Create Meaning in Medicine

Dr. Joanne Sotelo and Dr. Erin Hurley
  • 5.0 (37)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Semiweekly

Are you a woman in medicine looking to rediscover joy and balance in your career and personal life? Welcome to "Create Meaning in Medicine," the podcast where women physicians come to rewrite the rules and reclaim their fulfillment. Hosted by Dr. Joanne Sotelo and Dr. Erin Hurley, this podcast offers a sanctuary for candid discussions on the tough topics no one else is talking about, such as burnout, mental health, and the intricate balance of relationships and professional obligations. Each episode brings insights from expert guests, offering you strategies to overcome the unique challenges faced by women in healthcare. Subscribe to our podcast to navigate the complexities of your career with greater clarity and intention. Join us and explore actionable steps to enhance your well-being and achieve a sustainable, fulfilling lifestyle. Your path to creating meaning in medicine starts here!

  1. 1d ago

    206. Dr. Joanne Sotelo on Learning to Love Through Change: Caregiving, Grief, and Finding Yourself Again

    The people we love change over time through aging, illness, grief, personal growth, and life’s many transitions. Dr. Joanne Sotelo draws on her experience caring for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s, to describe the practical and psychological weight of caregiving, including the role reversal, constant vigilance, and grief that can arise while a loved one is still here. She also shares how moments of gratitude can coexist with loss, and how choosing compassion can reshape the way we meet someone’s changing self. The conversation explores how caregiving can become entwined with identity, especially for women in medicine who may carry responsibilities at work, at home, and in other people’s emotional lives. Chronic stress can leave caregivers feeling depleted and less able to regulate emotions or make decisions. The episode offers practical ways to care more sustainably: name the grief, distinguish responsibility from doing everything alone, schedule recovery, accept help, and ask what you need to keep showing up with love. Key Takeaways To Listen For The people we love can become a stranger to us; the work is learning to love them, and yourself, through itCaregiving is wired into human biology. Oxytocin and dopamine play a role in the experience of caring, with research suggesting these responses can be higher in women than menWhen caregiving becomes constant and brings uncertainty, the brain's threat system stays switched on, showing up as forgetfulness, emotional numbness, and reactivity that look a lot like burnoutYou can grieve someone who is still alive: grief isn't only about death, but also about the person they used to be and the life you expectedThe nervous system doesn't recover just because the calendar gets lighter; recovery should be scheduled as deliberately as work, and allowing other people to help can support the process “When we stand in love, it's a better filter than the old expectations or getting stuck in how things used to be.” - Dr. Joanne Sotelo Connect With Joanne Website: https://theharmonizedhealer.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-sotelo-md-03236a200/  Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/joannesotelomd/?_rdc=1&_rdr#  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannesotelomd/  Connect With Us Find every episode at https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-meaning-in-medicine/id1752701820

    206. Dr. Joanne Sotelo on Learning to Love Through Change: Caregiving, Grief, and Finding Yourself Again

  2. Nov 3

    205. From Numb to Unnumb: Stephanie Byerly, MD on Letting Go of the Mask of Perfection

    Numbness, perfectionism, and the drive to keep performing can look like success on the outside while masking overwhelm and disconnection on the inside. This episode centers on that tension and the question of how to meet those signals with curiosity instead of shame. Dr. Stephanie Byerly joins Drs. Joanne Sotelo and Erin Hurley to unpack how achiever identity can become protective armor, and shares practical ways to reconnect with emotions, the body, and clearer boundaries. The conversation points toward self-authored change through small steps, safe sisterhood, and support that helps women choose what comes next. Key Takeaways To Listen For The achiever identity can serve as protective armor, but what once helped you succeed may eventually keep you disconnected from yourselfCriticism and social exclusion can register as threats in the body, making perfectionism and people-pleasing feel like ways to stay safeUnderstanding how past experiences affect present-day responses can replace self-blame with curiosity and compassionReconnection can begin with small daily practices, pausing, breathing, moving, or noticing what you feel in your bodyYou can set boundaries and choose a new direction without tearing down everything you’ve built. Supportive relationships can help make change feel possible Resources Mentioned Original CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study paper for FREE through the American Journal of Preventive Medicine: https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/s0749-3797(98)00017-8/pdf  "When you have women by your side that are your ride or die, you become unstoppable. But they have to be safe women." — Stephanie Byerly About Stephanie Byerly: Dr. Stephanie I. Byerly is a Neuro-Obstetrical Anesthesiologist, keynote and TEDx speaker, author, and certified coach who helps high-achieving women reconnect with their purpose and live more fully. Following a distinguished medical career as a professor and senior healthcare leader, she has served in roles including Chief of Staff, Chief of Anesthesiology, and Chair of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Committee on Women Anesthesiologists. Her work and publications have focused on physician wellness, burnout prevention, and advancing women in medicine. Today, Dr. Byerly combines her medical expertise and leadership experience with trauma-informed, women-centered coaching through Stephanie I. Byerly, LLC, and her signature programs, The UNNUMB Method and The UNNUMB Collective. She helps women move beyond limiting beliefs and outdated identities, reclaim their sense of self, and create lives rooted in purpose, passion, and authenticity. She is scheduled to speak at TEDx Clovis in March 2027.  Connect with Stephanie Byerly: Website: www.StephanieByerly.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniebyerlymd/ Instagram: stephaniebyerlymd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniebyerlymd Connect With Us Find every episode at https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-meaning-in-medicine/id1752701820

