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At this time of year (if it’s December when you’re reading this), probably you are thinking back to what happened in the past 12 months. Maybe you feel good about all you’ve accomplished. Maybe you feel you didn’t hit your goals. I want to share a habit that I started to practice about 8 years […]

If you’ve ever read the Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by law professor Amy Chua, you’ll have a good idea of the type of mother I thought I would be. I had dreams of my kids speaking four languages, being great readers, being skilled at the violin, and of course excelling at the best […]

There is no quick fix to burnout. You are not responsible for the holes in the healthcare system. I hope this is obvious. It’s okay to feel angry that medical culture penalizes those who choose to be mothers. It does extract an unfair toll. Expectations for mothers are unrealistic. You know this. I don’t need […]

Growth. You might hate it. You might resist it. You might feel as if “you don’t have time for it.” But you know you need to grow if you’re going to get out of burnout. This is non-negotiable. As non-negotiable as acknowledging Colin Firth as the definitive Mr. Darcy. Don’t try to argue with me […]

What is your favourite way to relieve stress? Have you ever found yourself indulging in your favourite stress reliever, only to feel jarred back to the terrible truth that your reality has not changed (and maybe even feels worse than ever)? Did the stress reliever do its job and provide real comfort and rejuvenation? Or […]

You might call it work life balance or work life integration, but in the end, it’s a function of wanting to be great in two areas that compete—motherhood and a career in medicine. To be in two places at once. Maybe, like me, you have even wished to be cloned so that you could handle […]

As women and doctors, it’s safe to say that you are comfortable giving advice. Often. While I’m sure your patients appreciate your efforts to help guide them with the best medical practices, what about when you interact with your colleagues and friends in social settings or on social media?  Can you refrain from giving advice […]

I love talking about purpose and meaning with people. I especially enjoy listening to people who are navigating tough decisions in their lives. I could do that all day long. Medical trainees know this and often earnestly ask me “where should I work, Dawn?” “Where, Dawn? What hospital? I need to get this right! TELL […]

I was once asked to give a talk to a physician’s group that was encountering some challenges in their culture. I suggested the topic of vulnerability. The group’s willingness to open up, engage, and share their fears was humbling. We talked about the fear of not being “the fast doctor,” the fear of being “the […]

Until now, I’ve asked you to subtract things from your to-do list in order to make space. That involves saying no a lot. Certainly, it can feel very brave to say no when everyone else expects you to say yes. But it can also feel very brave to say yes when every part of you […]