00:00:00 Dr. Amna Shabbir shares her personal experiences with journaling and meditation as tools for managing burnout and maintaining mental wellness in her daily life as a young attending physician and founder of the Early Career Physicians Institute. Dr. Shabbir discusses how she rediscovered the importance of journaling from her early childhood and how it helps her reflect and recalibrate her thoughts, even on days when she feels good. She also talks about her recent exploration of meditation and the benefits she has experienced, despite not being an expert. Dr. Shabbir emphasizes that these practices are essential for managing the chronic state of a busy medical career and preventing severe inflammations of the mind. She also shares her approach to journaling, which involves using an app and taking just a minute to reflect on her thoughts and feelings each day.

00:05:00 Dr. Amna Shabbir discusses the importance of self-reflection and mindfulness in overcoming adversity, particularly in the context of her early career as a physician. She emphasizes the need to recognize one's value as a human being beyond a list of accomplishments and the benefits of practicing inventory and mindfulness. Dr. Shabbir also shares her personal journey into geriatric medicine, which she found fulfilling after experiencing burnout and doubt during her primary care practice. The pandemic and having a newborn daughter forced her to recalibrate her career, leading her to pursue further medical training and a fellowship in geriatrics. During the pandemic's early months, she learned about the vulnerability of healthcare workers and the importance of reflection and appreciation for their work. Despite the challenges, she believes that human beings persevere and that the pandemic served as a catalyst for growth and learning in the healthcare industry.

00:10:00 Dr. Amna Shabbir outlines the systemic issues in the healthcare system that contribute to burnout among early career physicians. She explains how the traditional model puts excessive pressure on doctors to see an excessive number of patients in limited time, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and unable to provide the excellent care their patients deserve. Dr. Shabbir shares her personal experience, admitting that her perfectionist tendencies and the systemic issues combined created a perfect storm leading to her burnout, which occurred early in her career even before the pandemic. She also mentions how becoming a mother during this time added to her emotional struggles, leading to postpartum depression. Dr. Shabbir emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing the unique experiences of burnout for each physician and creating supportive spaces for mothers in medicine.

00:15:00 Dr. Amna Shabbir discusses her personal struggles with burnout, shame, and feeling inadequate as a physician. She shares how she faced additional health issues and felt her humanity had no space in medicine during that time. The Physicians Financial Summit is then introduced as an event where attendees can learn how to prepare for a prosperous retirement. Dr. Shabbir reflects on her experiences with shame and how she believes it's essential for physicians to voice their challenges to peers, parents, and online communities. She reveals that her shame truly went away when she publicly shared her story in an article on Mother's Day, after years of self-reflection, counseling, coaching, and creative expression. The support she received from others was a significant turning point in her journey towards feeling valued and heard.

00:20:00 Dr. Amna Shabbir emphasized the healing power of sharing her experience with postpartum depression and anxiety, which she did publicly and in a podcast interview. She was surprised to receive messages from male physicians who had gone through similar experiences. Dr. Shabbir emphasizes the importance of recognizing that maternity leave is not a vacation and that early career physicians should not feel ashamed for taking time off for their mental health. She shares how her own experiences, which she kept hidden for years, have given her a purpose to help the past version of herself and other early career physicians who may be struggling in silence. Dr. Shabbir expresses gratitude for her journey and the growth it brought her, despite the isolating and lonely moments. She wants to ensure that other physicians at that stage of life do not have to face their struggles alone.

00:25:00 Dr. Amna Shabbir discusses the unique challenges early career physicians face during their transition into the workforce and the feelings of shame and hiding that come with expressing their thoughts and feelings. Dr. Shabbir explains that it's normal for young physicians to feel like impostors, especially after putting in long hours of training, and that it's common to not want to share these feelings with older physicians or colleagues. She shares her own experiences of feeling lonely and isolated during her early career years, despite having supportive colleagues who were always willing to help. Dr. Shabbir encourages young physicians to seek out support and to not wait for their feelings to iron out on their own. She also warns against doing nothing or taking on too many roles as solutions to feeling like a mismatch in their jobs.

00:30:00 In this section of the podcast episode with Dr. Amna Shabbir, she discusses the pressure early career physicians, particularly women, face to prove their worth and avoid being perceived as bossy. Dr. Shabbir shares her personal experience of feeling the need to say yes to everything when she was promoted to leading a team, leading to impostor syndrome and burnout. She emphasizes the importance of communication in creating a healthy workplace environment and encourages physicians to reflect on how they want to show up physically and mentally, and how they want to communicate authentically to set boundaries and project the desired perception. She suggests starting with figuring out one's communication style and goals.

00:35:00 Dr. Amna Shabbir discusses the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing self-worth for early career physicians. Dr. Shabbir emphasizes that constantly being available and saying yes to everything can lead to burnout. She suggests being mindful of what one wants to share with others and recognizing specific areas of struggle. For physicians, this could include managing patient messages and projects. Dr. Shabbir also emphasizes the significance of self-valuation and communication in setting standards for oneself and in the workplace. She encourages physicians to set boundaries and communicate their worth to others, which will help them operate authentically and effectively in their careers. Additionally, she mentions the importance of financial wellness for early career physicians, as discussed in a previous episode featuring a financial expert.

00:40:00 Dr. Amna Shabbir discusses the importance of Financial Wellness for early career physicians. She emphasizes the need for physicians to reflect on their motivations for practicing medicine and advocates for negotiating fair pay and schedules. Dr. Shabbir also highlights the lack of financial literacy education in medical training and the importance of financial planning and estate planning for physicians. She expresses her joy in seeing the growing number of advocates for physicians in financial wellness and entrepreneurship, emphasizing the hardships faced by physicians that are often misunderstood by the outside world.

00:45:00 The host discusses Dr. Shabbir's empowering post on LinkedIn about her weight loss journey and the key takeaways that went beyond weight loss. Dr. Shabbir shared how she enlisted help from a coach to break down her seemingly impossible goal into tangible steps. This approach was essential as the goal was not just about losing weight but also dealing with the mental drama that came with it. Another insight she shared was her decision to no longer be a disconnected doctor and honor her mind and body needs. In medicine, doctors are often taught empathy but expected to hide their emotions, leading to disconnection and neglect of their own health needs. Dr. Shabbir's recognition of this issue and commitment to prioritizing her well-being served as a turning point for her and inspired her to reach out to the podcast to share her story.

00:50:00 Dr. Amna Shabbir shares her experience of overcoming adversity as an early career physician and the importance of taking action towards personal growth despite external help. She emphasizes that while others can offer support, ultimately, individuals must help themselves. Dr. Shabbir also discusses the significance of sharing her experiences publicly, as it can provide relief, validation, and inspiration for others going through similar struggles. She plans to continue empowering and supporting early career physicians through her website, offering free resources and a Q&A series.

00:55:00 In this section of the podcast episode with Dr. Amna Shabbir, she discusses her dedication to helping early career physicians thrive during their first seven years of medical practice. She offers monthly coaching sessions, free resources, and plans to introduce group programs. Her newsletter, Early Career Physician Wellness, serves as a platform for open Q&A sessions. Personally, she finds joy in reaching out to as many early career physicians as possible and looks forward to their paths crossing in the future.