The Leadership Blueprint for Women Physicians: Visibility, Sponsorship, and Impact

The Leadership Blueprint for Women Physicians: Visibility, Sponsorship, and Impact

What does it take to break through leadership barriers in medicine without sacrificing your authenticity? In this inspiring episode, Dr. Andrea Austin welcomes Dr. Shannon Udovic-Constant, as she shares her journey into executive leadership, the lessons she learned navigating spaces where women remain significantly underrepresented, and why visibility, not just hard work, is essential for career advancement. Together, Andrea and Shannon unpack the realities women physicians continue to face, from being mistaken for non-physician staff to balancing invisible labor at home while pursuing leadership opportunities. Rather than accepting these challenges as personal failures, they encourage physicians to recognize the systemic barriers that exist and develop intentional strategies to overcome them. Shannon introduces the concept of strategic visibility, explaining why saying "yes" to every opportunity isn't enough. She shares actionable advice on building relationships with decision-makers, leading high-impact initiatives, communicating accomplishments with confidence, and understanding the difference between mentorship and sponsorship. The conversation also explores psychological safety, creating healthy leadership cultures, and why diverse leadership ultimately leads to better healthcare decisions for patients. Whether you're considering your first leadership role or looking to expand your influence within medicine, this episode offers practical tools, encouragement, and a powerful reminder that authentic leadership creates lasting change—for physicians, healthcare systems, and the patients they serve. You'll Hear How They: * Discuss why women remain significantly underrepresented in executive healthcare leadership despite representing the majority of today's medical graduates. * Explain how strategic visibility helps physicians position themselves for leadership opportunities by intentionally building relationships with key decision-makers. * Share practical techniques for communicating accomplishments confidently while remaining authentic and collaborative. * Explore the critical difference between mentorship and sponsorship, and why sponsorship is often the missing ingredient in advancing women leaders. * Reveal leadership practices that build psychological safety, encourage healthy disagreement, and strengthen team performance. * Discuss why physician advocacy and participation in organized medicine are essential for creating meaningful healthcare reform and improving patient care. * Encourage physicians to embrace leadership without compromising their values, identity, or authenticity. About the Guest "You don't have to change who you are to become an effective leader, you simply need to become visible for the impact you're already creating." — Dr. Shannon Udovic-Constant Dr. Shannon Udovic-Constant is a pediatrician, leadership coach, and advocate for women in medicine. As President of California's largest medical association, she's a trailblazer for women in leadership. Through Physician Women Rising, she empowers women physicians to pursue executive roles, building visibility, presence, and influence. Her PWR Leadership Method drives meaningful change in healthcare." 📍 Connect with Dr. Shannon Udovic-Constant Website: drshannonudovicconstant.com [http://drshannonudovicconstant.com] LinkedIn: Shannon Udovic-Constant [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-udovic-constant] Substack: Physician Women Rising [https://physicianwomenrising.substack.com] 🔗 Resources Mentioned * A Likable Badass by Alison Fragale [https://www.amazon.com/Likeable-Badass-Women-Success-Deserve/dp/0385549148] * Make Trouble by Cecile Richards [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Make-Trouble/Cecile-Richards/9781501187605] * "Stand on Your Square" leadership philosophy by Wendy Dean  * Physician Women Rising Leadership Program * American Medical Association [https://www.ama-assn.org/] (AMA) leadership and physician advocacy 🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways * Leadership Requires Visibility, Not Just Hard Work: Exceptional work alone rarely leads to executive leadership. Physicians who intentionally build relationships, lead high-impact initiatives, communicate their accomplishments, and position themselves in front of decision-makers are far more likely to influence