Sustainable Clinical Medicine with The Charting Coach cover art

Sustainable Clinical Medicine with The Charting Coach

Sustainable Clinical Medicine with The Charting Coach

By: Dr. Sarah Smith
Listen for free

About this listen

On the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast we are capturing the stories of physicians who have made clinical medicine sustainable in their own lives, including their before and after stories. I will also interview coaches who are helping Physicians create sustainable clinical medicine for themselves.© 2025 2024 Career Success Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • Episode 127: Tools, Timers, and Triumphs Mastering Time Management and Confidence
    Jun 23 2025

    Welcome to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast!

    In this inspiring episode, Dr. Sarah Smith sits down with Dr. Linde Corrigan, a family physician practicing in Ontario's Ottawa Valley. Dr. Corrigan shares her journey as a rural generalist, juggling family medicine, care of the elderly, and specialized clinic procedures—all while navigating the unique challenges of ADHD within the medical profession.

    Listen in as Dr. Corrigan opens up about overcoming imposter syndrome, adapting her workflow to suit her learning style, and the tools and reframing strategies that have helped her create a more sustainable clinical day. She and Dr. Smith discuss practical solutions—from using timers and EMR hacks to embracing positive self-talk and gamifying the most dreaded tasks. Whether you're facing your own clinical challenges or just looking for ways to make your workday more manageable, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and relatable stories.

    Tune in for an honest, uplifting, and strategy-filled episode designed to help you reclaim time for your life outside of medicine!

    Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode:

    1. Make the Most of Your Strengths: Recognizing personal strengths and challenges (like leveraging visual memory or adapting workflows for ADHD) can be a game-changer in both career direction and daily efficiency.
    2. Reframe the Hard Parts: Shifting mindset—from “I have to finish this report” to “I’m almost out the door!”—makes a huge difference. Reward yourself, gamify tasks, and see the power of a positive reframe.
    3. Gamify for Focus and Flow: Small hacks (timers, shortcut tools like Magical, or breaking tasks into manageable chunks) help combat time blindness and overwhelm, making even inbox management feel like a win.

    Meet Dr. Linde Corrigan:

    I am a rural family physician with enhanced certification in care of elderly. Currently, I work part-time in my family medicine practice in Petawawa, as well as part-time at the hospital, as well as in local long-term care homes in the area.

    I graduated medical school at University of Ottawa in 2010, Family Medicine residency at U of Ottawa in 2014.

    --------------

    Would you like to view a transcript of this episode? Click here

    ****Get in on the Backlog Buddies Sale where All Session in June are only $10 https://www.backlogbuddies.com/

    **** Charting Champions is a premiere, lifetime access Physician only program that is helping Physicians get home with today's work done. All the proven tools, support and community you need to create time for your life outside of medicine.

    Learn more at https://www.chartingcoach.ca

    **** Enjoying this podcast? Please share it with someone who would benefit. Also, don’t forget to hit “follow” so you get all the new episodes as soon as they are released.

    **** Come hang out with me on Facebook or Instagram. Follow me @chartingcoach to get more practical tools to help you create sustainable clinical medicine in your life.

    **** Questions? Comments? Want to share how this podcast has helped you? Shoot me an email at admin@reachcareercoaching.ca. I would love to hear from you.

    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • Episode 126: The Mental Load of Medicine, Burnout, Family, and Meaningful Change
    Jun 16 2025

    Welcome to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast!

    In today’s episode, Dr. Sarah Smith sits down with Dr. Sarah Lea, a family and addiction medicine physician based in Victoria, BC, to discuss her deeply personal and transformative journey through medicine. Together, they dive into Dr. Lea’s experiences navigating medical training, motherhood, and a rewarding but complex clinical career—including her candid account of facing and working through burnout.

    Dr. Lea shares how she balanced demanding clinical roles, built an innovative perinatal addiction medicine program, and ultimately made tough decisions to prioritize her well-being and her family. Listeners will hear about the support systems and strategies she used, like coaching, therapy, and honest conversations at home, as well as her passion for supporting other physicians facing burnout. Plus, Dr. Lea discusses her ongoing work in coaching, retreats, and her own podcast—all aimed at helping clinicians lead more sustainable and fulfilling lives.

    If you’re looking for inspiration, practical tools, and validation that you’re not alone in the challenges of practicing medicine, you won’t want to miss this insightful and heartfelt episode.

    Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode:

    1. Burnout is often invisible on the outside: Lea describes how, even while “holding it together” at work, burnout showed up at home—as irritability, distraction, and feeling disconnected from family. It’s a powerful reminder to check in with how we’re actually feeling, not just performing.
    2. Support and coaching are essential tools: For Dr. Lea, reaching out to a coach and counselor helped her gain clarity and prioritize her needs, both professionally and personally. Finding or building your support system can be career-saving.
    3. Teamwork matters—at home and at work: Whether it’s sharing responsibilities with a partner or building multi-disciplinary teams in healthcare, sustainability comes from collaboration. Delegating tasks and honest conversations can lighten the load for everyone.

