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

In this powerful episode of Fem MD, host Lauren Umstattd sits down with Alex Owens to share the raw, unfiltered reality of life after a breast cancer diagnosis. Alex speaks candidly about the unique grief of losing parts of oneself—physically and emotionally—captured in her poignant words: “You’re grieving your old self, you’re grieving your breasts.”

Through intimate storytelling, Alex and Lauren explore the fears, losses, and identity shifts that come with serious illness. They discuss the tension between maintaining a professional facade and navigating personal pain, the societal pressures to hide vulnerability, and the transformative role of community and connection.

This is not just a story about cancer—it’s about identity, womanhood, and the resilience that emerges in the face of life-altering change.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Alex Owens

Connect with Alex: @alexowenskc

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

In this episode of Fem MD, we explore the uncomfortable truth: love alone doesn’t make a marriage last. Dr. Lauren Umstattd opens up about the realities of partnership, drawing from her own experiences to unpack the deeper ingredients that sustain a strong marriage—kindness, respect, communication, and growth. It's a candid conversation about what happens after the honeymoon phase ends, how couples evolve through challenges, and why being intentional in your relationship matters more than romantic ideals. Whether you're married, thinking about it, or questioning what a healthy relationship looks like, this episode offers a thoughtful, grounded perspective on building a life together.

In this powerful episode of FEM MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with Dr. Frances Mei Hardin for an unflinching conversation about the darker realities of surgical training. Frances Mei shares her personal experience navigating a medical culture where bullying, abuse, and emotional isolation are often normalized—and where “resilience” is too often code for silent suffering.

Together, they unpack the structural issues baked into the hierarchy of medicine and what it means to walk away—not as a failure, but as an act of reclaiming agency. This episode explores what happens when your identity is bound to your profession, and what’s possible when you begin to untangle that narrative.

It’s a must-listen for anyone who’s ever questioned the cost of staying silent in a broken system.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Dr. Frances Mei Hardin

IG: @francesmei.md

Website: https://hippocratic-collective.com

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

In this episode of Fem MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd unpacks the quiet pressure to be everything to everyone: the perfect doctor, the perfect parent, the perfect partner. But what if success isn’t about getting it all right? What if the real work, and the real growth, comes from simply getting a little better each day? This episode explores how embracing small, consistent improvements can lead to more sustainable fulfillment, both professionally and personally. It’s a conversation about showing up, letting go of unrealistic standards, and making peace with the messy middle.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren @lauren_umstattd_md

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Why do women in medicine still have to be twice as good to get half the credit?

In this episode of Fem MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sinehan Bayrak for a raw and real conversation about what it takes to succeed as a woman in medicine—and the unspoken costs of trying to be “perfect” in a system that still rewards mediocrity in men.

They talk candidly about the double standards women face in surgery, the psychological toll of perfectionism, and how implicit bias still shapes who gets promoted, praised, or believed. From patient selection to mentorship to the quiet calculus women make every day just to be taken seriously—this episode goes deep on what it means to strive for excellence in a field that often sets the bar unevenly.

Whether you're a med student, resident, or attending, this one’s for anyone who’s ever felt the pressure to overperform just to be seen.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Dr. Sinehan Bayrak

IG: @dr.bayrak

Website: https://bayrakmd.com/

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective