From OB-GYN to ‘Former Doctor’: Identity After Forced Exit from Medicine

In this episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, Frances Mei Hardin sits down with Stephanie Pearson, MD, a former OB-GYN whose medical career ended abruptly after a devastating workplace injury.

What followed wasn’t just the loss of surgery or obstetrics—it was the loss of identity.

After being injured during a patient delivery, dismissed by early providers, and ultimately terminated when she could no longer perform 100% of her job duties, Stephanie found herself forced out of clinical medicine entirely. Overnight, “Dr. Pearson” became “former doctor,” with no roadmap for what came next.

In this deeply honest conversation, Stephanie shares:

1. What it’s like to be forced out of medicine when you're about to become Chair—not burned out, not ready, not choosing to leave
2. The psychological fallout of losing a physician identity overnight
3. Chronic pain, disability, and the silence around injured doctors
4. Why disability insurance failures nearly cost her everything
5. How she rebuilt a second career—and a sense of purpose—outside of medicine
6. The friendships medicine quietly replaces, and the grief that comes after
7. Why no one prepares doctors for who they are without the white coat

This episode is for physicians, trainees, and healthcare professionals grappling with identity, loss, reinvention, or the unspoken truth that medicine does not always love you back.

If you’ve ever wondered who you’d be if medicine disappeared tomorrow—this conversation is for you.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Stephanie Pearson, MD

Connect with Stephanie: @drstephaniepearson

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniepearsonmd/

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Follow Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

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