Inspired Mom MDs

90: When Medicine Changes You: Traumatic Stress and Healing for Doctor Moms Dr. Kemia Sarraf

Cindy Van Praag, MD Episode 90

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 42:33

Find the full transcript and more resources for physician moms at inspiredmommds.com/90.

Medicine teaches you how to save lives. 

It rarely teaches you what repeated exposure to suffering does to you.

Today’s episode is about traumatic stress in physicians – not burnout, not weakness, and not something you can outwork.

I’m joined by Dr. Kimia Serraf – Dr. K – a physician, public health expert, and nationally recognized leader in trauma-informed education and culture change.

At one point she says, “Stress isn’t the problem. Unprocessed stress is.”

We talk about why compartmentalization works… until it doesn’t, how trauma accumulates quietly, and what it means to be fully professional without disconnecting from your humanity.

If medicine feels heavier than it used to, and you can’t quite explain why, this conversation will.

Let’s begin.

Links for Dr. K:

Lodestar - https://www.lodestarpc.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkemia/

Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/KemiaS



Text me your thoughts on the episode!

Loved this one? A rating/review helps more physician moms find the show. And if you know someone who needs to hear this episode specifically, please send it her way!

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice or care. I’m a board-certified physician, but this content isn’t connected to my clinical practice, and no doctor-patient relationship is formed here. Please always talk to your own health professional about any mental or physical health concerns. And as always, take what helps and leave the rest. Please see InspiredMomMDs.com for full legal disclaimer. 

 __________
I work with physician moms who want to take back control of their time and energy so they can prioritize what matters most.