change and advance their careers. * Sponsorship Opens Doors That Mentorship Cannot: Mentors offer valuable guidance, but sponsors actively advocate for you when leadership opportunities arise. Organizations that intentionally create sponsorship pathways can accelerate diverse leadership and ensure talented physicians have access to executive roles. * Better Representation Creates Better Healthcare: Leadership teams that reflect diverse experiences make stronger decisions for patients, physicians, and healthcare systems. Increasing representation isn't simply about equity, it's about improving outcomes, strengthening organizations, and building a healthcare system that better serves everyone. 🩺 About the Host:  Dr. Andrea Austin is a board-certified emergency physician, educator, and passionate advocate for system-level change in healthcare. As the creator and host of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Austin brings curiosity, compassion, and bold honesty to conversations with leaders who are challenging the norms and reshaping medicine from the inside out. With decades of experience in high-pressure clinical environments, Andrea has seen firsthand the cracks in the system—and the people working to repair them. Whether she’s mentoring residents, speaking on national stages, or recording with a fellow disruptor, she centers one theme: change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens heart to heart. 💫 About the Show: Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare isn’t just a podcast—it’s a pulse check on what’s possible. Hosted by emergency physician and educator Dr. Andrea Austin, Heartline features conversations with healthcare leaders, innovators, and quiet disruptors who are challenging the way things have always been done. Each episode explores real stories of change—from redefining leadership and communication, to reimagining systems built on burnout and hierarchy. This is a space for truth-telling, for asking better questions, and for reconnecting with the reason we all got into medicine in the first place: to make it better. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress—with heart. Follow Your Heartline and transform healthcare today! 🎓 Upcoming Events & Opportunities * 🔥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Recalibrate [https://www.coachingfordoctors.net.au/programs/recalibrate-doctor-care/]: Group Coaching for Physicians⁠⁠ Starting  2026, I’ll be co-leading Recalibrate with psychologist and coach Sharee Johnson. This 6-month group coaching program supports physicians in rediscovering mindfulness, meaning, and wholehearted practice. I'm an alum myself—this program transformed my career. Learn more and enroll here, and please share with colleagues who may benefit.⁠⁠ * Heart of Medicine in Uluru, Australia [https://learn.coachingfordoctors.net.au/theheartofmedicine] o   Join us for this incredible one of a one-of-a-kind event in the heart of Australia at one of our most spectacular locations—Voyagers Resort in Central Australia in 2026. o   Learn from some of the world's medical leaders in compassionate care, and how heart-centered healthcare can empower and heal healthcare workers and their patients.  o   For: Doctors, Nurses, Allied Health Clinicians, Healthcare Leaders, Coaches and Supervisors of Medics, Patient Advocates and all healthcare workers.   o   When: 29-31 July 2026 Where: Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, Central Australia * Women in Medicine Summit [https://www.wimedicine.org/wim-summit] | Chicago, Sept 24-26, 2026⁠⁠ —------------------------------- 🎧 Thanks for tuning into Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare! 🌟 Learn more and book a free discovery call today at ⁠⁠andreaaustinmd.com/coaching [https://www.andreaaustinmd.com/coaching]⁠⁠. Stay connected and keep making a difference: ✅ Subscribe to the ⁠⁠Heartline newsletter [https://andrea-austin.mykajabi.com/newsletters/2147552842/subscribe]⁠⁠ for insights into reclaiming your well-being as a healthcare professional, improving teams around you, and transforming the system. 📱 Follow us on social: ⁠⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/andreaaustinmd/]⁠⁠, ⁠⁠LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaaustinmd/]⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@andreaaustinmd] 📚Discover Dr. Austin’s book Revitalized: A Guidebook to Following Your Healing Heartline [https://www.andreaaustinmd.com/book]. 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.

