Empowering Women Physicians
This podcast addresses the challenges faced by women physicians, who often struggle with stress and burnout despite the nobility of their profession. It encourages them to reflect on the Hippocratic Oath and prioritize their own well-being, rather than relying solely on self-sacrifice. Host Dr. Sunny Smith, a practicing physician and certified coach, offers practical tools to help women physicians assess their current lives, identify what they love, and make meaningful changes. The goal is to empower them to care for themselves so they can continue caring for others.
Episodes
Episode # 36 - Fierce Self Compassion with Dr. Kristen Neff
This episode included clips from a workshop inside the Empowering Women Physicians coaching program with Dr. Kristen Neff on self-compassion. We discuss the difference between tender self-compassion and fierce self-compassion. Dr. Neff speaks up about the need for women to advocate for themselves and how that is indeed an act of self-compassion. We discussed that self-compassion can be measured
Episode # 35 - Jill Bolte Taylor (the neuroanatomy of psychology)
In this episode, we listen to a full two hour workshop held inside the EWP Coaching Program with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. She is a Harbard neuroanatomist who had a stroke that led her to see her brain and psychology in a whole new way. Her TED talk is one of the most watched of all time and author of the books My Stroke of Insight and Whole Brain Living. She shares her neuroanatomically based psyc
Episode #34 - Radical Responsibility vs Over-Responsiblity
In this episode, we discuss the unseen burden and mental load of taking over-responsibility for things that aren't ours to carry. We discuss the difference between taking Radical Responsibility for those things that are yours to control (your thoughts, feelings, actions, and results) as opposed to taking responsibility for things that are not yours to control (such as others thoughts, feelings, a
Episode #33 - What Matters Most
In this episode, Dr. Sunny Smith reflects on how a recent life threatening situation helped her to see what things really matter in the end, and how most of the things we spend so much time worrying about don't really matter at all. It changed her perspective to help her take radical responsiblity for making choices in her life that didn't serve her. She also announced a brand new physician co
Episode #32 - Oprah & Inner Knowing
Our last episode was a conversation with Dr. Edith Eger on how we always have a choice. No matter our situation, we always have a choice. This episode is a reflection on a conversation with her and Oprah Winfrey that included how we go about making our choices when the answer doesn't seem clear. Oprah discussed her own reflections with and experiences of Inner Knowing. She says we were all bo
Episode #31 - Dr. Edith Eger
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Edith Eger who is a 97 year old Holocaust survivor, clinical psychologist, and New York Times Best Selling author of the book The Choice. The wisdom she shares is truly unforgettable. She teaches us how her mother taught her that no one could take away from her what she put in her mind. She reminds us that we all have choice, no matter the circumstance. L
Episode #30 - Learned Helplessness Part 2 (Learning Control)
In this episode we examine the evolution of the understanding of Learned Helplessness. We review the neuroscience that explains how helplessness is a default and what we are actually learning is control. This allows us to have a deeper understanding for ourselves and compassion for ourselves when we do feel helplessness in the face of ongoing challenges. It also empowers us to proactively stren
Episode #29 - Learned Helplessness Part 1
In this episode we learn about Martin Seligman's initial experiments on Learned Helplessness. This context can help us better understand ourselves and why we may sometimes not believe that we have power to take action to decrease our own suffering. In person event: EWP Toronto 2024 with Liz Gilbert and Martha Beck - click here Coaching Guide: To download click here Podcast link: To send t
Episode #28 - Indoctrination
In this episode we talk about the indoctrination all of us went through during our medical training. In the next episode we will discuss learned helplessness, unlearning, and re-learning agency and self-efficacy. References and resources mentioned in this podcast References 1. Greenawald MH MD, FAAFP, Pipas CF MD, MPH, FAAFP. The Power Of Coaching: Supercharge Your Personal and Professional We
Episode # 27 - There is no badge of honor
In this episode we talk about the important role of "micro-mentoring" in facebook groups for women physicians. We also discuss one such example where women physicians reflect on and call out beliefs we have or actions we take, as if there were a badge of honor for sacrificing ourselves for others. Let's tell the truth - from our own painfully gained knowledge that there is NO badge of honor
Episode # 26 - The Power of Our Stories
Human beings are enthralled by stories and use them as tools to connect, to make sense of the world, to engage and transmit information from one person to another, one community to another, and one generation to another. Our stories influence our beliefs and our culture. Personal heartfelt stories engage our brain in unique and powerful ways. We'll talk about why we encourage others to tell the
Episode # 25 - What we really do
We are thrilled to be back after a year long break from releasing new episodes to bring you more of the Empowering Women Physicians podcast. In this episode, we hope to help you reflect on what you really do and the meaning and impact you have on people's lives. Dr. Edith Eger's powerful book The Choice can be found here. The free anonymous confidential Physician Support Line can be found at
