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.
Listen on:
Episodes
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.
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Physician moms often experience a double whammy of the message that giving of yourself entirely is required. Without intention and support, this can lead to overwhelm, burnout, and cutting back or leaving clinical practice. Join me and my guest Dr. La Toya Luces-Sampson, MD, MPH-C, as we explore strategies physician moms can use to thrive more and strive less.
Dr. Luces-Sampson, known as Dr. Toya, is a board-certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist, a Perinatal Mental Health specialist, and a coach for physician moms. Her passion is helping physician moms thrive in medicine and motherhood without self-sacrifice.
Connect with Dr. Toya at hello@drtoyacoaching.com or on her website: www.drtoyacoaching.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 Jan 21, 2025
Tuesday Jan 21, 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, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the 1st anniversary of my podcast than an inspiring chat with my sis.
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 Jan 07, 2025
Tuesday Jan 07, 2025
The “hidden curriculum” in medicine is powerful. You won’t find it in a textbook yet it teaches all of us in the profession how to behave, what to prioritize, what’s okay to do, and what’s not. Some aspects of the culture in medicine are positive; some are not. Join me and my guest, researcher Emilie Banse, as we explore the detrimental effects of the culture in medicine–and what we can do to minimize the damage.
Emilie Banse is a research fellow in psychology in Brussels, Belgium. Her research explores the professional culture in medicine and its impact on physicians’ health and well-being. Connect with Emilie at linkedin.com/in/emiliebanse1998.
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 Dec 24, 2024
Tuesday Dec 24, 2024
Women are socialized to have certain strengths. Caregiving and relationship-building are two important ones. Issues arise, however, when the value of these strengths is not fully recognized in clinical care. As my friend and colleague, Dr. Laura Garelick put it, “You can’t code for chatting.” Join us as we dig into the strength of women’s relationships and how we could more fully realize their power in clinical practice and in our personal lives.
Laura Garelick MD is a family medicine physician and certified health and well-being coach who practices at Beth Israel Lahey Health Primary Care in Medfield, MA. She is also Chief of Family Medicine and Director of Medical Staff Peer Support at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham and serves on the Board of Advisors for Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham and the Well-Being Advisory for the Beth Israel Lahey Health system. She can be reached at lgarelic@gmail.com.
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 Dec 10, 2024
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
Funding your work through grants. Competing deadlines for grant applications. Existing bias that shows up as the “motherhood penalty.” In this episode, we focus on the specific challenges that scientist mothers face. My guest, Amery Treble-Barna, PhD, PC, is an executive coach and founder of MasterMind Executive Leadership. She’s also an NIH-funded Principal Investigator at the University of Pittsburgh and the mother of two young daughters. Her passion is empowering scientist mothers toward greater wellbeing, professional fulfillment, and career advancement.
Connect with AmeryTreble-Barna at www.mastermindexecutiveleadership.com or LinkedIn.
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 Nov 26, 2024
Tuesday Nov 26, 2024
In past generations women were largely shut out of professional life. Then we were told that we could have it all–a full, vibrant career and a super full family life, all at the same time. Too often, this has led women physicians to feel overwhelmed and to blame themselves. What’s the alternative? Listen in to my conversation with Dr. Laura Zimmerman to find out! Laura Zimmerman, MD, MS is a primary care internist, board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, and division chief of General Internal Medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Contact Dr. Zimmerman via LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/laura-zimmermann-md-ms-facp-8a367394.
If you’d like time to talk about challenges you’re facing, you can book 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 Nov 12, 2024
Tuesday Nov 12, 2024
Parenting is challenging, especially for busy physicians returning to work after adding a child to their lives. Dr. Josephine Li and Dr. Laura Dichtel, both endocrinologists at MGH and assistant professors at Harvard Medical School, lead the Mass General Brigham (MGB) Parental Wellness Program, which provides faculty navigating new parenthood with mentorship, financial support for lactation, and centralized resources. Listen in to learn more about how they developed and are spreading this innovative program.
If you’d like more information about the program, contact Drs. Dichtel and Li at parentalwellness@mgb.org.
If you’d like time to talk about challenges you’re facing, you can book 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
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.