Reclaiming Control | Autonomy, Agency & the Physician Life

Many physicians believe they're exhausted because they're overworked. But what if it's the loss of autonomy, agency, and control?In this episode of Stand Up (for) Doctors!, we're joined by two physicians who will be sharing their insights at our inaugural Physician Retreat this October. Together, they explore what it means for physicians to reclaim ownership of their careers and lives, without waiting for the healthcare system to change first.🔹 Dr. Thiban Munnainathan is a Family Physician and Certified Physician Executive with experience in Clinical Informatics. He is also the founder of Primetime Telehealth & Physician UX, focused on improving the physician experience within increasingly complex healthcare systems.🔹 Dr. Jamie Gross is a practicing anesthesiologist in the U.K. and founder of Medics in Control, helping physicians reclaim control over their time, money, and direction.Physicians are being asked to navigate increasingly complex systems, solve problems they were never trained to solve, and adapt to demands that can leave little room for agency.So what can doctors actually control?You may not be able to control the entire system. But you can start asking a different question: What can I control, and what can I build from there?🔗 Connect with our guests:Dr. Thiban Munnainathan🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/parthiban-munnainathan-md-cpe-2b3333a3/Dr. Jamie Gross🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiegross-medicsincontrol/These conversations don't end with the podcast.Join us at the Stand Up (for) Doctors! Inaugural Physician Retreat, where meaningful discussions are paired with science-based activities that give equal weight to personal well-being. It's a unique experience designed to help physicians reconnect with themselves, learn from one another, and return home with practical insights they can carry into their lives and practices.Physicians representing 15 specialties, from 18 states, along with colleagues from Australia and the U.K., have already registered. We'd love to have you join us.📍 Windrose on Hudson, Ossining, NY🗓 October 9–12, 2026🔗 https://standupfordoctors.org/events/Only 6 spots available.If today's conversation resonated with you, you'll find more powerful stories like this in our White Coats book series, created to humanize medicine and amplify physician voices:https://standupfordoctors.org/books/We're also honored to have Medicine Forward as the Founding Sponsor of our inaugural Physician Retreat. Their commitment to helping physicians build stronger communities and create meaningful change aligns closely with today's conversation about agency, connection, and taking an active role in shaping the future of medicine.Learn more about Medicine Forward:https://medicineforward.org#StandUpForDoctors #PhysicianWellBeing #PhysicianLeadership #AutonomyInMedicine #MedicalCulture #HumanConnection #Episode169