Unbecoming a Surgeon: Life Beyond the Hospital

What happens when the career you once worked tirelessly for no longer feels like the life you want?In this deeply honest episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, I sit down with Dr. Maggie Binder, a dear friend and seasoned pediatric hospitalist, to talk about what it really feels like to step away from medicine. Together, we reflect on the invisible weight that physicians carry - the guilt, the pressure to stay, the fear of disappointing others - and how hard it can be to imagine a different life when your identity has been built inside hospital walls.We share raw stories from our medical training, examine the internal and external forces that make leaving feel like failure, and challenge the notion that walking away means giving up. Because sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is admit the truth: you want something else.This episode is for anyone at a crossroads, anyone grieving a version of themselves they’re outgrowing, and anyone who needs to hear that leaving isn’t quitting - it’s choosing yourself.Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MDGuest: Maggie Binder, MDConnect with Frances Mei:IG & TikTok: @francesmei.mdProduced by: Hippocratic Collective