Clinicians are often viewed as superhuman: expected to have all the answers, be available and professional at all times, be adept at saving lives by day and perfect in their personal lives by night… and somehow know exactly what we want our careers to look like down the line. If we have learned anything in recent years, it’s that clinicians are only human. Whether it’s the surprise of how our careers turned out compared to what we’d expected, the discomfort of setting clear boundaries at work, the exhaustion of juggling clinical and family responsibilities, or using gallows humor to get through the day, it turns out we are whole, complex, flawed human beings, doing our best in an impossible system. In this special audio mini-series, your favorite voices at Hippo Education bring you personal stories, surprising insights, and expert tips to make this clinician life a little easier, brighter, and less lonely. We’re rethinking the myth of clinician infallibility and normalizing the messy imperfections of our actual lives. After all, we are only human. We would love to hear from you! You can write us or send a voice memo with thoughts, reactions, questions, or ideas for future episodes to podcasts@hippoeducation.com. Explore more of what Hippo Education has to offer by clicking here.
Sol Behar idolized his childhood pediatrician when he grew up. But by the time he got to his pediatrics residency, he wondered if he had made a mistake. He was surprised by how much he missed doing procedures and how much he craved the fast pace of the emergency department. So, he changed course and went into Pediatric Emergency Medicine instead. How many of us in medicine end up in a job totally different from anything we envisioned? How many of us are surprised by what we discover in our clinical work along the way? In this episode of Only Human: Real Clinician Stories, Unfiltered, we dive into these unexpected journeys, sharing stories from three Hippo Education hosts about the twists and turns in their medical careers, illustrating how we often find our true calling in unforeseen ways. We would love to hear from you! You can write us or send a voice memo with thoughts, reactions, questions, or ideas for future episodes to podcasts@hippoeducation.com. Explore more of what Hippo Education has to offer by clicking here.
Neda Frayha was at the beach with her family when one of her primary care patients called her on her cell phone with some routine questions. Neda became increasingly resentful at the boundary violation. And then she thought of her friend Nirav Shah, who always invites his patients to contact him anytime. Boundaries in medicine are seldom taught, yet they're crucial for professional health and personal well-being. And yet we tend to idolize the clinicians who give of themselves endlessly to their patients. Is this good? Or are we setting ourselves up for resentment and burnout? In this episode of Only Human: Real Clinician Stories, Unfiltered, we hear from physicians with different approaches to boundaries. We explore why they're so tricky, how to figure out what boundaries we really want, and how to establish them with greater confidence. We would love to hear from you! You can write us or send a voice memo with thoughts, reactions, questions, or ideas for future episodes to podcasts@hippoeducation.com. Explore more of what Hippo Education has to offer by clicking here.
Tiffany Proffitt was having a great morning until she realized she had left her kids' backpacks at home on her way to the E.D. Balancing a demanding medical career with a healthy home life is no easy feat. If we're being honest, our loved ones at home often get the worst of us. We miss important milestones, we make mistakes out of exhaustion, and resentments begin to multiply. In this episode of Only Human: Real Clinician Stories, Unfiltered, we explore the delicate balance of managing a medical career alongside family commitments, featuring stories from Hippo hosts and their families. It's a candid look into the struggles and strategies of clinicians striving to nurture their home lives while excelling in their careers. We would love to hear from you! You can write us or send a voice memo with thoughts, reactions, questions, or ideas for future episodes to podcasts@hippoeducation.com. Explore more of what Hippo Education has to offer by clicking here.
Matt DeLaney has always gravitated toward edgier humor. So when he went through medical school and residency, the doctors grading his performance told him to make sure his humor always stayed ‘professional.' But what constitutes 'professional' humor, especially when it veers into the realm of gallows humor? In this episode of Only Human: Real Clinician Stories, Unfiltered, we explore the shadowy sides of humor in medicine. Listen as we dissect the complexities of what makes us laugh, why, and when it might be too much, all while navigating the high stakes of healthcare. At the end of the episode, we lift up and reflect on what we've learned from the Only Human series as a whole. We would love to hear from you! You can write us or send a voice memo with thoughts, reactions, questions, or ideas for future episodes to podcasts@hippoeducation.com. Explore more of what Hippo Education has to offer by clicking here.
In our upcoming audio mini-series, Only Human: Real Clinician Stories, Unfiltered, your favorite voices at Hippo Education bring you personal stories, surprising insights, and expert tips to make this clinician's life a little easier, brighter, and less lonely. We're rethinking the myth of clinician infallibility and normalizing the messy imperfections of our actual lives. After all, we are only human. Explore more of what Hippo Education has to offer by clicking here.
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