Run Towards Positive! - Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more ... in 10 minutes - Episode 36

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 Towards Positive!

Michelle joined Jeff on the mini-podcast to talk about physician side-gigs - a passion of hers and the focus of a company she founded, Scout A Career. Michelle tells us that when she first transitioned to a non-clinical career, she found it incredibly challenging. Through her early personal efforts and the outreach of others in a similar position, she realized there was a big need for this type of assistance.

Now Michelle helps physicians feel hope and make changes when they’re angry or burned out. One helpful strategy Michelle champions is finding a side-gig to provide a positive alternative from the potential drudgery of routine life.

If one already has so much “to do,” how and why would one add a side gig? The benefits are numerous, and Michelle highlights strategies to have your side gig allow you to do both.

• Suggestion 1 - Choose a side-gig that will compliment your daily routine or weekly schedule. What might those be?

• Suggestion 2 - Choose a side-gig that leverages your background and training. What additional steps can you add now to bring you closer to your side-gig?

• Suggestion 3 - When you ignore the negative and run towards the positive, the process works much better.

Most importantly, when you run towards the positive you prevent burnout and improve or maintain your well-being!

Michelle Mudge-Riley, DO, MHA, RDN, Founder of Physicians Helping Physicians and Scout A Career, is a peer coach for other physicians. She has spent the past 15 years assisting physicians with career strategy. Her coaching specialty is long-term career strategy, exploring a non-clinical career, and optimizing physicians' skills and passions to rediscover meaning and purpose in their work.

She has conducted seminars and spoken on topics related to change management, career transition, motivation, physician burnout mitigation, wellness and health education. Dr. Mudge-Riley has also been published in a variety of books and journals including Physicians Practice magazine, ConsultantLive, The Physician Executive Journal and The DO.

Sleep Hygiene! Life improvement strategies for the Surgeon who wants more ... in 10 minutes - Episode 35

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, including Jeff Smith, MD!  While that may not always seem possible, there are simple ways to improve the sleep you are already getting. If we are sleep deprived, can we minimize the long-term effects on our health? Evidence from a study out of Sweden says we can. Knowing that there is a health opportunity for sleep recovery, even surgeons can make some improvement. With improved attitude and habits about sleep, we can maximize our return on investment.   

What does Dominic suggest we do to improve our sleep hygiene?

• Suggestion 1 - Curate your sleeping environment - Your sleeping environment should be cool, dark and quiet.

• Suggestion 2 - Watch the timing of your caffeine, nicotine and alcohol intake. The body goes through alcohol withdrawal 3-4 hours after drinking.  

• Suggestion 3 - Take a Nap! A nap can boost creativity, increase alertness, reduce stress and clarify decision making.

Most importantly, increase awareness of your sleeping habits and look for opportunities to improve your sleep hygiene!

If you’re not familiar with Dominic Munafo, he is board certified in Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine. He has more than 25 years of experience diagnosing and treating patients with sleep-disordered breathing. Dr. Munafo received his M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Baylor and then completed a Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship at the University of California San Diego, and joined the institution’s faculty in 1993 as an Assistant Professor. In 1995, he entered private practice in San Diego and worked there until becoming Sleep Data’s Medical Director in 2000. Dr. Munafo thought that his medical training had exposed him to the extremes of sleep deprivation, but nothing could have prepared him for the sleep deprivation of being the father of three boys and a girl. He and his wife JoAnna love to swim, bike and run.

Asking Questions! Life Improvement Strategies for the Surgeon Who Wants More...in 10 minutes - Episode 34

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 of teaching and providing advice are not as effective as newer education models designed to engage critical components of the adult learning cycle. A truer path in the performance improvement process is through asking honest, contemplative questions.

What are these critical steps in the performance improvement process?

• Step 1 - Write down and ask yourself a series of self-reflective questions. You can also use The 8 PRACTICEs Performance Improvement Tool.

• Step 2 - Reflect on your notes and design a plan for performance improvement.

• Step 3 - Put YOUR plan into action!

Once you put your practice into action, repeat the cycle for continued performance improvement.

Most importantly, start asking yourself critical, self-reflective questions to deliver constructive feedback for performance improvement.

At SurgeonMasters, we are driven by a passion for performance improvement and a strong desire to deliver excellent patient care. To do so, it is critical we care for ourselves with healthy and sustainable practices that promote well-being and prevent burnout. The 8 PRACTICEs is a methodology designed to bring awareness, intention and purpose to your actions.

Asking Questions is a great example of how surgeons can improve their effectiveness inside and outside of the OR.

Opting-Out! Life Improvement Strategies for the Surgeon Who Wants More...in 10 minutes - Episode 33

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 overwhelm of negative social media.

Before you tune out - this isn’t just a social media strategy. It is a life improvement strategy!

What are we doing that brings negativity? Who are we hanging out with that brings negativity? How can we opt-out with class? Jonathan’s strategy of opting-out can be applied more broadly.

How does he suggest we start?

• Step 1 - Think about content and people that bring you value and purpose.

• Step 2 - Find activities or interactions that feel obligatory or bring about negativity.

• Step 3 - Opt-Out!

Be strategic about how you spend your time. Focus on what brings value to your life and opt-out of those activities that are weighing you down. When in doubt, no need to rush. Start planning it out or get some perspective from someone who brings you more positivity.

Most importantly, become aware of the people and experiences that bring value to your life to cultivate more meaningful and positive interactions.

If you're not familiar with Dr. Jonathan Cabin, he is a board-certified facial plastic & reconstructive surgeon with a private practice in Beverly Hills, California. His areas of expertise include surgical and non-surgical facial rejuvenation, primary and revision rhinoplasty, facial reconstruction, and migraine surgery. In addition to caring for his patients, Dr. Cabin writes on the topics of performance-enhancement for physicians, surgical coaching, and bringing joy and meaning back into the practice of medicine.

Opting-Out is a great example of how surgeons can improve their effectiveness inside and outside of the OR.

Leadership! - Life Improvement Strategies for the Surgeon Who Wants More... in 10 Minutes - Episode 32

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 or not you take on a more prominent role as a leader, you are leading your patients and care teams. You must actively work to develop this leadership skill over time. When you graduate medical school you are not the same leader you will be 10 or 20 years into your career.

So what steps does Basil suggest we take to improve as leaders?

• Step 1 - Seek out other good leaders, guidance and knowledge.
• Step 2 - Keep working and advancing this craft.
• Step 3 - Don’t drink your own Kool-Aid. Stay grounded.

Most importantly, simultaneously leading and following will lay the groundwork for continued improvement as a physician leader for your patients and your colleagues.

Basil R. Besh, M.D., is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hand, wrist, and elbow conditions in Fremont, California. He serves in numerous leadership roles, including 2018 president of the California Orthopaedic Association, and as a member of the Board of Directors of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the AAOS Board of Councilors, and the board of directors of the Western Orthopaedic Association.

Leadership is a great example of how surgeons can improve their effectiveness inside and outside of the OR.