Mindful Practice Podcast

Dr Bertina Hooks
  • 1.0 (1)
  • MEDICINE

Mindful Practice Podcast is a weekly audio-visual podcast hosted by Dr. Bertina M. Hooks, a board-certified internal medicine physician, entrepreneur, author, and coach with over 15 years of clinical experience. Through honest conversations and practical guidance, the podcast supports physicians who are navigating burnout, imposter syndrome, systemic bias, and career dissatisfaction. Drawing from her personal journey of resilience and reinvention, Dr. Hooks empowers listeners with mindfulness strategies, wellness tools, and real-world insights into alternative and value-aligned career paths in medicine. Each episode is designed to help physicians protect their well-being, reclaim their purpose, and build fulfilling careers beyond the traditional white coat.

  1. Before You Leave Medicine, Watch This (Career Clarity for Physicians) | Episode 14

    3D AGO

    Before You Leave Medicine, Watch This (Career Clarity for Physicians) | Episode 14

    When physicians feel overwhelmed in their careers, it’s easy to assume the only solution is to leave medicine entirely. But that assumption often comes from something deeper than dissatisfaction—it comes from a lack of clarity about what else is possible. In this episode, Dr. Bertina Hooks explores why many physicians get stuck in an “either stay or quit” mindset when facing burnout or overwhelm. She explains how this binary thinking is rarely accurate and often reflects limited visibility into available career pathways rather than a true lack of options. Instead of making emotional, all-or-nothing decisions, she introduces a structured approach to career clarity that begins with self-reflection and intentional exploration. Through coaching insights and real physician examples, she breaks down how to identify what is currently working in your role, what is not, and what you actually want moving forward. She also explains how physicians can begin building an “ideal job description” based on their values, energy, and goals. What You’ll Discover: Why overwhelmed physicians often default to “leave medicine” thinkingHow lack of visibility creates the illusion of having no optionsThe difference between reactive decisions and clarity-driven decisionsHow to identify what is working and not working in your current roleA practical framework for defining your ideal career directionExamples of alternative physician pathways beyond traditional practiceWhy clarity is the foundation for sustainable career change This Episode Is For You If: You feel stuck or overwhelmed in your clinical roleYou’ve considered leaving medicine but feel uncertainYou’re exploring multiple career ideas without directionYou want a structured way to think through your next stepYou want clarity before making a major career decisionListen on Pinnacle Podcast Network (CME credit available): 🎧 https://learnatpinnacle.com/education Also available on: 🎧 https://bit.ly/MindFulPracticePodcast_Spotify 🍏 https://apple.co/4qmFqsW ❤️ https://ihr.fm/4kfR732 About Dr. Bertina Hooks: Dr. Bertina Hooks is a board-certified internal medicine physician, entrepreneur, coach, and speaker dedicated to helping physicians navigate burnout, gain career clarity, and redesign their professional lives in a way that aligns with their values and goals. Connect with Dr. Hooks: Email: bmhooks@gmail.com Website: pinnaclebusinessacademy.org LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bertina-hooks-046a3819/ Subscribe & Follow: If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Mindful Practice Podcast and share it with a colleague who may need to hear this message. You are not stuck—and you are not broken.

    13 min
  2. Why Physician Burnout Keeps Coming Back (The Misalignment Most Doctors Miss) | Episode 13

    APR 29

    Why Physician Burnout Keeps Coming Back (The Misalignment Most Doctors Miss) | Episode 13

    Most conversations about physician burnout focus on surface-level symptoms—exhaustion, emotional fatigue, irritability, and the need for time off. While these experiences are valid, they often don’t explain why burnout keeps returning even after rest or reduced workload. In this episode, Dr. Bertina Hooks reframes burnout as something more meaningful than a final diagnosis—it is often a signal pointing toward deeper misalignment. Rather than focusing only on recovery strategies, she explores what burnout may actually be revealing underneath: disconnects in a physician’s role, environment, or values. Through clinical examples and the “orange under pressure” analogy, she illustrates how external stressors can produce very different outcomes depending on internal alignment. She also introduces a practical framework to help physicians move beyond frustration and into clarity—so they can identify what’s actually driving their experience and take intentional, targeted steps forward. What You’ll Discover: Why burnout often returns when only symptoms are addressedHow to reframe burnout as a signal rather than the core problemThe “orange under pressure” analogy and what it reveals about internal alignmentThe difference between role, environment, and value misalignmentA simple framework: signal, identify, test, and adjustPractical questions to help pinpoint the true source of friction in your workThis Episode Is For You If: You feel exhausted even after time off or reduced workloadWork still feels misaligned despite being successful on paperYou’re unsure whether what you’re experiencing is burnout or something deeperYou want clarity before making major career or practice changesListen on Pinnacle Podcast Network (CME credit available): https://learnatpinnacle.com/education Also available on: 🎧 https://bit.ly/MindFulPracticePodcast_Spotify 🍏 https://apple.co/4qmFqsW ❤️ https://ihr.fm/4kfR732 About Dr. Bertina Hooks: Dr. Bertina Hooks is a board-certified internal medicine physician, entrepreneur, coach, and speaker dedicated to helping physicians navigate burnout, gain career clarity, and redesign their professional lives in a way that aligns with their values and goals. Connect with Dr. Hooks: Email: bmhooks@gmail.com Website: pinnaclebusinessacademy.org LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bertina-hooks-046a3819/ Subscribe & Follow: If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Mindful Practice Podcast and share it with a colleague who may need to hear this message. You are not stuck—and you are not broken.

    15 min
  3. Burnout Is A Signal, Not A Failure: The Truth About Misalignment | Episode 12

    APR 23

    Burnout Is A Signal, Not A Failure: The Truth About Misalignment | Episode 12

    Most conversations about physician burnout focus on the symptoms—exhaustion, fatigue, apathy, headaches, and the need for time off. But treating the symptoms alone rarely solves the deeper problem. In this episode, Dr. Bertina Hooks explores a powerful shift in perspective: burnout is not always the problem—it’s often a signal. Using a simple but powerful analogy of an orange under pressure, Dr. Hooks explains how the same external stressors in medicine can produce very different outcomes depending on what’s happening internally for the physician. She then breaks down the three common types of misalignment that often sit underneath what physicians label as burnout: role misalignment, environment misalignment, and value misalignment. Understanding these distinctions can completely change how physicians approach recovery, career clarity, and the next stage of their professional journey. What You’ll Discover: Why burnout is often a signal rather than the root problemThe “orange under pressure” analogy that reframes how physicians think about stressThe early warning signs of misalignment before full burnout developsThe difference between role misalignment, environment misalignment, and value misalignmentWhy rest alone doesn’t fix burnout when misalignment is the real issuePractical reflection questions to help physicians identify where friction is coming fromThis Episode Is For You If: You feel exhausted but aren’t sure why time off hasn’t fixed itYou sense something is “off” in your career but can’t clearly define itYou’re still performing well professionally but feel internally disconnectedYou want clarity about whether your challenge is burnout or misalignmentListen on Pinnacle Podcast Network (CME credit available): https://learnatpinnacle.com/education Also available on: 🎧 https://bit.ly/MindFulPracticePodcast_Spotify 🍏 https://apple.co/4qmFqsW ❤️ https://ihr.fm/4kfR732 About Dr. Bertina Hooks: Dr. Bertina Hooks is a board-certified internal medicine physician, entrepreneur, coach, and speaker dedicated to helping physicians navigate burnout, gain career clarity, and redesign their professional lives in a way that aligns with their values and goals. Connect with Dr. Hooks: Email: bmhooks@gmail.com Website: pinnaclebusinessacademy.org LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bertina-hooks-046a3819/ Subscribe & Follow: If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Mindful Practice Podcast and share it with a colleague who may need to hear this message. You are not stuck—and you are not broken.

