Surgeons with Purpose

Hippocratic Collective
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  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A podcast for surgeons who feel like they are languishing in a career that didn't turn out to be as fulfilling or as prestigious as they expected. Dr. Mel Thacker, an ENT surgeon and coach, takes you on a journey to help you understand why you are feeling dissatisfied, burnt out, and stuck. With this newfound insight, you'll be able to reframe how you see your experience, rediscover who you are underneath your surgeon identity, and create a life that aligns with your authentic self. Find more info about Surgeons with Purpose and other shows on the Hippocratic Collective at hippocratic-collective.com

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    #78 A Year in Review - 2025

    See you all in 2026! Click here to join us in Empowered Surgeons group. Check out my latest TEDx talk, "Seeing Beyond the Red Swans", here.

    34 min

  2. 22/12/2025

    #77 The Way of Excellence with Author Brad Stulberg

    In this conversation, I’m joined by author and human performance expert Brad Stulberg to explore identity diversity, mastery, and what it really means to build a sustainable, meaningful career. We discuss the concept of the identity house, what it means to feel one's way to skill attunement, core values, process vs product, and how presence and flow are at the heart of mastery. This episode is especially relevant for surgeons and high-achievers who have poured everything into one role and are wondering how to prevent burnout without giving up ambition. We Talk About:The Identity HouseThe idea that we all live in an identity house with multiple rooms (e.g., surgeon, parent, artist, athlete, writer)Why having multiple rooms matters: if one room floods or burns down, the entire house doesn’t collapseNot all identity rooms are the same size, and we don’t need to spend equal time in eachYou can spend most of your day in one “room”—the key is not letting the others get moldyThe concept of minimum effective dosing for neglected parts of identityWhy it’s never too late to renovate your identity home, even if you’ve lived only in the “surgeon room” for years Core Values as Burnout PreventionWhy defining core values is the first step in preventing burnout and moral injuryResearch-backed values associated with long-term well-being: Autonomy, mastery, belongingTwo distinct types of burnout: Career vs. Week ThinkingThe danger of optimizing for a “successful week” instead of a successful careerHow ego convinces us we’re more indispensable than we areThe liberating truth: the world keeps turning without us Mastery, Presence, and the Craft of Surgery“Feeling our way to excellence” and how it intersects with see one, do one, teach oneThe universal mastery trajectory: Simple → Complex → SimpleWhy what looks “simple” is actually hundreds of unconscious micro-stepsThe four stages of competence:: unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence, unconscious competence (the apex of excellence)Why many high-achievers get stuck in conscious competence (or try to skip steps)Presence, intimacy with craft, and why the best moments (like a first kiss) are...

    50 min

  3. 15/12/2025

    #76 Trauma and OR PTSD

    Trauma is more common than we think, especially in high-stakes professions like surgery. In this episode, I define trauma, PTSD, and post-traumatic growth and explore how these experiences can show up in the body, the nervous system, and everyday life. Drawing from my own experience with complex PTSD and panic attacks, I walk you through a practical, humane process for moving through trauma rather than around it. This isn’t about fixing yourself or returning to who you were before. It’s about learning how to metabolize difficult experiences and create something meaningful from them. If you need support, you can get on my calendar for a free consult here. Join us in Empowered Surgeons Group here.

    49 min

  4. 08/12/2025

    #75 What is Coaching?

    Join Empowered Surgeons here. Book a free consult with me here. And if you're here for the free content, amazing! My next masterclass + open coaching is on December 14th at 10 am EST. Sign up for "5 Ways Surgeons Fail" here. In this episode, I break down what coaching is. Not the corporate wellness version, but the real, practical, life-changing version that surgeons and high-stakes professionals actually need. Coaching, as I define it, is choosing thoughts that generate feelings that empower you to create results you truly desire. It's the antidote to the soul-crushing grind of modern healthcare, moral injury, the day-to-day depletion, and the feeling that you’re running out of capacity while the system demands more. It’s also the only part of this profession that you can truly control. We start by identifying what you yearn for (your will), then reconnecting with your power, the internal clarity, agency, and authority that have been buried under years of training, cultural conditioning, and systemic pressure. Then we learn how to wield that power with intention and compassion. In this way, one moment at a time - little by little - your impact and your world expands. Instead of stagnating and staying small, you show up big. You create big things. I know it works because I've done it. If you’ve ever wondered what coaching actually is (and isn’t), why it works, or whether it’s worth your time, this episode is your starting point.

    31 min

  5. 01/12/2025

    #74 You're Just a Regular Human with Dr. Michelle Chestovich

    ⚠️ SENSITIVE CONTENT WARNING This episode discusses suicide, which may be distressing for some listeners. If this subject is triggering for you, please consider skipping this episode. If you choose to listen, do so gently and take good care of yourself. If you’re feeling hopeless or suicidal, please reach out for support. You can call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or click here for additional resources. Dr. Michelle Chestovich is a family medicine physician, physician coach, and the host of the Remind Yourself podcast—soon to be renamed Stress Rx. She is also the sister of Dr. Gretchen Butler, a brilliant, beloved human and radiologist who died by suicide on March 5, 2021. Michelle’s story mirrors the quiet struggle many physicians face. She found herself living a life she didn’t quite sign up for, balancing the demands of medicine with a shifting sense of identity after becoming a mother. Coaching became her pathway back to clarity, alignment, and truth. Her sister, Gretchen, faced the impossible convergence of pressures, expectations, and circumstances that contribute to the staggering statistic of 300–400 physician suicides each year. This episode is a tender, honest conversation about grief, the hidden burdens physicians carry, the systemic failures that harm our colleagues, and the transformative power of recognizing our own humanness. Get a lifetime of support in Empowered Surgeons Group here. Learn more about Dr. Michelle Chestovich and how she can help you here.

    59 min

  6. 24/11/2025

    #73 From Breakdown to Breakthrough with Dr. Courtney McKeown

    *********SENSITIVE TOPIC WARNING******************* This episode discusses substance abuse and suicide. Please listen carefully. In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Dr. Courtney McKeown shares the story she was once told would be “career suicide”—a story of mental health crisis, addiction, recovery, and the hard-won journey back to her authentic self. She reflects on the research-year psychotic break that led to hospitalization, the healing support of an extraordinary program director, and her rise into a prestigious hepatobiliary fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. But even at the top, her body kept signaling what she now sees clearly: her life was misaligned, fueled by external validation and hidden coping mechanisms. When routine monitoring uncovered her secret drinking, she was thrust into the harsh reality of how the medical system treats physicians in distress—often punitively, fearfully, and without nuance. She describes how the state of Ohio’s approach pushed her to rock bottom, how a trusted psychiatrist saved her life, and how the state of Massachusetts’ more compassionate physician health program ultimately helped her rebuild it. Courtney has been sober since March 2021. She chose to share her story publicly, despite warnings it would end her career. Instead, the opposite happened. A closed credentialing door redirected her to a new opportunity—now serving as Chief of Surgery in a community where she is supported, aligned, and deeply fulfilled. Her journey highlights both truths: yes, institutions can weaponize oversight against physicians who don’t “fit,” and our ultimate success cannot be dictated by anything outside of us. Alignment, authenticity, and courage are powerful forces. Today, she is living her best life: thriving in private practice, leading a department, and connecting with her patients more meaningfully than ever. Key TopicsThe research-year crisis: stimulants, psychosis, and hospitalizationThe power of a supportive program director and the road back to residencyThe dream fellowship that wasn’t aligned, and how her body told the truthAddiction, secrecy, and the moment she was “caught”How states differ dramatically in supporting (or punishing) physicians in distressThe paradox of safety expectations: punished for depression, allowed to operate without sleepThe credentialing roadblock that redirected her to the role she was meant forTwo truths: systemic weaponization and internal sovereigntySobriety since March 2021 and what real recovery looks likeLiving in alignment: joy, leadership, community practice, connection with patients Find Courtney on instagram here. Watch her story on CBS morning news here. Join Empowered Surgeons here.

    53 min

  7. 17/11/2025

    #72: Leading and Relating Better in Surgery with Dr. Scott Ellner

    Trauma surgeon and healthcare leader Dr. Scott Ellner joins me to talk about the moments that reshaped his life and career, from witnessing a beachside intubation at age 21 to navigating one of the lowest points of his surgical practice. We explore complications, shame, psychological safety in the OR, and why compassion and emotional intelligence are essential (not optional) in surgery. Scott shares the retained foreign body case that transformed his approach to leadership, the danger of tense OR energy, and the difference between title-based authority and referent power. We also discuss the failure of punitive peer review, the legacy of Ernest Codman, and what it really takes for surgeons to regain confidence after early-career mistakes. We each open up about panic attacks—mine recently in the OR, his in medical school—and talk about vulnerability, preparation, and staying ahead of fear. Scott also previews his upcoming book, Wipe Out Rise Up, a blend of surgical stories and lessons from surfing on resilience, perseverance, and facing storms head-on. Find Scott and his book here. Listen to his TEDx talk "Lessons from Surgery and Grey's Anatomy" here. Join Empowered Surgeons Group here.

    1h 3m

  8. 10/11/2025

    #71 Turning Anxiety into Resilience

    Get the pre-or mindset checklist here. Join us in Empowered Surgeons Group here. Anxiety can be transformed into resilience and courage, but only when we move toward it, not away from it. Anxiety is the life-saving fear response misapplied to the imagination. By definition, anxiety is a lie. What we fear—killing the patient, facing a lawsuit, losing our reputation, losing everything—is not actually happening in real time. Fear is intuitive, primitive, and immediately actionable. It comes in a wave, then recedes. Anxiety, on the other hand, never relents. The Five Fear ResponsesFightFlightFreezeFawnFlop When we close a loop with fight or flight, our brain registers safety and completion. But when we respond with freeze, fawn, or flop, the event can encode as trauma. That’s why exercising healthy fight—asserting boundaries instead of people-pleasing—is essential. In the hierarchical culture of surgical training, this can be especially hard to do. Managing Anxiety: Before, During, and After SurgeryPre-opNotice the thoughts your brain offers, often disguised as innocent questions: “What if I don’t find the nerve?”Instead of accepting that thought as truth, offer the opposite: “What if I do?”Then, shift into a mental state that serves you. I like to remind myself: “It’s not about me. It never was, and it never will be.”Finally, create a short ritual, like visualizing the entire case from start to finish at the scrub sink. Intra-opWhen anxiety hits—bleeding, getting lost in a dissection, uncertainty—let the physiologic surge pass through your system for 90 seconds. Do not believe the story your brain tells you during those 90 seconds. Once the wave subsides, find certainty: “What do I know for sure?”Then move from known to unknown with curiosity and creativity. Post-opDownload your thoughts. Speak them into a voice memo or write them down unedited, unfiltered, stream-of-consciousness. Getting it out of your head helps you process, release, and reset for the next case. Key takeaway: Anxiety isn’t the enemy; it’s an invitation. When you learn to meet it directly, you transform it into the fuel for courage, clarity, and growth.

    31 min
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About

A podcast for surgeons who feel like they are languishing in a career that didn't turn out to be as fulfilling or as prestigious as they expected. Dr. Mel Thacker, an ENT surgeon and coach, takes you on a journey to help you understand why you are feeling dissatisfied, burnt out, and stuck. With this newfound insight, you'll be able to reframe how you see your experience, rediscover who you are underneath your surgeon identity, and create a life that aligns with your authentic self. Find more info about Surgeons with Purpose and other shows on the Hippocratic Collective at hippocratic-collective.com

Information

  • Creator
    Hippocratic Collective
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    81
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Surgeons with Purpose
  • Show Website
    Surgeons with Purpose

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