Laugh Your Way Out of Burnout: Dr. Rashmi Schramm’s Radical Path to Physician Wellness

What happens when a dedicated family physician hits burnout after 22 years in practice? Dr. Rashmi Schramm opens up about her path from residency activism (securing a 15% raise for her program) through deep burnout, physical symptoms, and eventual transition to coaching, retreats, and teaching meditation and laughter yoga. The conversation covers arrival fallacy, the power of mindfulness practices rooted in her Indian heritage and Ayurveda, laughter yoga’s origins, Duke’s integrative health coaching program, and creating safe spaces for women physicians through retreats. You’ll hear how they: * Recognize and address burnout through self-compassion, meditation, and somatic practices * Use laughter yoga and breathwork as accessible tools for physiological shifts * Bridge clinical medicine with coaching and integrative approaches * Build community and intuition to sustain change-making work in healthcare About the Guest “Remember who you are beneath the roles.” – Dr. Rashmi Schramm Dr. Rashmi Schramm is a board-certified family medicine physician with 22 years of clinical experience. She is a certified coach, meditation teacher, laughter yoga instructor, and host of the Inner Peace and Power podcast. Passionate about helping high-achieving women reclaim energy and purpose, she leads retreats and coaching programs focused on mindfulness, intuition, and wholehearted living. 📍 Connect with Rashmi Website: rashmischramm.com [http://rashmischramm.com] Podcast: Inner Peace and Power [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inner-peace-and-power/id1721584868] LinkedIn: Rashmi Schramm, MD [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashmi-schramm-md] 🔗 Resources Mentioned Inner Peace and Power Podcast: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inner-peace-and-power/id1721584868]  Hosted by Dr. Rashmi Schramm  Laughter Yoga [http://laughteryoga.org] – Founded by Dr. Madan Kataria Polishing the Mirror by Ram Dass [https://www.amazon.com/Polishing-Mirror-Live-Spiritual-Heart/dp/1622033809] 🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways * Build a Daily Witness Practice: Start and end your day with movement + meditation (even 10 minutes). When stress hits, pause, place your hand on your heart, and ask: “What am I witnessing right now?” This creates space between stimulus and reaction, reduces emotional reactivity, and reconnects you with intuition—essential for sustainable change-making in medicine.  * Use Laughter Yoga for Quick Physiological Reset: Try 5 minutes of laughter yoga daily: fake laugh with breathwork and light movement until it becomes real. It lowers stress hormones, opens your diaphragm, and shifts your nervous system. Great for busy clinicians—do it solo or with your team during a quick huddle. Childlike curiosity is the only requirement.  * Invest in Self-Compassion Training: Treat self-compassion as a core clinical skill. If medical education included a 6-week self-compassion course, it would dramatically reduce burnout. Start small: notice your inner critic during a tough shift and respond with the same kindness you’d offer a patient or colleague. Small acts compound into resilience.  🩺 About the Host:  Dr. Andrea Austin is a board-certified emergency physician, educator, and passionate advocate for system-level change in healthcare. As the creator and host of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Austin brings curiosity, compassion, and bold honesty to conversations with leaders who are challenging the norms and reshaping medicine from the inside out. With decades of experience in high-pressure clinical environments, Andrea has seen firsthand the cracks in the system—and the people working to repair them. Whether she’s mentoring residents, speaking on national stages, or recording with a fellow disruptor, she centers one theme: change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens heart to heart. 💫 About the Show: Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare isn’t just a podcast—it’s a pulse check on what’s possible. Hosted by emergency physician and educator Dr. Andrea Austin, Heartline features conversations with healthcare leaders, innovators, and quiet disruptors who are challenging the way things have always been done. Each episode explores real stories of change—from redefining leadership and communication, to reimagining systems built on burnout and hierarchy. This is a space for truth-telling, for asking better questions, and for reconnecting with the reason we all got into medicine in the first place: to make it better. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress—with heart. Follow Your Heartline and transform healthcare today!   