Vital Signs: Thriving as a Woman in Medicine

Diane Shannon, MD
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

In healthcare, burnout rates are higher in women. In fact, forty percent of women physicians have cut back or left medicine within 6 years of completing training. Why? Is it added responsibilities at home? Gender bias at work? Invisible work at work? Mom guilt? Too much self-sacrifice and inability to say no? Poor boundaries, lack of time management skills, lack of self-care? In this podcast, we’ll explore the reasons why women in medicine are struggling—and more importantly, what to do about it. We can banish burnout and thrive as women in medicine.

  1. Jul 7

    Episode 158: Finding Belonging with Dr. Rani Nandiwada

    What is belonging and why does it matter? According to my guest, Rani Nandiwada, MD, MSEd, belonging is a sense that you can be your whole authentic self and be embraced and valued for it. When we don’t feel we belong at work and hold ourselves back, it can lead to exhaustion, anxiety, self-doubt, and the stifling of new, innovative ideas. In this episode, you’ll learn how to step into being your own version of a “sparkly cheeseball.”  Dr. Rani Nandiwada is a practicing internist, University of Pennsylvania primary care residency Program Director, and president of the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the Society of General Internal Medicine. Her passion and expertise is coaching for excellence in medical education. Connect with Dr. Nandiwada at rani.nandiwada@pennmedicine.upenn.edu. Check out my TEDx talk! If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, connect with me here or at www.dianeshannon.com.  Like what you heard? Help spread the word by sharing this episode with a friend. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive. Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon

  2. Jun 16

    Episode 157: Creating Intentional Community for Physicians with Dr. Dami Babaniji

    When you’re really busy or experiencing burnout, it can feel isolating. It’s easy to believe you’re the only one struggling to get through the work day. In this episode, my guest, Dami Babaniji, MD, shares her personal experience with burnout–and the initiatives she’s undertaken at her organization to address burnout and create supportive communities for physicians. Tip: she shares some great ideas you can take back to your leadership! Dr. Dami Babaniji is an academic hospitalist physician and Medical Director of Clinician Wellbeing at a healthcare organization in Dallas, Texas. Her passion is healing healers.  Connect with Dr. Babaniji on LinkedIn. Check out my TEDx talk! If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, connect with me here or at www.dianeshannon.com.  Like what you heard? Help spread the word by sharing this episode with a friend. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive. Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon

  3. May 26

    Episode 156: Finding influence at work with Dr. Christine Sinsky

    Over the past decade, more physicians have moved to employed positions and experienced less autonomy and control over their work than previously. The erosion of influence has adversely affected professional satisfaction. My guest, Christine Sinsky, shares her expert opinion on steps physicians can take to find more agency and enjoy their work again.  Dr. Christine Sinsky is a retired internist who practiced for 32 years and past Vice President of Professional Satisfaction at the American Medical Association. Her career is about working to create the conditions where joy, purpose, and meaning in work are possible for physicians and their teams.  Check out my TEDx talk! If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, connect with me here or at www.dianeshannon.com.  Like what you heard? Help spread the word by sharing this episode with a friend. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive. Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon

  4. May 5

    Episode 155: Saying Yes, Even When…with Dr. Grace Perez-Lirio

    Capable women physicians may hesitate to step into leadership roles and other opportunities for a host of reasons. Feeling not quite ready, concern about work overload, discomfort with managing peers. My guest, Grace Perez-Lirio, MD, FACP, shares her not-so-straightforward journey to leadership and an important message for women physicians who have held back.  Dr. Grace Perez-Lirio is a primary care physician and Regional Medical Director at Beth Israel Lahey Health Primary Care Needham. Her passion is helping physicians find solutions to their work challenges.  Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, the next step is a conversation. More info here about how to do that. Don’t stay stuck; it’s not worth it! Like what you heard? Help spread the word by sharing this episode with a friend. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive. Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon

  5. Apr 14

    Episode 154: Seeking Sustainable Options for Primary Care Physicians with Dr. Diane London

    Primary care physicians are stretched thin these days, and many have found the work simply not sustainable. Patients are feeling the effects, with long wait times for appointments and difficulty finding a new PCP.  Join me and my guest, Diane London, MD, as she shares her wisdom gleaned over several decades, on options for “staying in the game” as a primary care physician.  Dr. Diane London is a primary care internist and Director for Medical Education at a suburban community hospital outside of Boston. Her passion and expertise is complex patient care.  Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, the next step is a conversation. More info here about how to do that. Don’t stay stuck; it’s not worth it! Like what you heard? Help spread the word by sharing this episode with a friend. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive. Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon

  6. 12/23/2025

    Episode 153: Moving Ahead Despite Imposter Feelings with Dr. Darilyn Moyer

    You get a nudge about an opportunity to advance in your career, and you wonder, “Did they mean to nudge me? I’m not qualified!” Sound familiar?  Join me and my guest, Darilyn Moyer, MD, as she shares insights on overcoming self-doubt gleaned from her career as an “accidental physician CEO.”  Dr. Dariyn Moyer is Executive Vice President and CEO of the American College of Physicians. Her passion is bringing her skills to the next generation of clinicians and medical educators.  Connect with Dr. Moyer on LinkedIn.  Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that. Like what you heard?  Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine Reviews are greatly appreciated. Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive. Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon

  7. 12/09/2025

    Episode 152: Naming Administrative Harm with Dr. Marisha Burden

    If you’re a clinician, you’ve likely experienced or observed administrative harm, even if you’ve never heard the term before. What is it? What causes it? And how can we move to a better way of making and implementing administrative decisions? Listen in and learn from my guest, Marisha Burden, MD, MBA.  Dr. Marisha Burden is Division Head of Hospital Medicine and Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her area of expertise is research and thought leadership on administrative harm and evidence-based work design in healthcare.  Connect with Dr. Burden on LinkedIn.  Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that. Like what you heard?  Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine Reviews are greatly appreciated. Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive. Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon

  8. 11/25/2025

    Episode 151: Creating a Superior Work Environment with Dr. Gaurava Agarwal

    A professional conference this fall, I had a short conversation with a colleague as we went from one breakout to another. Gaurava Agarwal, MD, shared that my social media posts on the challenges that women in medicine face had inspired him to dig into the data at his organization. That was flattering, but what really inspired me was hearing about the steps the organization has taken to help women physicians thrive by addressing the challenges that all clinicians face. Listen in to hear a practical and effective approach that you can take to your workplace.  Dr. Gaurava Agarwal is Chief Wellness Executive/Vice President at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. His area of expertise is organizational and occupational psychiatry.  Connect with Dr. Agarwal on LinkedIn.  Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that. Like what you heard?  Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine Reviews are greatly appreciated. Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive. Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon

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In healthcare, burnout rates are higher in women. In fact, forty percent of women physicians have cut back or left medicine within 6 years of completing training. Why? Is it added responsibilities at home? Gender bias at work? Invisible work at work? Mom guilt? Too much self-sacrifice and inability to say no? Poor boundaries, lack of time management skills, lack of self-care? In this podcast, we’ll explore the reasons why women in medicine are struggling—and more importantly, what to do about it. We can banish burnout and thrive as women in medicine.

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