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

How Physicians Are Expanding Career Options Inside Medicine | Telemedicine & Entrepreneurship with Dr. Leo Damasco and Phoebe Gutierrez | Ep51

What if physicians don’t actually want to leave medicine but just want more control over how they practice it? In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh is joined by Dr. Leo Damasco and Phoebe Gutierrez for an honest conversation about telemedicine, physician autonomy, and navigating alternative career paths within healthcare. Together, they explore why so many physicians are drawn to telemedicine and flexible work models, but also why many doctors underestimate the operational, regulatory, and business realities that accompany these opportunities. From medical directorships and PC ownership to compliance concerns and burnout in virtual care, this episode dives into the questions physicians should ask before jumping into telemedicine. Dr. Damasco shares his personal experience transitioning into telemedicine during the COVID boom, while Phoebe offers insight into the regulatory and operational side of digital healthcare, including the risks physicians unknowingly assume when they accept certain roles. This conversation is both a practical guide and a broader discussion about physician leadership, career design, and reclaiming influence in the future of medicine. Three Actionable Takeaways: ● Flexibility Without Clarity Can Lead to More Burnout: Many physicians pursue telemedicine looking for freedom, but without understanding what they truly want from their careers, they can quickly recreate the same dissatisfaction in a different environment. ● Physicians Need to Understand the Business and Compliance Side of Telemedicine: Medical directorships, PC ownership, and telemedicine roles often involve responsibilities physicians do not fully understand. Asking deeper operational and regulatory questions is essential for protecting both licenses and careers. ● Physicians Belong at the Center of Digital Healthcare: Telemedicine and digital health are shaping the future of medicine. The more physicians step into leadership, operational, and strategic roles, the more influence they can have on building healthcare systems that actually work for patients and providers. 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 Guests: Dr. Leo Damasco is a pediatric and emergency medicine physician who has spent years working in telemedicine and virtual care. He helps physicians better understand the realities of telemedicine careers, operational structures, and how to navigate digital healthcare opportunities safely and strategically. Phoebe Gutierrez specializes in healthcare compliance, operational strategy, and regulatory affairs within digital health and telemedicine. She works closely with physicians and healthcare organizations to help build compliant, sustainable telemedicine infrastructures while educating clinicians on the risks and realities of the industry. * Podcast:  Telemedicine Talks [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/telemedicine-talks/id1795173726] * Website:  telemedicinetalks.com [http://telemedicinetalks.com] * Slack Community: Available through the Telemedicine Talks website 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 Mistake Setbacks for Failure | Ep50

What if the setback you’re experiencing is not failure, but incomplete information? In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh reflects on Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and the famous story of “Three Feet from Gold.” While physicians are often taught persistence through years of medical training, the challenge later in their careers is not simply working harder; it is learning to navigate uncertainty when the next step is no longer clearly defined. Dr. Hersh explores how many physicians interpret disappointing early results as evidence that an idea, career pivot, leadership path, or side project is unrealistic. Whether it’s pursuing leadership, negotiating schedule flexibility, consulting, or building something outside clinical medicine, early obstacles often become personal verdicts instead of opportunities for reassessment. This episode is a reminder that stalled progress does not always mean the goal is wrong. Sometimes the problem is not effort, but perspective, timing, strategy, or fatigue. And sometimes the most important career decisions deserve the same thoughtful reassessment physicians naturally apply inside the exam room. Three Actionable Takeaways: ● Early Setbacks Are Not Always Final Answers: A disappointing first attempt does not automatically mean the idea is wrong. Physicians often mistake incomplete information, poor timing, or lack of experience for evidence that they should stop altogether. ● Exhaustion Can Distort Career Decisions: Many doctors evaluate major life and career questions when they are mentally drained after clinic, call, or long workdays. Fatigue can make temporary frustration feel permanent and cause physicians to abandon ideas prematurely. ● New Career Skills Require Beginner-Level Patience: Leadership, negotiation, consulting, business, and entrepreneurship are skills that naturally feel uncomfortable at first. Physicians are accustomed to expertise, which makes the discomfort of learning something new especially difficult to tolerate. 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.

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.