🎓 Upcoming Events & Opportunities * 🔥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Recalibrate [https://www.coachingfordoctors.net.au/programs/recalibrate-doctor-care/]: Group Coaching for Physicians⁠⁠ Starting  2026, I’ll be co-leading Recalibrate with psychologist and coach Sharee Johnson. This 6-month group coaching program supports physicians in rediscovering mindfulness, meaning, and wholehearted practice. I'm an alum myself—this program transformed my career. Learn more and enroll here, and please share with colleagues who may benefit.⁠⁠ * Heart of Medicine in Uluru, Australia [https://learn.coachingfordoctors.net.au/theheartofmedicine] o   Join us for this incredible one of a one-of-a-kind event in the heart of Australia at one of our most spectacular locations—Voyagers Resort in Central Australia in 2026. o   Learn from some of the world's medical leaders in compassionate care, and how heart-centered healthcare can empower and heal healthcare workers and their patients.  o   For: Doctors, Nurses, Allied Health Clinicians, Healthcare Leaders, Coaches and Supervisors of Medics, Patient Advocates and all healthcare workers.   o   When: 29-31 July 2026 Where: Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, Central Australia * Women in Medicine Summit [https://www.wimedicine.org/wim-summit] | Chicago, Sept 24-26, 2026⁠⁠ —------------------------------- 🎧 Thanks for tuning into Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare! 🌟 Learn more and book a free discovery call today at ⁠⁠andreaaustinmd.com/coaching [https://www.andreaaustinmd.com/coaching]⁠⁠. Stay connected and keep making a difference: ✅ Subscribe to the ⁠⁠Heartline newsletter [https://andrea-austin.mykajabi.com/newsletters/2147552842/subscribe]⁠⁠ for insights into reclaiming your well-being as a healthcare professional, improving teams around you, and transforming the system. 📱 Follow us on social: ⁠⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/andreaaustinmd/]⁠⁠, ⁠⁠LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaaustinmd/]⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@andreaaustinmd] 📚Discover Dr. Austin’s book Revitalized: A Guidebook to Following Your Healing Heartline [https://www.andreaaustinmd.com/book].   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.

What Healthcare Leaders Miss About Culture, Complexity, and Change | John D'Alesandro

What happens when we stop treating hospitals like factories and start recognizing them as complex systems filled with uncertainty, competing priorities, and deeply human experiences? In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Andrea Austin sits down with John D'Alesandro to discuss the realities of improving healthcare from an operational perspective. Drawing from decades of experience in manufacturing and healthcare systems, John shares why traditional dashboards often fail to predict problems, how organizations can learn to identify early warning signals, and why building a culture of action matters more than simply completing improvement projects. Together, they tackle some of healthcare's most pressing issues, including emergency department boarding, leadership versus management, technology adoption, and the disconnect between policy-level solutions and frontline realities. John also offers a powerful perspective as both an operations expert and a patient navigating a serious neurological condition, reminding listeners that healthcare ultimately succeeds or fails through the experiences of those who depend on it. This conversation invites listeners to think differently about accountability, agency, and the small cultural shifts that can make meaningful change possible. They discussed: * Why hospitals function more like complex adaptive systems than factories * The limitations of traditional dashboards and retrospective metrics * Identifying early warning signals before crises develop * Creating cultures that empower frontline staff to act * Leadership versus management in healthcare settings * The ongoing emergency department boarding crisis and throughput challenges * Why local solutions often outperform one-size-fits-all mandates * Lessons learned from navigating healthcare as a patient * Building trust, agency, and accountability within healthcare teams * How small actions shape organizational culture over time 🩺 About the Guest John D'Alesandro is a healthcare operations consultant, engineer, speaker, and thought leader who helps hospitals and health systems improve patient flow, operational performance, and organizational culture. Drawing on experience in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare transformation, he works with frontline teams to identify emerging challenges, implement practical solutions, and foster cultures that proactively address problems before they escalate. John is also an advocate for understanding healthcare through both operational and patient perspectives, informed by his own experiences navigating a complex neurological