#43 Finding the Middle Way in Medicine with Dr. Joan Chan

In today’s episode, we dive deep into how the systems around us—medicine, culture, even religion—can deplete our humanity when we’re not paying attention.I’m joined by Dr. Joan Chan, who brings her unique perspective of growing up in a fundamentalist Christian household, deconstructing black-and-white thinking, and navigating her career as a family physician through boundary-setting, and rehumanization.Together, we explore how deindoctrination—whether from dogma or systemic norms—can actually bring us closer to creativity, innovation, and truly humane care.If you’ve ever felt trapped between "just work harder" and "this isn’t sustainable," this episode will help you find your way back to the messy, liberating middle place where real solutions live.We cover:Why surgeons can become unintentionally "scary" in a dehumanized systemHow depleting the system of humanity is dangerously short-sightedThe fact that women physicians lose their longevity advantage compared to the general population (spoiler: it's the profession, not the gender)The connection between growing up with black-and-white thinking and entering rigid medical systemsJoan’s personal journey: deconstructing religious dogma and deconditioning from overwork as virtueThe trauma of realizing the rules you were taught aren't always humane — and learning to think for yourselfHow medicine can feel like religion: follow the dogma or be labeled a hereticThe impossible math of family medicine (and, let's be real, every specialty): why no doctor can follow every guideline and stay saneThe essential practice of setting boundaries around administrative burdensReframing "saying no" as a sign of humanity, not lazinessWhy less work doesn’t mean less care (and why we urgently need more people doing less, not fewer people doing more)Moving from the drama triangle (villain, victim, rescuer) to the empowerment dynamic (creator, challenger, coach)How emotions protect us — and why success is often a terrible teacher while failure is a fantastic oneUsing curiosity, creativity and experimentation (instead of rigid certainty) to innovate in medicineDeindoctrinating ourselves from toxic beliefs about work, worth, and emotionsWhy the truth doesn’t break—and how to trust yourself (and your patients) as experts of your/their own livesTaking the same precision you use in surgery to cut out what no longer serves youIf you loved this conversation, you can get more Dr. Joan Chan in your life by listening to her podcasts, The Other Human in the Room and Experiential Anatomy. Follow her on instagram here and find her website here.If you are a surgeon looking to humanize your life, I’ve got the perfect program for you. Learn more about Empowered Surgeons Group here.