Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career

The Time Problem Most Doctors Never Solve | Ep49

What if the problem isn’t your productivity system, but the assumption that you should be able to fit everything in? In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh reflects on Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman and the reality that time is not something physicians can endlessly optimize. While medicine trains doctors to work harder, absorb more, and stay endlessly productive, the demands of modern clinical life often exceed what any schedule can realistically hold. Dr. Hersh explores the quiet but constant feeling many physicians carry: being perpetually behind. Behind on notes, inboxes, family time, exercise, friendships, and even their own lives. He discusses how efficiency can help, but cannot solve the deeper issue of unrealistic expectations and unchecked work demands. This episode is an invitation to stop treating life as something that starts “after things settle down,” and instead begin intentionally deciding what deserves your best time, energy, and attention before those opportunities quietly disappear. Three Actionable Takeaways: * Efficiency Cannot Solve an Impossible Workload: Physicians are trained to optimize everything, but many schedules simply contain more work than time allows. Better workflows and templates help, but they cannot fully eliminate the emotional burden of constantly feeling behind. * The Non-Urgent Parts of Life Are Often the Most Important: Relationships, health, rest, and meaningful experiences rarely show up as emergencies, which is why they are often postponed. Over time, however, these neglected areas become the source of regret physicians feel most deeply. * “Temporary” Overwork Easily Becomes a Lifestyle: Many doctors live in survival mode while telling themselves things will settle down later. But when every year follows the same pattern, temporary stress quietly becomes the permanent structure of life. About the Show: Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention. About the Host: Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work. His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love. Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh: 🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com] 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md/] 📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.instagram.com/betterphysicianlife/] 📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.youtube.com/@betterphysicianlife] 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoachingfacebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching [http://facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching] TikTok: @betterphysicianlife   If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset]. Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next. You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset]   The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Knowing When to Quit: When Persistence Stops Paying Off in Medicine | Ep48

What if the real issue isn’t burnout in the dramatic sense, but quietly realizing you’re continuing more out of familiarity than desire? In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh discusses Annie Duke’s book Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away. He examines how the same grit that got physicians through training and early career can make it hard to recognize when a practice structure, schedule, or role no longer fits as well as it once did. Drawing on the book, Dr. Hersh explores concepts such as escalation of commitment, the sunk cost fallacy, the tension between exploiting (optimizing the current setup) and exploring (considering new options), and the challenge of identity tied to being the reliable, always-available physician. He emphasizes that most doctors aren’t looking to leave medicine entirely; they just want to ensure the way they’re working still supports the life they want to live. The episode encourages physicians to define clear “kill criteria” or decision points in advance and create space to step back and evaluate what still makes sense. 🔗 Learn more about coaching with Dr. Hersh: betterphysicianlife.com [http://betterphysicianlife.com] Top 3 Takeaways: * Persistence Can Become a Trap: The same determination that helped you succeed in medicine can make it difficult to notice when small, temporary increases in workload have become permanent. Subtle signals like hesitation before opening the schedule or hoping for cancellations often appear before obvious burnout. * Sunk Costs and Identity Make Change Feel Bigger: We’ve invested years, our identity, and our reputation in our current path. Changing structure can feel like changing who we are, leading to “escalation of commitment,” in which we double down on more effort instead of reconsidering the setup itself. * Define Decision Criteria in Advance: Just like in clinical medicine, set clear signals ahead of time for when to reassess. Exploration doesn’t mean you have to quit; it often confirms your current path still works or reveals small, helpful adjustments. About the Show: Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention. About the Host: Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work. His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love. Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh: 🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com] 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md/] 📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.instagram.com/betterphysicianlife/] 📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.youtube.com/@betterphysicianlife] 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoachingfacebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching [http://facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching] 📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.tiktok.com/@betterphysicianlife] If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset]. Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next. You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset]   The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Doctors Keep Working Even After They Have Enough Money | Ep47

What if the financial plan you’ve been working toward is already working, but your life hasn’t caught up? In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh explores a powerful idea from Die With Zero by Bill Perkins: money isn’t the only resource that matters, time and health are just as important, and they don’t grow in the same way. He examines a common but rarely discussed pattern among physicians, continuing to work at the same intense pace even after financial stability is achieved. Despite growing accounts and improving projections, schedules remain full, extra shifts continue, and life stays organized around maximizing income. This episode challenges physicians to reconsider not just how much is “enough,” but enough for what, and how to align their time with the parts of life that matter most while those opportunities are still available. Top 3 Takeaways: * Money Grows, But Time and Health Don’t: While financial assets compound over time, your ability to enjoy life—through time, energy, and health—does not. Delaying life experiences can mean missing the window when they’re easiest and most meaningful. * Continuing Is Easy, Adjusting Is Hard: Physicians are trained to keep going: more shifts, more patients, more productivity. But even when financial pressure decreases, the pace often stays the same out of habit, responsibility, or system expectations. * The Real Question Isn’t “How Much Is Enough?”, It’s “Enough for What?” At some point, the goal shifts from maximizing income to maximizing life. This means intentionally deciding how much you actually need to work, and protecting time for family, relationships, and experiences that won’t wait. About the Show: Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention. About the Host: Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work. His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love. Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh: 🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com] 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md/] 📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.instagram.com/betterphysicianlife/] 📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.youtube.com/@betterphysicianlife] 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoachingfacebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching [http://facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching] 📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.tiktok.com/@betterphysicianlife] If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset]. Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next. You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset]   The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Doctors Start Feeling Stuck in Their Careers | Ep46

