Why are so many women physicians walking away from medicine?

In this episode of FEM, MD, host Lauren Umstattd sits down with retinal specialist and physician coach Dr. Shanika Esparaz to discuss the wake-up call that forced her to rethink everything. After experiencing debilitating physical symptoms—including the worst headache of her life—Dr. Esparaz realized that what looked like success on the outside was costing her far more than she realized.

Together, they explore physician burnout, the unique challenges facing women in medicine, the pressure to do it all, and how learning to slow down helped Dr. Esparaz reclaim her career, family life, and sense of self.

Topics discussed include:

• The physical symptoms of physician burnout

• Why women doctors are leaving medicine at alarming rates

• The hidden cost of perfectionism and overachievement

• Building boundaries in clinical practice

• Opening (and later closing) a concierge medical practice

• Autonomy vs. workload in medicine

• How coaching helped redefine success

• Nervous system regulation and burnout recovery

• Why slowing down isn't the same as giving up

• Learning to choose yourself without guilt

If you've ever wondered whether there's a different way to practice medicine—or a different way to live—this conversation is for you.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Dr. Shanika Esparaz

Connect with Shanika: @shani_esparazmd

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

See more shows and content at hippocratic-collective.com

Dr. Betsy Dovec was one of the busiest bariatric surgeons in the country when she made a decision that shocked many of her colleagues: she walked away from a secure, high-paying hospital position to build her own practice and surgery center from the ground up.

In this episode of FEM, MD, Betsy shares the behind-the-scenes reality of launching Body by Bariatrics, navigating non-competes, securing a $12 million loan, building an ambulatory surgery center, and leading a growing healthcare business. She also discusses how GLP-1 medications are changing the bariatric landscape, why she believes traditional hospital-employed bariatric programs are facing major disruption, and what it takes to balance entrepreneurship, surgery, and motherhood.

If you've ever wondered whether it's possible to build a medical practice on your own terms, this conversation is packed with practical lessons on risk-taking, leadership, resilience, and creating a life that aligns with your ambitions.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Dr. Elizabeth "Betsy" Dovec

Connect with Betsy: @drdovec

https://bodybybariatrics.com/

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

See more shows and content at hippocratic-collective.com

On this episode of FEM, MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Natalie Krane for a candid conversation about the surprising overlap between elite athletics and surgical training. From Division I soccer and career-ending injuries to residency culture, burnout, performance psychology, and personal wellness, they unpack the coping mechanisms that make high-achieving women successful — and the ways those same traits can quietly erode long-term wellbeing.

The two surgeons discuss restorative breathing in the operating room, microbreaks during surgery, the psychology of performance under pressure, protecting life outside the hospital, and why “even baddies get saddies.” They also reflect on ambition, retirement, identity outside medicine, and the realization that women are allowed to “take up more space” — in medicine and in life.

This episode is for every woman in medicine who has ever pushed through exhaustion, ignored her body’s signals, or wondered what it means to build a sustainable life alongside a meaningful career.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Dr. Natalie Krane

Connect with Natalie @drnataliekrane

https://drnataliekrane.com/

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

See more shows and content at hippocratic-collective.com