Focus on Physicians:

Insights, Ideas, and Strategies

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Making Peace with Your Inner Critic: A Guide for Physicians
Making Peace with Your Inner Critic: A Guide for Physicians

Your inner critic is that harsh internal voice muttering in the shadows of your thoughts, constantly critiquing, second-guessing, and comparing. It may take form as the voice of a family member, a tough or challenging attending from your years in training, or a demanding patient. It might even arrive in the guise of your own voice. It’s not surprising that most physicians have their own version of the inner critic.   

In this article, you’ll learn how to recognize the inner critic as a voice rather than a truth. And you’ll see how you can put it to work to develop a more compassionate self-dialogue, creating conditions that allow you to thrive and grow.

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It’s Time to Talk About Physician Work-Life Balance
It’s Time to Talk About Physician Work-Life Balance

For many physicians, work-life balance (WLB) is the elephant in the room. In 2022, 85% of physicians finishing residency cited work-life balance as their number one consideration when choosing a job.

Dissatisfaction with WLB is strongly correlated with burnout, and is a common reason that many physicians choose to leave their current practice. Although women physicians tend to rate WLB as somewhat more important than men, among millennials it is a top priority for both genders. Yet physicians often avoid raising this crucial issue with potential employers and even colleagues for fear of being judged.

In this article I’ll give you nine ways to create your own version of work-life balance.

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Visual Thinking Strategies for Healthcare Teams: Elevating Collaboration, Care, and Creativity
Visual Thinking Strategies for Healthcare Teams: Elevating Collaboration, Care, and Creativity

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a dynamic, evidence-based approach that uses art as a springboard for exploration and collaboration. By engaging with visual art, healthcare professionals can unlock critical thinking and communication skills—cornerstones of effective medical teamwork. These skills not only enhance team cohesion but also translate into improved patient care and outcomes.

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How Physician Coaching Turns Insight Into Action
How Physician Coaching Turns Insight Into Action

If you’re a physician, chances are that you are a highly reflective individual. Your work probably focuses around thinking carefully, solving complex problems, and making decisions that impact lives.

You may recognize that you are delaying a difficult conversation, taking on thankless work that offers no personal satisfaction, or saying yes too quickly. You may realize that your work doesn’t align with your professional or personal goals. You may understand that your calendar does not reflect your values.

And yet the same patterns repeat.

This is where coaching can make a difference.

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Mindfulness: A Surprisingly Practical Tool for Time Management
Mindfulness: A Surprisingly Practical Tool for Time Management

When you’re busy and feeling time-pressured, mindfulness may seem to be an uneasy, even unwelcome, construct.  Who has time for it? Yet it turns out that simple mindfulness practices can help you to reframe and de-escalate the struggles of the day. In this article I will show you how using mindfulness can create the mental space you need to confidently and calmly manage patient care while protecting your precious time.

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Learning the Art of Delegation: A SMART Tool for Physicians
Learning the Art of Delegation: A SMART Tool for Physicians

Delegating can be a challenging skill for many physicians to master. The need to maintain control over every detail—especially when you bear ultimate responsibility—can make letting go feel risky.

In this article, we’ll explore which tasks are most suitable for delegation, how this practice can strengthen teamwork, and strategies to make the process efficient and effective. Plus, I’ll share a practical template to help you overcome common barriers, enabling you to maximize your team’s potential.

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How Much Does Physician Coaching Cost? What to Know Before You Invest
How Much Does Physician Coaching Cost? What to Know Before You Invest

Coaching is a meaningful investment of your time, attention, energy, and money. Sometimes the cost is covered or subsidized by your organization, but for many physicians, coaching is a personal financial investment.

I believe physicians should be able to understand the cost of coaching before scheduling a consultation. I also think it’s important to know what coaching asks of you beyond the financial transaction. In this article, I’ll cover what physician coaching may include, what can affect the cost, and what questions to ask before signing up.

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Overcoming Disrespect in Medicine: Protecting Physician Dignity
Overcoming Disrespect in Medicine: Protecting Physician Dignity

Treating patients with dignity is one of the cornerstones of the medical profession. Most physicians genuinely want their patients to feel safe, heard, and respected. But what happens when physicians are not treated with the same dignity by their colleagues, their healthcare systems or even their patients? It’s a growing problem, and one that often goes unacknowledged.

In this article, I’ll dive into the major shifts that have led to this reality and I’ll share five practical strategies to help you push back against disrespect and reclaim your sense of dignity.