    205. From Numb to Unnumb: Stephanie Byerly, MD on Letting Go of the Mask of Perfection

  3. Oct 27

    204. The Simplest Question Is the Hardest: Simplicity, Stillness, and Sitting With Uncertainty with Dr. Joanne Sotelo

    Physicians are trained to accumulate data, credentials, answers, certainty, and to introduce themselves through their titles. Dr. Joanne Sotelo steps outside all of that for a retreat with roughly twenty strangers and one guiding question: Who am I? No curriculum, no agenda, just Dharma talks, nature, and the uneasiness of not being able to look up the answer. Drs. Sotelo and Hurley trace what shifted at home: belongings looked like weight rather than worth, and her roles turned out to be things she could observe rather than the whole of who she is. Small immersive rooms with real guides, they argue, are among the most powerful catalysts available, and investing in yourself isn't selfishness; it's fuel. Key Takeaways To Listen For Walking in with minimal expectations and openness produced more insight than any curriculum could haveThe answers that matter most tend to be simple; physicians instinctively over-explain, over-intellectualize, and reach for more informationYou can observe your roles, profession, accomplishments, history without internalizing them, and that distance is where the deeper question beginsSitting in uncertainty is the discomfort most physicians spend a career avoiding, and it is often where the real growth happensYour response to your environment is yours to choose; staying grounded in chaos creates a ripple that carries to everyone around you “What do I need to be lighter in my life, which will allow me to have the bright energy I want to have for what's important for me in this season of my life.” - Dr. Joanne Sotelo Connect With Us Find every episode at https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-meaning-in-medicine/id1752701820

    204. The Simplest Question Is the Hardest: Simplicity, Stillness, and Sitting With Uncertainty with Dr. Joanne Sotelo

  4. Oct 20

    203. Clutter Is Feedback: Meryl Paspa on Letting Go and Creating Space for Who You're Becoming

    The closet, the calendar, and the overflowing to-do list are often about more than organization. They can be messages, sometimes uncomfortable ones, for women who have run out of bandwidth, not competence. Meryl Paspa joins Drs. Joanne Sotelo and Erin Hurley to explore how clutter can reflect overwhelm, shifting identities, and the changing demands of women's lives. She reframes clutter as feedback rather than failure and introduces her CLEAR framework: gaining clarity on who you're becoming, lightening your load by releasing what no longer serves you, embracing your decisions, aligning your choices with who you are, and reimagining the space you've created. The conversation is warm, disarmingly personal, and immediately practical. Key Takeaways To Listen For Clutter, whether physical, mental, or on your calendar, is feedback, not failure. It signals that bandwidth has run out, not competenceClearing without a vision of who you're becoming just creates a vacuum. The space refills with something else unless identity shifts firstClosets and calendars are identity places, not storage. What you keep and what you release reflects a version of youNot all clutter belongs to you. Naming whose it actually is loosens the reflexive assumption that you must manage everyone's stuffSentimental items and grief call for extra support and patience, and you can allow postponing a decision you're not ready to make "If we think of [difficult times in life] as transitions instead of challenges and difficulties, I think the perspective and our energy and our focus changes." — Meryl Paspa About Meryl Paspa: Meryl Paspa is an author, speaker, and coach who helps women in transition move beyond clutter and overwhelm to create space for who they are becoming. She is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Certified High Performance Coach, and licensed Aesthetician with more than two decades of experience working with women. Her first book, CLEAR: How to Let Go of Clutter and Create Space for Who You're Becoming, is available now on Amazon.  Connect with Meryl Paspa: Website: https://merylpaspa.com  Book (CLEAR): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HJMKXMMF  Free CLEAR Companion Workbook: https://merylpaspa.com/clear-workbook/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merylpaspa/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjpaspa/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merylpaspa  Substack: https://substack.com/@merylpaspa  Connect With Us Find every episode at https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-meaning-in-medicine/id1752701820

