#97 Break Free from the Golden Handcuffs with Dr. Shieva Ghofrany

Join us inside Empowered Surgeons Group here.What happens when being a doctor is no longer enough to sustain you?Dr. Shieva Ghofrany, OB/GYN and founder of A Tribe Called V joins me to explore identity, autonomy, and the hidden pressures of practicing medicine.Dr. Ghofrany didn’t follow a traditional path into medicine, and she doesn’t practice it traditionally either. From switching majors multiple times to building a parallel business, she shares what it looks like to question expectations, tolerate failure, and expand beyond the narrow identity many physicians inherit.We talk about the emotional and psychological realities of OB/GYN, the weight of responsibility in high-stakes situations, and the courage it takes to step outside the “golden handcuffs” of medicine.This episode is about more than career decisions.It’s about how you relate to yourself, especially when things don’t go as planned.🔍 In This Episode, We DiscussWhy identity in medicine can become limiting and how to expand beyond itThe concept of “golden handcuffs” and why so many physicians feel stuckLearning to tolerate failure (and why it’s essential for fulfillment)Building A Tribe Called V and what entrepreneurship revealed about her strengths and blind spotsThe emotional toll of OB/GYN, including moral injury and high-risk deliveriesThe psychological pressure physicians face in moments like shoulder dystociaHer personal journey through endometriosis, infertility, and ovarian cancerWhat illness taught her about resilience, perspective, and life beyond medicineThe importance of playfulness in the OR and how it shifts performanceA powerful daily mindset practice that shapes how she shows upWhy resentment is not useful in surgery—and what to do insteadCommunication, emotional intelligence, and how to navigate patient retaliation🧭 Why This Conversation MattersYou can follow every rule, do everything “right,” and still feel constrained by your career.This episode challenges the idea that medicine alone should define you—and offers a different way to think about autonomy, fulfillment, and what it means to build a life that actually works.👤 About Dr. Shieva GhofranyDr. Shieva Ghofrany is an OB/GYN in private practice and the founder of A Tribe Called V, a platform dedicated to increasing knowledge and reducing anxiety around women’s health.Her work sits at the intersection of medicine, education, and empowerment—helping women better understand their bodies while encouraging physicians to think more broadly about identity and impact.Learn more about Dr. Ghofrani here.