The Other Human in the Room

In this episode I share my poem "Light a Candle" and three truths I keep coming back to: transitions are hard, they're always happening, and they need space. I talk about offering palliative care to what's dying and antenatal care to what's being born, and I share my own recent example of letting a coaching program go and watching something new grow from it. I close with a question for you: what in your life is dying, and what from it do you want to carry into what comes next?

P.S. Join Joan for the first...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Devina Wadhwa, a psychiatrist working in Northern Ontario and the Canadian Arctic, who shares how the sudden loss of her father became the catalyst that finally let her question the full-time, say-yes-to-everything pace that had been quietly burning her out. We talk about the subtle early signs of burnout we're trained to ignore, why "complicated grief" might be a redundant phrase, and the very real (and rarely named) role money plays when we consider working less. Devina also opens up about her book, becoming a more human teacher to her learners...

This week I'm sharing a poem I wrote by a stream during my summer sabbatical, when I was trying to hold onto a slower pace before returning to the breakneck rush of clinical work. I talk about what it means to set my own pace instead of letting patients, pages, and endless demands dictate it for me, and how running a marathon taught me the same lesson: rushing early always costs you later. I share a recent day where staying present with my patients made me "late," and why I've stopped treating that as a failure. This episode is...

I sat down with veterinarian, professional speaker, and self-described "unemployable" multipassionate Dr. Caroline Brookfield (who actually has several jobs). We dig into her wildly non-linear career path and why tolerance of ambiguity might be the real antidote to burnout in healthcare. Caroline breaks down her research-backed framework for moving through uncertainty instead of white-knuckling it. This one will make you want to pick up your old hobby, question your medical records, and maybe stop fearing the riptide.

Connect with Caroline:

Website Workbook: https://carolinebrookfield.com/get-started/

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn...

This episode comes to you from the middle of my annual summer sabbatical, where I've been reading romance novels, working with my poetry editor, and thinking a lot about the Karpman Drama Triangle. I read you my poem "Helpless Helper" and use it as a doorway into exploring the victim, rescuer, and persecutor roles I keep finding myself cycling through with patients, with my kids, and with the healthcare system itself. I walk through the healthier shifts — victim to creator, persecutor to challenger, rescuer to coach — and what it actually looks like to step off the merry-go-round instead of conv...

I sat down again with the wonderful Risa Adams, this time letting go of our usual IFS session format to reflect more openly on what these conversations have meant to me. We talk about the parts of ourselves we find hardest to love, the wisdom of menstrual cycles and lunar shifts, and how overworking is its own kind of dopamine hit. Risa brings her IFS lens to anger, shadow work, and the drama triangle, and I share how giving myself full permission to "divorce" a version of my marriage has actually made it stronger. This one is tender, curious...

This episode dives into the real history of "part-time" and "full-time," where those definitions came from, and why the 40-hour week was invented to protect workers, not to prove their worth. I share data on physician work hours, disability and part-time practice, and why cutting back is one of the most effective retention strategies we have, yet still isn't celebrated. And I read you a poem, Part-Time Celebration, written for anyone who is considering cutting back and needs a cheerleader to nudge them in that direction. The podcast is going part time!! See you in TWO weeks :)

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This week I sat down with my dear friend Dr. Kelly Anderson to talk about her debut novel, The Wild Beneath, WHICH COMES OUT AUGUST 4!!! She shares the six-year journey it took to write it while still practicing medicine. We talk about whale songs, introjects we ingest without realizing and why guarding your smallest curiosities might be guarding your whole life. I loved Kelly’s book so much, so I HAD to get this episode out in time for her publishing week, and encourage you all to read it too!!

BUY KELLY’S BOOK: https://www.kellychristineanderson.com...

