The We Do Not Care Club for Perimenopausal Physicians (Part 2)

Send us Fan MailThe Epic List You've Been Waiting For: What Women Physicians Are DONE Caring AboutWelcome back to the revolution, my friends. This is Part 2 of our "We Do Not Care Club" series, and today we're sharing the crowdsourced, unfiltered, absolutely brilliant list of things that women physicians are officially done caring about.But first, let's give proper credit where it's due:This entire movement exists because of Melani Sanders (@justbeingmelani) - an African-American content creator who courageously started sharing her perimenopause experience from a Whole Foods parking lot. She felt like a hot mess and decided she wasn't going to care about it anymore. That single moment of authenticity has created a viral movement with over a million followers and has been featured in the New York Times and on Katie Couric's platform.Melani gave women permission to speak up about experiences we've been silent about for far too long. This is her movement, and we're honored to be part of it.Why This Matters for Women PhysiciansWe are a special group. We care for others professionally, but we're also women navigating our own health transitions in a system that expects us to be superhuman. We've been socialized to:Care that our appearance is 100% professionalNever show emotions (while somehow conveying empathy)Be team players who give 110% but never be "too loud"Micromanage our appearance more than our male colleaguesPut everyone else first, alwaysThe result? We're exhausted from caring about the wrong things.The Epic List: What We Do NOT Care About AnymoreNote: This list came directly from women physicians who responded to my call. It's unorganized on purpose - because perimenopause isn't organized, and we're giving ourselves permission to say "this is good enough."The Medical System BS We're Done With:Online wellness modules (seriously, stop)C-suite leadership telling us to be more "resilient" (we hate that word)Insurance formularies and their secrecyEfficiency training and metrics (we're just trying to get through the day)Corporate medicine profitabilityAcademic titles earned by sacrificing mental healthExecutives losing money because we did the right thing for patientsPatient Nonsense We're Over:"What you saw on TikTok" (vinegar isn't going to help here)How happy people look in drug commercials (you don't have rheumatoid arthritis)The internet telling you that you have ADHD (it's probably perimenopause)How "explosive" your diarrhea was (that doesn't help me help you)College roommate's third cousin's reaction to sertraline (it's still a good choice)Kardashians getting full-body MRIsLife Stuff We're Liberated From:Wearing bras (special shoutout to the contributor who said "I only have one nipple after cancer, so eff it")Makeup ("No need because I am awesome")Matching our comfy shoes to our outfitsHow dirty our cars are ("That sounds like a you problem")Pajamas to the store (they're comfy, that's it)Leggings as pants ("They ARE pants and I will die on that hill")How our houses look ("My style is 'lives with kids'")The Thermostat Wars:That you are cold (WE'RE HOT. WE get control of the thermostat)Stop breathing so loud (this came up multiple times!)And Finally, The Ultimate Liberation:Farting (One contributor tries not to in exam rooms but at home: "Let it rip. Sorry, husband.") Support the showTo learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.Want to contact me directly?Email: [email protected] me on Instagram!@MeganMeloMD