Meet Jeff
I am a practicing Orthopaedic Traumatologist and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). I have more than 1,000 hours of one-on-one surgeon coaching experience and 500+ hours of International Coaching Federation (ICF) accredited coach training.
With over 20 years of experience within academic and private healthcare systems, I have developed my own system to cope with the ups and downs of being a performance-driven surgeon managing episodes of burnout in a demanding career. Through my personal experience and studies, I have developed The 8 PRACTICEs of Highly Successful Surgeons, a coaching methodology that addresses communication, leadership, time / life management, and more. I continue to be driven by my passion to positively impact the lives of patients recovering from injury, and helping physicians create the life and practice they want.
You can find my thoughts about the practice of medicine in the SurgeonMasters blog and as the host of the SurgeonMasters Podcast, Life Improvement Strategies for the Surgeon Who Wants More… in 10 Minutes. I also frequently share my perspective in presentations on topics like surgeon wellness, surgeon coaching, and my experience with burnout.
Coaching Specialties:
- Practice Optimization
- Physician Wellness
- Work-Life Rhythm
- Surgeon Peak Performance
"I work with quality and performance-driven surgeons to help them achieve their goals while nurturing their health and well-being and relationships most important to them."
More About Jeff's Why
From the Blog:

Sleep Strategies Worthy of an Olympic Athlete — and Why They May Not Be Right for You
In medicine, sleep deprivation is often treated as a badge of honor. Our training reinforces it. The culture normalizes it. Our healthcare system still expects

Physician Coaching Success Story: Driven Surgeon Assessing Their Career
This physician coaching success story is but one of many similar examples of how coaching can benefit physicians at different stages of their careers. I

Good, Better, Best: Why a Coaching Mindset Matters at Every Stage of a Surgeon’s Career
“Good, better best, Never let it rest, ‘Til your good gets better, and your better gets best…” Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears Head Coach The coaching
Latest News:

Lane Change or You Turn: Finding Clarity with a Coaching Mindset
I’ve always believed in incremental change. That’s my natural bias—small steps, thoughtful adjustments, learning as we go. It’s also one of the reasons I developed

Welcoming 2026: Optimism from a Nurtured Pessimist
Like many of you, I was a blank DNA slate at birth. Growing up should have been easy for me…but it wasn’t. I was always

Connecting for Personal and Professional Wellness
Dear Community, The next opportunity is the SurgeonMasters Virtual Holiday Party on December 18th, an opportunity to connect with fellow community members in a relaxed,
From the Podcast:

Light Reading! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 135
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

Introspective Communication! Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 134
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

Coaching Questions from Booth 9060! The SurgeonMasters Podcast
In this episode of the SurgeonMasters Podcast, Jeffrey M. Smith, MD, FACS, PCC, and general surgeon and SurgeonMasters physician coach, Mindy Ho, MD, discuss their
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