Dr. Shannon Udovic-Constant: Why do women physicians burnout more?

Dr. Ramin Manshadi hosts board-certified pediatrician and physician advocate Dr. Shannon Udovic-Constant, a longtime Kaiser Permanente clinician, UCSF clinical professor, founder of Physician Women Rising, and 2024 California Medical Association president representing 50,000+ physicians. Dr. Udovic-Constant describes how a patient’s comment about not being able to drink water at school led her to champion California Senate Bill 1413 requiring potable drinking water in every school, shaping her commitment to advocacy and leadership. The conversation addresses higher burnout rates among women physicians, driven by disproportionate EHR time, uncompensated tasks, mentoring, and family responsibilities, framing burnout as structural rather than personal failure. They discuss solutions including structural workload recognition, institutional measurement of invisible labor, physician-led implementation of AI, and leadership development through applying before feeling “ready,” plus the difference between mentorship and sponsorship. She outlines a 10-year vision emphasizing systemic wellbeing supports, boundaries, and women in real authority, and calls for reduced administrative burden through collective physician action.Learn more about Shannon's work at:https://drshannonudovicconstant.com/https://physicianwomenrising.substack.com/ www.LinkedIn.com/in/shannon-udovic-constant.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro02:09 Safe Water Advocacy Spark04:15 Why Women Burn Out05:47 Structural Fixes and Support07:30 AI in Clinical Practice09:16 Step Into Leadership Now10:36 Mentors vs Sponsors11:42 Physician Women Rising Mission14:13 Building Leadership Early16:23 Overlooked and Double Bind19:37 Ten Year Vision for Wellbeing21:29 One Change to Reduce Burnout25:35 Closing Thanks and Farewell