Vital Signs: Thriving as a Woman in Medicine
In healthcare, burnout rates are higher in women. In fact, forty percent of women physicians have cut back or left medicine within 6 years of completing training. Why? Is it added responsibilities at home? Gender bias at work? Invisible work at work? Mom guilt? Too much self-sacrifice and inability to say no? Poor boundaries, lack of time management skills, lack of self-care? In this podcast, we’ll explore the reasons why women in medicine are struggling—and more importantly, what to do about it. We can banish burnout and thrive as women in medicine.
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Episodes
Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
Let’s face it: for many physicians taking time away from work to recharge is challenging and stressful in its own right. Concerns about coverage, the onslaught of work when you return, the financial implications make taking PTO less than optimal. Join me and my guest, Dr. Jill Jin, as we delve into ways to make time fully off duty a reality.
Jill O. Jin, MD, is a clinical associate professor of Internal Medicine at Northwestern Medicine and a senior physician advisor in professional satisfaction at the American Medical Association. Her passion is working with practices and health systems to combat physician burnout and support organizational well-being.
Connect with Dr. Jin at the AMA STEPS Forward website - stepsforward.org.
View my PTO toolkit here: https://edhub.ama-assn.org/steps-forward/module/2820183
Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Like what you heard? Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive.
Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon
Tuesday Jun 10, 2025
Tuesday Jun 10, 2025
Research has shown that women in academic medicine, who are often in junior positions, receive less administrative support. For this reason, they may spend time doing these tasks themselves, leaving less time for professional advancement. If this sounds familiar, listen to my conversation with Dr. Ashwini Nadkarni as she shares her insights and suggestions for getting the support you need. Hint: her recommendations also apply to women in non-teaching settings.
Ashwini Nadkarni, MD, is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Associate Medical Director at Brigham Psychiatric Specialties in Boston. Her passion is enhancing the voice, visibility, and well-being of healthcare workers.
Connect with Dr. Nadkarni on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Like what you heard? Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive.
Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon
Tuesday May 27, 2025
Tuesday May 27, 2025
If there is one thing that is certain about our world today, including our work in healthcare, it is uncertainty. How do we manage? How can we navigate uncertain times with more groundedness and well-being? Join me and my guest, Dr. Kerri Palamara, as we explore these questions. Don’t miss out on her very sage advice!
Kerri Palamara, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Center for Professional Well-Being at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her expertise is well-being centered leadership.
Connect with her at kpalamara@mgh.org.
Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Like what you heard? Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive.
Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon
Tuesday May 13, 2025
Tuesday May 13, 2025
Are you leading your career or is it leading you? In this episode, my collaborator, Gretchen Rickards, MD, and I share our inspiration for our transformational retreat coming this Fall.
Too often women in medicine feel stretched thin, wonder if their path in medicine is sustainable, and want to grow professionally but feel pulled in different directions. If this resonates, listen in to hear why our retreat is meant for you!
More information about the retreat is here. Or feel free to contact either one of us with questions!
Dr. Gretchen Rickards is an internal medicine physician and a leadership and transition coach. Although she works with executives and leaders in different industries, her passion is helping women physicians create sustainable careers and lead with confidence.
Connect with Dr. Rickards at gretchen@gretchenrickards.com or www.gretchenrickards.com.
Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Like what you heard? Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive.
Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon
If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Tuesday Apr 29, 2025
Tuesday Apr 29, 2025
We receive messages in our medical training about what it is to be a physician. One message many of us receive is that we must be superhuman, hiding our feelings and needs. Join me and my guest, Charu Gupta, MD, as we talk about being vulnerable. What are the potential benefits? What does being vulnerable as a physician look like?
Dr. Charu Gupta is a clinical assistant professor of cardiology in Chicago. She has a special interest in heart failure and women’s health.
Connect with Dr. Gupta at cgupta@northshore.org
Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Like what you heard? Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive.
Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon
If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
Overfunctioning. In training it is often rewarded, leading many of us to continue this way of being until we hit a wall or become stuck. Join me and my guest, Sarah Webber, MD, as we look at the costs of overworking and potential solutions, including owning our choices, values, and preferences from an inner authority.
Dr. Sarah Webber is an associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin and a Physician Development Coach. Her passion is shifting the healthcare culture to be a healthy place for patients and employees.
Connect with Dr. Sarah Webber on LinkedIn at: linkedin.com/in/sarah-webber-md-414506293 or at www.sarahwebbermdcoaching.com.
Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Like what you heard? Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive.
Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon
If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Tuesday Apr 01, 2025
Tuesday Apr 01, 2025
Many physicians today report feeling they aren’t valued by their organizations. New research by Dr. Amy Young and others shows a direct connection between leadership behavior, specifically communication, physicians feeling valued, and increased risk of burnout.
