Why Medics Matter

DoctorsTraining
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Medicine
  • Twice monthly

Welcome to Why Medics Matter, a podcast exploring the challenges, triumphs, and unique experiences of doctors in today’s NHS. Hosted by Dr Amie Burbridge and Dr Simon Frazer from DoctorsTraining, this show is for doctors, by doctors.Each episode covers topics that matter to medics - medical education, mental fitness, leadership, career development, and the realities of life on the frontline. With decades of experience in medicine, education leadership, and coaching, Amie and Simon offer insightful conversations, real-life stories, and actionable advice to help doctors have a sustainable and rewarding career in the NHS.At the heart of Why Medics Matter is a values-driven mission: to support the NHS workforce with impactful development opportunities. Backed by DoctorsTraining’s expertise, including organisational psychologists, senior medical educators, and leadership specialists, our goal is to help doctors rediscover balance, purpose, and development.Join us as we speak with inspirational guests, share strategies for overcoming challenges, and explore what it means to flourish in a demanding yet rewarding profession.Whether you’re a resident doctor, SAS colleague, an experienced supervisor, or a senior leader, Why Medics Matter is your space to connect, reflect, and grow. When doctors succeed, the NHS succeeds.Balance | Purpose | DevelopmentFor Doctors, By Doctors

  1. 1 day ago

    The Strengths That Get You Into Medicine Can Break You Once You're In

    Most of us have been told that if a doctor is struggling with organisation, communication or exams, the problem is effort, attitude or resilience. But what if the very traits that got them into medical school, the hyper focus, the attention to detail, the sheer persistence, are the same ones that leave them exhausted once the job demands teamwork, small talk and juggling ten things on a ward round? What if the anxiety, the time off and the failed exams you're seeing are the symptom, not the cause? And what if the fix is less about diagnoses and paperwork than about being curious? In this conversation with Dr Emily Muirhead, GP partner of 25 years, GP trainer, coach to resident doctors across Yorkshire and Humber and DoctorsTraining faculty member, Simon Frazer goes beyond the usual "be more inclusive" advice. Emily brings a rare vantage point: she sees neurodivergence from the consulting room, the training room and the coaching room, and she's honest about where the system still lets doctors down. We cover: The spiky profile, why the strengths that win a medical school place become the "trip up" once the job shifts from passing exams to managing peopleMasking and the burnout cycle, what it costs a doctor to hold it together all day, and why struggling colleagues are so often misread as "difficult" or "not fitting in"The "I just don't get the jokes" trap, how belonging, cultural difference and neurodivergence overlap, and why clean, clear language from leaders helps everyone"Can I share what I'm thinking?", Emily's ask-permission approach to raising a possible ADHD or autism conversation without threatening someone's confidenceRejection sensitive dysphoria, why negative feedback can land like a physical blow for some doctors, and how balancing it with genuine praise changes what supervisors get backReasonable adjustments without the rubber stamp, why you don't need to wait months for a formal diagnosis to start making small, cheap changes that workThis episode is for you if you supervise or work alongside a doctor who is clearly brilliant yet keeps coming unstuck, and you're nervous about saying the wrong thing. It's also for you if you've quietly wondered whether some of these traits describe you. By the end you'll have a clearer sense of what to notice, what to ask, and what you can change tomorrow without waiting for anyone's permission. Found this useful? Here's what to do next: 💬 Know a colleague who "holds it together" at work and is running on empty by the time they get home? Send them this episode.  📖 Want more of this kind of thinking between episodes? Read the DoctorsTraining blog: https://doctorstraining.com/insights/insights/ 🎓 Want to feel confident having these conversations? Book a place on one of our courses: https://doctorstraining.com/product-category/individual-booking/ 🎧 New here? Follow Why Medics Matter so the next one finds you. Support the show: If you found value in this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to Why Medics Matter on your favourite podcast platform!

  2. 17 Aug

    Everything Medicine Taught You About High Performance Is Backwards

    Most of us picture high performance as a Formula One pit stop: elite talent, huge resources, everyone flat out. In medicine we've quietly absorbed a version of that, the doctor as superhuman, no lunch, no sleep, just keep going. But what if that model is the very thing burning you out? What if the "high-pressure" environment we're so proud of surviving is actually what stops you performing at all? And what if real high performance starts not with pushing harder, but with admitting you're human first? In this conversation with Susie Muir, a palliative care consultant and qualified coach joining us from Queensland, we go further than the usual well-being chat. Years at the bedside in palliative care gave her an unusually clear read on what actually matters, and on why the surface-level version of wellness makes doctors roll their eyes instead of feel supported. We cover: The superhuman myth, and why seeing yourself as a person who works as a doctor, rather than a doctor every waking hour, is a protective identity and not a weaker oneHow elite sport built its performance around sleep, nutrition and mindset coaching, while medicine quietly did the exact oppositeAccommodation instead of work-life balance: building a life around your actual values so more energy comes in than goes out"Busy but drained," the specific combination Suzy flags as a real warning sign, and where it leads if it's ignoredLimiting assumptions and deep internal beliefs, including the imposter belief that two sessions of EMDR shifted for herThe generational "back in my day" friction, and why connection across grades beats passing the same tired story down the lineThis episode is for you if you're good at the job, quietly exhausted by it, and starting to wonder whether the problem is you or the system you're standing in. You'll come away with a different way to define success, and permission to build a career that runs on more than willpower. Found this useful? Here's what to do next: 💬 Know a colleague who's brilliant at the job but quietly running on empty, telling themselves that's just what medicine takes? Send them this episode.  📖 Want more of this thinking between episodes? Read the DoctorsTraining blog: https://doctorstraining.com/insights/insights/ 🎓 Ready to turn this into real support and skills for you or your team? Book onto a course: https://doctorstraining.com/product-category/individual-booking/   Support the show: If you found value in this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to Why Medics Matter on your favourite podcast platform!

