The Medicine of Connection | Why Community Matters for Doctors

Beyond Survival | What It Means to Truly Live in Recovery

Last time, they shared how they survived. Today, a doctor and a lawyer share what it takes to truly live in recovery. In this episode of Stand Up (for) Doctors!, we continue an important conversation about substance use disorder, identity, and the lifelong journey of recovery. 🔹 Dr. Sean Fogler is an anesthesiologist by training and CEO of Elevyst, working at the intersection of public health and public safety to build healthier communities. 🔹 Kevin Hyer is a lawyer and CEO of The Hyer Calling Foundation, supporting recovery-friendly workplaces and career repair. Substance use disorder affects an estimated 10–15% of physicians, though many experts believe the true number is higher due to stigma and fear of professional consequences. Yet physicians who participate in specialized recovery programs often achieve recovery success rates of 75–90%. Nine months after their first conversation, Sean and Kevin return to discuss what comes after survival. What still felt unsaid? How has recovery changed their relationship with achievement, identity, and success? What did they have to let go of to move forward? Together, we explore: • What life looks like beyond the first steps of recovery • How recovery reshapes identity and purpose • The ongoing tensions that remain, even years later • Why vulnerability is essential to healing • What they want others struggling in silence to hear today Recovery is not just about getting your life back. It's about discovering a life worth living. 🔗 Connect with our guests: Dr. Sean Fogler 🌐 www.elevyst.com 🌐 www.seanfogler.com 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-fogler-md-emba-2602aa12b/ Kevin Hyer 🌐 HyerCalling.org 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhyeresq/ This episode is sponsored by Brian Case and Direct Wealth Care, providing conflict-free tools and resources that help physicians address the financial stress not talked about in medicine. https://directwealthcare.com/ If today’s conversation resonated with you, you’ll find more powerful stories like this in our White Coats book series — created to humanize medicine and amplify physician voices: https://standupfordoctors.org/books/ And if you’re ready to go deeper… 🌿 Join us at the Stand Up (for) Doctors! Inaugural Physician Retreat 📍 Windrose on Hudson 🗓 October 9–12, 2026 🔗 https://standupfordoctors.org/events/ CME Credits Available: • 11 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ • 11 AOA Category 2-A CME Credits Interested in sponsoring an episode or supporting this movement? 📩 standupfordoctors@gmail.com Because when doctors reclaim joy, everyone benefits. #StandUpForDoctors #PhysicianWellness #Recovery #AddictionMedicine #DoctorSupport #HealingHealthcare #Episode160

The Medicine of Connection | Why Community Matters for Doctors

Doctors can be surrounded by people all day, yet still feel lonely. In this episode of Stand Up (for) Doctors!, we're talking about something every physician needs but too few receive: community. 🔹 Dr. Lulu is a Nigerian-born pediatrician, author, speaker, and advocate for LGBTQ+ youth and their families. Her work centers on helping people feel seen, valued, and connected. 🔹 Dr. Nicole Perrotte is board-certified in Internal Medicine and as a Health & Wellness Coach, with more than 20 years of experience in Internal, Lifestyle, and Obesity Medicine. Medicine can be deeply rewarding, but it can also be isolating. Long hours, professional expectations, and the culture of self-sacrifice often leave physicians feeling disconnected from others and even from themselves. What happens when doctors find genuine community? What role does connection play in resilience, wellbeing, and professional fulfillment? Together, we explore why meaningful relationships are not a luxury in medicine. They're essential. The strongest doctors aren't the ones who carry everything themselves. They're the ones who know how to stay connected. 🔗 Connect with our guests: Dr. Lulu 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlulu/ Dr. Nicole Perrotte 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nperrotte/ This episode is sponsored by Brian Case and Direct Wealth Care, providing conflict-free tools and resources that help physicians address the financial stress not talked about in medicine. https://directwealthcare.com/ If today’s conversation resonated with you, you’ll find more powerful stories like this in our White Coats book series — created to humanize medicine and amplify physician voices: https://standupfordoctors.org/books/ And if you’re ready to go deeper… 🌿 Join us at the Stand Up (for) Doctors! Inaugural Physician Retreat 📍 Windrose on Hudson 🗓 October 9–12, 2026 🔗 https://standupfordoctors.org/events/ Interested in sponsoring an episode or supporting this movement? 📩 standupfordoctors@gmail.com Because when doctors reclaim joy, everyone benefits. #StandUpForDoctors #PhysicianWellness #CommunityInMedicine #DoctorSupport #ConnectionMatters #HealingHealthcare #Episode159

