What does it take to survive — and actually thrive — as a surgeon when the system keeps asking you to show up like a machine?

In this episode of Fem MD, host Dr. Lauren Umstattd talks with Dr. Mel Thacker — double-boarded ENT, lifestyle medicine specialist, and surgeon-coach — about the “dark surgeon psyche,” the ways training teaches us to disconnect from our bodies and feelings, and how to come back to being a whole person.

Mel pulls back the curtain on perfectionism, trauma responses in training, and the dopamine-seeking habits that help us numb out. Whether you’re in the OR, the clinic, or parenting after a 24-hour call, this episode offers humane, practical steps to feel less alone and more like yourself again.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Dr. Mel Thacker

Connect with Mel: https://www.melthackercoaching.com/

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

What does it really take to be happy? In this episode of Fem, MD, host Lauren talks with happiness coach Dannie De Novo, who shares her powerful journey from years of depression and anxiety to building a life rooted in true joy. Dannie opens up about breaking free from destructive cycles, challenging the idea that happiness is out of reach, and finding the courage to face yourself honestly.

Together, they dive into the limits of relying solely on medication, the role of nutrition and mindfulness, and why rewiring your patterns of thought is key to lasting change. You’ll walk away with both inspiration and practical tools—from cultivating gratitude to practicing emotional honesty—that can help you create your own path to well-being.

This isn’t about chasing happiness. It’s about building it.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Dannie De Novo

Connect with Dannie: https://www.danniedenovo.com/

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

What if the secret to a long, fulfilling medical career isn’t doing more—but doing less?

This week on Fem MD, host Lauren sits down with Dr. Joan Chan, a Canadian family physician, coach, mom, and host of The Other Human in the Room. Joan shares her radical approach to working under maximum capacity, teaching physicians how to reclaim space, set boundaries, and prioritize joy without sacrificing patient care.

Together they explore why honoring your limits can actually make you a better doctor, how to recognize the signs that you’re over capacity, and what it looks like to say no without guilt. Joan explains the value of creative days, rest, and small acts of humanity—like a midday nap or playing her ukulele—as well as how technology like AI scribes is reshaping charting and giving time back to clinicians.

Her calm, grounded energy offers a refreshing antidote to hustle culture and a reminder that we are all human first, doctors second.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Joan Chan, MD

Connect with Joan: https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/joan-chan-md

And listen to her podcast, The Other Human in the Room

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective