Stimulus – Learn Tools to Crush It in Your Medical Career

Do you work in medicine and love patient care but feel like parts of the job don’t measure up? Stimulus equips you with tools, mindset shifts, and strategies they didn’t teach you in training—so you can practice medicine like a boss, flourish in your career, and not let it crush your soul. Emergency physician and executive coach Rob Orman, MD, goes in-depth with thought leaders on how to avoid burnout, improve communication, lead without drama, and stay calm amidst the storm. Don’t just suck it up, think differently.

Latest Episodes:

96. Compassion Fatigue Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

Most of us are motivated to have compassion for those in need, but sometimes it can feel like the tank is running on empty. In this episode, wellness expert Kim Bambach, MD gives insight into compassion fatigue and strategies to thwart it.

Compassion fatigue is cumulative emotional and physical exhaustion stemming from exposure to the suffering of others. It is the “cost” of caring for others who are suffering. It leads to a diminished ability to manifest empathy compared to your normal baseline (this is important- it does not mean you are no longer a compassionate or empathetic person!)

Compassion fatigue is distinct from burnout. Burnout comes from factors in the external environment that are not necessarily related to empathy, such as increased administrative burden or lack of autonomy. CF is unique because it includes secondary trauma.

There are many similarities, including depersonalization, a reduced sense of personal accomplishment and meaning, and physical exhaustion.

In a study of PEM docs, burnout score was the most significant determinant of CF.

Guest Bio: Kim Bambach, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at The Ohio State University and Assistant Director of the Kiehl Resident Wellness Endowment.

Awake + Aware | Our 2026 Retreat

Join us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.

Learn More Here

🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.

The Flameproof Course

The hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

We discuss:

What is compassion fatigue?
The signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue;
How compassion fatigue is different from burnout;
The “dark side” of empathy;
How to combat compassion fatigue.

95. A Disability Insurance Deep Dive | What to look for in a policy, why it's so often a fight with insurance companies, and how to collect Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

Our guest today is Dr. Stephanie Pearson, founder and CEO of Pearson Ravitz, an insurance advisory firm that specializes in disability and life insurance for healthcare professionals. In this episode we break down disability insurance start to finish: what to look for in a policy, pitfalls and traps, the deal with disability coverage through work, the steps you need to take in order to collect disability, why insurance companies so often put up a fight in paying, and much more.

Guest bio: Before beginning her career in insurance, Dr. Pearson was in the prime of her career as an OB/GYN when she suffered a shoulder injury at work that soon prevented her from practicing medicine. Her struggle navigating the disability claims process and the challenges of losing her identity as a physician drove her to become a passionate advocate and advisor to her peers on the importance of disability insurance.

Stephanie dedicated herself to educating others on the vital need to have the appropriate policy (something she had lacked) and decided to become an insurance broker; specifically, the rare type of broker who follows her clients throughout their careers, advising them continuously as their life circumstances change.

Awake + Aware | Our 2026 Retreat

Join us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.

Learn More Here

🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.

The Flameproof Course

The hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

We discuss:

Getting paid a disability benefit from a group vs private policy
The history behind insurance companies heavily scrutinizing physician disability claims
The fundamental differences between a disability policy you get through work vs. one you buy on your own
The important fine print in a private policy: specialty-specific and own occupation
Can you still have a job that makes money and collect disability payments?
The essential questions to ask an insurance agent when shopping for a disability policy
What in insurance expert looks for in a policy to see if it’s solid
Disability policy discounts
The elimination period/waiting period of long term disability policies
Is it worth it to buy short term disability coverage?
The steps to take if you think you might need to file for disability
Black and white vs. gray cases- why some claims are challenged and others sail through
Is there a penalty if you start the process of filing a claim but don’t file it?
Why some specialties pay more for disability than others
The importance of getting private disability insurance when you’re a trainee/resident
The disability insurance trainee package
The big question - why should you get disability insurance in the first place?

94. Why We Argue About Money | Finance advice and the value of a scarcity mindset Jan 02, 2023

Show notes

Financial expert, raconteur, and finance CEO Vitaliy Katsenelson gives his approach to the scarcity mindset, personal finance advice that changed his life, key strategies for making a budget, why people argue about money, geofencing as a diet tool, and a Stoic take on social media.

Guest Bio: Vitaliy Katsenelson was born in Murmansk, USSR, and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1991. After joining Denver-based value investment firm IMA in 1997, Vitaliy became Chief Investment Officer in 2007, and CEO in 2012. Vitaliy has written two books on investing and is an award-winning writer. Known for his uncommon common sense, Forbes Magazine called him “The New Benjamin Graham.”

