In this episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, Dr. Sophie Engelhardt—a German physician who left clinical medicine to build a portfolio career—shares the bold, deeply personal journey behind her pivot.

We talk about what it takes to walk away from a stable, prestigious path and choose a life that feels like yours: acting, plant-based nutrition, creativity, and the freedom to design a career outside of the exam-room walls.

Sophie also reveals the discipline and determination behind her move to Denmark, including the intense process of learning Danish from scratch to build a new professional chapter abroad.

This conversation is about more than career change. It’s about self-fulfillment over expectations, the quiet bravery of choosing authenticity, and the truth that you don’t need permission to reinvent your life—not from society, not from medicine, not from anyone.

If you’re standing at the edge of a pivot—or wondering who you are outside of your job—this episode is for you.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Dr. Sophie Engelhardt

Connect with Sophie: @doc.sophiengelhardt

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Follow Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩ on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

Host Frances Mei Hardin sits down with Dr. Mel Thacker, ENT, surgeon coach and mindset expert, for a raw conversation about the stories we tell ourselves—and how they shape everything from imposter syndrome to ego, burnout, and healing.

Together they unpack the hidden beliefs that define identity in medicine: why so many surgeons build self-concepts on fear or perfection, how ego can masquerade as confidence, and what it takes to evolve beyond the profession that once defined you.

Tune in for an honest look at self-knowledge, ego death, and freedom after medicine.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Mel Thacker, MD

Connect with Mel: https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/mel-thacker-md

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Follow Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩ on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

What happens when medicine meets art? In this episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, Dr. Frances Mei sits down with Dr. Ryan Montoya to explore the growing field of Graphic Medicine — where comics and storytelling are used to share powerful experiences from the world of healthcare.

Together, they unpack how visual storytelling can make medical experiences more human, accessible, and emotionally resonant — for both patients and clinicians. From burnout and recovery to empathy and education, Ryan explains how creating and reading comics can help us better understand what it means to heal.

Dr. Montoya also shares his own journey as a physician and artist, offering insights for anyone curious about starting creative projects in medicine. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, a patient, or a fan of narrative art, this conversation will change the way you see stories in medicine.

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Ryan Montoya, MD

https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/ryan-montoya-md

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

Following Frances Mei on Instagram & Tiktok @francesmeimd

And subscribe to ⁨@HippocraticCollective⁩ on Youtube for all of the other shows the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/oct/08/stay-true-to-yourself-fly-closer-sun-what-ive-learned-from-50-years-of-rejection

00:25 Welcoming Dr. Ryan Montoya

04:36 The Transition to Graphic Medicine

07:51 Navigating Personal Interactions and Social Discomfort

20:02 The Evolution of Storytelling in Graphic Medicine

23:04 The Importance of Trust in Writing

30:53 The Pain of Rejection in Creative Pursuits

40:41 The Journey of Starting Now