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Exploring the Five Whys: A Self-Coaching Tool for Meaningful Decisions
Exploring the Five Whys: A Self-Coaching Tool for Meaningful Decisions

The Five Whys is often described as a root cause reflection tool, but in coaching, I think of it less as digging for a cause and more as peeling back the layers.

By asking “why” five times, each “why” gently opens another layer of the decision, creating insight and dimension that often goes way beyond the first question.

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Doctors are Not Immune From Illness
Doctors are Not Immune From Illness

This is a difficult story for me to tell. It is about facing our humanity and our mortality as physicians. And it’s about the truth that despite our desire to view ourselves as insiders with the keys to the hospital doors, the pact that we have made is one-sided. There is no covenant with the universe, no deal with the devil that if you save others, you yourself will be saved. I saw my physician father fall victim to this implicit belief after he became ill. I witnessed with sorrow his misplaced trust that he would be treated differently, and his difficulty in disengaging from his identity as a physician.with an idea.

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Burnout is an Expression of Grief, Not a Lack of Compassion
Burnout is an Expression of Grief, Not a Lack of Compassion

“The wound is the place where the light enters you.”- Rumi
With over 60% of physicians surveyed reporting burnout in 2021, it’s an epidemic in our profession.

Burnout is not a personal failing or a psychological illness. Rather, burnout is a response to chronic workplace-related stress.


But burnout is not a failure of compassion. In fact, burnout may be a natural reaction to the recognition that you are unable to provide the compassionate care that your patients need.

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Retirement Planning for Physicians: Meet Your Future Self
Retirement Planning for Physicians: Meet Your Future Self

No matter where you are in your professional arc, the “future self” exercise is a powerful tool for envisioning and then creating a meaningful retirement. In this article, we’ll explore how you can use this exercise to develop and align your retirement plans with your personal values, dreams, and aspirations.

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Dealing with Regret: Discovering Growth and Self Compassion
Dealing with Regret: Discovering Growth and Self Compassion

When you’re a physician, it can sometimes feel as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Despite years of training and experience, dealing with the unexpected is part of the job.

Complex decisions with no easy solution, challenging interactions with patients and family, and outcomes that don’t always turn out as planned: these are unavoidable facts of life for most physicians.

Although you may thrive on the challenge of the unexpected, seemingly lost opportunities or unanticipated consequences may lead to feelings of regret that can haunt you when you least expect it.

This is completely normal, but coming to terms with regret can be difficult. What can make it especially painful is the fact that this aspect of professional life is rarely discussed out in the open.

In this article, we’ll talk about regret, what it can teach you, and how it might help you to become an even more effective physician.

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What Should You Expect From Physician Coaching?
What Should You Expect From Physician Coaching?

If you’re considering investing in physician coaching, you probably want to know what you will actually have to show for it when your coaching arc is complete.

Will there be a written plan? Goals? Metrics? Accountability? Practical strategies? Or will coaching mainly consist of talking through problems and reflecting on what comes up?

These are reasonable questions, and they’re the questions that prospective clients often ask me.

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Art, Mindfulness, and Medical Practice: Wu Zhen’s The Fisherman
Art, Mindfulness, and Medical Practice: Wu Zhen’s The Fisherman

As a photographer, a physician, and a Visual Thinking Strategies facilitator, I believe that visual art is a portal through which we may discover find powerful connections with people from all walks of life.

For physicians and others in healthcare, art provides a framework to build understanding and create greater trust, even when we have no background in the artistic process or history. When we spend time with a work of art, we’re offered a chance to explore what the world might mean to somebody from a different time, place, or culture.

In this article, I’ll explore Wu Zhen’s The Fisherman, and the lessons it offers for medical practice.

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My Podcast Appearance on Dr. Bill Lombardi’s Journey to Better
My Podcast Appearance on Dr. Bill Lombardi’s Journey to Better

It was a thrill to appear on the legendary cardiologist Dr. Bill Lombardi’s podcast The Journey to Better. I was honored to be invited onto the show to discuss mindfulness, goal setting, and combating burnout.

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Physician Coaching or Mentoring: What’s the Difference?
Physician Coaching or Mentoring: What’s the Difference?

As a physician coach, I am often asked to explain the difference between coaching and mentoring.
The main difference is this: A mentor generally acts as an advisor. A coach does not give you the answers, but will collaborate with you to help you find and follow your own path.

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Three Things Physicians Should Know About Meditation
Three Things Physicians Should Know About Meditation

Meditation is a hot topic with deep roots, but sometimes it feels like it’s being pushed as a modern-day cure-all for what ails the spirit.