Exercise Snacks | 5 Minutes That Could Change a Doctor’s Day

Taking care of patients shouldn’t come at the cost of your own body. But for many doctors, it does. In this episode of Stand Up (for) Doctors!, we’re exploring something simple, practical, and surprisingly powerful. What’s actually possible in just five minutes? If you had only a few minutes between patients, could you still do something meaningful for your health? Today, we’re going to show you how. 🔹 Dr. Shirish Sachdeva has a doctorate in Physical Therapy and is Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine. He’s also a speaker, researcher, entrepreneur, and author focused on helping people build healthier, more sustainable lives. In a previous conversation, Shirish shared a statistic about how few physicians consistently exercise. The number was lower than many would expect. So what happens when we stop thinking exercise has to be perfect, time-consuming, or all-or-nothing? Together, we explore the growing science behind “exercise snacks” and how short movement breaks may improve energy, focus, physical health, and longevity for both doctors and patients. Sometimes five minutes is not the limitation. It’s the starting point. 🔗 Connect with our guest: Dr. Shirish Sachdeva 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-shirish-sachdeva/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-shirish-sachdeva/] 📚 Resources Mentioned: CDC — Physical Activity Breaks for the Workplace Resource Guidehttps://www.cdc.gov/workplace-health-promotion/media/pdfs/2024/06/Workplace-Physical-Activity-Break-Guide-508.pdf [https://www.cdc.gov/workplace-health-promotion/media/pdfs/2024/06/Workplace-Physical-Activity-Break-Guide-508.pdf] NIOSH (CDC) — Physical Activity in the Workplacehttps://www.cdc.gov/niosh/bulletin/2024/physical-activity.html [https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/bulletin/2024/physical-activity.html] NIH/PMC — The Importance of Workplace Exercise (Narrative Review)https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9162294/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9162294/] NIH/PMC — Exercise Snacks as a Strategy to Interrupt Sedentary Behavior (Systematic Review)https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12732512/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12732512/] NIH/PMC — Application of Exercise Snacks across Populations (Scoping Review)https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11920532/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11920532/] NIH/PMC — Effectiveness of Workplace Exercise Interventions for Musculoskeletal Disordershttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7757473/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7757473/] NIH/PMC — MOV'D: Peer-Supported Exercise Snack Interventionhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12371288/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12371288/] This episode is sponsored by Brian Case and Direct Wealth Care, providing conflict-free tools and resources that help physicians address the financial stress not talked about in medicine. https://directwealthcare.com/ [https://directwealthcare.com/] If today’s conversation resonated with you, you’ll find more powerful stories like this in our White Coats book series — created to humanize medicine and amplify physician voices: https://standupfordoctors.org/books/ [https://standupfordoctors.org/books/] And if you’re ready to go deeper…🌿 Join us at the Stand Up (for) Doctors! Inaugural Physician Retreat📍 Windrose on Hudson🗓 October 9–12, 2026🔗 https://standupfordoctors.org/events/ [https://standupfordoctors.org/events/] Interested in sponsoring an episode or supporting this movement?📩 standupfordoctors@gmail.com Because when doctors reclaim joy, everyone benefits. #StandUpForDoctors #PhysicianWellness #LifestyleMedicine #ExerciseSnacks #DoctorSupport #HealingHealthcare #Episode158

Courageous Hearts in Medicine | Leadership, Storytelling, and Becoming Unburnoutable

