Shows
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerMedicine, Identity, and Your Future Self: The Physician's Dilemma | Ep15What if your future self could tell you what matters most right now?In this Insightful episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh invites you to imagine the older, wiser version of yourself—10, 20, or 30 years from now—and consider what they’d thank you for today. Reflecting on his own journey of neglecting health, missing family moments, and feeling stuck, Dr. Hersh shares how medicine’s relentless demands can disconnect you from what truly matters. He offers actionable tools, like the Design Your Life worksheet, to help physicians prioritize health, relationships, and purpose over endless shifts a...
2025-11-1016 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerThe Problem With Other People: How Unspoken Expectations Keep Physicians Stuck | Ep14What if the frustration you feel isn’t about others, but the silent rules you expect them to follow?In this insightful episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh explores the invisible "manuals" physicians carry—unspoken expectations about how colleagues, patients, and even family should act. Drawing from personal stories, like clenching his jaw in traffic or feeling let down by unspoken needs, Dr. Hersh reveals how these manuals fuel resentment and disconnection in medicine and life. He introduces tools like emotional adulthood, boundary-setting, and Dr. Jimmy Turner’s "Hell Yes" policy to help physic...
2025-11-0323 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerI'll Be Happy When: The Race That Never Ends In Medicine | Ep12Ever feel like happiness is just one milestone away, only to find the finish line keeps moving?Dr. Michael Hersh explores the "arrival fallacy." The trap of believing that the next achievement will finally bring fulfillment. Drawing from his own journey, from counting down fellowship days to chasing financial independence, he reveals how this mindset keeps physicians stuck in a cycle of striving. Dr. Hersh shares actionable tools, like redefining success based on personal values, pausing to notice progress, and letting go of comparison, to help doctors find joy and presence in their current lives.This...
2025-10-2019 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerChoose Your Discomfort: How Playing It Safe Keeps Physicians Stuck | Ep11What if the discomfort you’re avoiding is the key to the life you want?Dr. Michael Hersh dives into the transformative power of choosing discomfort intentionally. He reflects on how physicians often trade the discomfort of growth for the familiar unease of staying stuck, whether it’s Sunday night dread or the quiet regret of unfulfilled potential. Dr. Hersh shares personal stories and actionable tools, like naming emotions, embracing vulnerability, and taking small, courageous steps, to help physicians lean into discomfort as a path to purpose, connection, and growth. This episode is a guide...
2025-10-1318 min
Scalpel and Sword: Conflict and Negotiation in Modern MedicineEP22 - From Burnout to Breakthrough: Dr. Michael Hersh on Coaching Physicians to ThriveThis episode is sponsored by Lightstone DIRECT. Lightstone DIRECT invites you to partner with a $12B AUM real estate institution as you grow your portfolio. Access the same single-asset multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital – Lightstone co-invests a minimum of 20% in each deal alongside individual investors like you. You’re an institution. Time to invest like one.__________________________________________________How can physicians move from burnout to a fulfilling career while improving the healthcare system?In this Episode of Scalpel and Sword, host Dr. Lee Sharma sits down with Dr. Michael Hersh, to re...
2025-10-1341 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerOvercoming Fear Of Failure | Ep9What stops you from chasing the life or career you truly want? In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh dives into the fear of failure—a quiet but powerful force that keeps physicians stuck. Reflecting on his own hesitations and coaching experiences, he explores how the pressure to succeed, ingrained through years of medical training, can make any misstep feel like a personal flaw.Dr. Hersh offers actionable tools to break this cycle: reframing failure as a stepping stone, practicing self-compassion to quiet perfectionism, and asking what success truly means to you. Wit...
2025-09-2923 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerAddicted to Achievement |Ep8What if the ambition that made you a great physician is now holding you back?In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh explores the hidden cost of "achievement addiction"—a mindset ingrained in physicians from early education through residency. He reflects on how the relentless pursuit of success, from gold stars to board scores, can morph into a treadmill where happiness fades and the finish line keeps moving.Dr. Hersh shares personal insights and practical tools to help physicians step off this treadmill. He introduces strategies like redefining success based on personal va...
2025-09-2224 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerYou Don't Know What You Don't Know | Ep5Can awareness transform your medical practice and personal life? Host Dr. Michael Hersh dives into the deceptively simple concept of “you don’t know what you don’t know” on Better Physician Life. Reflecting on his own shift from coasting on autopilot to embracing intentional awareness, he shares how physicians’ ingrained need to “have all the answers” can create invisible mental ruts. Drawing on his own experiences, Dr. Hersh introduces practical tools, like the “thought download”—a no-filter brain dump to separate facts from stories—and “habit anchoring,” which ties mindset check-ins to daily routines like showering or bedtime. He addre...