The practice is often touted as an antidote to burnout, when in truth most of us know that a meditation app won’t solve the systemic issues that plague healthcare today.

That’s why it’s exciting that academic researchers have been taking this ancient practice seriously. And they are discovering that meditation can often have powerful and measurable benefits for your mental well-being, your memory, and even your physical health.

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The Hidden “Deep Work” of Medicine: Why Your Inbox Is More Demanding Than It Looks
The Hidden “Deep Work” of Medicine: Why Your Inbox Is More Demanding Than It Looks

For many physicians, the electronic health record (EHR) inbox is treated as “light work.”

A message from a worried patient. A lab result. A radiology report to review. Something you’re expected to squeeze in between patients, or finish at the end of the day.

But if you’ve ever sat down to thoughtfully review a complex lab trend, interpret an imaging report in context, or respond to a nuanced patient message, you know this is not light work.

In many cases, it’s exactly what productivity expert Cal Newport would call deep work.

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Strategies for Success for New Physicians in Outpatient Care
Strategies for Success for New Physicians in Outpatient Care

If you’re just getting started in practice, or beginning a new role, it’s important to set yourself up for success from the very beginning. Whether your career path is in academic medicine, a large healthcare system, or a private practice, the habits and systems you develop early on can shape both your professional trajectory and your personal well-being for years to come

In this article, we’ll focus on five key areas that will help you provide the best care while managing the demands of a busy practice. Developing these strategies early on can improve both patient outcomes and your own well-being.

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In the Media: Medscape on Physician Focus and Attention
In the Media: Medscape on Physician Focus and Attention

I was honored to be featured recently in a Medscape article discussing one of the greatest challenges facing physicians today: constant interruption and fragmented attention.

Physicians are expected to manage complex cognitive work while navigating inboxes, notifications, documentation demands, and frequent disruptions. But fragmented attention can have serious consequences, not only for physician well-being, but also for patient care.

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My Podcast Appearance with Kevin MD on Meditation and Mindfulness for Physicians
My Podcast Appearance with Kevin MD on Meditation and Mindfulness for Physicians

In my recent conversation with Kevin Pho, M.D we discussed how mindfulness can have far-reaching effects not only for physicians, but for those you we care for. We also discussed the best times for meditation, when you might want to avoid it, and how a brief meditation can impact your sense of well-being.

As a physician coach, I love sharing this story, because it encapsulates how such a simple and brief practice can have a meaningful impact.


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The Sunk Cost Fallacy: When Physicians Struggle with Change
The Sunk Cost Fallacy: When Physicians Struggle with Change

When I learned about the concept of “sunk cost”, I felt as if a giant lightbulb had clicked on in my head.  The term, borrowed from economics, refers to our tendency to keep doing something that is not in our best interest due to expenses that have already been paid and are not recoverable. These compounded investments of time, energy, and capital can influence your decision making for years to come, leading to choices, both professional and personal, that are increasingly disconnected from your goals and values.

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The Unexpected Downsides of Meditation: A Guide for Physicians
The Unexpected Downsides of Meditation: A Guide for Physicians

Meditation has numerous benefits for physicians, but there are also a few drawbacks that are not often discussed. With widespread recommendations for meditation and meditation apps, it’s important to keep in mind that meditation is not for everyone. Potential downsides include worsening of anxiety, insomnia, rumination, and physical discomfort. . By starting with shorter sessions, being mindful of any arising emotions or negative feelings, and ensuring a comfortable posture, you can minimize risks.

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My Interview on the Enlightened Anatomy Podcast
My Interview on the Enlightened Anatomy Podcast

What a pleasure it was to meet with Matt Huey of the Enlightened Anatomy Podcast! Matt and his partner, Andrew McGonigle, have created a community that is focused on evidence-based yoga teaching. As a yoga teacher myself, and a yoga practitioner for nearly 30 years, this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart.

We talked about the ways that yoga, mindfulness, and heart health connect, and how you can put this into practice.

We also touched on the importance of knowing where health information comes from, and how misinformation, often from social media, can lead to mistrust of physicians and fuel physician burnout.


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When Work Follows You Home: The Hidden Cost of “Work-Life Integration”
When Work Follows You Home: The Hidden Cost of “Work-Life Integration”

With the rise of EHRs and telemedicine, the term "work-life integration" rapidly has become an administrative buzzword. However, for physicians who are expected to be always on duty, this approach can paradoxically increase stress and decrease balance.

In this article, I’ll explore why work-life integration might not be the promised panacea for getting it all done.

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How Do You Know if You’re Burned Out? A Guide for Physicians
How Do You Know if You’re Burned Out? A Guide for Physicians

It’s no surprise that nationwide, levels of burnout reached record highs during the pandemic. But now that we are back to a semblance of normal, the percentage of physicians experiencing burnout symptoms still hovers a little under 50 percent-- far above the “baseline” of 38 percent in 2020. In this article, you'll learn how to know if you are burned out. And we'll go over the costs of burnout in both dollars and patient care.

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Mindful Journaling for Re-Thinking Your Career in Medicine: Staying, Leaving, or Practicing Differently
Mindful Journaling for Re-Thinking Your Career in Medicine: Staying, Leaving, or Practicing Differently

There comes a point for many physicians when troublesome questions begins to surface:

Can I continue practicing in this way?

What needs to change to make my practice more sustainable?

Is it time to move on?

Is there another way to use my skills, knowledge, and gifts that I haven’t yet imagined?

These are not questions that yield easily to analysis. In fact, thinking harder often makes them more painful. Instead of finding clarity, you may begin to feel more uneasy, more torn, caught in a whirlwind and afraid of making the wrong choice.

This is a good time to tap into your inner wisdom, and this is where journaling can help.

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Start with Who You Want to Be: Reframing Success for Physicians
Start with Who You Want to Be: Reframing Success for Physicians

The "have, do, be" concept is a way of thinking about how we relate to the world around us. According to this framework, it’s easy to build our lives around the belief that our possessions, actions, or achievements will make us happy or fulfilled.
But in truth this way of thinking can actually hold physicians back from achieving their dreams.
Instead, you can flip the switch by reflecting on who you want to be right now.

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Twelve Tips for Creating Realistic To-Do Lists for Busy Physicians
Twelve Tips for Creating Realistic To-Do Lists for Busy Physicians

Creating a realistic and actionable To-Do list can feel like a daunting task for a busy physician. But your To-Do list can free up hours of your valuable time, create structure out of chaos, and help you to reach goals that will bring you closer to your ideal life.
In this article, I share twelve actionable and realistic tips that will help you to develop your own sustainable To-Do List practice.

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Art and Medicine, Self care Sarah Samaan Art and Medicine, Self care Sarah Samaan

Visual Thinking Strategies for Healthcare Teams: Elevating Collaboration, Care, and Creativity

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a dynamic, evidence-based approach that uses art as a springboard for exploration and collaboration. By engaging with visual art, healthcare professionals can unlock critical thinking and communication skills—cornerstones of effective medical teamwork. These skills not only enhance team cohesion but also translate into improved patient care and outcomes.

An earlier version of this article appeared on this website in December, 2024

As a visual artist and a physician, I’ve always been curious about the way that my experience with art informed my medical practice as a cardiologist. That’s one reason that I was so excited to discover Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS).

 

VTS is a dynamic, evidence-based process that uses art as a springboard for exploration, close looking, and respectful listening. VTS was originally designed to be used in the educational setting, but it is an ideal methodology for people who work in healthcare.

 

By engaging closely with visual art in a group setting, physicians and other healthcare professionals can strengthen critical thinking and communication skills—cornerstones of effective medical teamwork. These skills not only enhance team cohesion, but they may also translate into improved patient care and satisfaction.

 

It’s not just about looking at interesting art. What sets VTS apart from simply art appreciation is its ability to

 

These qualities are essential for leaders in our increasingly complex healthcare landscape. Over the past three decades, VTS has been widely adopted and studied across universities, medical schools, and healthcare settings, attesting to its versatility and impact.

 

Unlike traditional arts-based programs, VTS requires no prior knowledge, experience, or even a passion for art. Instead, a work of art serves as a neutral and engaging starting point for conversations that might otherwise feel forced or uncomfortable.

 

Through close observation and open-ended discussion, participants uncover new insights, foster deeper connections, and gently challenge their own preconceived ideas and biases. This process creates a safe and creative space for professional growth and team development.

 

How to Access Visual Thinking Strategies

 

Visual thinking doesn’t require artistic skill or an aesthetic eye. It simply asks you to look closely, listen carefully, and remain open to more than one interpretation. Here are a few ways to begin.

 

Team workshops

VTS follows a structured, evidence-based process, so it’s important to work with a facilitator who has been trained in the method.

 

In a VTS session, a facilitator presents an artwork, and gives participants time to look closely. The discussion centers on three questions:

  • What is going on in this picture

  • What do you see that makes you say that?

  • What more can we find?