  3. 3 Aug

    Will AI Replace Doctors? You're Asking the Wrong Question

    Your inbox is full, you've got reports to write, and you're typing it all one finger at a time. Why Medics Matter, from DoctorsTraining, for time-poor doctors who suspect AI could help but feel behind. Yasmeen Hyatt, an anaesthetics trainee spending her time mastering AI, gives you permission to start small and stay in control: where AI genuinely saves hours, why judgment must always stay yours, and how to use it without ever putting patient data at risk Support the show: If you found value in this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to Why Medics Matter on your favourite podcast platform!

  4. 21 Jul

    Why Burnout Isn't a Failure of Resilience

    Why Medics Matter is DoctorsTraining's podcast for doctors who've been told to just "be more resilient." This week, Dr Claire Ashley author of The Burnout Doctor, now published in eight countries, makes the case that resilience has nothing to do with it, and that some of the most capable doctors are the ones who burn out hardest. She walks through the five stages that lead there, the moment her own denial finally cracked (a panic attack she never saw coming), and what actually helped her recover. If you've ever wondered whether you're "just stressed" or something more, this one's for you. Support the show: If you found value in this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to Why Medics Matter on your favourite podcast platform!

  5. 6 Jul

    The Art of Negotiation

    In this episode, Simon and Amie discuss an often overlooked skill for healthcare professionals, influence and negotiation.  While technical medical skills are explicitly taught, the art of navigating interpersonal conflict, job planning, and service changes is usually learned the hard way.  Simon and Amie explore the pitfalls of traditional negotiation and share strategies for principled negotiation, helping you advocate for yourself and your patients while preserving vital workplace relationships. Support the show: If you found value in this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to Why Medics Matter on your favourite podcast platform!

  6. 15 Jun

    Do You Have Imposter Syndrome? The 5 Types Affecting Doctors

    In this episode of Why Medics Matter, Amie and Simon look further at imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and burnout among medical professionals.  Together Amie and Simon break down the five classic types of imposter phenomenon, explore how these traits act as modifiable risk factors for  burnout, and discuss why career transitions trigger these feelings the most. Listen to the full interview with Claire Ashley, Season 2 Episode 11.  Support the show: If you found value in this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to Why Medics Matter on your favourite podcast platform!

  7. 1 Jun

    The Perfectionism Trap: Why Imposter Phenomenon Can Lead to Doctor Burnout

    Have you ever felt like a fraud at work, or believed that your clinical success was just a stroke of luck? You are not alone alone.  In this episode of Why Medics Matter, Simon and Amie are joined by GP, author, and burnout prevention expert Dr. Claire Ashley to discuss imposter syndrome.  Discover the five distinct subtypes of imposter syndrome and takeaway some  actionable tools that can help.  If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe to Why Medics Matter.  Support the show: If you found value in this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to Why Medics Matter on your favourite podcast platform!

  8. 18 May

    How to Embrace Clinical Uncertainty

    In this episode Simon and Amie undertake a candid reflection following their interview with Dr. Jason Hancock. They tackle one of the most challenging yet essential aspects of practicing medicine, managing and embracing clinical uncertainty.  Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to Why Medics Matter Podcast. Support the show: If you found value in this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to Why Medics Matter on your favourite podcast platform!

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5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Welcome to Why Medics Matter, a podcast exploring the challenges, triumphs, and unique experiences of doctors in today’s NHS. Hosted by Dr Amie Burbridge and Dr Simon Frazer from DoctorsTraining, this show is for doctors, by doctors.Each episode covers topics that matter to medics - medical education, mental fitness, leadership, career development, and the realities of life on the frontline. With decades of experience in medicine, education leadership, and coaching, Amie and Simon offer insightful conversations, real-life stories, and actionable advice to help doctors have a sustainable and rewarding career in the NHS.At the heart of Why Medics Matter is a values-driven mission: to support the NHS workforce with impactful development opportunities. Backed by DoctorsTraining’s expertise, including organisational psychologists, senior medical educators, and leadership specialists, our goal is to help doctors rediscover balance, purpose, and development.Join us as we speak with inspirational guests, share strategies for overcoming challenges, and explore what it means to flourish in a demanding yet rewarding profession.Whether you’re a resident doctor, SAS colleague, an experienced supervisor, or a senior leader, Why Medics Matter is your space to connect, reflect, and grow. When doctors succeed, the NHS succeeds.Balance | Purpose | DevelopmentFor Doctors, By Doctors

Information

  • Creator
    DoctorsTraining
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Why Medics Matter
  • Show Website
    Why Medics Matter

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