In this episode of Stand Up (for) Doctors!, we’re joined by two remarkable neurosurgeons whose work reaches far beyond the operating room. Today’s conversation is about what it means to lead with both a courageous heart and a human heart in medicine today. 🔹 Dr. Mark McLaughlin is a neurosurgeon, speaker, and author dedicated to connecting people with purpose and inspiring patients, athletes, leaders, and physicians through service. 🔹 Dr. Tony Avellino is a pediatric neurosurgeon, physician executive, and author whose work focuses on health, wellness, safety, and sustainable leadership in medicine. Both guests are also contributing authors in the Stand Up (for) Doctors! White Coats book series, sharing deeply personal stories drawn from their own journeys in medicine and leadership. Behind the precision, pressure, and performance of medicine, there are stories most physicians never say out loud. Stories of burnout. Identity. Purpose. Fear. Resilience. And healing. Every time a doctor shares their story, another doctor feels less alone. Together, we explore why storytelling matters in medicine, and how vulnerability, reflection, and connection may be some of the most important leadership tools physicians have today. Medicine does not need more invincible doctors. It needs more human ones. 🔗 Connect with our guests: Dr. Tony Avellino 🌐 www.findingpurposeavellino.com [http://www.findingpurposeavellino.com] 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-m-avellino-m-d-m-b-a-aa52a536/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-m-avellino-m-d-m-b-a-aa52a536/] Dr. Mark McLaughlin 🌐 markmclaughlinmd.com 🌐 princetonbrainandspine.com 🔗 linkedin.com/in/mmclaughlinmd This episode is sponsored by Brian Case and Direct Wealth Care, providing conflict-free tools and resources that help physicians address the financial stress not talked about in medicine.https://directwealthcare.com/ [https://directwealthcare.com/] If today’s conversation resonated with you, you’ll find more powerful stories like this in our White Coats book series — created to humanize medicine and amplify physician voices: https://standupfordoctors.org/books/ [https://standupfordoctors.org/books/] And if you’re ready to go deeper…🌿 Join us at the Stand Up (for) Doctors! Inaugural Physician Retreat A weekend to connect, empower, recharge, and celebrate. 📍 Windrose on Hudson 🗓 October 9–12, 2026 🔗 Register here: https://standupfordoctors.org/events/ [https://standupfordoctors.org/events/] We would be honored to have you join us. Interested in sponsoring an episode or supporting this movement?📩 Email us — standupfordoctors@gmail.com Because when doctors reclaim joy, everyone benefits. #StandUpForDoctors #PhysicianWellness #JoyInMedicine #LaughterIsMedicine #WhiteCoats #HealthcareLeadership #DoctorSupport #HealingHealthcare #Episode157

Addiction, Bias, and the Truth Medicine Still Avoids

In this episode of Stand Up (for) Doctors!, we’re taking on one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized areas in healthcare. Addiction medicine. We like to think medicine is guided by evidence, not bias. So why is addiction medicine still so misunderstood, even within the medical field itself? And what does that reveal about the systems meant to treat both patients and physicians? If you’re a doctor, healthcare leader, or patient, you belong here. 🔹 Dr. Sarah Nasir, DO, FASAM is an Addiction Medicine and Osteopathic Family Medicine physician dedicated to reshaping conversations around substance use, recovery, and compassionate care. 🔹 Dr. Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH is a board-certified specialist in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine, writer, and advocate bringing clarity and humanity to some of healthcare’s most complex conversations. Both guests wear many hats. But at the core of their work is a shared mission: helping medicine confront the assumptions and stigma that continue to surround addiction. Too often, addiction is viewed through the lens of judgment instead of understanding. Even within healthcare, physicians working in this field can face misunderstanding, skepticism, and silence. Together, we explore what addiction medicine can teach the rest of healthcare about compassion, evidence, and the courage to treat people as human beings first. In this conversation, we explore: - Why addiction medicine remains misunderstood in healthcare - The role stigma and bias still play in patient care - How physicians can approach addiction with greater humanity and evidence-based understanding - The emotional realities of working in addiction medicine - What healthcare systems still get wrong about recovery and support Addiction medicine doesn’t expose weakness in people. It exposes blind spots in systems. Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/sP6RoXorAbQ 🔗 Connect with our guests: Dr. Sarah Nasir 🌐 sarahnasir.com 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gwCWxeRH Dr. Peju Simoyan 🌐 https://lnkd.in/eKE9wNtz 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gMNfR25g This episode is sponsored by Brian Case and Direct Wealth Care, providing conflict-free tools and resources that help physicians address the financial stress not talked about in medicine. If today’s conversation resonated with you, and if you’re ready to go deeper… 🌿 Join us at the Stand Up (for) Doctors! Inaugural Physician Retreat A weekend to connect, empower, recharge, and celebrate. 📍 Windrose on Hudson 🗓 October 9–12, 2026 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gaeNWzQF We would be honored to have you join us. Interested in sponsoring an episode or supporting this movement? 📩 Email us — standupfordoctors@gmail.com Because when doctors reclaim joy, everyone benefits. #StandUpForDoctors #PhysicianWellness #JoyInMedicine #LaughterIsMedicine #WhiteCoats #HealthcareLeadership #DoctorSupport #HealingHealthcare #Episode156