 

As participants respond, the facilitator paraphrases their comments, remains neutral, and links related observations. Each perspective is treated with equal respect, even when interpretations differ widely. Participants may notice assumptions they had not previously recognized or reconsider an initial impression. At times, that can feel a bit uncomfortable. Because the process is designed to be curious and supportive rather than confrontational, the discomfort can become part of the learning.

 

After everyone has a chance to speak, there is a debriefing that includes a discussion of what might have been challenging or unexpected. We also talk about how this experience might connect to something that would be encountered in the clinic or hospital.

 

For those in healthcare, Harvard offers an extensive VTS training course that includes an option to apply for certification after completion. As a graduate of this program, I can vouch for its high quality and engaging, thorough training.

 

Daily observational practice

Although individual observation is not the same as a facilitated VTS discussion, you can still practice the habit of close looking on your own. Spend a few minutes observing an image, whether it’s art, a medical scan, or even nature. Ask yourself: What do I notice? What stands out? What might I be missing? How does this relate to my work today? You might use this as a journaling prompt, perhaps setting a timer for 10-15 minutes to give yourself time to go deeper.

 

Patient communication

The habits developed through VTS can carry over into patient encounters. Listening without rushing to judgment, asking what supports a person’s interpretation, and remaining open to more than one perspective may help physicians communicate more clearly and build trust.

 

Why Physicians Can Benefit from Visual Thinking Strategies

 

More than most professionals, physicians operate in a world of complexity, ambiguity, and precision. Visual thinking strategies can:

 

Enhance diagnostic skills

By practicing detailed observation through VTS exercises, you can sharpen your ability to notice subtle clinical signs and patterns.

 

Improve team collaboration

VTS gives each person an opportunity to share what they see and how they interpret it. This can bring forward diverse perspectives, especially within interdisciplinary teams.

 

Boost creative problem-solving

Medicine often requires innovative thinking, whether solving a patient care dilemma or optimizing workflow. Exploring multiple interpretations can open the door to new approaches.

 

Foster emotional intelligence

Listening closely to how others see and interpret an image can build self-awareness, empathy, and respect for perspectives different from our own.

 

Increase comfort with ambiguity

Patient presentations are often nuanced, diagnoses may be unclear, and treatment outcomes can be uncertain. Greater comfort with ambiguity can help healthcare professionals remain calm, curious, and receptive to new information while making sound decisions with incomplete information.

 

Why I’m Passionate About VTS

 

As a physician, coach, artist, and educator, I have seen firsthand how VTS can spark insight, build confidence, and strengthen team connection. In a profession where burnout is all too common, it also offers an engaging way to reconnect with curiosity, creativity, and a sense of wonder.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Visual Thinking Strategies offers healthcare professionals a valuable way to navigate the complexity of modern medicine. Whether used in a facilitated team workshop or as inspiration for a personal practice of close looking, it can strengthen observation, communication, and openness to different perspectives. It also reminds us that careful attention is a skill that can be cultivated, and an important part of the art of healing.

 

If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to stay in the loop for more insights on creating a sustainable, fulfilling, and happy life as a physician, sign up for my newsletter or reach out on my website. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’d like to schedule a complimentary coaching discovery session, click the button below.

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Physician burnout, Podcast, Art and Medicine, Values Sarah Samaan Physician burnout, Podcast, Art and Medicine, Values Sarah Samaan

My Podcast Appearance on Sustainable Clinical Medicine

I'm excited to share my recent podcast appearance on Sustainable Clinical Medicine with The Charting Coach, a podcast for physicians and others in healthcare hosted by Dr. Sarah Smith.

In this episode we talk about values alignment, when to say no, and how to combine your passions outside of medicine with your life in healthcare.

I'm excited to share my recent podcast appearance on Sustainable Clinical Medicine with The Charting Coach, a podcast for physicians and others in healthcare hosted by Dr. Sarah Smith. Dr. Smith not only helps physicians who are struggling to keep up with charting, but she also hosts a podcast focused on the ideas and challenges that matter most to physicians and others in healthcare.

 

Here are three key takeaways from our conversation:


🔑Values Alignment: Discover the power of aligning your career and personal life with your core values.

🔑Saying No and Carving Time: Learn how to set boundaries and prioritize what brings you joy and fulfillment.

🔑Exploring New Avenues: Possibilities open up when you allow yourself to pursue interests outside of traditional medical roles, sustaining and supporting your life in medical practice.

 

You can take a listen at the link below, or find the podcast on Apple or Spotify.

 





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