Episode Overview
We are back after a bit of a hiatus.
Medical education has a reputation for being intense, hierarchical, and emotionally grueling. But what if we designed it differently?
In this episode of YOU OUGHTA KNOW: The Motivation Series, Matt sits down with Dr. Adam Neufeld, Family Physician & Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, to explore how Self-Determination Theory (SDT) can transform the way physicians are trained, supported, and developed. Drawing on his experience as both a clinician and medical educator, Adam unpacks the motivational pressures embedded in medical culture, from perfectionism and burnout to fear-based assessment and emotional suppression.
Together, Matt and Adam examine how autonomy support, meaningful feedback, psychological safety, and human-centered relationships can create more resilient physicians and better patient outcomes. Along the way, they connect SDT to real-world challenges like medical errors, patient disengagement, team-based care, and the hidden curriculum of higher education.
This is a powerful conversation about rigor without rigidity, excellence without exhaustion, and what happens when we design learning environments that actually support human motivation.
Rigor does not require control, fear, or humiliation
Autonomy support works even in high-stakes, hierarchical environments
Burnout is not an individual weakness but a systemic outcome
Feedback should fuel growth, not performance anxiety
Human connection is central to both learning and healing
Motivation science is as essential to healthcare as medical knowledge
Some of our favorite articles by Adam include:
Orsini, C., Neufeld, A. (2026). Ten tips for supporting clinical teachers’ motivation to teach. Canadian Family Physician, 72(1), 51-3. https://doi.org/10.46747/cfp.720151
Neufeld, A. (2025). When I say autonomy. When I say, Advance Online, . https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.70051
Neufeld, A. (2025). Putting self-determination theory Into practice: A practical tool for supporting medical learners’ motivation. The Clinical Teacher, 22(4), Article e70140. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.70140