    Meet Dr. Sarah Lea:

    Dr. Sarah A. Lea is a family and addiction medicine physician, executive coach, and wellness champion based in Victoria, BC. With a background in women's health and over a decade in clinical practice, she blends science, storytelling, and soul in her talks and workshops. Whether she’s coaching burned-out docs, speaking on perinatal addiction, or helping teams build real-deal resilience, Sarah brings both the evidence and the empathy. She’s also a certified meditation instructor and TEDx speaker who believes that well-being is the secret sauce to sustainable healthcare—and she's on a mission to help others lead with energy, authenticity, and heart.

    --------------

    Would you like to view a transcript of this episode? Click here

    ****Get in on the Backlog Buddies Sale where All Session in June are only $10
    https://www.backlogbuddies.com/

    **** Charting Champions is a premiere, lifetime access Physician only program that is helping Physicians get home with today's work done. All the proven tools, support and community you need to create time for your life outside of medicine.

    Learn more at https://www.chartingcoach.ca

    **** Enjoying this podcast? Please share it with someone who would benefit. Also, don’t forget to hit “follow” so you get all the new episodes as soon as they are released.

    **** Come hang out with me on Facebook or Instagram. Follow me @chartingcoach to get more practical tools to help you create sustainable clinical medicine in your life.

    **** Questions? Comments? Want to share how this podcast has helped you? Shoot me an email at admin@reachcareercoaching.ca. I would love to hear from you.

    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • Episode 125: The Charting Coaches take on Physician burnout, charting efficiency & sustainable clinical medicine
    Jun 9 2025

    Welcome to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast!

    In this special episode, Dr. Sarah Smith brings together her “brains trust”—the talented team of assistant coaches from Charting Champions and Smarter Charting—for an inspiring and honest roundtable discussion. Join Dr. Jacqueline Holm-Jhass, Dr. Milene Argo, and Dr. Noelle Nelson as they open up about their personal journeys from burnout to rediscovering joy in medicine, and share their passion for helping clinicians create better clinical days.

    You’ll hear firsthand stories about the real costs of working after hours, practical strategies for managing the chaos of unpredictable clinic days, and priceless reminders that you are not alone in the struggle. The coaches offer compassionate advice on emotional regulation, self-compassion, and the vital importance of finding celebration and purpose—even on the hardest days.

    Whether you’re deep in the trenches of clinical work or just starting to think about how to make medicine more sustainable, this episode is packed with relatable insights, encouragement, and actionable wisdom to help you reclaim time for your life outside of medicine. Get ready to meet the coaches who are changing the way clinicians approach their clinical days and rekindling love for the profession—one conversation at a time.

    Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode:

    1. You’re Not Alone: Every physician experiences overwhelm—even the coaches and leaders we look up to. Vulnerability and community are key to finding solutions and breaking the cycle of isolation.
    2. Small Wins & Self-Compassion Matter: Shifting from self-criticism to celebration of even tiny wins each day (like finishing one tough chart, or supporting a grieving patient) helps change the narrative and builds resilience over time.
    3. The System is Broken, Not You: The impossible demands of modern medicine make it crucial to set boundaries and redefine what “good enough” looks like for you, rather than striving for unattainable perfection.

    The Charting Champions Coaches

    Dr. Sarah Smith and her vibrant Charting Coach team: Dr. Jacqueline Holm-Jhass, Dr. Milene Argo, and Dr. Noelle Nelson. Get ready for an honest, supportive, and practical conversation about what it truly takes to create a sustainable, joyful clinical day as a physician or clinician.

    --------------

    Would you like to view a transcript of this episode? Click here

    ****Get in on the Backlog Buddies Sale where All Session in June are only $10
    https://www.backlogbuddies.com/

    **** Charting Champions is a premiere, lifetime access Physician only program that is helping Physicians get home with today's work done. All the proven tools, support and community you need to create time for your life outside of medicine.

    Learn more at https://www.chartingcoach.ca

    **** Enjoying this podcast? Please share it with someone who would benefit. Also, don’t forget to hit “follow” so you get all the new episodes as soon as they are released.

    **** Come hang out with me on Facebook or Instagram. Follow me @chartingcoach to get more practical tools to help you create sustainable clinical medicine in your life.

    **** Questions? Comments? Want to share how this podcast has helped you? Shoot me an email at admin@reachcareercoaching.ca. I would love to hear from you.

    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
No reviews yet