparisons and no jargon, Pattern helps you to choose the best policy for your needs. Secure your future today at Pattern Life. The link is in the show notes. Let's dive in. Spooky season was upon us and now it's gone. But let's go ahead and talk about fear. Whether in clinic or in our personal lives, we've all faced fear. The fear of failure, the fear of judgment, fear of losing control, or losing what we've built. But what if fear wasn't the enemy? What if fear was the doorway to something deeper? Maybe clarity, courage, or freedom? Sounds a little counterintuitive, doesn't it? We think fear as paralysis, as stopping, as avoiding a more complicated or challenging path. But let's break it down. Fear often shows up quietly. Sometimes it sneaks up on us. Sometimes it shows up as perfectionism. That extra hour tweaking a chart note or over prepping for a case. Our mind gets the best of us. We spin our wheels more and more and more. Over time it can become avoidance. The emails you never send, the conversations that are delayed, the decisions that are postponed. Now don't get me wrong, there's an art to it. There's a difference between prioritizing and just completing, completely putting it off. I'm guilty of both. And medicine, we're trained to try and control the uncertainty, but fear thrives in uncertainty. We measure, we test, we document, but we rarely pause and say, what am I afraid of? What do I fear? Not necessarily in the exam room, but the 30,000-foot view of life in general. What do I fear? For many physicians, fear hides behind achievements. If I achieve more, it means more, and that drowns out the fear. We fear being seen as weak or replaceable. But the truth is, it's like Voldemort. So if you're a Harry Potter fan, you know. If you know, you know. The fear of saying only of saying the name only increases the fear of the thing itself. So go ahead, have the fear, but name it. What are you exactly afraid of? Speak it out loud. Talk about it. Sit with the uncomfortable feelings that it brings. Now, the logic of fear. It makes sense. When fear hits, the amygdala fires. It floors your body with adrenaline and cortisol, your heart races, your breath changes, your palms get sweaty, potentially you become you become hyperfocused. Your body literally prepares to fight, flee, or freeze. That's great if you're facing a natural predator, but today we aren't necessarily in survival mode. It's chronic stress. A lot of it might be centered around identity. Who am I if I fail? Who am I if I'm not the best physician? Who am I if I am not the perfect parent? Understanding that fear is your body's attempt to protect yourself or to protect you may help shift that narrative. What do I mean? Well, let's break down first off what you fear. And then I would say, what triggers that fear? And how much time of your day do you spend in that state of fear? Again, let's frame it that it is to be something that will help keep us alive from a natural predator. So it should be short-lived. So what does all this mean? There was a great moment in my early career when I felt paralyzed. As a new attending, it was challenging to not be not become a victim of uh imposter syndrome. I was in my early 30s, of course. Yes, I was told that I looked too young to be a doctor. I initially thought, gosh, that's a bit that's a bit judgy, but looking back, I find it really complimentary. Maybe medicine has a way of aging us. After nearly 15 years of practice, I might find myself at points having imposter syndrome, but I recorrect that thinking by saying, I've been practicing for 15 years, and do I know everything? No, but I do know where to find it. So courage isn't the absence of fear, it's moving through it because something greater is calling you. Something greater is on the other side. And I think that sometimes we lose sight of that. But it's easy to lose sight of human interaction or normal human emotions when we have patients scheduled every 15 to 20 minutes or need to be in two places at once. And if you listeners have found a way to bi locate, please let me know because that is definitely something that I am struggling with. And yes, that's a pot shot at humor. Now, let's talk about transforming fear into fuel. Fear can be used as a compass. If we trace it back, it often points to our deepest values. The fear of feeling often hides a love of excellence. The fear of speaking up hides a value for integrity. The fear of losing control hides the longing for safety and connection. So when you name the value behind the fear, you can reclaim your power. A thing that goes back to naming what you're afraid of and maybe why. And it's not gonna come up the initial time that you deep dive into it all the time. It may or may not. Just like anything, dissecting these feelings, these thoughts, these triggers, it's gonna take some time. But if we can link them back to core values, it might help us point ourselves in the right direction. So here's a short exercise. Think of something you're afraid of right now, and then ask yourself, and if you don't have an answer, that's okay. What value is this fear protecting? Fear, when present, isn't necessarily always the obstacle. It's the invitation. It's the invitation to let's dance and understand this fear. What triggers it? What does it evolve from? Or from where? Why, and what value, what core value is tied to it? When I feel fear, when I express fear, what core value of mind do I feel is not present? So let's take a brief moment together. If you are driving, I would recommend that you do this when you are at a stopping point or in more of a sedentary position. If you can, pause and close your eyes. Breathe in deeply through your nose and hold for three seconds. Exhale slowly through your mouth and say silently, I can feel fear and still be safe. I can be uncertain and still move forward. You don't have to eliminate fear to act with courage. You may hold both at once. So just remember, fear is a universal teacher. When you stop running from it, it often becomes the guide that might take you to where you least expect it, to authenticity, to truth. So to all those out there that still have pumpkins or Halloween decorations on their front porch or in their windows, because mine stay up all year round, I have a great one. And remember, fear doesn't necessarily have to be the enemy. And even though spooky season is over, fear is what we let it be. Thanks for tuning in to another episode from the Worthy Physician Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who'd love it too. Don't forget to follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram for more updates and insights. Until next time, keep inspiring, learning, growing, and living your best life.