condition. LinkedIn: John D'Alesandro [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdalesandro] 🔗 Resources Mentioned * John D'Alesandro [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdalesandro] * If I Betray These Words by Dr. Wendy Dean [https://www.amazon.com/If-Betray-These-Words-Clinicians/dp/1586423541] 🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways * Hospitals are complex systems, not factories: Healthcare cannot be optimized solely through standardization and retrospective metrics. Understanding local conditions and frontline realities is essential for meaningful improvement. * Culture determines whether change lasts: Improvement efforts succeed when leaders create environments where staff feel safe identifying problems, speaking up, and taking action before crises occur. * Patients experience the entire journey, not isolated moments: Excellent clinical care can be overshadowed by fragmented transitions, delays, and poor coordination. Designing systems around the patient experience remains one of healthcare's greatest opportunities. 🩺 About the Host:  Dr. Andrea Austin is a board-certified emergency physician, educator, and passionate advocate for system-level change in healthcare. As the creator and host of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Austin brings curiosity, compassion, and bold honesty to conversations with leaders who are challenging the norms and reshaping medicine from the inside out. With decades of experience in high-pressure clinical environments, Andrea has seen firsthand the cracks in the system—and the people working to repair them. Whether she’s mentoring residents, speaking on national stages, or recording with a fellow disruptor, she centers one theme: change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens heart to heart. 💫 About the Show: Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare isn’t just a podcast—it’s a pulse check on what’s possible. Hosted by emergency physician and educator Dr. Andrea Austin, Heartline features conversations with healthcare leaders, innovators, and quiet disruptors who are challenging the way things have always been done. Each episode explores real stories of change—from redefining leadership and communication, to reimagining systems built on burnout and hierarchy. This is a space for truth-telling, for asking better questions, and for reconnecting with the reason we all got into medicine in the first place: to make it better. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress—with heart. Follow Your Heartline and transform healthcare today!     🎓 Upcoming Events & Opportunities * 🔥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Recalibrate [https://www.coachingfordoctors.net.au/programs/recalibrate-doctor-care/]: Group Coaching for Physicians⁠⁠ Starting  2026, I’ll be co-leading Recalibrate with psychologist and coach Sharee Johnson. This 6-month group coaching program supports physicians in rediscovering mindfulness, meaning, and wholehearted practice. I'm an alum myself—this program transformed my career. Learn more and enroll here, and please share with colleagues who may benefit.⁠⁠ * Heart of Medicine in Uluru, Australia [https://learn.coachingfordoctors.net.au/theheartofmedicine] o   Join us for this incredible one of a one-of-a-kind event in the heart of Australia at one of our most spectacular locations—Voyagers Resort in Central Australia in 2026. o   Learn from some of the world's medical leaders in compassionate care, and how heart-centered healthcare can empower and heal healthcare workers and their patients.  o   For: Doctors, Nurses, Allied Health Clinicians, Healthcare Leaders, Coaches and Supervisors of Medics, Patient Advocates and all healthcare workers.   o   When: 29-31 July 2026 Where: Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, Central Australia * Women in Medicine Summit [https://www.wimedicine.org/wim-summit] | Chicago, Sept 24-26, 2026⁠⁠ —------------------------------- 🎧 Thanks for tuning into Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare! 🌟 Learn more and book a free discovery call today at ⁠⁠andreaaustinmd.com/coaching [https://www.andreaaustinmd.com/coaching]⁠⁠. Stay connected and keep making a difference: ✅ Subscribe to the ⁠⁠Heartline newsletter [https://andrea-austin.mykajabi.com/newsletters/2147552842/subscribe]⁠⁠ for insights into reclaiming your well-being as a healthcare professional, improving teams around you, and transforming the system. 📱 Follow us on social: ⁠⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/andreaaustinmd/]⁠⁠, ⁠⁠LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaaustinmd/]⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@andreaaustinmd] 📚Discover Dr. Austin’s book Revitalized: A Guidebook to Following Your Healing Heartline [https://www.andreaaustinmd.com/book]. 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.