Dr. Amy Young is a professor of Business Communication at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Her expertise is leadership communication, positive organizational culture, and workplace well-being. She’s also my sister. Our professional passions have converged, and I’m excited to have her back on Vital Signs to continue exploring what positive organizational scholarship can teach all of us in healthcare.
In today’s episode, we’ll be referring to a model of communication styles. Check out a visual depiction here.
Connect with Dr. Young at LinkedIn or baldwin@umich.edu.
Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Like what you heard? Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive.
Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon
If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
How many hours per week are you charting outside the clinic day? How often do you feel caught in clinic visits that go on too long or portal message volleys that sap both time and energy? If you’re looking for an alternative, listen in as my guest, Dr. Sarah Smith, shares her expertise on how to improve your clinic day and leave work at work.
Sarah Smith, MBBS, is a rural family doctor and clinical day advisor. Her passion is creating sustainability in clinical medicine.
Connect with Dr. Smith at www.chartingcoach.ca or on her podcast at www.chartingcoach.ca/podcasts/sustainable-clinical-medicine-with-the-charting-coach.
Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Like what you heard? Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive.
Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon
If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Being the only one like you in a room can be an added challenges to whatever your work entails. How about being the only one in the building? Dr. Florence Ene experienced bias and a pressure to outperform as she progressed through her education and professional career. Listen in as she shares about life-changing benefits of having a mentor and the strategies she’s used to thrive and achieve her professional goals.
Florence Ene, MBBS, PhD is a physician-scientist and medical editor based in Toyko, Japan. She coordinates and teaches the medical English program at the University of Tokyo Medical School and is passionate about helping women thrive through mentoring.
Connect with Dr. Ene at thrive@drflusplace.org or on LinkedIn.
Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Like what you heard? Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive.
Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon
If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Women physicians continue to be paid less than their male colleagues. If you’re looking to negotiate fair pay in your current or future job, what can you do? Join me and my guest, Dr. Janice Werbinski as we consider underlying factors and key steps to take. We’ll also dip into the importance of crafting a job in medicine around your passion.. Janice Werbinski, MD, FACOG, is an Associate Clinical Professor Emerita at Western Michigan University School of Medicine. She teaches courses in sex and gender specific medicine, women’s health, and menopause. Her passion is improving women’s healthcare by advocating for medical curriculum to include competencies in sex-specific concepts. She is Past President of the American Medical Women’s Association.
Connect with Dr. Werbinski on LinkedIn.
Connect with me at www.dianeshannon.com. If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
Like what you heard? Listen to more episodes with Dr. Diane Shannon on our podcast Vital Signs: Thriving as Women in Medicine
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, PCC is an internal medicine physician, award-winning writer, and certified coach. She understands the stresses inherent in the practice of medicine and the additional challenges that women face in the profession. Her passion is helping women in medicine create lives where they can thrive.
Share your experience and continue the conversation with Diane at www.dianeshannon.com or www.linkedin.com/in/dianewshannon
If you’d like time to talk about the specific challenges you’re facing, you can book a time to chat with me. More info here about how to do that.
About Diane Shannon
Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH, is a former primary care physician with more than 20 years of experience as a professional health care writer and author. Diane was drawn to medicine because of her mother, a certified nurse midwife. After seeing firsthand the healing power of the patient-clinician relationship, she chose to pursue medical training.
However, the clinical environment in which she trained and eventually practiced as a primary care physician was rife with chaos and antithetical to building healing relationships with patients. Eventually, she chose to leave clinical medicine for a writing career, understanding only years later that the underlying cause was professional burnout. She transitioned to a position as medical director of a health care communications and training company in Boston. Three years later, she launched her freelance writing business, Shannon Healthcare Communications.
As an award-winning health care writer she has crafted expert reports, focused white papers, and case studies for national foundations, policymakers, and professional advocacy groups that are working to improve the health care system.
She is co-author of Preventing Physician Burnout: Curing the Chaos and Returning Joy to the Practice of Medicine, published in 2016, and has spoken in various forums across the country on the topic of physician burnout and well-being, including grand round presentations, interactive workshops, one-day professorships for academic institutions, panel discussions, and podcast interviews. Today, as a professional coach, Diane helps busy women physicians rediscover their WHY, improve work-life integration, and accomplish their personal and professional goals. She also works with organizations to identify and mitigate the system problems that drive attrition and burnout among women physicians.
Diane earned her BA in biology from Williams College, her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University, and her master’s in public health from Harvard University. She completed training in an internal medicine residency program at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center and practiced primary care in Boston. Diane completed her Competency Development Program for Coach Certification at the Gestalt International Study Center. She earned her ICF credential as an Associate Certified Coach, and is a member of the International Coach Federation.
When she’s not coaching or writing, Diane enjoys reading international spy novels, traveling with her architect husband, and having engaging, illuminating conversations with her three children. She resides in Boston.
I’d love to chat to see if I can help you. Contact me to set up a conversation.