FHC #150: Restoring meaning in medicine—burnout and the physician career arc

Fixing Healthcare Podcast

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, cardiologist and physician well-being advocate Dr. Jonathan Fisher joins healthcare leader Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr, CEO of Executive Podcast Solutions, for a candid discussion about the evolving role of physicians in modern medicine.

The trio explores how systemic challenges—such as burnout, the loss of physician autonomy and the growing influence of private equity—are reshaping the trajectory of medical careers.

Today’s topics include:

• The burnout epidemic. Dr. Fisher reflects on how increasing administrative burdens, declining autonomy and career dissatisfaction have led many physicians to leave the field or seek non-clinical roles. He emphasizes the need for healthcare organizations to support doctors across different career stages, from early-career residents to seasoned clinicians.
• Restoring meaning and fulfillment. Drs. Pearl and Fisher discuss the importance of restoring meaning to physicians’ work by offering leadership opportunities and emphasizing the creative, humanistic aspects of medicine. They argue that physicians need more than just financial incentives. They also need a sense of purpose and the ability to make meaningful changes in patient care.
• The role of leadership in medicine. Drawing from his experience as CEO at Kaiser Permanente for 18 years, Dr. Pearl highlights how leadership training can empower doctors to take control of their practice environments, improve health outcomes and reduce medical errors.
• Balancing career and personal life. Both Fisher and Pearl emphasize the difficulty of balancing the demands of a medical career with personal fulfillment. They call for a broader cultural shift in healthcare, one that allows doctors to find meaning not just in their work, but in their lives outside the clinic as well.

To hear more about how these experts believe we can bring meaning back to medicine, listen to the full episode and check out these helpful links:

New book: ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher)

New book: ‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl)

Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com)

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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