    15 min
  4. Why You Are Stuck: 3 Frameworks to Help Physicians Move Forward | Episode 11

    APR 15

    Why You Are Stuck: 3 Frameworks to Help Physicians Move Forward | Episode 11

    Many physicians reach a point in their careers where something feels off. The work is still getting done, but the fulfillment, energy, or alignment is missing. In this episode, Dr. Bertina Hooks explores why so many physicians feel stuck and how to begin moving forward with clarity rather than panic. In this episode, Dr. Hooks explains how not every difficult season in medicine is the same. She breaks down the differences between burnout, moral injury, and misalignment, and introduces three practical frameworks physicians can use to evaluate their situation and begin making aligned career decisions. Through real-life examples of physician career pivots, she shows how small, intentional changes—rather than drastic exits—can lead to meaningful shifts in work and life. What You’ll Discover: The difference between burnout, moral injury, and career misalignment The Clarity Triad for evaluating energy, values, and constraints How the Zoom In / Zoom Out Framework helps identify the real problem The Decision Ladder for turning overwhelm into practical next steps Why small experiments can create big career insights A simple tool to separate fear from facts when making career decisions This Episode Is For You If: You feel stuck or uncertain about your career in medicine You’re considering making a change but don’t know where to start You want practical tools to evaluate your next step without making impulsive decisions Listen on Pinnacle Podcast Network (CME credit available): https://learnatpinnacle.com/education Also available on: https://bit.ly/MindFulPracticePodcast_Spotify https://apple.co/4qmFqsW https://ihr.fm/4kfR732 About Dr. Bertina Hooks: Dr. Bertina Hooks is a board-certified internal medicine physician, entrepreneur, coach, and speaker dedicated to helping physicians navigate burnout, reclaim their identity, and design careers aligned with their values. Connect with Dr. Hooks: Email: bmhooks@gmail.com Website: pinnaclebusinessacademy.org LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bertina-hooks-046a3819/ Subscribe & Follow: If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Mindful Practice Podcast and share it with a colleague who may need to hear this message.

    23 min
  5. Redefining Success: From Achievement to Alignment | Episode 10

    APR 8

    Redefining Success: From Achievement to Alignment | Episode 10

    In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast, Dr. Bertina Hooks explores why physicians must eventually redefine success in order to avoid burnout and build sustainable careers. Traditional success in medicine often centers on achievement — prestige, income, productivity, and recognition. But when success is defined only by “more,” it can lead to endless pressure and exhaustion. Dr. Hooks shares how shifting from achievement to alignment helped her redesign her career and life. She introduces a multidimensional view of success that prioritizes health, autonomy, meaning, and sustainability alongside financial stability. If you’re navigating burnout, career change, or simply questioning whether your current definition of success still fits your life, this episode offers an important framework for reflection. What You’ll Learn Why achievement alone doesn’t sustain fulfillmentThe difference between achievement-based success and alignment-based successThe hidden costs of traditional success in medicineThe five dimensions of sustainable success: financial stability, health, emotional sustainability, autonomy, and meaningWhy success must evolve through different seasons of life Key Takeaways Burnout often comes from overachieving under the wrong definition of success.Alignment — not endless achievement — creates sustainable fulfillment.Success should be measured across multiple areas of life, not just income or prestige.You have permission to redefine success as your career and life evolve. Reflection Questions If no one else were watching, how would I define success?If comparison disappeared, what would I choose?If my health became the priority, how would my work change? Connect with us: Email: info.pinnaclebusinessacademy@gmail.com Website: PinnacleBusinessAcademy.org Follow and Share: If this episode resonated with you, share it with a colleague who may also be rethinking their definition of success.

