I had the pleasure of recently connecting with Diana Londoño, MD on her webinar, Voices in Medicine. She is a busy urologist in California and also runs a free online support program, Physician Coach Support. This service is meant for physicians, especially in times of need such as burnout or professional stress.
Our talk “Creating a Multidimensional Career” is for all to enjoy, not just physicians. Here’s a quick rundown of the replay:
⏳ 3:10—We reviewed pivoting away from a 25 year career including my concierge internal medicine practice Partnership in Health and my weight management and wellness program Menu for Change. I walked away to nothing! Pausing to acknowledge space/time to regain creativity became essential, as well as promoting self-trust. Pivoting allowed a new perspective.
⏳ 8:40—The process of finding my next steps included focus groups to better learn about patient needs and desires. Focusing on telemedicine was a big decision and I had to discover how to relate to patients and colleagues in a new way. I was able to become the “hidden” team member with the formation of myMDadvocate.
⏳ 17:00—We talked about the “why” for starting a novel way to support patients. Equally important was collaborating with so many different colleagues 1:1 on coffee dates over the past three years. This sharing of human experiences often exposed the sheer fatigue and distress of so many physicians in medicine.
⏳ 20:30—Honoring the memory of a late patient’s story reminds us all that making a difference for just one person is not to be understated.
⏳ 23:00—Shifting our discussion, we talked about my pandemic passion project MenopauseMenu, a free informational website for all. This helped to shape ideas for The Menopause Menu book, with robust inclusion of art as a nod to the coffee table books of my formative years.
⏳ 28:25—“Being true to myself” was part of my writing process early on, which fueled the writing and publishing learning curve in a confident manner.
⏳ 31:40—And another turn in our conversation: my connection to the nonprofit Cancer Lifeline over the past 20 years. A reminder that doing things outside of our career path—volunteering—gives us joy and provides service to others.
⏳ 36:10—A first: I was able to talk about my own cancer story which continues to unwind over the past five months. I have quickly seen how things really do happen for a reason, and I remain grateful for all my professional connections and for feeling like I do have some control over cancer. There is a clear analogy with Physician Coach Support helping colleagues.
⌛️ 42:40—So nice to end with a bit about writing as art—I see it as a continuum. I seek to tell stories about ordinary, daily life. This is how I stay grounded and connected to others. Being vulnerable fuels the creative process, and allows for more order in times of stress.
Click here to watch the YouTube video.
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Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD is an internal medicine physician who provides telemedicine medical consultation and advocacy support for patients in WA state. Find out more at myMDadvocate.
Her new book, The Menopause Menu, is an all-in-one giftbook, medical guide and recipe book for navigating menopause.