Too often, women in medicine put their dreams on pause in the service of everyone else. In this episode, we talk about what it means to finally press play again. We open up about rediscovering purpose and making space for dreams that still matter. Whether you’re stuck, burnt out, or just craving clarity, this conversation will help you reconnect with what lights you up, so tune in!

Key Takeaways To Listen For

• Why do many women in medicine lose touch with their inner dreamer
• What future visioning means and how it impacts decision-making today
• How fear, guilt, and limiting beliefs get in the way of dreaming again
• Why dreaming again is not selfish, it’s foundational to well-being
• Micro-movements that help you step toward your future self today

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• 103. Break Free From What’s Holding You Back (Roles, Rules, and Routines)
• 105. Small Creative Habits That Make a Big Difference

Connect With Us
Do you want to hear more from the ladies of the Create Meaning In Medicine podcast? Discover more empowering content when you go to https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com!

▶️ Watch our videos: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine

Creativity is not just a talent, it is a tool for healing, clarity, and connection. In this episode, we explore how creative practices can help you process emotions, recover from burnout, and reconnect with what brings you joy. From journaling to playful expression, you will learn how small moments of creativity can create big shifts in your well-being. If you are ready to feel more alive and aligned, this conversation will show you where to begin.


Key Takeaways To Listen For

• Why creativity is critical for problem-solving and leadership in medicine
• How small creative acts like gardening or dancing boost energy and mental clarity
• The link between creativity and cognitive health, mood, and emotional resilience
• What research reveals about Nobel-winning scientists and their creative outlets
• Why we often minimize creativity and how to reclaim it without guilt

Connect With Us
Do you want to hear more from the ladies of the Create Meaning In Medicine podcast? Discover more empowering content when you go to https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com!

▶️ Watch our videos: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine

Slowing down can be the most powerful way to reclaim clarity and connection. In this episode, Hilda Guerrero shares how mindfulness and boundaries transformed her classroom and inner world. With emotional awareness and presence, she began showing up with compassion instead of chaos. Press play and explore the power of small shifts.


Key Takeaways To Listen For

• The ripple effect of one teacher’s decision to grow beyond exhaustion
• What changes when you replace late-night scrolling with early-morning clarity
• How second graders are learning to express needs, resolve conflict, and build empathy
• Why mindset shifts help students and adults reclaim agency
• What adults can learn from kids about mindset, agency, and emotional maturity

About Hilda Guerrero
Hilda is a veteran educator and SEL advocate with over 28 years of experience. She holds a master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language and helps students grow through language and emotional development. Hilda’s digital SEL tools support teachers in creating safe, communicative classrooms where every child can thrive.


Connect with Hilda
Website: Peacefully Productive Kids
Email: hguerrero4717@gmail.com

Connect With Us
Do you want to hear more from the ladies of the Create Meaning In Medicine podcast? Discover more empowering content when you go to https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com!

▶️ Watch our videos: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine

The version of yourself you're clinging to might be the very thing holding you back. In this episode, we talk about the subtle ways identity can shift over time, especially for women in medicine who are expected to do it all. We will share what it means to release old expectations, embrace imperfection, and reconnect with your truth. If you are standing at a crossroads between who you were and who you are becoming, this conversation is for you. Press play and give yourself the space to evolve.


Key Takeaways To Listen For

• What roles are you still playing, and do they truly reflect who you are today?
• What hidden rules could be fueling your guilt, perfectionism, or exhaustion?
• How awareness can help you reclaim your identity, your time, and your energy
• Why you do not need permission to shift a routine, rewrite a role, or question a rule
• How one small change you make today can lead to a better path tomorrow

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• 56. Reframe Your Thoughts to Overcome Limiting Beliefs

Connect With Us
Do you want to hear more from the ladies of the Create Meaning In Medicine podcast? Discover more empowering content when you go to https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com!

▶️ Watch our videos: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine

What if the storm you’re running from is the very thing that sets you free? In this episode, Dean Jacobs shares how his brush with death, deep work in trauma-affected communities, and decades of personal growth shaped a life philosophy rooted in resilience, gratitude, and intention. From the wisdom of buffalo to the power of community, Dean invites us to reimagine adversity as a catalyst for transformation. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or just ready for a new way forward, this conversation is the breath of fresh air you didn’t know you needed.


Key Takeaways To Listen For

• Why charging into the storm builds strength, clarity, and resilience
• The real power behind five-minute walks and small wins
• Why challenging inner stories is essential for growth
• What “moving against the current” can teach us about leadership and community
• Why grace, not grinding, is key to meaningful change

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• 101. Live, Love, Matter: Facing Death and Choosing Joy

About Dean Jacobs
Dean is a global adventurer, storyteller, and speaker who walked away from a successful corporate career to pursue a life of purpose and exploration. Raised in rural Nebraska, he grew up with a deep appreciation for nature and simplicity. He earned a degree in Biology with minors in Earth Science and Art, and spent years working at Purina Mills and Pfizer in sales and marketing. Eventually, Dean chose to follow his heart, beginning a journey that took him through more than 50 countries. Today, he uses his travels, photography, and coaching to inspire others to live with gratitude, curiosity, and a deeper connection to what truly matters.


