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Explore every episode of the podcast The SurgeonMasters Podcast

Dive into the complete episode list for The SurgeonMasters Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
Improving Communication! – Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 12629 May 202500:09:17

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast, Quality Improvement Executive Leadership Consultant, Margie Nelson, MS, MT, EMT, CPXP.

Margie has spent the past 20 years as a hospital quality and safety specialist handling risk, quality improvement, and communication enhancement. 

Margie has recognized that quality of care is directly related to how well a patient understands what the physician is telling them. Many physicians don’t always have time to develop the relationship that the patient requires to build that trust and desire to take care of themselves. 

Effective communication between physicians and their teams is foundational. Physicians need strong communication skills with peers and leadership, as well as with their patients. Often strong communication in one area will positively impact the others.

What steps does Margie suggest to improve communication between physician leaders, physician reports, and ultimately, patients?

  • Step 1 - Set the expectation that colleagues can always come to you with questions, challenges, or suggestions. 
  • Step 2 -  Exhibit the characteristics that you want to see in others.
  • Step 3 - Acknowledge existing challenges and ask for partnership in solving those challenges.

Most importantly, PRACTICE improving how you communicate!


BIO

Margie Nelson, MS, MT, EMT, CPXP,  is a Quality Improvement Executive Leadership Consultant with a demonstrated history of working with hospital and healthcare systems on quality, safety and patient experience of care.  Most recently, she added Physician Wellness to her skills, administering a Physician Coaching program at Envision Healthcare, which made a significant impact on physician wellness and improvement of quality and safety scores. Margie’s education and training include a BS and MS from the George Washington University in Medical Technology and Healthcare Quality and Safety. She has worked on both sides of the care and regulatory aspects of Healthcare and continues to bring value to physician relationships with patients, leaders and colleagues.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Essential Self! – Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 12507 May 202500:09:23

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes ENT surgeon and professional coach Dr. Mel Thacker to the podcast.

Each of us carries two inner selves — the essential self and the social self. When these two are in harmony, we’re capable of extraordinary things. But when they’re out of alignment, it can lead to dissatisfaction, stress, or burnout.

The essential self is our true nature — who we are at our core, from birth. The social self is the identity we build over time to meet the expectations of others. As infants, we cry when we’re upset — pure essential self. As adults, we may feel like crying but force a smile to keep others comfortable — the social self at work.

So how do we bring these two selves into balance? Dr. Thacker offers three key steps:

  • Step 1 - Recognize that most of us are living unconsciously. We tell ourselves we’ll be happy after we attain the next milestone. This is the arrival fallacy. Instead, we need to live consciously.
  • Step 2 - Explore your earliest memories and consider why they stand out. These moments can offer valuable insights into your essential self — the version of you that existed before external expectations took over.
  • Step 3 - Consider working with a coach to explore, identify, and integrate your essential and social selves. A coach can help you uncover unconscious patterns and align your path with who you truly are..

Most importantly, PRACTICE being your essential self!


BIO

Mel Thacker, MD, PCC, DipABLM is a fellowship-trained rhinologist/otolaryngologist, professional certified coach, and lifestyle medicine specialist.

After two years in academics, she realized how much she valued autonomy and pivoted to private practice, serving a Massachusetts community for nearly a decade. But when panic attacks and insomnia took hold, she turned to coaching—transforming the most emotionally painful year of her life into her greatest teacher. She emerged on the other side as a better human, clinician, surgeon, wife, mother, and friend. After that experience, her work evolved from taking care of patients to resourcing her fellow surgeons.

  • Watch her TEDx talk, "How to Save Lives with Two Minutes of Listening," here.
  • Her second TEDx talk, "Seeing Beyond the Red Swans," will be available in Spring 2025.

She is also the host of the groundbreaking podcast, Surgeons with Purpose, and the Founder of Empowered Surgeons Group, a program that will teach you everything you didn't learn in surgical training.


Social Media:

Follow her on Instagram here
Connect on LinkedIn here

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Leader Burnout! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 11812 Sep 202400:09:59

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast CEO of Vital WorkLife, Mitch Best.