Medicine Got Harder: Here’s How to Own Your Career and Stay Above the Line | Dr. Rob Orman (Part 2)

In Part 2 of a two-part episode, Dr. Rob Orman joins Dr. Andrea Austin to discuss the profound changes in emergency medicine, the importance of intentional joy, and powerful coaching frameworks that help physicians navigate reactivity and complexity. Rob shares a powerful passage from his book Supernormal about the Drama Triangle, discusses career ownership versus renting, and offers insights on redesigning medical education with mindfulness and awareness at the center. This episode is filled with immediately applicable tools for clinicians, leaders, and anyone seeking to create space in high-stakes moments. They discussed: * How emergency medicine has changed profoundly since COVID * Finding and creating joy in medicine through intentional practices * Owning vs. renting your career * The Drama Triangle and staying “above the line” * Cognitive empathy and declining invitations to drama * Powerful reset phrases: “Good.” and “I wish it wasn’t this way, but it is this way.” * Redesigning medical education with meditation and listening skills * Coaching tools that translate from one-on-one sessions to clinical practice 🩺 About the Guest Dr. Rob Orman is a physician coach, author, and former emergency physician with two decades of clinical experience. He is the author of Supranormal: A Field Guide for the Impossible Job, which helps physicians recover from burnout, navigate conflict, and build sustainable careers. He hosts the top-ranked podcast Stimulus, co-founded Guidewire Coaching, and previously hosted Essentials of Emergency Medicine. Rob also served as technical advisor on the Emmy-winning HBO series The Pit. 🔗 Resources Mentioned * Supranormal: A Field Guide for the Impossible Job by Rob Orman [https://www.amazon.com/Supranormal-Field-Guide-Impossible-Job-ebook/dp/B0GTK6V8MG] * Stimulus Podcast [https://roborman.com/category/stimulus/] * Guidewire Coaching [https://guidewirecoaching.com/] * Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=man%27s+search+for+meaning+frankl&adgrpid=163646890788&hvadid=678935916218&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9230806&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=9460885348712794044&hvtargid=kwd-306753232060&hydadcr=26945_11784822&mcid=c9a2426f75873a0ba4174176225b3ded&tag=hydglogoo-20&ref=pd_sl_4fj3zz6hk3_b] * Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink [https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-Series/dp/B0F5PYZKJ5] 🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways: * Own your career, don’t rent it: Treat your professional life with the care and investment you’d give something you truly own. This mindset shift leads to greater fulfillment and intentional growth. * Step outside the Drama Triangle: Awareness of victim, villain, and hero roles allows you to respond with discernment and compassion instead of reactivity, creating better outcomes for patients, teams, and yourself. * Build awareness and the pause: Whether through meditation, simple phrases, or reflective practices, creating space between stimulus and response is one of the most powerful skills a physician can develop. 🩺 About the Host:  Dr. Andrea Austin is a board-certified emergency physician, educator, and passionate advocate for system-level change in healthcare. As the creator and host of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Austin brings curiosity, compassion, and bold honesty to conversations with leaders who are challenging the norms and reshaping medicine from the inside out. With decades of experience in high-pressure clinical environments, Andrea has seen firsthand the cracks in the system—and the people working to repair them. Whether she’s mentoring residents, speaking on national stages, or recording with a fellow disruptor, she centers one theme: change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens heart to heart. 💫 About the Show: Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare isn’t just a podcast—it’s a pulse check on what’s possible. Hosted by emergency physician and educator Dr. Andrea Austin, Heartline features conversations with healthcare leaders, innovators, and quiet disruptors who are challenging the way things have always been done. Each episode explores real stories of change—from redefining leadership and communication, to reimagining systems built on burnout and hierarchy. This is a space for truth-telling, for asking better questions, and for reconnecting with the reason we all got into medicine in the first place: to make it better. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress—with heart. Follow Your Heartline and transform healthcare today!     🎓 Upcoming Events & Opportunities * 🔥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Recalibrate [https://www.coachingfordoctors.net.au/programs/recalibrate-doctor-care/]: Group Coaching for Physicians⁠⁠ Starting  2026, I’ll be co-leading Recalibrate with psychologist and coach Sharee Johnson. This 6-month group coaching program supports physicians in rediscovering mindfulness, meaning, and wholehearted practice. I'm an alum myself—this program transformed my career. Learn more and enroll here, and please share with colleagues who may benefit.⁠⁠ * Heart of Medicine in Uluru, Australia [https://learn.coachingfordoctors.net.au/theheartofmedicine] o   Join us for this incredible one of a one-of-a-kind event in the heart of Australia at one of our most spectacular locations—Voyagers Resort in Central Australia in 2026. o   Learn from some of the world's medical leaders in compassionate care, and how heart-centered healthcare can empower and heal healthcare workers and their patients.  o   For: Doctors, Nurses, Allied Health Clinicians, Healthcare Leaders, Coaches and Supervisors of Medics, Patient Advocates and all healthcare workers.   o   When: 29-31 July 2026 Where: Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, Central Australia * Women in Medicine Summit [https://www.wimedicine.org/wim-summit] | Chicago, Sept 24-26, 2026⁠⁠ —------------------------------- 🎧 Thanks for tuning into Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare! 🌟 Learn more and book a free discovery call today at ⁠⁠andreaaustinmd.com/coaching [https://www.andreaaustinmd.com/coaching]⁠⁠. Stay connected and keep making a difference: ✅ Subscribe to the ⁠⁠Heartline newsletter [https://andrea-austin.mykajabi.com/newsletters/2147552842/subscribe]⁠⁠ for insights into reclaiming your well-being as a healthcare professional, improving teams around you, and transforming the system. 📱 Follow us on social: ⁠⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/andreaaustinmd/]⁠⁠, ⁠⁠LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaaustinmd/]⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@andreaaustinmd] 📚Discover Dr. Austin’s book Revitalized: A Guidebook to Following Your Healing Heartline [https://www.andreaaustinmd.com/book]. 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.

Creating Space Between Stimulus and Response: How Physicians Can Change Their Impact | Dr. Rob Orman

What happens when a lifelong emergency physician steps back from clinical practice and dedicates himself to helping other doctors navigate the impossible job of medicine?  In Part 1 of a two-part episode, Dr. Rob Orman joins Dr. Andrea Austin to share his remarkable path, from documenting mass casualty events to becoming a technical advisor for the hit HBO series The Pit, and ultimately building a coaching practice that helps physicians create meaningful change in their behavior and careers. Together they discuss the importance of awareness, the space between stimulus and response, cognitive empathy, and why art and storytelling may be powerful vehicles for transforming healthcare. Rob also opens up about his own career struggles and the deep fulfillment he finds in one-on-one behavioral coaching. They discussed: * How documenting mass casualty events led to advising on The Pit * The career shift from full-time clinician and educator to physician coach * Why “not everyone thinks like you do”, and the power of cognitive empathy * Building awareness and creating the pause between stimulus and response * Behavioral coaching for physicians on performance plans or struggling with reactivity * The role of storytelling and art in driving healthcare change * Lessons from burnout, skill decay, and career transitions 🩺 About the Guest Dr. Rob Orman is a physician coach, author, and former emergency physician with two decades of clinical experience. He is the author of Supernormal: A Field Guide for the Impossible Job, which helps physicians recover from burnout, navigate conflict, and build sustainable careers. He hosts the top-ranked podcast Stimulus, co-founded Guidewire Coaching, and previously hosted Essentials of Emergency Medicine. Rob also served as technical advisor on the Emmy-winning HBO series The Pit. 