In this episode, I sit down with general surgeon, startup advisor, and all-around “human in many hats,” Dr. Duncan Rozario, to talk about purpose, product–market fit in medicine, and why scheduling nothing might be the most sustainable strategy of all. We dig into happiness “proxies” (status, money, likes) vs. the real drivers of meaning, and a humility practice summed up in four words: Could I be wrong? Duncan shares how expanding teams can shorten waitlists while protecting physician wellbeing, and how diversified creative work keeps us curious, generous, and human.

Connect with Duncan: https://www.duncanrozario.com/

Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/

Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

In this episode of The Other Human in the Room, I meet Dr. Ryan Montoya—family physician, graphic novelist, and luggage design consultant—joining us from his current post in Russia. Ryan shares how life as a U.S. diplomat’s spouse has taken him around the world, and how embracing planned transitions has actually buffered him from burnout. Ryan also lets us into his creative world: including creating his own graphic novel and, yes, the story of how he cold-pitched a bespoke artist’s trunk to Goyard and ended up consulting on halo pieces in Paris. This episode is an invitation to dust off your Grade 3 dream and take one next step toward it, whether that’s inside or outside medicine.

Find Ryan:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ryan_montoya_art

https://bcphr.org/dr-ryan-montoya/

Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/

Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

When a much-anticipated Nashville trip collided with a looming airline strike, zero sleep, and a nasty URTI, I leaned on a practice that’s changed my life: enjoying my difficulties. In this solo debrief, I walk through two core buckets—changing my relationship to hard things and building my capacity for joy. From buying a backup flight to taking porch-ukulele breaks mid-summit, this is a practical, honest guide to finding delight when plans go sideways.

Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/

Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd