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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast physician health and fitness coach, Mike Coval.

As physicians, our drive to perform at our best often comes at the expense of our own personal health. Many physicians have a perfectionist mindset that can lead to great professional heights. That perfectionism can be a detriment to a physician’s health and wellness.

Physicians lead high stress, high demand lifestyles. The unpredictable nature of medicine can make it difficult to stick to a regular workout schedule. Finding a structure that allows you to be flexible and consistent is the key to long-term success.

What steps does Mike suggest we do to achieve consistency with our own health and wellness?

• Step 1 - Don’t try to live in a perfect world. Live in your own reality. If you have no history of working out five days a week, don’t set that as the bar when you’re just starting out.
• Step 2 - Set realistic goals that you can actually follow through with. That could mean working out just once a week.
• Step 3 - Understand that where you’re starting now isn’t forever. If you start with a realistic plan and build on it consistently, you will get better and better over time.

Most importantly, PRACTICE building a consistent routine!

BIO

Mike Coval founded the Physician Vitality Collective.

His work focuses on closing the gap between professional performance and personal health—helping physicians reduce pain, improve body composition, and develop the physical capacity to sustain long careers in medicine. He does this through building out customized health & fitness plans which start with a 1-on-1 assessment.

He is also the author of The Physician Vitality Blueprint, a framework designed to help physicians feel, look, and perform at a level that matches the standards they hold in their profession. He’s been coaching since 2007, with a client list that runs from NBA players to a 90-year-old veteran living with Alzheimer's. If you want to feel better in and out of the OR, schedule a free 20-minute Discovery Call to see what a plan built for you would look like by clicking here.

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SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Send us Fan Mail

Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast pediatrician, former ACGME wellness officer, and author of the book The Success Trap, Dr. Stuart Slavin.

The primary driver of burnout and mental health issues for physicians is the system and environment. But we also have to recognize that environment isn’t the only driver. Medical professionals are particularly susceptible to self-critical mindsets that can significantly reduce well-being.

Physicians and surgeons are tough on themselves and often lack self-compassion. These mindsets contribute to self-narratives that are often inaccurate and can compound the stress of a challenging work environment. Here are a few examples of these self-critical mindsets:

• Maladaptive perfectionism - setting the bar so high for yourself that you’re continually disappointed in yourself.
• Imposter syndrome - feeling like a fraud.
• Toxic comparison - only feeling good if you’re outperforming others.
• Performance as identity - equating feedback to who you are as a person.

What steps does Stuart suggest we take to change these mindsets?

Step 1 - Recognize that these mindsets are on the rise, especially in younger students and trainees.

Step 2 - Address these mindsets early on in training. The goal isn't to get rid of these mindsets, but to recognize when you’re thinking a certain way and challenge those thoughts.

Most importantly, PRACTICE changing your mindset!

BIO

Dr. Slavin a nationally recognized well-being expert, has several lenses that inform his view of the current child and adolescent mental health crisis. A board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Slavin practiced general pediatrics for seventeen years at UCLA. As a researcher, Dr. Slavin has conducted studies involving the mental health of medical students, medical residents, medical education staff, and in recent years, high school and college students. Dr. Slavin’s interest in mental health and well-being began when, as curriculum dean at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, he spearheaded efforts to improve the mental health of medical students that led to 80% reductions in rates of depression and anxiety–all while increasing performance levels. Dr. Slavin is a frequent lecturer who speaks regularly at schools and regional, national, and international education meetings. Dr. Slavin has received numerous education, teaching, and clinical awards and recognition over the course of his career, including the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award in 2013.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Send us Fan Mail

Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast Adeolu Adeboye, a board-certified trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist, medical educator, author, and founder of Shekinah Global Healthcare Foundation.

One way to look at our “purpose” is by asking the question, “what are we here to contribute?”

We often underestimate the value of what has been placed in our hands simply because we use these skills every day. As surgeons, certain operations become routine and commonplace. But for a patient who has been unable to have an operation, that procedure that is routine to the surgeon is completely life-changing to the patient. Something that has become ordinary to you professionally, can be extraordinary to someone else.

It’s important to distinguish between purpose, meaning, and fulfillment. Purpose is what you’re here to contribute. Meaning comes from understanding why that contribution matters. Fulfillment is the joy that you experience when your actions align with your purpose.

Purpose is not necessarily something you find by looking for a grand calling. Often it becomes clearer when you identify what you’ve been given.

What questions does Adeolu suggest we ask ourselves to find our purpose?

• Question 1 - What has been placed in your hands?
• Question 2 - Who could benefit from the skills I have?
• Question 3 - How can I put my skills to work?

Most importantly, PRACTICE purpose!

BIO

Dr. Adeolu Adeboye is a board-certified trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist, medical educator, author, and founder of Shekinah Global Healthcare Foundation. Through the foundation, he leads free medical and surgical missions in underserved communities, focusing on expanding access to care, training local healthcare professionals, and building sustainable capacity. His work reflects a commitment to using medicine, leadership, and service to create lasting impact.

Website:

Healthcare Access for Underserved Communities in Nigeria

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shekinah_ghf/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570593261430

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!