2025-09-0122 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerA Good Doctor Doesn't Do That | Ep4Dr. Michael Hersh gets honest about the silent rules many physicians live by: always be available, always stay clinical, never stray from the traditional path. But what happens when those rules begin to feel like a cage rather than a calling?Through personal stories, reflective exercises, and heartfelt insight, Dr. Hersh invites listeners to examine the story they've inherited about what it means to be a “good doctor.” He explores how fear, guilt, and outdated expectations can stifle creativity and authenticity and how shifting that story opens the door to purpose, possibility, and a more human version of s...
2025-08-2520 min
Succeed in MedicineEscape Physician Career Rut with These Simple Strategies | Ep479This episode is sponsored by: My Financial CoachYou trained to save lives—who’s helping you save your financial future? My Financial Coach connects physicians with CFP® Professionals who specialize in your complex needs. Whether it’s crushing student loans, optimizing investments, or planning for retirement, you’ll get a personalized strategy built around your goals. Save for a vacation home, fund your child’s education, or prepare for life’s surprises—with unbiased, advice-only planning through a flat monthly fee. No commissions. No conflicts. Just clarity.Visit myfinancialcoach.com/physiciansguidetodoctoring to meet your financial coach and find...
2025-08-1934 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerThe Myth Of Work-Life Balance | Ep3Balance isn’t about managing your time perfectly. It’s about giving yourself permission to live fully. Dr. Michael Hersh gets real about the myth of work-life balance and why it often falls short of reality. With honesty and insight, he explains how medicine seeps into every corner of life, making separation nearly impossible. Rather than trying to extract “life” from an already blended identity, Dr. Hersh offers a refreshing reframe: stop chasing balance and start embracing alignment.He walks us through how guilt, outdated definitions of success, and rigid expectations create a cycle of self-criticism and how smal...
2025-08-1826 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerPhysician Reinvention: It's Time To Create Your Next Chapter | Ep2What happens when the white coat no longer feels like the right fit?In this episode, Dr. Michael Hersh dives into the real-world journey of physician reinvention not as a dramatic overhaul, but as an intentional, grounded shift toward meaning and alignment. He shares why mid-career restlessness isn’t a crisis but a clue, and why the question “Is this it?” may be the beginning of a more honest, fulfilling chapter.Dr. Hersh explains how the strict path of medical training can leave doctors feeling stuck—and how taking small, brave steps like creating space, asking q...
2025-08-1817 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerHow to Get Unstuck in Your Medical Career | Ep1What if success doesn’t feel like it should? In this premiere episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh opens up about his own experience feeling stuck in what looked like a successful career. He describes the slow, persistent whisper that told him something was missing, despite having checked all the boxes of traditional medical achievement.Rather than treating that restlessness as a failure, Dr. Hersh reframes it as a sign of readiness for growth and evolution. Through thoughtful storytelling and honest reflection, he introduces key themes the podcast will explore: reinvention, belonging, courage, cre...
2025-08-1813 min
Better Physician Life: How to Get Unstuck in Your Medical CareerYou’re Not Stuck, You’re Just Ready for More | Ep0What if the life you built wasn’t wrong… it just no longer fits?In this introductory episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh shares the deeply personal story of how outward success slowly gave way to quiet disconnection. From leading in clinical practice to missing bedtime stories and laughter in the next room, he walks us through the subtle unraveling that so many physicians silently experience—but never talk about.This isn’t a show about burnout. It’s a show about reconnection—to your values, your family, and yourself.Dr. Hersh introd...
2025-07-2307 min
The Dr. Moe Show: Freedom to SHIFTWhat a Good Doctor Really Does🎙️ In this episode, Dr. Moe sits down with Dr. Michael Hersh, a full-time gastroenterologist and physician coach, to talk about the unseen weight physicians carry, the myth of “doing it all,” and how coaching saved his medical career.Together, they explore:• Why burnout often hides behind productivity• The cost of aligning with systems that don’t value you• How physician coaching can save your practice, not end it• Why staying in medicine doesn’t mean staying the same• The internal shift that changes everything, even if nothing around you doesThis episode is for...
2025-07-0140 min
Solving For JoyStand Up for Doctors: Kim Downey on Post-Traumatic Growth, LinkedIn Advocacy, and Reclaiming Joy in MedicineIf you’re a healthcare professional who’s ever felt overwhelmed, exhausted, or unseen—this episode is for you.
Kim Downey, physical therapist, three-time cancer survivor, and fierce advocate for physician well-being, joins us to talk about what it really takes to thrive in medicine. As the founder of Stand Up (for) Doctors, an Ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation and Community Ambassador for Medicine Forward, Kim is on a mission to change the conversation around burnout, support, and sustainable careers in healthcare.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The unexpected way a single onlin...
2025-04-0843 min
BOSS Business of Surgery SeriesEp 178: The unique struggle of male physicians with Dr. Michael HershEpisode Summary: In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Michael Hersh, a practicing gastroenterologist and physician coach, to discuss his personal journey through medical burnout and how coaching transformed his career and well-being. Dr. Hersh shares candid insights into the pressures of practicing medicine, the impact of a malpractice lawsuit, and the additional stressors brought on by COVID-19. He highlights the power of choice in shaping a sustainable medical career, the importance of work-life balance, and the role of vulnerability in leadership. We also delve into gender dynamics in medicine and the unique challenges male physicians face...
2025-03-2442 min
It's Your Life Podcast360° Health: Balancing the Scales: Work, Life, and Wellness in Medicine | 03.09.25Special Guest: Dr. Michael Hersh -- Gastroenterologist, Podcaster, and Physician Coach at Better Physician Life Coaching Show Highlights Dr. James Cooley and Co-Host Dr. Michael Mantell have a sit-down discussion with Dr. Michael Hersh -- Gastroenterologist, Podcaster, and Physician Coach at Better Physician Life Coaching Male physicians and coaching Arrival fallacy Setting purpose-driven goals and creating community. Skepticism is normal, but if you don't lean into the discomfort of skepticism, things can't get better. There is strength in vulnerability You don't have to escape medicine to be happy. Biography
2025-03-1052 min
Real Estate Mogul, M.D.S2 E 156 Transforming Physician Burnout into Balance with Dr. Michael HershSend us a textIn this conversation, Michael Hersh, a practicing gastroenterologist and founder of Better Physician Life Coaching, discusses the complexities of physician burnout, the pursuit of financial independence, and the importance of overcoming limiting beliefs. He shares his personal journey through burnout, the impact of financial pressures, and how he transitioned into entrepreneurship to help other physicians find balance and fulfillment in their careers. Michael emphasizes the need for community support and the power of coaching in transforming lives. Takeaways Physician burnout is a complex issue influenced by various factors. The...
2024-11-1934 min
The Burnout Recovery PodcastEmbracing Change with Guest Michael Hersh: A Doctor's Tale of Burnout RecoveryJoin us in this enlightening episode of The Burnout Recovery Podcast as we welcome Dr. Michael Hersh, Gastroenterologist and physician coach, who shares his transformative journey from burnout to an intentional and balanced life through the power of coaching. Discover how Michael overcame the common hurdles faced by many physicians, such as overwhelm during the pandemic and challenging leadership roles, and how he found renewed purpose and fulfillment both in his career and personal life. Tune in to learn the valuable lessons and actionable strategies Michael imparts that could empower you to make similar positive changes and reclaim passion...
2024-06-0533 minThe Burnout Recovery PodcastEmbracing Change with Guest Michael Hersh: A Doctor's Tale of Burnout RecoveryJoin us in this enlightening episode of The Burnout Recovery Podcast as we welcome Dr. Michael Hersh, Gastroenterologist and physician coach, who shares his transformative journey from burnout to an intentional and balanced life through the power of coaching. Discover how Michael overcame the common hurdles faced by many physicians, such as overwhelm during the pandemic and challenging leadership roles, and how he found renewed purpose and fulfillment both in his career and personal life. Tune in to learn the valuable lessons and actionable strategies Michael imparts that could empower you to make similar positive changes and reclaim passion...
2024-06-0533 min
The Worthy PhysicianThe Healing Power of Coaching for Doctors with Dr. Michael Hersh, MD and Dr. Arpita Gupta DePalma, MDSend us a textWhat happens when two accomplished physicians decide to pivot from traditional medical practice to coaching? Our guests, Dr. Michael Hersch and Dr. Arpita Gupta DePalma, reveal the transformative power of coaching and how it has rekindled their passion for helping others. Dr. DePalma shares her poignant tale of choosing her family over a demanding medical career, eventually experiencing burnout in administrative roles. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic became a catalyst for her to discover coaching's true potential. Dr. Hersch, a seasoned gastroenterologist, gives us a glimpse into his own journey towards reintegrating...