He’s written for publications including Financial Times, Barron’s, Institutional Investor and Foreign Policy. His articles are also published on his website, ContrarianEdge, and in audio format on his Intellectual Investor Podcast. Vitaliy lives in Denver with his wife and three kids, where he loves to read, listen to classical music, play chess, and write about life, investing, and music. Soul in the Game is his third book, and first noninvesting book.

Awake + Aware | Our 2026 Retreat

Join us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.

Learn More Here

🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.

The Flameproof Course

The hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

We Discuss

The value of a scarcity mindset;
Personal finance advice that changed a financial expert’s life;
Loose vs strict budgeting;
Finishing books vs stopping early;
Why people argue about money;
Geofencing as a diet strategy;
Habit vs. identity vs. willpower;
How a Stoic philosopher might view social media.

93. Five Sleep Tools We've Tested and Like Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

In a follow up to our episode on sleep, we break down five sleep tools we’ve tested, like, and are still using.

For many of you, sleep can be a fraught landscape. This is doubly true if you are doing shift work, working nights, or even just getting home with your mind spinning. When you have built-in disrupted sleep, it is extra important to pay attention to how you go about getting as much quality sleep as possible. What’s discussed in this episode is 100% opinion and anecdote but hopefully there is something in here that you’ll find useful.

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

Awake + Aware | Our 2026 Retreat

Join us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.

Learn More Here

🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.

The Flameproof Course

The hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

93. Feedback can be hard to give and harder to receive. Here are techniques to do both better. Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Feedback comes in many forms and oftentimes we aren’t even aware that it’s happening. In this episode, communication expert Lon Setnik, MD breaks down the basics of feedback, why cloaked or hidden feedback can be so dangerous, and critical skills for both delivering and receiving feedback.

Guest Bio: Lon Setnik, MD is a community emergency faculty at the Center for Medical Simulation.

Mentioned in this episode: The Awake and Aware Physician conference sponsored by Wild Health. Jan 13-15 Sedona Arizona. Use the code CONSCIOUSPHYSICIAN for 15% off (that’s 15% off the whole package – lodging, meals, the course)

Interested in one-on-one coaching? Learn more at roborman.com

To support the show - visit our Patreon site and help keep the wind in the sails.

For full show notes visit our podcast page

We discuss:

What is feedback?
We need evaluation know where we stand;
Feedback can be cloaked;
The ground rules for feedback;
Rob gets some feedback and we see see it’s dark underbelly;
Why feedback is not mandatory;
The three forms of feedback;
The Advocacy Inquiry Molecule;
Pendleton model for feedback;
Self-feedback isn’t easy and usually poorly executed;
Effective receiving of feedback is about the ‘what’ and not the ‘who’;
Embracing your hypocrisy;
Barriers to feedback.

92. Strategies for Shift Endurance Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

It’s a tough time to practice medicine, which makes paying attention to self-care even more important. In this episode, we break down three specific strategies for improving mental and physical performance during a long shift, sustaining shift endurance, and building a scaffolding for joy at work.

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

Awake + Aware | Our 2026 Retreat

Join us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.

Learn More Here

🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.

The Flameproof Course

The hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

Episode Sponsor: Ivy Clinicians. Curious if there’s a better clinical opportunity out there? Ivy is the simplest way for physicians, PAs, and nurse practitioners to match with jobs they love. With Ivy, you can find all 5,549 emergency departments, filter by your preferences, and connect securely with the right employers. All for free.

We Discuss

A perennial nocturnist shares his approach to career longevity;
An unexpected thread in the origin story of medical training in the US;
Three strategies to focus on self-care and improve endurance during shifts;
Fuel like an Ironman triathlete;
Does the patient always come first?
Using the dynamic between tension and relaxation to conserve energy;
Using intention as a tool for self-care.

91. Is this the end of note bloat? | Breaking down the 2023 documentation guidelines Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

28 years ago, the die was cast for how emergency department encounters were documented. Since then, we've had note bloat, click fatigue, and too much attention placed on things that really didn’t matter. All of that is slated to change in 2023 with dramatic new documentation guidelines (that today’s guest calls ‘refreshing’) are implemented. When was the last time you heard the word ‘refreshing’ used when it came to charting? And a massive thank you and hat tip to my friend Matt DeLaney who now runs ERcast - he was the first to alert us to these guidelines and interviewed Jason when they were first announced.

Guest bio: Jason Adler, MD is a clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Maryland where he is also the director of compliance and reimbursement. He is also the vice president of acute care solutions at LogixHealth.

Episode Sponsor: Ivy Clinicians. Curious if there’s a better clinical opportunity out there? Ivy is the simplest way for physicians, PAs, and nurse practitioners to match with jobs they love. With Ivy, you can find all 5,549 emergency departments, filter by your preferences, and connect securely with the right employers. All for free.