    203. Clutter Is Feedback: Meryl Paspa on Letting Go and Creating Space for Who You're Becoming

  5. Oct 13

    202. Nine Years of Survivorship: Dr. Erin Hurley on Living a Life with No Regrets

    A breast cancer diagnosis arrived for Dr. Erin Hurley despite preventive surgeries after she learned she carried a BRCA2 mutation. What followed was a period of waiting and wondering whether the disease had spread, but also a turning point. She shares how the coaching she had started just three months earlier helped her approach the diagnosis with more calm, connection, and intention. The experience reshaped how she approaches everything from how she spends her time to the relationships she refuses to put off. The conversation explores gratitude, boundaries, asking for help, and the sister and friend whose stories taught her that tomorrow isn't guaranteed. Drs. Hurley and Sotelo also discuss the arrival fallacy: the tendency to put life on hold until things calm down, rather than making room for what matters now. Through mentorship, community, and more intentional choices, Dr. Erin shares how she has built a life more aligned with her values. Key Takeaways To Listen For Support and connection arrived as a form of protection long before the diagnosis did; the coach was hired about twelve weeks earlier, and that groundwork carried into the biopsy roomGratitude and fear can coexist in the same season; a stage one diagnosis with no chemotherapy is not the same as a late-stage diagnosisDon't keep postponing meaningful experiences: Dr. Erin's friendship and Costa Rica trip with Marty taught her to make plans while there's still timeWomen physicians can fall into the arrival fallacy, postponing the life they want until a calmer moment that may never comeChange is possible, and getting support matters: find the community that believes in your goals and helps you create your desired outcomes Resources Mentioned Chart Notes publication by the Marion-Polk County Medical Society (PAGE 14): https://www.mpmedsociety.org/resources/Documents/Q4%202024%20ChartNotes%20Web.pdf  “We have this appreciation for life, and tomorrow's not guaranteed. What am I going to do today, so that I can say when it's my time, I did live with no regrets.” - Dr. Erin Hurley Connect With Us Find every episode at https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-meaning-in-medicine/id1752701820

    202. Nine Years of Survivorship: Dr. Erin Hurley on Living a Life with No Regrets

  6. Oct 6

    201. Flourish First: What Nine Years of Doing the Work Looks Like in an MRI Machine with Dr. Erin Hurley

    Nine years ago, Dr. Erin Hurley learned she had breast cancer after finding a lump despite having had a preventive mastectomy years earlier. What followed was fear, uncertainty, and weeks of waiting, but also a turning point. She shares how the coaching she had started just three months earlier helped her approach the diagnosis with more calm, connection, and intention. Those lessons have changed the way she approaches everything from yearly cancer follow-ups to moments of everyday stress. The conversation explores meditation, breathing, asking for help, and making space for joy, along with Dr. Erin’s “flourish first” approach she uses for herself and for her coaching clients: taking care of yourself so well that you flourish to support whatever may come your way. This includes acknowledging fear without letting it run the show. Key Takeaways To Listen For A hard cry after a coaching call isn't a setback; it's often the release that lets a different state of mind arrive, one that says you've got this, whatever the results may beService compounds. Volunteering on a medical society board and for a hereditary-cancer organization years earlier produced the exact surgeon, oncologist, and support network needed at diagnosisWaiting for test results can be a stress-laden ordeal, yet we can lessen the impact by reclaiming what's controllable and where and how you shape the days around the waitPractices like belly breathing, extended exhales, and adequate sleep can become automatic under pressure, especially when built during calm times, and even occasional use helpsTurn a potentially dreaded medical trip into something meaningful: connection, friends, good food, a farmers market conversation. These associations rewire our reaction to the event, and each year can get easier “When I can flourish first, when I do the best job at taking care of myself, that's going to give me the most resources to acknowledge the worry and keep it in its place.” - Dr. Erin Hurley Connect With Us Find every episode at https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-meaning-in-medicine/id1752701820

