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PODCAST

Surgeons with Purpose

Hippocratic Collective

A podcast for surgeons who feel like they are languishing in a career that didn"t turn out to be as fulfilling or as prestigious as they expected. Dr. Mel Thacker, an ENT surgeon and coach, takes you on a journey to help you understand why you are feeling dissatisfied, burnt out, and stuck. With this newfound insight, you"ll be able to reframe how you see your experience, rediscover who you are underneath your surgeon identity, and create a life that aligns with your authentic self. Find more info

health & fitness medicine

All Episodes

31:34

#55: Supercommunication

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/07/21

If you enjoyed this topic, you're going to want to join Empowered Surgeons. There’s a dedicated classroom to this topic in the “Surgeon Self-Concept” module. Learn more about Empowered Surgeons Group here. Watch Charles Duhigg's TEDx talk here.Get his book, Supercommunicators: how to unlock the secret languange of connection here.To recapSupercommunicators:Listen closely to what’s said and unsaidAsk the right questionsRecognize and match others’ moodsMake their feelings easy to readThe four types of

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57:03

#54: When ADHD Hides in Plain Sight with Dr. Femi...

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/07/14

*****************SENSITIVE CONTENT WARNING******************This episode contains discussion of suicidal thoughts. Please listen carefully or, if this topic is especially triggering for you, skip this one entirely.In this episode, Dr. Femi Oyewole shares his deeply personal journey of navigating medical training while living with undiagnosed ADHD. He opens up about how the pressures of residency, coupled with ADHD-related challenges, led to anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts, and how a

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40:41

#53: Finding Your Inner Wisdom like a Lion Tracker

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/07/07

Learn more about Empowered Surgeons Group here.Get Boyd Varty's book, The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life, access his courses, or retreat with him here.What if losing your way isn’t a detour, but the only way forward?In surgery—and in life—we’re taught to crave certainty. A clear path. A guaranteed outcome. But what if that very craving is what keeps us stuck?In this episode of Surgeons with Purpose, Dr. Mel Thacker invites you into a conversation about uncertainty, purpose, and the courage to follow

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01:10:18

#52: Dr. Blair Peters on Advocating and Innovating...

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/06/30

Learn more about Empowered Surgeons group here.Plastic surgery isn’t just about appearance—it’s about reinvention. For Dr. Blair Peters, that theme runs through every part of his story.After coming out before medical school and finding his place within the queer and trans community, Dr. Peters saw firsthand the inequities in gender-affirming care. Patients traveling across continents for surgery, often with no idea who their surgeon was or how they’d get post-op care—it felt wrong. That’s when his

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51:46

#51: The Counterintuitive Secret with YA author Dr....

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/06/23

Tyler Beauchamp is a pediatrician and children’s/YA author from Georgia whose earliest experiences with medicine came not as a student, but as a patient. As a child, Tyler spent years in and out of research clinics searching for answers. He began writing in waiting rooms as a way to cope, and eventually fell in love with both storytelling and medicine.A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Tyler pursued both writing and medicine with the quiet hope that someday, he could bring those two

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01:04:23

#50: Toddlers in Scrubs with Psychologist Barlas Günay

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/06/16

Psychologist and reparenting expert, Barlas Günay, comes on the show to reveal why the majority of us are really just children in white coats. Toddlers in scrubs. Babies pretending to be adults. And what we can do about it.In this powerful episode, we explore why traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may fall short for high-functioning professionals—especially surgeons—whose deeply ingrained patterns stem from unmet emotional needs. We dive into the world of Schema Therapy, which addresses

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56:14

#49 Sky Diving, Surgery, and the Art of Trusting...

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/06/09

In this episode, Dr. Mel Thacker sits down with cardiac surgeon, Dr. Alexandra Kharazi. Together, they explore what it means to operate—literally and figuratively—from a place of purpose rather than fear.We discuss:The emotional rewards of caring for high-risk cardiac patients who have few options leftThe "Black Swan" framework for surgical decision-making: a grounded process for choosing wisely when the stakes are highestWhy just because we can, doesn’t mean we should—and how she decides when not

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36:32

#48 Mindshifting

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/06/02

Learn more about Empowered Surgeons Group here.In a profession that demands perfection and endurance, it’s easy to default to survival mode. But what if the real evolution happens when we shift from self-preservation to purpose?In this episode, we unpack the 6 core human needs—belonging, autonomy, mastery, esteem, trust, and purpose—and how understanding them can change the way you show up in the OR, in leadership, and in life.We dive into powerful mindshifts specifically for surgeons, like:🔹

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51:25

#47 From Institution to Autonomy with Dr. Sharon Stein

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/05/26

Dr. Sharon Stein is a colorectal surgeon, professor, coach, and creator of The Intentional Surgeon. In this episode, she shares her unconventional path to medicine—from outdoor education and real estate to academic surgery—and how she carved out a career aligned with her values. We explore her rise through academic leadership, the stresses of trying to fix a broken system, and the moment she realized the job she worked so hard for wasn’t the job she wanted.We talk about the cost of

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52:04

#46 Don’t Mess with Little Old Ladies with Dr....

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/05/19

In this impactful conversation, we dive deep with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Colleen Balkam into the emotional, physical, and cultural terrain of surgical practice—particularly in orthopedics and geriatric care.What we cover in this episode:Coaching, reframing excitement as anxiety, and the importance of pausing when things get hard.Facing your first complication as an attending.The emotional weight of complications post-training versus during residency.Growing up the daughter of an orthopedic

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30:44

#45 Unintentional Harm

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/05/12

“First Do No Harm” is an impossible oath—a wonderful intention but an unlikely reality. So how do we create safety for ourselves in this profession, knowing we’ll inevitably cause harm? This episode will teach you actionable steps to go from the “distract and avoid” type of surgeon to the “process and create” type of surgeon. The result for you? Empowerment.Speaking of empowerment, if this resonates, you are going to want to sign up for the Empowered Surgeons Group! Learn more here.Get Cesar's and

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01:01:03

Webinar: Your Best Career Insurance Policy-Know,...

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/05/07

The best way to protect yourself in the profession of surgery is to build real connection with your patients.People don’t retaliate against physicians they know, like, and trust.This webinar will teach you how to cultivate know, like, and trust with every human you encounter.You can take this work deeper by joining Empowered Surgeons Group. Learn more about what's included in the group here. Have questions? Feel free to email me at mel@melthackercoaching.com.

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50:55

#44 Sex and Surgery with Master Coach Danielle Savory

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/05/05

"A pleasured woman is an empowered woman" - Danielle SavoryIn this rich and layered conversation, we explore how sex coaching becomes a powerful *pleasure* portal to self-compassion, nervous system regulation, and healing from burnout. Danielle shares how experiencing debilitating physical symptoms in her twenties—and recognizing the abusive dynamics in her own mind—led her to a deeper understanding of the mind-body connection.We talk about the bridges between neuroscience, pleasure, and human

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52:18

#43 Finding the Middle Way in Medicine with Dr. Joan...

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/04/28

In today’s episode, we dive deep into how the systems around us—medicine, culture, even religion—can deplete our humanity when we’re not paying attention.I’m joined by Dr. Joan Chan, who brings her unique perspective of growing up in a fundamentalist Christian household, deconstructing black-and-white thinking, and navigating her career as a family physician through boundary-setting, and rehumanization.Together, we explore how deindoctrination—whether from dogma or systemic norms—can actually bring

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01:06:06

Bonus: The ABCs to Get Back in the Current

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/04/23

Don't wait to experience the power of coaching. Join the Empowered Surgeons Group today. Sign up by April 25th 11:59 pm EST to get the Empowered Surgeons Workbook delivered straight to your door! If you miss the deadline, that's okay! You still get immediate access to the Empowered Surgeons Workbook in PDF form, no matter when you sign up. Our first group call is April 30th, 2025 at 4 pm EST. See you inside the group.It's normal to fall out of the current in the OR. We know we've fallen out when our

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26:55

#42 Why Your Human Animal Burns Out

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/04/21

Sign up for Empowered Surgeons Group here.It's not the prior auths, unfinished charts, or patient messages that are burning you out. While those circumstances need reform, they are merely symptoms of a much bigger problem—a problem that has everything to do with you, which is fantastic news because it means you can do something about it.In this episode, you’ll:Learn how your human animal communicates with youNormalize feeling unfulfilled, even when you’ve achieved everything you ever dreamed

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44:40

#41 Failure and Surgery

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/04/14

“...it is unsurprising that we surgeons are reluctant to engage the admission—or even contemplation—of failure with the exuberant rapture described by contemporary self-help print and motivational speakers.”—Dr. Eric Henderson, On Surgical Failures: Onward to Objective Evaluation of Our Less Proud MomentsFailure is required for success—but failing in surgery is different. It’s layered. It’s nuanced. It carries weight that most outside the field can’t fully grasp.In this episode, we explore:Why

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53:02

#40 Stewarding Change with Dr. Jon Russell

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/04/07

Surgeons, text topics you want me to cover here.How do we incentivize surgeons to evolve their techniques? Why hasn’t scarless thyroid surgery taken off in the U.S.?In this episode, we dive into:The disconnect between those who stay stuck in their beliefs and those who have incentive to innovateWhy we often don’t offer techniques we don’t fully understandRethinking patient counseling for thyroid surgeryThe evolution of surgical standardsThe delicate balance between certainty and an open mind in the

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53:12

#39 Giftedness and Neurodivergence with Dr. Colleen...

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/03/31

Surgeons, text topics you want me to cover here. Dr. Colleen Plein, an otolaryngologist and coach for gifted adults, joins the podcast to explore the unique challenges of being a gifted or neurodivergent adult—something many of us in medicine and surgery can relate to. Find her on instagram here or email her cpleincoaching@gmail.com. She is resource for all of you gifted docs out there. In this episode, you'll learn: Neurodivergence isn’t something kids "grow out of"Gifted individuals often e...

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54:41

#38 Psychological Challenges and Surgery Culture with...

Surgeons with Purpose ·

2025/03/24

Surgeons, text topics you want me to cover here. Dr. Andrew Brunswick, a neurosurgeon at Kaiser Permanente in LA, joins us on the podcast to discuss the psychological challenges and culture in surgery. In this episode, we cover: The culture Andrew experienced while working on Wall StreetThe problem with getting stuck on the hedonic treadmillThe power of the word "enough"Why satisfaction is a decision available to all of us at every momentParallels between athletes and surgeonsThe psychologica...

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