Burnout in the healthcare industry is prevalent among physicians and healthcare executives, driven by an inefficient system where critical decisions are made daily. These decisions often carry an immense emotional toll, including grief.

For the system to function at its best, everyone involved must experience wellness. Achieving this requires two key steps: 1) changing the system, and 2) cultivating healthy wellness habits. Reaching this goal will take a collective effort. It’s essential to continue identifying meaningful support resources to help physicians and healthcare executives mitigate burnout and stress.

What steps does Mitch suggest we take to mitigate burnout and stress among healthcare leaders?

  • Step 1 - Talk About It. Speaking with a peer about the things that are causing burnout and stress can go a long way towards mitigation.
  • Step 2 - Create a Culture of Optimism. This is one of the key components of combating burnout among leaders and their medical staff.
  • Step 3 - Seek Help When Needed. Holding a healthcare leadership role can be quite isolating. Building relationships (whether formal or informal) with like-minded professionals can go a long way in alleviating burnout.

Most importantly, practice techniques to mitigate burnout!


About Mitch Best

As the CEO of VITAL WorkLife for over a decade, Mitch guides the company's vision, directs the senior leadership team, and works towards achieving organizational objectives. His focus extends to empowering hundreds of thousands of physicians and APPs, enabling them to reach their full potential, all while fostering a vibrant and celebrated company culture.

He began with the company in 2001 as Director of Business Development, moved up to Vice President in 2004, became COO in 2008, and eventually acquired the company in 2013. 

With a background in behavioral health consulting and diverse industry expertise, Mitch infuses his work with passion and enthusiasm, offering a quick start nature, servant leadership and diligent oversight. He has also been actively engaged in executive and mental health & well-being industry groups for more than 15 years.

Mitch, a Minnesota native, resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children, emphasizing work-life balance through family time and an active lifestyle. He holds a BA in psychology from the University of Minnesota.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Sleep Hygiene 2! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 3704 Oct 201800:08:54

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes back to the podcast sleep medicine specialist and Chief Medical Officer of Optimism, Dominic Munafo, MD. The topic of sleep hygiene is so important, Jeff invited Dominic back to give us more […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Run Towards Positive! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 3613 Sep 201800:08:45

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast physician (and physician coach) Dr. Michelle Mudge-Riley. Michelle is the founder of Physicians Helping Physicians and Scout A Career. The topic of our discussion in this episode is Run […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Sleep Hygiene! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 3530 Aug 201800:09:01

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast sleep medicine specialist and Chief Medical Officer of Optisom, Dominic Munafo, MD. The topic of discussion in this episode is Sleep Hygiene! Most surgeons could probably use more sleep, […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Asking Questions! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes– Episode 3416 Aug 201800:09:27

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes back to the mini-podcast advocate and SurgeonMasters team member, Paul Hiller. On this episode, the team discusses the important role asking questions plays in performance improvement. Jeff explains that the old method […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Opting-Out! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 3326 Jul 201800:08:16

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes back to the podcast plastic surgeon and SurgeonMasters contributor, Jonathan Cabin, MD. The topic of discussion in this episode is Opting-Out – a strategy Jonathan employs to manage his time and the […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Leadership! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 3212 Jul 201800:08:02

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… Jeff welcomes to the podcast Basil Besh, MD, orthopaedic hand surgeon and physician leader. The topic of discussion is leadership, a quality Basil describes as natural to physicians and “intrinsic to the profession.” Whether […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Get To! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes– Episode 3031 May 201800:08:07

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode, Jeff welcomes back Dr. Todd Swenning to discuss the importance of “Get To!” Todd points out that compromise is often defined in negative terms. If we want to encourage conflict resolution, we have to work toward collaboration.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Safe Haven! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 2910 May 201800:08:53

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode of the podcast, Jeff welcomes back spine surgeon and chronic pain researcher Dr. David Hanscom to discuss how our home should be a safe haven away from negativity and judgment. 

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Batching! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 2803 May 201800:08:17

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode, Jeff welcomes back Jonathan Cabin to the mini-podcast. Jonathan and Jeff share with us a social media strategy we can use as a performance improvement tool in our personal and professional […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

System Change! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes– Episode 2719 Apr 201800:08:53

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode of the podcast, Jeff welcomes back Karla McLaren to talk about System Change! While we can all benefit from the many strategies that we teach on these mini-podcasts, Karla shares with […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Self Care! – Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 11720 Aug 202400:08:34

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast, hip & knee arthroplasty surgeon, Dr. Peter Gold.