What happens when you’ve mastered medicine, but something still feels incomplete? In this solo episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh reflects on a powerful idea from From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks: the skills that drive success early in a physician’s career are not the same ones that create meaning later in life. He explores the concept of fluid intelligence: the speed, pattern recognition, and technical skill that medicine rewards early on, and how it gradually gives way to crystallized intelligence, a deeper, experience-based wisdom that becomes more valuable over time. Dr. Hersh also unpacks the “striver’s curse,” the endless cycle of achievement that leaves many high-performing physicians feeling like they’ve never quite arrived. He discusses how career milestones lose their lasting impact, why professional success can feel surprisingly isolating, and the difference between “deal friends” and “real friends.” This episode is an invitation to rethink what the second half of a medical career can look like, not just in terms of productivity but also in terms of purpose, connection, and intentional living. Top 3 Takeaways: * The Skills That Built Your Career Won’t Sustain It Forever: Early success in medicine relies on speed and technical excellence (fluid intelligence), but long-term fulfillment comes from perspective, judgment, and experience (crystallized intelligence). Recognizing this shift is key to navigating mid-career transitions. * Achievement Alone Doesn’t Create Lasting Satisfaction: The “striver’s curse” keeps physicians chasing the next milestone, but the feeling of “arrival” is always temporary. True fulfillment requires redefining what “enough” means beyond constant achievement. * The Second Half of Your Career Is About Intentional Living: As careers evolve, the focus shifts from proving competence to designing a life. This includes building meaningful relationships, exploring new roles like mentorship or teaching, and deciding how work fits into the life you actually want. About the Show: Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention. About the Host: Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work. His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love. Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh: 🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com] 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md/] 📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.instagram.com/betterphysicianlife/] 📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.youtube.com/@betterphysicianlife] 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoachingfacebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching [http://facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching] 📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.tiktok.com/@betterphysicianlife] If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset]. Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next. You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset]   The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Doctors Procrastinate (And Why It Feels So Personal) | Ep45

You finished clinic, the inbox is mostly clear, but those six charts are still open. You know they’ll only take 15 minutes, yet you keep putting them off. Sound familiar? In this solo episode of the Better Physician Life Podcast, Dr. Michael Hersh explores why procrastination feels so personal for physicians. Even though doctors are highly responsible and excellent at handling difficult tasks, small delays trigger harsh self-judgment that keeps the cycle going. He explains that procrastination is rarely about laziness; it’s usually about avoiding what the task represents: uncertainty, perfectionism, mental exhaustion, or the lack of external structure that medicine normally provides. Dr. Hersh breaks down common physician procrastination patterns, including decision fatigue at the end of the day, perfectionism that prevents starting, and the way unfinished tasks quietly drain mental bandwidth for months. Most importantly, he offers practical strategies to break the cycle: shrink the task to something small enough to begin, create your own structure instead of waiting to “feel like it,” ask “what exactly am I avoiding?”, and rebuild self-trust through small, repeated follow-through. This episode is for every physician who has ever thought, “Why didn’t I just do that already?” and wants to stop letting procrastination quietly shape their career and life. Top 3 Takeaways: * Procrastination Isn’t Laziness, It’s Avoidance of What Comes Next: You’re rarely avoiding the task itself. You’re avoiding the uncertainty, the numbers, the conversation, or reopening the visit in your head. Naming exactly what you’re avoiding is the first step to breaking the cycle. * Self-Judgment Makes It Worse: Delaying a task is one thing. Adding layers of “I should be better than this” turns a 15-minute job into months of background mental pressure. Shame doesn’t motivate; it usually leads to more distraction and avoidance. * Shrink the Task and Add Structure: Make the next step ridiculously small (open the file, spend 10 minutes, finish one chart). Then schedule it like clinic, give it a specific time block. Physicians thrive with structure; create your own instead of waiting until you “feel like it.” Small, repeated follow-through rebuilds self-trust over time. About the Show: Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager. Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention. About the Host: Dr. Michael Hersh is a full-time practicing gastroenterologist, husband, father, podcaster, and physician coach at Better Physician Life Coaching. He helps physicians rediscover joy and balance by setting meaningful goals, managing stress, and feeling more present at home and less annoyed and frustrated at work. His mission is to help doctors who feel stuck in medicine create a more fulfilling life that they actually enjoy living. Through coaching and conversation, he empowers physicians to reconnect with their purpose and design a career (and life) they love. Dr. Hersh is also the creator and host of the Better Physician Life podcast: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career—a show for doctors who feel out of sync or stuck, and want to explore what true success can look like beyond the exam room. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Hersh: 🌐 Website: www.betterphysicianlife.com [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com] 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md/] 📸 Instagram: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.instagram.com/betterphysicianlife/] 📺 YouTube: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.youtube.com/@betterphysicianlife] 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoachingfacebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching [http://facebook.com/betterphysicianlifecoaching] 📱TikTok: @betterphysicianlife [https://www.tiktok.com/@betterphysicianlife] If you find yourself walking through the door still stuck in work mode, check out the 5-Minute Commute Reset for Physicians [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset]. Work doesn’t end on its own. This is a short, structured reset you can use on the drive home to shut down work-mode, clear your head, and show up more present for whatever comes next. You can download it for free at: https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset [https://www.betterphysicianlife.com/commute-reset]   The Better Physician Life Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your personal or organizational decisions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.