Dr. Laura Vater: Navigating Self Care in Healthcare

In this episode of Beyond Podcast, I speak with Dr. Laura Vater about the essential yet often overlooked need for self-care and mental health support, especially among women in medicine. We dive into the reality of burnout, the systemic changes healthcare requires, and the transformative power of sharing personal stories to reduce stigma.Laura shares her journey and emphasizes the power of "doing less"—encouraging us all to embrace delegation and the importance of building supportive networks. We discuss the pressures of navigating healthcare as women, the heightened risk of burnout, and how perfectionism and imposter syndrome can compound these challenges.Our conversation also touches on the ethical implications of sleep deprivation in medical training and how some programs are slowly evolving to prioritize resident well-being. Laura describes positive changes, like peer support groups, opt-out counseling, and better staffing to reduce overnight call burdens, which signal a shift in medical education.Throughout, we explore how medical professionals can reclaim individuality and curiosity in their careers, as well as the power of social media to foster connection within this demanding field. You can find Dr. Laura Vater at https://www.lauravater.com/ and on Instagram: @doclauravater! Join Dr. Flora every Wednesday with tips to feel unstuck from your rut. Follow @drflorasinha on Instagram to stay up to date!