    25 min
  6. The Permission to Evolve: How Physicians Can Embrace Career Growth Without Guilt | Episode 9

    APR 8

    The Permission to Evolve: How Physicians Can Embrace Career Growth Without Guilt | Episode 9

    In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast, Dr. Bertina Hooks tackles one of the most quietly painful challenges in medicine: giving yourself permission to evolve. Whether you're questioning your specialty, stepping into leadership, or feeling called toward something beyond clinical practice, this episode is your reminder that growth is not betrayal, it's maturity. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why physicians struggle to give themselves permission to change careers or redefine successHow medicine's "endure and commit" culture can keep physicians stuck in roles they've already outgrownThe difference between quitting impulsively and evolving intentionallyHow clarity often comes through movement, not before itDr. Hooks' personal journey: from OB-GYN to internal medicine, physician leadership, coaching, and publishing Dr. Hooks' Personal Story Dr. Hooks shares her own multi-chapter career evolution — including: Matching twice: First in OB-GYN, then transitioning to internal medicine after a patient with postpartum cardiomyopathy reignited her lifelong passion for cardiologyOvercoming imposter syndrome that nearly kept her from pursuing cardiology as a teenager and again in medical schoolStepping into physician leadership through utilization management and enrolling in an Executive MBA program in 2024, with the goal of becoming a Certified Physician Executive (CPE) through AAPL and eventually a Chief Medical OfficerLaunching the Mindful Practice Podcast as a vehicle to educate, advise, and uplift physicians navigating similar transitionsWriting her memoir as another expression of her evolving purpose Key Takeaways Permission to evolve rarely comes from outside. You have to grant it to yourself.Evolution can look like changing specialties, entering leadership, coaching, writing, entrepreneurship, or advocacy, it doesn't always mean leaving medicine.Physicians who evolve thoughtfully often become strong leaders because they are living in greater alignment, not just performing an identity.Ask yourself: What version of success am I still holding onto that no longer fits? Reflection Questions for Physicians Where have I outgrown old definitions of success?Am I staying in this role out of alignment or out of fear of what others will think?What becomes possible if I allow myself to evolve? About Dr. Bertina Hooks: Board-certified internal medicine physician, certified life and business coach. After redefining her own success over 10 years, she helps physicians build careers aligned with their core values through coaching, strategic planning, and honest conversations about money, status, and fear. Resources: Email: info.pinnaclebusinessacademy@gmail.com Website: PinnacleBusinessAcademy.org Subscribe & Share: If this episode gave you permission to question your definition of success, subscribe and share with a fellow physician who needs to hear this.

    20 min
  7. The Money Fear: Physician's Financial Anxiety and Career Reinvention | Episode 8

    MAR 25

    The Money Fear: Physician's Financial Anxiety and Career Reinvention | Episode 8

    Most physicians don't fear leaving medicine. They fear not being able to afford it. And that fear when it's undefined feels infinite. In this episode of the Mindful Practice Podcast, Dr. Bertina Hooks breaks down the financial frameworks that turn overwhelming fear into a manageable, strategic plan. No toxic positivity. No reckless courage. Just clarity, the kind that lets you make career decisions from alignment, not panic. IN THIS EPISODE: → Why financial fear hits physicians harder than anyone else delayed earnings, student loan debt, lifestyle inflation, an identity built around a high-income bracket. → The most critical distinction: high income and financial stability are not the same thing. High earners can be financially fragile. Knowing the difference changes everything. → The 3 fears that paralyze physicians considering a pivot and why every single one is a modeling problem, not a destiny. → How to calculate your Baseline Survival Number — your true monthly minimum to remain stable. → The Runway Calculation: That number alone changes how your nervous system responds. → Income layers physicians can activate without fully leaving: Locums, Utilization Management, Telemedicine, Medical Writing, Expert Consulting, Chart Review, and Coaching. → The lifestyle inflation trap — and why reducing fixed overhead is often more powerful than increasing income. → Dr. Hooks' personal path: from Locums in 2016, to Utilization Management in 2022, to full financial independence from clinical medicine by December 2024 earning more, with more freedom, than ever before. YOUR 90-DAY ACTION PLAN: 1. Calculate your Baseline Survival Number 2. Run your Runway Calculation 3. Identify 2 income streams to activate within 90 days 4. Reduce non-essential fixed overhead where possible 5. Do not resign without remodeling first 6. Consult a licensed financial planner before pivoting About Dr. Bertina Hooks: Board-certified internal medicine physician, certified life and business coach. After redefining her own success over 10 years, she helps physicians build careers aligned with their core values through coaching, strategic planning, and honest conversations about money, status, and fear. Resources: 📧 Email: info.pinnaclebusinessacademy@gmail.com 🌐 Website: PinnacleBusinessAcademy.org Join the Learn at Pinnacle app to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode. Link: https://learnatpinnacle.com/education Subscribe & Share: If this episode gave you permission to question your definition of success, subscribe and share with a fellow physician who needs to hear this.

    20 min
  8. Career Pivots Without Panic: Redesigning Your Medical Career as a Physician | Episode 7

    MAR 18

    Career Pivots Without Panic: Redesigning Your Medical Career as a Physician | Episode 7

    A career pivot is not failure, betrayal, or quitting. Board-certified internal medicine physician Dr. Bertina Hooks explains how to take the panic out of career transition and redesign your medical career with intention instead of fear. In This Episode: Medicine trains physicians for a linear path. Deviation is rarely discussed and often judged. Fear shows up quickly: "I wasted my training. I'm disappointing people. What if I can't practice clinically again?" Dr. Hooks dismantles these myths and shares her personal career evolution—from full-time hospitalist to locums to exploring non-clinical pathways including utilization management, telemedicine, coaching, medical expert work, and education. You'll discover: Why career pivots feel so threatening to physicians (and why that fear is conditioning, not truth)Common myths dismantled: "If I pivot, I can never go back" and "Pivoting means I failed"What a career pivot actually is (reorientation, not rejection)The grief and guilt no one talks about (and why these emotions mean you cared deeply)Dr. Hooks' personal career evolution from burnout to redesignWhy your medical degree is a launching pad, not a life sentenceThe thoughtful pivot framework: Why, what, how, and what stays vs. what goesWhy you don't owe anyone an explanation while you exploreKey Truths: Myth: Physicians who go non-clinical are "selling out" Reality: They use the same transferable clinical skills with often greater impact and fulfillment Myth: You can never return to clinical medicine Reality: Re-entry programs exist. Don't leave for more than 1-2 years depending on specialty Myth: Your medical degree defines you Reality: Your values define you. Your degree is a means to an end The Pivot Framework: WHY you want to changeWHAT you're moving towardsHOW you'll test the market safelyWHAT stays and what no longer serves youThis keeps pivots grounded, not reactive. About Dr. Bertina Hooks: Board-certified internal medicine physician, certified life and business coach. After redefining her own success over 10 years, she helps physicians build careers aligned with their core values through coaching, strategic planning, and honest conversations about money, status, and fear. Resources: 📧 Email: info.pinnaclebusinessacademy@gmail.com 🌐 Website: PinnacleBusinessAcademy.org Subscribe & Share: If this episode gave you permission to question your definition of success, subscribe and share with a fellow physician who needs to hear this.

    13 min
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About

Mindful Practice Podcast is a weekly audio-visual podcast hosted by Dr. Bertina M. Hooks, a board-certified internal medicine physician, entrepreneur, author, and coach with over 15 years of clinical experience. Through honest conversations and practical guidance, the podcast supports physicians who are navigating burnout, imposter syndrome, systemic bias, and career dissatisfaction. Drawing from her personal journey of resilience and reinvention, Dr. Hooks empowers listeners with mindfulness strategies, wellness tools, and real-world insights into alternative and value-aligned career paths in medicine. Each episode is designed to help physicians protect their well-being, reclaim their purpose, and build fulfilling careers beyond the traditional white coat.

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