20. Resilience, Self-Care & the Hidden Loneliness of Physicians with Stephanie Minter, DO

What does "resilience" really mean in medicine—and at what cost? In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Dr. Lisa Muehlenbein sits down with Dr. Stephanie Minter, DO, to unpack the hidden emotional toll of practicing medicine in today's healthcare system. From the culture of "push through" resilience… To the confusion between self-care and real support… To the loneliness experienced by both single and partnered physicians… This episode explores what physicians actually need to build sustainable, meaningful lives in medicine. Dr. Minter shares her journey from massage therapist to osteopathic physician, and how her training in mind-body medicine shaped her perspective on: • Moral injury and burnout • Why "resilience training" misses the point • The stigma around physicians asking for help • Gender dynamics for female physicians • The emotional toll of carrying life-and-death decisions • Why doctors struggle to seek care themselves • The importance of community, grief planning, and honest communication • Creating a personal "disaster plan" for emotional overwhelm • What truly recharges a physician's battery You'll also hear an eye-opening discussion about healthcare business models, the corporatization of medicine, and what must change for the future of physician wellbeing. Whether you are: – A physician – A physician spouse – A healthcare leader – Or someone who cares deeply about the sustainability of medicine This episode offers both insight and hope. Because physicians are human too. And even the strongest among them need support. About Dr. Stephanie Minter Stephanie Minter is an Osteopathic physician, speaker, and wellness coach who knows what it's like to give everything to her patients, her work, and the people she loves, while slowly losing touch with herself. Her own experience with burnout and self-abandonment led her to integrate mindfulness, movement, nervous system regulation, and nature-based healing into her life AND her medical practice. After years of prioritizing others, she learned that a rewarding life required more than resilience - it required reconnection. Her current focus is helping high-achievers reconnect with themselves to release patterns of self-abandonment and unsustainable commitments, while creating lives rooted in clarity, authenticity, balance, and fulfillment. Podcast: Beach Vibes Healing Lives Substack: She Sells Refills by the Seashore LinkedIn