Girl Doc Survival Guide

Christine J Ko, MD
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Medicine
  • Weekly

Young doctors are increasingly in ‘survival’ mode.    Far from flourishing, the relentless pressure of working in medicine means that ‘balance’ is harder than ever to achieve.   On the Girl Doc Survival Guide, Yale professor and dermatologist Dr Christine J Ko sits down with doctors, psychologists and mental health experts to dig into the real challenges and rewards of life in medicine.    From dealing with daily stressors and burnout to designing a career that doesn’t sacrifice your personal life, this podcast is all about giving you the tools to not just survive...    But to be present in the journey.

  1. 4 days ago

    EP241: Empowering Physicians: Dana Corriel on SoMeDocs and Healthcare Autonomy

    Dana Corriel, MD on SoMeDocs, Physician Autonomy, and Building a Digital Presence Christine interviews Dana Corriel, MD, Founder and CEO of SoMeDocs, about her background in internal medicine and healthcare innovation and what led her to build an online community and tools (including a physician directory) to promote physician autonomy amid insurance and corporate constraints that contribute to burnout. Corriel shares her career path through Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and the World Trade Center Monitoring and Treatment Program, a three-year break after her third child that sparked interest in branding and networking, and her eventual full-time departure from clinical practice, including mixed reactions to a Medscape article and initial pushback from family that later turned to support. She advises physicians to build an owned digital presence via a personal website and then use social platforms, both for career growth and patient continuity when changing jobs, and encourages questioning herd mentality, accepting criticism, and pursuing long-held dreams. 00:00 Meet Dana Corriel 01:03 Travel Tales With Parents 01:46 Why SoMeDocs Exists 04:04 Autonomy And Burnout 05:31 Stepping Away From Practice 07:24 Backlash And Thick Skin 08:56 Family Reactions And Support 12:44 Women Entrepreneurs Pushback 14:34 Seeing Healthcare Clearly 16:41 Build Your Online Presence 19:44 Stop Chasing Acceptance 21:16 Final Encouragement And Wrap

  2. 21 Oct

    EP240: 40s and Beyond: A Woman's Guide to Muscle Health

    Perimenopause, Sarcopenia, and Metabolic Change: Strength Training, Protein, and Cortisol with Dr. Betyshia Belardo  In part two of The Girl Doc Survival Guide with Dr. Betyshia Belardo, the conversation focuses on sarcopenia (midlife muscle loss) and how reduced estrogen during perimenopause can contribute to declining muscle mass, lower metabolism, decreased strength, and weight gain with a shift in fat distribution toward the midsection. Belardo emphasizes that women can counter these changes with consistent strength training (even 15–20 minutes, 2–3 times per week), safe progressive overload rather than lifting excessively heavy weights that risk injury, and increased protein intake, recommending about 30 grams per meal while prioritizing whole foods and supplementing as needed. They discuss tracking body composition, adding fiber (about 30 grams/day), hydration, and maintaining enjoyable activity. Belardo explains cortisol’s role via stress and poor sleep, noting sleep deprivation can increase cravings and insulin resistance risk, and advises sleep, self-care, and social connection. 00:00 Welcome and Episode Setup 01:10 Sarcopenia Is Real 02:59 Why Weight Shifts Midlife 04:33 Strength Training Without Fear 05:44 Safe Progression and Overload 08:18 Tracking Body Composition Wins 09:51 Protein Targets and Meal Ideas 13:44 Cortisol Sleep and Stress 15:10 Simple Daily Habits Checklist 16:56 Wrap Up and Thanks

  3. 14 Oct

    EP239: Rethinking Disability: Insights from Tiffany Yu's Anti-Ableist Manifesto

    Tiffany Yu on Disability Pride, Ableism, and Taking Anti-Ableist Action On The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Christine interviews Tiffany Yu—Founder and CEO of Diversability and author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto—about disability identity, ableism, and practical inclusion. Yu shares a childhood car accident that caused permanent arm paralysis, temporary wheelchair use, and later a PTSD diagnosis, emphasizing that trauma care must address mental health as well as physical injuries. She discusses defining disability using the WHO’s interaction between health conditions and environmental barriers, reframing disability as “another way of being or doing,” and noting that naming disability can protect rights under the ADA. Yu defines ableism as devaluing people based on how their bodies or minds work, connects it to intersecting oppressions, and describes anti-ableism as action beyond passive “not ableist” behavior, including accessibility practices like captions and the curb cut effect. She closes with examples of readers applying the book’s ideas to make bookstores and book festivals more accessible. 00:00 Meet Tiffany Yu 00:58 Her Disability Story 02:06 Defining Disability 03:35 Reclaiming the Word 05:49 Advocacy Without Apology 09:02 What Ableism Means 10:46 Pity and Nuance 12:34 From Passive to Action 13:58 Accessibility Advantage 14:46 Final Takeaways

  4. 7 Oct

    EP238: Unraveling Menopause Myths: A Discussion with Dr. Betyshia Belardo

    Menopause Basics and Hormone Therapy: A Conversation with Dr. Betyshia Belardo Christine interviews Dr. Betyshia Belardo, a board-certified Obesity Medicine physician and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner and founder of CaliberMD, about menopause care for midlife women. Belardo defines menopause as the single day marking 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle, with perimenopause as the years leading up to it (often starting in the 40s and sometimes earlier in African American women) and postmenopause thereafter. They discuss how the Women’s Health Initiative contributed to fear around hormone therapy and how later analysis suggested benefits and lower risks when started within 10 years of the last period, versus increased risk when started later. Belardo emphasizes hormone therapy is individualized with contraindications (e.g., clot/stroke history, certain breast cancers), notes nuanced options like vaginal estrogen and non-hormonal treatments, encourages women to ask clinicians and seek specialists, and advocates for earlier, open conversations so women don’t feel they must suffer. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:00 Personal Wellness Origin Story 01:29 Menopause Defined Clearly 02:31 WHI Study and HRT Fear 05:10 Who Should Consider HRT 06:31 Contraindications and Vaginal Estrogen 07:08 Breast Cancer and Nonhormonal Options 08:07 Advocating for Yourself 10:27 Breaking the Menopause Taboo 11:19 Thriving Through the Transition 12:15 Part One Wrap Up

  5. 30 Sept

    EP237: Visible Leadership: A Conversation with Dr. Shannon Udovic Constant

    Physician Women Rising: Strategic Leadership, Visibility, and Sponsorship for Women in Medicine Christine interviews Dr. Shannon Udovic Constant, a San Francisco pediatrician and immediate past president of the largest state medical association and only the fifth woman to hold the role in over 160 years, about advancing women physicians into leadership. Dr. Constant shares a childhood story from her daughter about “boy money,” illustrating how ambition and leadership are gendered, and explains how this shaped her drive to expand women’s representation in executive rooms. Dr. Constant describes launching Physician Women Rising as coaching and education, including a weekly Substack newsletter, to teach leadership skills she learned without a roadmap. Key themes include being strategic about career direction, making impact visible, stating ambitions, and building sponsorship (distinct from mentorship) through purposeful conversations. She discusses the narrower range of acceptable leadership behaviors for women and urges intentional positioning to improve healthcare decisions. Linkd to find Dr. Constant: at her website and on her substack.   00:00 Meet Dr Shannon 00:49 Boy Money Moment 02:58 Why Visibility Matters 04:03 Launching Women Rising 06:02 Three Leadership Keys 08:20 Sponsors Not Mentors 10:07 Her Path to President 13:03 Owning Ambition 14:53 Invisible Work Trap 15:51 Leading in a Narrow Box 19:09 Taking Credit Gracefully 19:55 Final Leadership Challenge

