The Other Human in the Room

In this episode, I explore the powerful idea of being replaceable in our work. Drawing from personal experiences, I discuss how accepting this truth can alleviate burnout and foster a healthier work-life balance. Join me as I share insights on how shifting our mindset from perfectionism to collaboration can enhance our professional lives. Let’s embrace the concept of being part of a greater whole. Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

It’s my 40th birthday! (Or rather it WAS my birthday at the time of recording this episode) I take the day off clinic, let myself have a truly delicious day, and reflect on what it means to turn 40. I open a time capsule I made as a 13-year-old in the year 2000 and react—tenderly and hilariously—to what she thought success was.And then I zoom out: lessons from my 30s, hopes for my 40s, and why looking back can be the clearest way to choose what matters next.Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

This week’s episode is a little different. Instead of my usual stream of consciousness conversation that expands on an idea in every direction, I wanted to experiment with something much more concise.So I present to you the first of hopefully many Healing Human Idea pieces. The full text can be found on my website & Instagram, to accompany this audio form.Return back to this one as many times as you need to reset your pace in this over-urgent healthcare system.Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

In this episode, I invited Dr Risa Adams back for a recorded “mini session” using Internal Family Systems, because I wanted to share what it can look like to be safely vulnerable in real time. We explore what happens in me when a patient is openly unhappy with me—how I freeze, how my inner “clinical team,” my people-pleaser, and my inner critic all rush the wheel at once. Underneath it all, we meet a powerful younger part who’s been working overtime to keep me safe by tracking the rules of “being good.” This conversation is about learning to love and respect that younger warrior—without trying to fix her—and letting dignity and trust lead the way.Connect with Risa: https://www.risaadamsmd.com/ Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

In this solo episode, I’m sharing what my three-month podcast pause is teaching me about productivity—specifically, why “more” isn’t the goal. Using a simple gardening analogy, I explore how overcrowding our calendars (and our minds) creates competition for the resources we actually need to do good work: time, attention, creativity, and rest. If you’ve been feeling crunchy, cramped, or like you’re failing at something you care about, this is your reminder: it might not be you—it might be your spacing.Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

A real-time recording from The Only Human in the Van, in which I react to the funding changes coming next month for myself and many other family physicians in Ontario. FHO docs: I'd love to hear what you're planning to change and not change in April - reach out on IG or through my website if you'd like to share!Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmdWebsite: joanchanmd.com

In this episode, I’m talking with local legend Dr. John Crosby—a 78-year-old family doctor in Cambridge who’s spent 50+ years learning (and teaching) how to make this work sustainable.We get real about the trade-offs in family medicine: paperwork, complexity, people-pleasing, boundaries, and the myth that being “a good doctor” means saying yes to everything.John shares practical systems (including how he learned to “love” paperwork) and a simple truth: you can’t have a humane life in medicine unless you choose trade-offs that protect you as a human first.Connect with John at his website (including his ebooks): https://www.countryquack.com/Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

After a three-month pause, I’m back with a brand new episode—and it’s about a word I want to destroy: lazy. In the middle of a stomach bug, I noticed how quickly that old shame-label tried to sneak in: “I’m being lazy.” So I dug into the origins of the word lazy and found just how much ableism, morality, and productivity-culture are baked into that one tiny word. If you’ve ever called yourself lazy when you were exhausted, overwhelmed, sick, or simply done—this episode is your permission slip to get curious instead.Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

The Other Human in the Room is on hiatus!  For the next 3 months, you’ll still be getting weekly episodes on your podcast feeds - but they’ll all be re-releases of past favourites.  I’m using this time to dream and explore new ideas and directions for the podcast.  See you in March!This episode is for anyone feeling stuck on their journey to change their life. Growth and change can feel messy ... what if that's a good thing?Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd