Join us for Season Three of the Enhance Your Practice Podcast.

Season Three: Work/Life Balance

Balancing a career in plastic surgery with family, wellness, and personal commitments can be challenging yet deeply rewarding. This season, Dr. Ash Patel and special guest hosts explore the realities of parenting as a surgeon, maintaining strong relationships, and navigating work-life balance. Experts share their experiences on fatherhood, motherhood in residency, and the importance of prioritization. Additional discussions cover physician wellness, ergonomics in surgery, and managing stress during the COVID-19 crisis. With candid conversations and practical strategies, this season offers valuable insights for surgeons striving to build fulfilling careers while maintaining personal well-being and strong family connections.

This season includes the following episodes:

Episode 9 : Raising a Successful Family 

Description: Dr. Ash Patel interviews Heather Furnas MD, FACS and Paul Cederna MD

Summary: Dr. Heather Furnas and Dr. Paul Cederna recall unexpected lessons learned from their children, how to create balance between home, clinic, and research, and how to be all in for all three.

Episode 10 : Finding Balance : Fatherhood and Plastic Surgery  

Description: Special Guest Host Dr. Kavitha Ranganathan interviews Christian Vercler MD and Joseph Lopez MD

Summary: Dr. Christian Vercler and Dr. Joseph Lopez discuss becoming a father at different stages in their careers, the impact it has had on their lives, as well as their successful wives, and who really wears the pants at home! This episode features a special guest host – Dr. Kavitha Ranganathan.

Episode 11 : Balancing Motherhood and Residency

Description: Dr. Ash Patel Season Three: Work/Life Balance

Burnout is a tremendous challenge facing surgeons today, especially those new to the field. Hear from your colleagues on dealing with work/life balance, building resilience and relationships. Women and surgeons of color face unique challenges in this field. Listen to their stories of breaking into a field that didn't always feel welcoming. Special edition episodes have been added discussing how to maintain wellness during the COVID-19 crisis. Visit www.plasticsurgery.org/wellness for additional wellness resources.

Episode 12 : Ergonomics  

Description: Dr. Ash Patel interviews Douglas Steinbrech MD and Scott Hollenbeck MD on the topic of Ergonomics in plastic surgery.

Summary: Dr. Scott Hollenbeck weighs in on the importance of ergonomics in plastic surgery and the consequences of incorrect positioning in the Operating Room. While Dr. Douglas Steinbrech recalls how his injury changed the way he works for the better and how sitting while operating can help save you in the long run.

Episode 13 : Relationships In and Out of the Office 

Description: Dr. Ash Patel interviews Michael Bentz MD about the importance of relationships in and out of the office.

Summary: Dr. Michael Bentz weighs in on the importance of prioritizing your commitments, how saying yes to one thing means you have to say no to something else and why you should really consider this the next time you are stuck between being a parent and a doctor.

Bonus Article : Check out The Plastic Surgeon at Work and Play: Surgeon Health, Practice Stress, and Work–Home Balance at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5096531/

ABMS Core Competencies 

The following ABMS core competencies will be addressed:

• Professionalism
• System-based Practice

Accreditation 

This course is not accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 credit.