#73 From Breakdown to Breakthrough with Dr. Courtney McKeown

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This episode discusses substance abuse and suicide. Please listen carefully.

In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Dr. Courtney McKeown shares the story she was once told would be “career suicide”—a story of mental health crisis, addiction, recovery, and the hard-won journey back to her authentic self.

She reflects on the research-year psychotic break that led to hospitalization, the healing support of an extraordinary program director, and her rise into a prestigious hepatobiliary fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. But even at the top, her body kept signaling what she now sees clearly: her life was misaligned, fueled by external validation and hidden coping mechanisms.

When routine monitoring uncovered her secret drinking, she was thrust into the harsh reality of how the medical system treats physicians in distress—often punitively, fearfully, and without nuance. She describes how the state of Ohio’s approach pushed her to rock bottom, how a trusted psychiatrist saved her life, and how the state of Massachusetts’ more compassionate physician health program ultimately helped her rebuild it.

Courtney has been sober since March 2021. She chose to share her story publicly, despite warnings it would end her career. Instead, the opposite happened. A closed credentialing door redirected her to a new opportunity—now serving as Chief of Surgery in a community where she is supported, aligned, and deeply fulfilled.

Her journey highlights both truths: yes, institutions can weaponize oversight against physicians who don’t “fit,” and our ultimate success cannot be dictated by anything outside of us. Alignment, authenticity, and courage are powerful forces.

Today, she is living her best life: thriving in private practice, leading a department, and connecting with her patients more meaningfully than ever.

Key Topics

• The research-year crisis: stimulants, psychosis, and hospitalization
• The power of a supportive program director and the road back to residency
• The dream fellowship that wasn’t aligned, and how her body told the truth
• Addiction, secrecy, and the moment she was “caught”
• How states differ dramatically in supporting (or punishing) physicians in distress
• The paradox of safety expectations: punished for depression, allowed to operate without sleep
• The credentialing roadblock that redirected her to the role she was meant for
• Two truths: systemic weaponization and internal sovereignty
• Sobriety since March 2021 and what real recovery looks like
• Living in alignment: joy, leadership, community practice, connection with patients

Find Courtney on instagram here.

Watch her story on CBS morning news here.

Join Empowered Surgeons here.