Episode # 24 - Dr. Milene Argo's internal and external transformation through coaching
Dr. Milene Argo started her journey with coaching 3 years ago, which started with 80 lb weight loss, she then applied this work to optimizing her clinical practice, to managing her inbox, finally leaving work at work, no more charting at home, self acceptance, COVID, and even recent anti-racism awareness. She is one of the best I know in using coaching techniques with her patients during rout
Episode # 23 - Dr. Sonia Wright (sex, mentoring, racism, continuous transformation)
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Sonia Wright about her journey, continuous transformation from her time in college, postbacc, residency, fellowship, parenting, mentoring, coaching, sex, intimacy, racism, and her experience living in the Twin Cities, MN during recent months and the anti-racism movement. https://soniawrightmd.com/ PDF guide: bit.ly/sexualintimacyguide
Episode # 22 - Dr Stella Evans (pediatrician in Minneapolis during recent uprisings)
Dr. Stella Evans reflects on the last few months and how our paths crossed when she reached out while she was on quarantine for fever and cough. She then found herself at the epicenter of the world's attention as the recent anti-racism uprisings literally came to the streets in front of her home and clinic. She reflects on how examining her thoughts, feelings, and actions during this historic
Episode # 21 - Dr. Sarah Watler (Intern year in NYC, COVID, racism)
Dr. Sarah Watler is one of my former medical students who has spent the last year as an Intern in New York City in the largest medical center in the area hardest hit by COVID (the Bronx). She speaks openly about her experiences this year. As a Family Medicine intern focused on social justice she never expected to be doing months of critical care at the epicenter of an international pandemic. She
Episode # 20 - How are you feeling? (Affect labelling)
How are you feeling? No really, how are you feeling. Pick a word. See if you can name how you are feeling right now. Affect labelling (naming an emotion) has been shown to decrease distress. In this episode, we talk about the neuroscience behind using your own brain to feel better. Download the feelings list here https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/feelings/ Virtual summit link here Affect l
Episode # 19 - Offering some hope (including Dr. Krista Olsen's story of being COVID+, recovering, and returning to clinical care)
While the COVID pandemic is spreading, I wanted to encourage us to manage what is within our control, including flattening the curve. This episode also includes reminders that now more than ever caring for yourself IS caring for others. We can accept reality while offering hope. You'll hear from Dr. Krista Olsen, a full time obstetrician and certified coach in our program. She was COVID positive
Episode # 18 - COVID-19 pandemic
On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Today, March 13, 2020, the United States declared a national emergency. This has impacted all of us. Particularly physicians. We talk about how you can see this as an opportunity to use your voice, to speak, to lead, to work together. WHO announcemement of pandemic is here. The link to sign up for free COVID-19 rela
Episode #17 - Megan's story
In this very special episode, Dr. Megan Galaske tells her story. Her journey of transformation, from suffering to thriving in just a few short months. She attributes this change to finding women physician groups who offered support, podcasts, and coaching. She implemented these changes in her life and you'll love to hear from her. Her words. Her journey. Her transformation. And...we do hav
Episode # 16 - National Women Physicians Day
In this episode, we learn how National Women Physicians Day became a holiday four years ago from one of the women that made this happen. On February 3 of each year, we now celebrate the birthday of Elizabeth Blackwell MD the first woman physician in the United States. See the original press release here
Episode # 15 - Hala Sabry Founder of Physician Moms Group (PMG)
Welcome the beloved Hala Sabry, founder of PMG. You'll hear how PMG came to exist from a night she was feeling worry and anxiety sitting all alone on her sofa at night worrying about how she could possibly figure out how to take care of 3 small children (including twins about to be born) while being an Emergency Dept physician with unpredictable shifts and high demands. She reached out to her fr
Episode # 14 - Real client interview series. Bonnie Koo MD (Money for Women Physicians)
It's now officially a year since this podcast started! This episode will start a series of interviews of real clients, real women physicians, who have all changed their lives in some way through coaching. Bonnie Koo MD has been coaching with Sunny for over a year and went from feeling trapped to realizing she had much more freedom than she realized. She has gone from a new mother and employed derm
Episode # 13 - The data on coaching physicians
In this episode, Dr Sunny Smith shares the brand new Randomized Controlled Trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine documenting that coaching decreases distress and improves physician well-being. Download your free self coaching guide here: https://empoweringwomenphysicians.com/guide/ Main reference discussed in this podcast: Dyrbye LN, Shanafelt TD, Gill PR, Satele DV, West CP. Effect of a
Episode #12 - Choose your own adventure