  6. 23 Sept

    EP236: Finding Your P.A.C.E.: Dr. Judy Wright on Overcoming Burnout

    Sustainable Success and Burnout Prevention with Dr. Judy Wright: The PACE Method Christine interviews Dr. Judy Wright, a physician and sustainable performance strategist, about self-leadership, burnout, and redefining success so it “elevates your life, not erode it.” Dr. Wright shares how missing mammograms while prioritizing others led to a 2019 breast cancer diagnosis, double mastectomy, and a wake-up call that she wasn’t caring for herself and her boundaries had become “a suggestion,” especially with blurred work-from-home lines; Christine relates her own 2022 breast cancer treatment experience and how it forced her to prioritize herself. They define burnout as more than exhaustion, including disconnection, irritability, loss of joy, and diminished achievement, often missed because overwork is glorified. Dr. Wright advises scheduling oneself, taking intentional pauses, and using her PACE framework—Pause, Audit, Calibrate, Elevate—to assess goals, manage decision fatigue, set boundaries, and build sustainable success, including creating one’s own “ladder” and identity beyond roles. Links to find Dr. Wright: LinkedIn and Instagram. 00:00 Meet Dr Judy Wright 01:23 Cancer Wake Up Call 04:06 Lessons on Boundaries 05:23 Scheduling Yourself First 09:23 Burnout Warning Signs 11:19 Why We Miss Burnout 12:11 Intentional Pauses Daily 13:29 PACE Framework Explained 16:43 Keeping PACE Consistent 17:18 Redefining Success Ladder 20:12 Sustainable Success Closing

  7. 16 Sept

    EP235: Discovering Harmony: Nancy Williams’ Story of Hearing and Healing

    Nancy Williams on Hearing Loss, Accommodations, and Returning to the Piano Christine interviews Nancy M. Williams, Founder and President of Auditory Insight, who shares her lifelong journey with hearing loss, from diagnosis at age six and delayed hearing aid use to its progression to moderately severe loss. Nancy describes loving the piano as a teen, being pressured to quit due to stigma around disability, and returning to lessons years later, culminating in performing at Weill Recital Hall while wearing hearing aids, which helped inspire her to commit professionally to hearing healthcare and advocacy. They discuss language choices around “disability” versus “difference,” Dr. Michael Hoffman’s advice to never apologize for hearing loss, and the importance of seeking accommodations (including seat placement and Zoom needs). Nancy emphasizes that hearing loss is often invisible, urges giving others grace, and explains distinctions between hearing vs. understanding and hearing vs. listening. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:01 Nancy's Hearing Loss Story 02:06 Piano Passion and Comeback 04:39 Disability Language Talk 06:16 Never Apologize and Ask 09:14 Parents Processing Diagnosis 11:57 Hearing Loss Is Invisible 13:37 Hearing Versus Understanding 15:04 Listening and Closing Thanks

  8. 9 Sept

    EP234: Reflecting on a Summer of Busy Joys and Beginnings

    Staying Grounded Through a Super Busy Season Christine reflects on an unusually busy few months that included family vacations to Paris, London, and Amsterdam; adjusting to a new work role with coaching; submitting a 100+ page grant; launching her middle grade novel Love Language; playing her first tennis doubles tournament; and teaching her second child to drive. She shares that while she still dislikes the “just get through today” mindset, she is glad she didn’t sacrifice self-care and hobbies as she has in past busy seasons, recognizing she is more than her career and family roles and that her other identities deserve attention. She notes that honoring multiple identities takes time and can increase burnout risk, but coaching has helped her streamline by asking whether a task is part of her role and, if so, what the goal is. She also mentions giving herself grace, including missing an episode, and previews continued discussions on identity, ability, coaching, and more. 00:00 Summer Busy Season 01:00 Investing in Yourself 01:12 Identity Beyond Roles 01:39 Two Coaching Questions 02:04 Hobbies and Grace 02:19 Looking Ahead

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About

Young doctors are increasingly in ‘survival’ mode.    Far from flourishing, the relentless pressure of working in medicine means that ‘balance’ is harder than ever to achieve.   On the Girl Doc Survival Guide, Yale professor and dermatologist Dr Christine J Ko sits down with doctors, psychologists and mental health experts to dig into the real challenges and rewards of life in medicine.    From dealing with daily stressors and burnout to designing a career that doesn’t sacrifice your personal life, this podcast is all about giving you the tools to not just survive...    But to be present in the journey.

Information

  • Creator
    Christine J Ko, MD
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    248
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Girl Doc Survival Guide
  • Show Website
    Girl Doc Survival Guide