Connect with Dean

• Website: Dean Jacobs
• Facebook: Dean Jacobs Adventures
• Instagram: @deanjacobsadventures
  

Connect With Us
Do you want to hear more from the ladies of the Create Meaning In Medicine podcast? Discover more empowering content when you go to https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com!

▶️ Watch our videos: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine

What if the most life-changing lessons in medicine come from the stories we live, not the ones we’re taught? In this episode, Dean Jacobs shares how surviving a life-threatening illness reshaped his view of healing, connection, and the quiet strength of healthcare providers. His reflections are a powerful reminder that presence, gratitude, and small moments of care truly matter. This one will leave you inspired to show up differently—starting today.


Key Takeaways To Listen For

• How personal growth prepared Dean Jacobs to face death with grace and gratitude
• How patients can restore faith in healthcare providers
• Tools to reconnect with meaning when survival mode takes over
• What smiling, gratitude, and daily rituals can do for your energy and fulfillment
• Why connection is the most powerful prescription

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• 97. Reclaim Your Energy with the Science of Nature Therapy

About Dean Jacobs
Dean is a global adventurer, storyteller, and speaker who walked away from a successful corporate career to pursue a life of purpose and exploration. Raised in rural Nebraska, he grew up with a deep appreciation for nature and simplicity. He earned a degree in Biology with minors in Earth Science and Art, and spent years working at Purina Mills and Pfizer in sales and marketing. Eventually, Dean chose to follow his heart, beginning a journey that took him through more than 50 countries. Today, he uses his travels, photography, and coaching to inspire others to live with gratitude, curiosity, and a deeper connection to what truly matters.

Connect with Dean

• Website: Dean Jacobs
• Facebook: Dean Jacobs Adventures
• Instagram: @deanjacobsadventures
  

Connect With Us
Do you want to hear more from the ladies of the Create Meaning In Medicine podcast? Discover more empowering content when you go to https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com!

▶️ Watch our videos: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine

We are honored to celebrate the 100th episode with you. In this special milestone, we reflect on the most meaningful lessons we've learned while growing the show and ourselves. From prioritizing emotional health and redefining success to embracing transitions and cultivating harmony, we share what has helped us stay grounded and energized. We also explore the importance of intentional rest, daily rituals, and community connection. This episode is both a celebration and a heartfelt thank you to our listeners who continue to grow with us.


Key Takeaways To Listen For

• Why is emotional health the foundation of everything we do?
• What happens when we let go of outdated goals?
• Why does rest come in more than one form?
• How can small daily transitions change how we show up?
• Why is community one of the most powerful forms of healing?
  

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• 59. Small Steps, Big Results: The Ritual Health Approach to Fitness with Rod Stanley
• 62. End Sleepless Nights with These Expert Strategies for Better Rest with Diane Luzny
• 66. Transform Your Menopause Experience with Expert Advice from Dr. Aoife O'Sullivan
• 72. Expert Sleep Tips For Medical Practitioners with Dr. Andrea Matsumura
• 99. Healing Through Story: About Love, Loss, and Care with Dr. Rebecca Thompson
  

Connect With Us
Do you want to hear more from the ladies of the Create Meaning In Medicine podcast? Discover more empowering content when you go to https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com!

▶️ Watch our videos: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine

Through narrative, vulnerability becomes a bridge, not a barrier, between doctors and patients. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Thompson reveals how collecting and sharing 21 real stories of motherhood, loss, and healing transformed her view of medicine. Press play to explore how storytelling can deepen empathy and change the way we practice medicine.


Key Takeaways To Listen For

• What storytelling reveals about empathy, transformation, and the human side of medicine
• Why shared struggles, spoken or unspoken, create powerful patient connections
• How personal pain shapes professional care and deepens compassion
• What women physicians gain when they reclaim time, presence, and community
• How asking and listening unlock deeper care and authentic connection

About Rebecca Thompson, MD, MSC
Dr. Rebecca Thompson is a family medicine and public health physician based in Portland, Oregon, specializing in women’s and children’s health. Trained at Harvard, Stanford, and Oregon Health & Science University, she brings both clinical expertise and personal insight to her work. Her book, Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love, weaves together her own story of pregnancy loss and healing with the voices of patients, colleagues, and friends. Through narrative medicine and deep listening, Dr. Thompson advocates for compassionate care, community connection, and embracing the complexity of the human experience, both in and outside the exam room.

Connect with Rebecca

• Website: Rebecca N. Thompson, MD, MSc

Connect With Us
Do you want to hear more from the ladies of the Create Meaning In Medicine podcast? Discover more empowering content when you go to https://www.createmeaninginmedicine.com!

▶️ Watch our videos: https://youtube.com/@createmeaninginmedicine