I encourage you to consider periodically looking at your life with the playful childlike lens of a "Choose your own adventure" story. Maybe find a children's book or even an adult book in this genre or watch the Netflix interactive narrative Banderdash https://www.netflix.com/title/80988062 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mirror:_Bandersnatch It might just start to change the way you see thi
Episode # 11 - She believed she could so she did
What you think over and over, your automatic thoughts, become your beliefs. What you believe is possible for your life is often what you create in your life. What would you like to believe? If you could believe anything was possible? If I had a platter of beliefs and you could choose any one you wanted. If you could teach yourself it's possible that __________, what would you like to believe you c
Episode # 10 - A Woman Physician in the House & Opportunities
In this episode, we celebrate the arrival of the first woman physician in Congress, Dr. Kim Schrier. Woo hooooo!!! As well as celebrating over 100 women now representing us in congress (127 to be exact; 102 in the House and 25 in the Senate). We also ask you to consider looking for opportunities. There are many places where you may feel powerless but may be able to start to take back your
Episode # 9 - Results in the New Year
In this episode we reflect on the past year and how to get the results we want in the New Year. We reinforce, review, and build on some of the tools and information we have discussed thus far in the podcast and put them all together to purposefully create a great new year. References https://www.history.com/news/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions Xu JQ, Murphy SL, Kochanek KD, Bastian B, Arias
Episode #8 - Scientific Method / Experiments
In this episode, we discuss how you can apply the scientific method to your life. As children we are natural scientists and experiment with the world to learn how things work. As we physicians we are trained scientists. We want to cultivate that intellectual curiosity and start to apply what we have learned thus far about our power, our control, our choices, our ability to improve our own lives
Episode #7 - Narrative, Attention, & Socratic Method (Empowering Questions)
We discuss how important it is to have control of our own narrative. We also discuss how cognitive psychology studies reveal that we notice things only when we purposefully focus our attention on looking for them. We also look at what questions we are often asking ourselves, how our brain seeks to answer questions, and how we can utilize that to our advantage to ask more empowering questions to
Episode # 6 - Speaking up & conference highlights
This episode discusses how women can speak up and advocate for themselves by advocating for others (the mama bear effect). We then discuss key take home points from a recent Women In Medicine conference that many women physicians could find useful. References Book: Friend & Foe: When to cooperate, when to compete, and how to succeed at both by Adam Galinsky. Summary of his Ted Talk: https:/
Episode #5 - Choices
In this episode, Dr Sunny Smith describes how she quite literally fell into a situation that left her realizing she didn't really HAVE to do all the things she usually did that kept her so busy. We make choices about our lives every single day without even realizing it. We all have much more power than we have ever realized to make choices to create our lives more intentionally.
Episode #4 - Plan (decide, commit)
Just as we are used to making an assessment and plan in medicine, we are going to talk about making an assessment and plan for your life. This episode encourages women physicians to set goals, decide what results they'd like to see in their lives, then commit to creating their life with intention.
Episode #3 - Subjective vs Objective (The Story of Your Life vs "Just the facts ma'am")
This episode describes how to separate facts from the stories we are telling ourselves about them. It helps us identify the narrative and empowers us to CHANGE the narrative. In medicine we have subjective versus objective sections of our notes for a reason. Let's apply the same logic to our lives and see where it takes us.
Episode #2 - Assessment (taking a look at your current life)
This episode talks about the need to become aware of your thoughts about your life right now. There are perhaps some things you love, some things that are okay, and things that you'd like to change. In medicine, our first step is to take a good history before we make an assessment. An accurate and well informed assessment is necessary before embarking on making a plan. We will use the same forma
Episode #1 - Intro & Why This Matters
In this episode, we'll talk about a little bit about the context in which we current practice medicine, history, the Hippocratic Oath, and what you can do to start maintaining the utmost respect for your OWN human life and its quality. References discussed in this podcast Desai T, Ali S, Fang X, et al. Equal work for unequal pay: the gender reimbursement gap for healthcare providers in the Unit
Recommended
Mother Daughter Relationship Show
Skin Deep MDs with Dr. Mamina Turegano, Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky and Dr. Jenny Liu
girl talk 🎧🫧
Booked, Blonde & Busy w/ Olivia Ponton
LOVE SOMEONE with Delilah
Classical Christian Education
Veritas Vox - The Voice of Classical Christian Education
Enjoy Teaching Again | Elementary, Teacher Burnout, Student Behavior, SEL, Classroom Management
Entrepreneur Kids Legacy Show - Family Motivation, Business Boss Babies, Inspirational Speakers and Healthy fun food
McKinsey on Consumer and Retail
megahired.com
Telli Talks with Telli Swift