    201. Flourish First: What Nine Years of Doing the Work Looks Like in an MRI Machine with Dr. Erin Hurley

  7. Sep 29

    200 Episodes Later: Celebrate, Collaborate, and Stop Waiting to Live

    This podcast started with a different name, four hosts, and two episodes a week. Some of that worked, and some didn't. Instead of just pushing through, the team paid attention, got honest about what was working, and made changes. That's how the show reached its 200-episode milestone. Drs. Hurley and Sotelo look back at the lessons that have shaped them. Joanne tells how her biggest retreat so far only worked once she let go of hyper-independence and leaned on a team. Erin talks about how being a breast cancer survivor taught her to live with no regrets. Along the way, they share the "sparkle journal," explain why collaboration multiplies results instead, and challenge the arrival fallacy that keeps so many women in medicine putting off their own joy. Key Takeaways To Listen For Celebrating wins, big and small, recharges you. Skipping it drains the fuel you need to build momentum for what comes next A sparkle journal captures compliments, wins, and positive moments as concrete evidence you can return to when you're strugglingMany women physicians treat hyper-independence as part of who they are. Asking for help frees you to be present where it matters mostWorking alone, you're limited. Collaboration allows you to multiply your impactStop waiting for life to become easier before making room for joy; protecting even small spaces for what matters can change how you experience the present Resources Mentioned Episode 172 with Dr. Todd Otten: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/172-dr-todd-otten-suck-it-up-buttercup-and-the-fight/id1752701820?i=1000761689443  “Don't wait for some time in the future to start living; the journey is today.” - Dr. Erin Hurley “We are allowed to do other things and expand, and we have endless possibilities.” - Dr. Joanne Sotelo Connect With Us Find every episode at https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-meaning-in-medicine/id1752701820

    200 Episodes Later: Celebrate, Collaborate, and Stop Waiting to Live

  8. Sep 22

    199. CLASSIC REWIND - Breaking The Silence: The Truth About Suicide In The Medical Field

    Physician suicide isn't just a statistic; it's a crisis impacting the heart of healthcare. In this episode, we explore why so many doctors suffer in silence and what's finally being done to change that. Learn the risk factors and how small actions can make a big difference. Tune in to break the silence and be part of the solution. Key Takeaways To Listen For According to many sources, roughly 300 to 400 U.S. physicians die by suicide each yearFemale physicians carry a higher suicide rate than non-physician womenSuicide is one of the leading causes of death among U.S. medical residents. It takes about six months for medical students to join the ranks of depression and burnoutPhysicians are uniquely exposed through licensing fears, access to lethal means, chronic trauma exposure, perfectionism, and workload; several risk factors usually stack at onceAsking someone directly about suicide will not plant the idea or make it worse; it is quite the opposite, and it's how connection begins Resources Mentioned 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - Dial or text 988 (https://988lifeline.org/)Physician Support Line - 1-888-409-0141 (free, confidential, staffed by volunteer psychiatrists)NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) - https://www.nami.org/ Dr. Lorna Breen Foundation - https://drlornabreen.org/  Episode 27: Helpful Tips to Recognize and Respond to Physician Burnout and Depression - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/27-helpful-tips-to-recognize-and-respond-to-physician/id1752701820?i=1000761689692 Episode 28: Stop the Silence: Urgent Steps for Preventing Physician Suicide Now - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/28-stop-the-silence-urgent-steps-for-preventing/id1752701820?i=1000761689580 Episode 119: Physician Burnout And Hope For Change With Kim Downey - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/119-physician-burnout-and-hope-for-change-with-kim-downey/id1752701820?i=1000761689636 Episode 131: The Better Physician Life: Dr. Michael Hersh On Creating A Career You Love - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/131-the-better-physician-life-dr-michael-hersh-on/id1752701820?i=1000761689446 Episode 133: Physician Suicide, Stigma & Hope in Healthcare: Corey Feist Speaks Out - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/133-physician-suicide-stigma-hope-in-healthcare-corey/id1752701820?i=1000761689635  “We need to stop the suffering in silence. Silence costs life.” - Dr. Joanne Sotelo Connect With Us Find every episode at https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com ▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-meaning-in-medicine/id1752701820

    199. CLASSIC REWIND - Breaking The Silence: The Truth About Suicide In The Medical Field
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About

Are you a woman in medicine looking to rediscover joy and balance in your career and personal life? Welcome to "Create Meaning in Medicine," the podcast where women physicians come to rewrite the rules and reclaim their fulfillment. Hosted by Dr. Joanne Sotelo and Dr. Erin Hurley, this podcast offers a sanctuary for candid discussions on the tough topics no one else is talking about, such as burnout, mental health, and the intricate balance of relationships and professional obligations. Each episode brings insights from expert guests, offering you strategies to overcome the unique challenges faced by women in healthcare. Subscribe to our podcast to navigate the complexities of your career with greater clarity and intention. Join us and explore actionable steps to enhance your well-being and achieve a sustainable, fulfilling lifestyle. Your path to creating meaning in medicine starts here!

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Joanne Sotelo and Dr. Erin Hurley
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    208
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Create Meaning in Medicine

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