🔗 Resources Mentioned * Supranormal: A Field Guide for the Impossible Job by Rob Orman [https://www.amazon.com/Supranormal-Field-Guide-Impossible-Job-ebook/dp/B0GTK6V8MG] * Stimulus Podcast [https://roborman.com/category/stimulus/] * Guidewire Coaching [https://guidewirecoaching.com/] * The Pit (HBO series) [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31938062/] 🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways: * Awareness creates the pause: Real change begins with noticing your patterns and reactions in the moment. Building this awareness is the foundation of behavioral coaching and personal growth. * Cognitive empathy changes everything: Not everyone thinks or processes the world the way you do. Learning to truly understand another person’s perspective reduces conflict and improves leadership and patient care. * Storytelling and art can transform healthcare: Sharing authentic medical stories through podcasts, books, television, and other media has the power to build public understanding and drive systemic change. 🩺 About the Host:  Dr. Andrea Austin is a board-certified emergency physician, educator, and passionate advocate for system-level change in healthcare. As the creator and host of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Austin brings curiosity, compassion, and bold honesty to conversations with leaders who are challenging the norms and reshaping medicine from the inside out. With decades of experience in high-pressure clinical environments, Andrea has seen firsthand the cracks in the system—and the people working to repair them. Whether she’s mentoring residents, speaking on national stages, or recording with a fellow disruptor, she centers one theme: change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens heart to heart. 💫 About the Show: Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare isn’t just a podcast—it’s a pulse check on what’s possible. Hosted by emergency physician and educator Dr. Andrea Austin, Heartline features conversations with healthcare leaders, innovators, and quiet disruptors who are challenging the way things have always been done. Each episode explores real stories of change—from redefining leadership and communication, to reimagining systems built on burnout and hierarchy. This is a space for truth-telling, for asking better questions, and for reconnecting with the reason we all got into medicine in the first place: to make it better. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress—with heart. Follow Your Heartline and transform healthcare today! 🎓 Upcoming Events & Opportunities * 🔥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Recalibrate [https://www.coachingfordoctors.net.au/programs/recalibrate-doctor-care/]: Group Coaching for Physicians⁠⁠ Starting  2026, I’ll be co-leading Recalibrate with psychologist and coach Sharee Johnson. This 6-month group coaching program supports physicians in rediscovering mindfulness, meaning, and wholehearted practice. I'm an alum myself—this program transformed my career. Learn more and enroll here, and please share with colleagues who may benefit.⁠⁠ * Heart of Medicine in Uluru, Australia [https://learn.coachingfordoctors.net.au/theheartofmedicine] o   Join us for this incredible one of a one-of-a-kind event in the heart of Australia at one of our most spectacular locations—Voyagers Resort in Central Australia in 2026. o   Learn from some of the world's medical leaders in compassionate care, and how heart-centered healthcare can empower and heal healthcare workers and their patients.  o   For: Doctors, Nurses, Allied Health Clinicians, Healthcare Leaders, Coaches and Supervisors of Medics, Patient Advocates and all healthcare workers.   o   When: 29-31 July 2026 Where: Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, Central Australia * Women in Medicine Summit [https://www.wimedicine.org/wim-summit] | Chicago, Sept 24-26, 2026⁠⁠ —------------------------------- 🎧 Thanks for tuning into Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare! 🌟 Learn more and book a free discovery call today at ⁠⁠andreaaustinmd.com/coaching [https://www.andreaaustinmd.com/coaching]⁠⁠. Stay connected and keep making a difference: ✅ Subscribe to the ⁠⁠Heartline newsletter [https://andrea-austin.mykajabi.com/newsletters/2147552842/subscribe]⁠⁠ for insights into reclaiming your well-being as a healthcare professional, improving teams around you, and transforming the system. 📱 Follow us on social: ⁠⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/andreaaustinmd/]⁠⁠, ⁠⁠LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaaustinmd/]⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@andreaaustinmd] 📚Discover Dr. Austin’s book Revitalized: A Guidebook to Following Your Healing Heartline [https://www.andreaaustinmd.com/book]. 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.