2024-05-2938 min
empowerEDLife-life Balance, The Intentional Yes, and Living Deliberately with Dr. Michael Hersh, Part 2Continuing our discussion, Dr. Michael Hersh highlights male physicians' struggle to embrace vulnerability. His candid insights revolve around reclaiming joy and finding purpose amidst the demanding healthcare profession. We also explore the significance of being a part of a Family Medicine community, celebrating victories, no matter how small, and actively shaping one's desired life path.
Connect with Dr. Hersh:
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BlcjyyW%2BgSf%2B7Nl%2F%2FEQmw3w%3D%3D
Website http...
2024-05-1542 minempowerEDLife-life Balance, The Intentional Yes, and Living Deliberately with Dr. Michael Hersh, Part 1In part 1, Dr. Michael Hersh, Gastroenterologist and physician coach, shares a compelling journey from burnout to rediscovering fulfillment in medicine. In his insightful discussion, he delves into the intricacies of achieving work-life balance, stressing the importance of tailoring it to individual needs. Dr. Hersh highlights the necessity of vulnerability and self-compassion within the medical field, urging physicians to seek support and resources to navigate its challenges.
Connect with Dr. Hersh:
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hersh-md?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BlcjyyW%2BgSf%2B7N...
2024-05-1531 min
Doctors & Dollars PodcastPhysician Coaching & Moral Injury with Dr. Michael Hersh - Doctors & Dollars Podcast (Ep. 23)In this episode, we dive into the transformative journey of Dr. Hersh, a Gastroenterologist, husband, and coach for physicians. Join us as he shares his career's fast start in 2009 and the pivotal shift towards work/life balance he made in 2014 & 2017. Dr. Hersh reveals his reluctance to embrace coaching but experienced a turning point after conference call while driving home. Learn about the core areas he excels in coaching, from rediscovering passion to financial independence. Explore the fine balance between financial and career coaching.
Learn more about Dr. Hersh's work at https://BetterPhysicianLife.com.
#physiciancoaching #gastroenterology...
2024-01-1656 min
The StressFreeMD PodcastThe Stress-Gut Connection with Dr. Michael HershThe CE experience for this Coaching Session is powered by CMEfy - click here to reflect and earn credits: https://earnc.me/EY3aUOOn this episode we have the wonderful Dr. Michael Hersh:Board Certified Gastroenterologist in ChicagoCertified Life CoachCo-Host: Doctors Living Deliberately PodcastFounder: Better Physician Life CoachingHe shares:His own journey with stress and gastrointestional symptomsHow stress exacerbates symptoms of pre-existing GI disorders Importance of identifying the underlying cause of GI symptomsAcknowledging the tremendous mind-body connection Why he focuses on coaching male physicians Information for Dr. Michael Hersh:We...
2023-08-1530 min
Marketing with Russ... aka #RussSelfieMarketing with Russ...aka #RussSelfie, Episode 289, Featuring Michael Hersh, MDFeeling like you’ve given all you can? Figuring out where you sit on the burnout scale is the first step.
Find your place of calmness, balance, and overall peace of mind!
This Monday, I bring you an Amazing friend and a physician! Please join us on
Marketing with Russ…aka #RussSelfie, episode 289
2nd March, Thursday, 8am Pacific
Featuring Michael Hersh, MD
Dr. Hersh, from Chicago, Illinois, is a Physician Coach, Gastroenterologist, Entrepreneur, and Founder/CEO of Better Phys...
2023-03-0735 min
DRIVE TIME DEBRIEF: A Physician Wellness Podcast with The Whole Physician#48: Physician Coaching- A Man's Perspective with Michael Hersh, MDIntroducing Dr. Michael Hersh, who was in the same coaching class as Amanda and Laura, and has pioneered the male coaching space. He is a full time practicing gastroenterologist in Chicago who came to coaching to address some of his frustrations with work. Little did he know, the work he did in the professional space created many improvements in his personal and family life. He has amazing insight from the male perspective and all the other skeptics out there! You can find him at betterphyscianlife.com.
Great moments with Dr Hersh:
but something just still didn't see...
2023-02-0922 min