Out of all surgical subspecialties, orthopedic surgeons have the highest rate of suicide. Rates of burnout and depression are similarly bad among orthopedic surgeons. Too often, we get caught up in these numbers and can’t see the forest for the trees.

The qualities required to become a great surgeon set us up for both success and failure. In general, we have stressful jobs; we’re perfectionists; and we have bad self-care habits. Additionally, we like quick fixes. But taking care of yourself is not a quick fix. 

What steps does Peter suggest we do to practice better self-care as surgeons?

  • Step 1 - Forget the numbers. It’s easy to get wrapped up in statistics surrounding burnout, depression, and suicide. We need to look past these numbers and accept that these issues impact surgeons.
  • Step 2 - Recognize the effects. Once you accept the fact that burnout and depression are prevalent in our profession, the next step is to start recognizing their effects. Start to notice when these things impact you and how.
  • Step 3 - Return to your source of joy. Think about the things that bring you joy in life. Maybe you love playing golf or cooking food for your family. Whatever your source of joy, return to it when you’re feeling stressed out.

Most importantly, PRACTICE self care for improved well-being!

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Help Us Help You! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 2629 Mar 201800:08:26

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast Jeff talks about the goals of the SurgeonMasters Podcast, and encourages listeners to “Help Us Help You!” SurgeonMasters is passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of surgeons […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Getting Paid! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 2508 Mar 201800:08:55

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode Jeff welcomes Matthew Twetten, MBA, a health policy expert in physician payment and coding, to talk about financial wellness and being properly reimbursed for MORE of the work we do. Our […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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Humanitarian Work! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 2422 Feb 201800:09:11

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… On this episode Jeff welcomes Dr. Todd Swenning who tells us how he put into action a brewing interest in humanitarian work with a 2017 trip to Paraguay, and how rapidly that is fostering […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Financial Literacy! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 2325 Jan 201800:08:56

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming to the mini-Podcast Dr. James Dahle, apracticing ER physician, and the founder and author of The White Coat Investor. This week, Dr. Dahle talks to us about our own financial literacy and […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Expressive Writing! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 2211 Jan 201800:08:46

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming to the mini-Podcast Dr. David Hanscom, an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in complex spine problems. This week, Dr. Hanscom talks to us about the technique of expressive writing to help with […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

PTSD Self-Care Tips! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 2114 Dec 201700:07:52

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming to the mini-Podcast Dr. Ann Marie Warren,  a licensed psychologist and Associate Investigator of Trauma Research. Dr. Warren talks to us about PTSD and associated self-care tips. We’ve chosen to […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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The Buddy System! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 2030 Nov 201700:09:09

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming to the mini-Podcast Dr. Lisa Merlo,  a licensed clinical psychologist at the University of Florida. Dr. Merlo talks to us about physician impairment and ways that we can help physician […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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Looking Back! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 1902 Nov 201700:08:08

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming to the mini-Podcast Dr. Benjamin Szerlip, an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery in Austin, Texas. This week, Dr. Szerlip talks to us about looking back, and identifying […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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Post-Game Debrief! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 1812 Oct 201700:08:49

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming back onto the mini-Podcast Dr. Jonathan Cabin, board-certified facial plastic & reconstructive surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. This week, Dr. Cabin will talk to us about the post-game debrief, specifically how […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Keep It Simple! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 1728 Sep 201700:09:34

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are talking about one of the 8 PRACTICEs of Highly Successful Surgeons, namely the ability to deal with problems and dilemmas with complex problem solving through simplicity, by […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Patient Interactions! – Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 11605 Aug 202400:08:55

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Jeff welcomes to the podcast Bradley Block, otolaryngologist and host of the podcast, the Physician’s Guide to Doctoring.

Brad started his podcast because he was looking for resources to help him communicate better with his patients. He covers a variety of topics that are geared towards assisting physicians to be the best version of themselves in and out of the exam room.