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

Awake + Aware | Our 2026 Retreat

Join us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.

Learn More Here

🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.

The Flameproof Course

The hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

We Discuss:

History and physical documentation are now at your discretion;
Heavy value is placed on cognitive work and medical decision making;
History from a non-patient source is valued in these guidelines;
Ordering a test is equally valued as not ordering a test;
Consideration of escalation or deescalation of care;
In addition to documenting your shared-decision making conversations, your MDM should include;
Population health - Stable means something different when it comes to documentation;
Social determinants of health;
There is a heightened emphasis of independent interpretations of separately billable procedures (EKGs, X-ray, CT, U/S);
Jason’s take home points;
And More.

90. The Dalai Lama’s Doctor Has a Prescription for You | The critical distinction between empathy and compassion Oct 23, 2022

Show notes

Barry Kerzin, MD, the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, is back to dive deeper into: the difference between empathy and compassion, why compassion (versus empathy) is a critical aspect of medical care, generating self compassion, and answers to listener email.

Guest Bio: Barry Kerzin, MD is a US born and trained family physician who for the past several decades has resided as a monk in Dharamshala, India — home of the Tibetan community in exile. In addition to serving as H.H. the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, Dr. Kerzin is the founder of the Altruism in Medicine Institute, whose mission is to increase compassion and resilience among healthcare professionals and extended professional groups, such as police officers, first responders, teachers and leaders.

Self described as “…a doctor, a monk, a teacher, a lazy man. All of these things, yet none of these things,” you can follow Dr. Kerzin on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram or learn more about his story here.

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

Awake + Aware | Our 2026 Retreat

Join us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.

Learn More Here

🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.

The Flameproof Course

The hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

We Discuss:

The difference between empathy and compassion;
Can compassion be taught?
Listener email about having a hard time switching between empathy and compassion;
Barry’s response to the listener's email;
Self compassion after a bad patient outcome;
Exercises to help build compassion;
The decision point between accepting people how they are and trying to change them;
And More.

89. The Drunk Whisperer | Verbal de-escalation for the agitated, upset, and unruly Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

Verbal de-escalation is a tool that can be learned by almost anyone. In this episode, we learn from two masters in the art of de-escalating those who are agitated and upset: Jose Pacheco, RN, known affectionately to his co-workers as ‘The Drunk Whisperer’, and Dan McCollum, MD, emergency physician at Augusta University. The core of this conversation hinges around an approach to conflict resolution that evolved from the martial arts principle of using your opponent’s energy to resolve conflict, rather than simply butting heads. The name for this method? Verbal Judo.

A proviso to all of this is that if the room/scene needs to be safe. Your top priority is to keep yourself and your team safe. Do not put yourself at risk. That doesn’t always mean physical escalation (though sometimes it does), it can simply mean removing yourself from the physical space of the escalating situation.

Awake + Aware | Our 2026 Retreat

Join us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.

Learn More Here

🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.

The Flameproof Course

The hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

We discuss:

Jose Pacheco's tactics to de-escalate and defuse agitated patients in the emergency department [03:13];
Dan McCollum’s de-escalation sequence based on needs of the situation [09:30];
The unifying principle of verbal judo: Empathy absorbs tension [15:50];
Present the professional image [22:50];
The Universal Upset Patient Protocol [24:20];
“We treat people as ladies and gentlemen not because they are, but because we are.” [35:50];
You can’t control how an upset person is going to respond to conflict, you can only control how you respond. [36:40];
Seeing a situation from the other person’s eyes. [37:50];
Sword of Insertion technique aka How to politely interrupt [38:20];
Active listening [40:50];
Tips for interacting with difficult patients in the ED. [42:30];
Non-verbal cues [53:30].

88. Peak Ending | How closings color our recollections and using that to our advantage at work Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

What happens at the end of an event can disproportionately impact our perception and memory of it. In this episode, we investigate the research behind the peak end pattern and how you can use this phenomenon to improve your own experience at work (and life).

Awake + Aware | Our 2026 Retreat

Join us at Awake and Aware, our 3-day retreat in Scottsdale, AZ. March 1-4, 2026. Space is limited.

Learn More Here

🎓 P.S. This is a CME event.

The Flameproof Course

The hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets

For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

We discuss:

Research identifying a peculiar aspect of how memories and impressions are formed;
The peak end phenomenon is often portrayed as a bug in our operating system, but it can also be used as a feature;
Michael Jordan was a master of finishing time;
Focusing on a peak end can not only lead to a better memory of events, but possibly better patient care;
Is there evidence that focusing on the peak end will improve job satisfaction and lessen burnout?
Two types of peak endings.