In any doctor-patient encounter, both parties want the same thing: to move in the direction of better health. To make this happen during the encounter, there’s what the physician needs and what the patient wants. The physician needs to acquire the information to arrive at a diagnosis, and the patient wants to be heard. 

How can we accomplish both?

What steps does Brad suggest we take to meet the needs of the doctor and the patient more effectively and efficiently?

  • Step 1 - Look the patient in the eye long enough to note the color of their eyes. Often when we enter the exam room, we are reviewing notes or charts and may not proactively address the patient. This only takes a few extra seconds, but goes a long way to making the patient feel seen. 
  • Step 2 - Notice something about the patient. This can be something as trivial as what the patient is wearing, or asking if they have any upcoming plans. This makes it obvious that you are recognizing the patient as more than just the sum of their symptoms.
  • Step 3 - Ask the patient what worries them about their symptoms. This is called asking the question behind the question. It’s one thing to ask a patient about their symptoms, but asking them what worries them about those symptoms takes things to another level.

Most importantly, practice improving patient interactions!

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Political Advocacy! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 1607 Sep 201700:06:27

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming back onto the mini-Podcast Dr. Todd Swenning, Director of Orthopaedic Trauma at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California, and Medical Director for the Institute of Clinical Orthopedics and […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Emotional Hygiene! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes - Episode 1524 Aug 201700:08:22

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

This week on the mini-podcast, we are welcoming back Karla McLaren, where we talk about emotional hygiene as a supportive mechanism to avoid the spread of emotions from one difficult situation to the next e.g. where you have to give a patient bad news about their health. Instead it offers a reset between situations that allows you to approach difficult situations with fresh energy and motivation.

How do you practice Emotional Hygiene? By doing the following:

  • Take a breath in and out
  • Visibly relax
  • Create a sense of washing off the previous emotion and patient contact
  • Create an event boundary around the previous emotion and patient contact

Most importantly, try applying the emotional hygiene routine together with your hand hygiene routine, and see how you feel at the end of the week!

About Karla McLaren, M.Ed.
If you’re not familiar with Karla, she is an award-winning author, and social science researcher. Her lifelong work focuses on her grand unified theory of emotions, which revalues even the most “negative” emotions and opens startling new pathways into self-awareness, effective communication, and healthy empathy. She is the founder and CEO of Emotion Dynamics, LLC. Karla is also the author of The Art of Empathy: A Complete Guide to Life’s Most Essential Skill(2013), The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings are Trying to Tell You (2010), and the multimedia online course Emotional Flow: Becoming Fluent in the Language of Emotions (2012).

Empathic Burnout is a perfect example of how surgeons can improve their effectiveness inside and outside of the OR.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Empathic Burnout! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 1403 Aug 201700:07:47

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming back Karla McLaren, where we talk about empathy and how it applies to burnout for healthcare professionals. We discuss the difference between compassion fatigue and empathic […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Visualization! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 1313 Jul 201700:06:47

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are talking about visualization, which is the mental process of focusing on an outcome or successful completion, of a series of tasks. It’s a mental practice that you […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Just Breathe 2! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 1206 Jul 201700:09:30

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming back Stephanie Mathless, where she builds on the fundamental breathing techniques from Episode 10 that aimed to calm, relax and destress. On this new episode she introduces two […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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Knowing Your Handicap! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 1108 Jun 201700:08:03

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are talking about measuring our own self-improvement by ‘Knowing Your Handicap’ and how this system can be applied from golf to other parts of our lives and career. […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Just Breathe! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 1025 May 201700:09:00

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming a new guest, Stephanie Mathless, where she discusses the importance of breathing techniques and the resulting benefits of bringing focus to your breathing, most notably its calming […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Collaboration! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 911 May 201700:08:00

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming a new guest, Katie Klein, where she discusses the use of improvisation to improve collaboration by using other people’s ideas to create something together. She describes it […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Faking It! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 827 Apr 201700:07:08

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are talking about the benefits of ‘Faking It Until You Make It’ and how confidence is key.  How do you Fake It Till You Make It? By doing […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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Knowing Your Janitor’s Name! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 706 Apr 201700:09:15

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are welcoming back orthopaedic trauma surgeon, Phil Stahel, where he discusses one of the concepts of his book: knowing your janitor’s name. This concept originates from a quest […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

Patient Perspective! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 11510 Jul 202400:08:24

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast hip and knee arthroplasty surgeon, patient and peer advocate, Dr. Peter Gold.

Physicians can gain valuable insights by seeing things from the patient's perspective. Dr. Gold tragically gained this perspective in 2015 when he was shot in the stomach while trying to stop a robbery. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and is now thriving as a practicing surgeon. Experiencing trauma surgery as a patient was an eye-opening experience for him.

Physicians have a lot to manage in patient care, but there are times when we should slow down to recognize that patients might be scared, worried, or nervous, and often don't know what's going on. Knowing that probability can help us become better physicians and connect more easily with patients. 

Slow down. Pause. 

If you ensure your patient understands what you're saying, you will likely assuage their fears. That’s when we should display confidence and impart knowledge as physicians. 

What steps does Peter suggest we take to see things from a patient’s perspective?

  • Step 1 - Remember that patients are likely scared, stressed, or experiencing other negative emotions. This might be just another Tuesday for you, but for your patient, this is a new or difficult experience.
  • Step 2 -  Slow down. Taking a moment to slow yourself down when talking to a patient can make a huge difference. It shows that you care about their situation.
  • Step 3 - Convey and boost confidence by imparting knowledge. Tell your patient what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re going to do about their situation. Knowledge breeds confidence in both the patient and the physician.

Most importantly, practice having a patient’s perspective!

Guest BIO

Peter Gold, MD is a hip and knee arthroplasty surgeon at Panorama Orthopedic & Spine Center in Denver Colorado. He completed his residency at Northwell Health’s Long Island Jewish Medical Center and a joints fellowship at The Rothman Orthopedic Institute. He is active in AAHKS as the secretary of the Young Arthroplasty Group and a previous health policy fellow. He also runs a nonprofit organization in New Orleans, Strong City, which aims to support the future of underserved youth.



SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

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Attending Annual Meetings! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 623 Mar 201700:10:13

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week on the Mini-Podcast we are discussing attending annual meetings after the AAOS last week.  How do you get the most out of attending annual meetings and conferences? By doing the following: Pre-op, […]

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Patient Advocacy! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 509 Mar 201700:08:07

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming back onto the mini-Podcast Dr. Todd Swenning, Director of Orthopaedic Trauma at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California, and Medical Director for the Institute of Clinical Orthopedics and […]

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Role-Playing! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes - Episode 423 Feb 201700:09:07

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… 

This week on the Mini-Podcast we are discussing the benefits of role-playing.  How do you set the scene for role-playing? By doing the following: Come up with a situation that you’re trying to work 

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

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Networking! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 309 Feb 201700:09:02

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… This week, we are welcoming onto the mini-Podcast Dr. Todd Swenning, Director of Orthopaedic Trauma at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California, and Medical Director for the Institute of Clinical Orthopedics and Neurosciences.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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Minimizing Risk! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes - Episode 226 Jan 201700:08:36

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… 

We are welcoming orthopaedic trauma surgeon, Phil Stahel, onto the mini-podcast to challenge us to work on becoming minimizing risk in order to become better surgeons.

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

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Becoming a Better Listener! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 112 Jan 201700:08:44

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better… We are welcoming orthopaedic trauma surgeon, Phil Stahel, onto the NEW Surgeon Masters podcast, where he’ll challenge us to work on becoming better listeners in order to become better surgeons. How does he recommend […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

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If You Give a Surgeon a Cookie – Part 2 - The SurgeonMasters Podcast22 Dec 201600:34:27

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Today, I continue our conversation with  Dr. David G. LaVelle, MD on The SurgeonMasters Podcast. During his more than 30 years of surgical work, Dr. LaVelle has watched surgery transform from a practice that occasionally held a certain butcher-shop feel, to a highly technical  and refined art form. He has experienced every aspect of life […]

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If You Give a Surgeon a Cookie – Part 1 - The SurgeonMasters Podcast24 Nov 201600:28:33

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Today, I welcome Dr. David G. LaVelle —an Orthopaedic Surgeon practicing for over 30 years—onto The SurgeonMasters Podcast. During his three-plus decades of work, Dr. LaVelle has seen the world of surgery change and change dramatically. No more dramatically than when he was recently forced to surrender his surgical practice due to progressive arthritis disabling […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

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Being a Surgeon Author - The SurgeonMasters Podcast27 Oct 201600:39:06

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Today, I welcome Dr. Kamshad Raiszadeh—a well-renowned spine surgeon with more than 20 years of surgical experience—onto The SurgeonMasters Podcast. During his two-decades of work, Dr. Raiszadeh has noticed a dramatic and dangerous increase in surgery for the treatment of neck and low back pain, a trend he is trying to combat through his new […]

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Healthy Empathy for Surgeons - The SurgeonMasters Podcast15 Sep 201600:46:43

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Karla McLaren is an award-winning author, and social science researcher. Her lifelong work focuses on her grand unified theory of emotions, which revalues even the most “negative” emotions and opens startling new pathways into self-awareness, effective communication, and healthy empathy. She is the founder and CEO of Emotion Dynamics, LLC. Karla is also the author […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

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PRACTICE Your Best!

Employee Satisfaction! – Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 11426 Jun 202400:09:57

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Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopedic surgeon and educator, Dr. Alan Reznik.

In essence, there are two types of employees. Employee A is happy in their work, puts their nose to the grindstone, and does their job to the best of their abilities. They’re also very loyal, enjoy socializing with their colleagues, and content with where they are in their careers. Employee B is also qualified and does a good job, but maybe isn’t as sociable with their colleagues and isn’t as “settled in their chair.” This employee is more likely to revise their resume and search for new jobs or promotions regularly.

As a person who manages employees, which employee would you rather have on your team? Of course, you’re always going to have a mix of both types of employees (and not every employee will fall perfectly into each category), but it’s a productive thought experiment. Many managers assume that having all Employee As on their team is the best-case scenario, there’s value in considering why Employee B might be preferred. 

Because they’re so entrenched in their job, Employee A may be more cautious in their work and reticent to take risks and bring new ideas to the table that might cost them their job. Employee B, on the other hand, challenges the employer to make the workplace continually better.

What steps does Alan suggest we do to incorporate this information into our professional lives?

  • Step 1 - Take a look at your colleagues and try to recognize those who fall into the Employee A and Employee B categories. 
  • Step 2 -  Now look inward and try to identify these traits in yourself. Are you more of an Employee A or an Employee B? Recognizing where you fall on this spectrum can help you make better decisions about your career. 

Most importantly, practice supporting employee satisfaction!

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

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Using Comics to Reflect on the Complexities of Being a Surgeon - The SurgeonMasters Podcast27 Aug 201600:39:16

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Today, I welcome Mary Kay Czerwiec—Artist-in-Residence at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine—onto The SurgeonMasters Podcast. After graduating from Loyola University of Chicago with a BA in English, MK went on to receive a BSN in Nursing from Rush University, and an MA from Northwestern in Medical Humanities and Bioethics. In addition to her clinical nursing […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

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Learning Empathy from Monsters and Muppets - The SurgeonMasters Podcast28 Jul 201600:46:11

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Today, I welcome Dr. Philip Stahel—orthopaedic trauma surgeon at Denver Health, the regional safety-net hospital and Level 1 trauma center in Colorado. Dr. Stahel is a dual US-Swiss citizen who grew up in Milan, Italy, and trained at Medical School of the University of Zurich, Switzerland before completing his postgraduate training at the University of […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

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Surgeons Lead by Example - The SurgeonMasters Podcast14 Jul 201600:38:31

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Today, I welcome Dr. Dana Covey—Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery with expertise in sports medicine at UC San Diego—onto the SurgeonMasters Podcast. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Dr. Covey served with distinction as a Navy orthopedic surgeon, making multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a leader of Marine Corps far-forward surgical […]

SurgeonMasters is a physician peer community dedicated to improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians.

Join your colleagues online at SurgeonMasters.com for events, resources, and more.

PRACTICE Your Best!

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