I met Alexis Milligan at a theater workshop for medical educators and immediately ran up to her afterward and said: can you please come on my podcast? Alexis is a movement director, actor, director, and the creator of the Theater of Medicine program at the Shaw Festival. This conversation is about what clinicians can learn from performers about presence, embodiment, and showing up fully for the humans in front of us. We talk about imposter syndrome, two-way theater as a metaphor for the clinical encounter, and why movement, sound, and image are just as essential to communication as words...

Dr. Risa Adams is back for our fifth and final recorded IFS session together, and is a direct follow up from part 4 where I connect with a part stuck in a humiliating grade 4 classroom moment. Risa guides me through the unburdening process, and I share a song that this know-it-all part helped me write! Thank you for all your support of this vulnerable series, it’s been so meaningful and rewarding to share with you.

Connect with Risa: http://ifsmedicine.ca/

Creating Space 2026 is open for enrollment! Book your connection call with Joan - head to...

It's the four-year anniversary of The Other Human in the Room, and I am reflecting on what's needed to die this past year — in my podcast, my teaching, my roles, my marriage — and what's quietly being born. From a three-month hiatus to a commencement keynote to becoming a co-site director to a poetry book I'm apparently writing now, this year has been less about building and more about composting.

Creating Space 2026 is open for enrollment! Book your connection call with Joan - head to joanchanmd.com/space

Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hipp...

This week is all about inviting you to Create Space with me (Joan) this fall! Listen to the audio version of the Creating Space workshop, which includes a detailed description of the course and retreat.

Book your connection call with Joan: joanchanmd.com/space

Learn more about Hippocratic Collective: https://hippocraticcollective.org/

Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

Dr. Laura Vater is a medical oncologist, writer, and advocate for clinician humanity. In this conversation, we go deep on what it actually looks like to protect yourself inside a system that wasn't built with you in mind. We talk about sleep deprivation, suicidal ideation during training, and how Laura found the courage to advocate for change — not all at once, but through longitudinal relationships and slowly building trust. We also geek out together on teaching: how to show up for learners without losing your mind, why the "human skills" deserve the one-sheet, and what it means to lead wi...

Dr. Risa Adams is back for our fourth recorded IFS session together, and this one goes somewhere I didn't expect: deep into a nine-year-old version of me who raised her hand in class, got laughed at, and quietly decided that not knowing things was dangerous. We explore what it means to really meet a part of yourself; not to fix her or convince her, but to let her feel genuinely witnessed. If you've ever been hard on yourself for caring too much about what people think, this episode is for you.

Connect with Risa: https://www.risaadamsmd...

What happens when a nurse and a pediatrician decide that the antidote to moral distress might be poetry, circles, and the Artist's Way? In this episode, I sit down with Laura Holford, RN and Dr. Anu Gorukanti, co-founders of Introspective Spaces, to talk about contemplative practice, community care, and what it actually looks like to bring your whole weird human self to work. We get into activism, interfaith community, blackout poetry in the NICU, and why creativity isn't a luxury — it's an ethical necessity. This one lit a little firework show in my brain, and I think it might do...

What do dirty dishes and a miscategorized inbox task have in common? More than you'd think. In this episode, I sit down with Alison Jamison — coach for women physicians and certified Fair Play facilitator — to talk about the invisible labor that quietly fuels resentment at home and at work. We dig into Eve Rodsky's Fair Play framework: the idea that true delegation means handing over conception, planning, and execution, not just the doing. If you've ever felt like you're carrying the mental load alone, or wondered why collaborations keep breaking down, this one's for you.

Connect with Alis...

This one was recorded on a window ledge at the Millcroft Inn, still wrapped in the softest robe, fresh off my second annual Creating Space retreat with eight incredible physician humans.

The theme that kept surfacing all weekend? Being selfish: the word we were all using to explain why we couldn't possibly take up space, rest, or honor what we actually want.

In this episode, I dig into where "selfish" actually comes from (spoiler: 17th-century Scottish Presbyterians, and yes, it's exactly as patriarchal as it sounds) and why every choice we make is technically selfish… ev...

Dr. Risa Adams returns to help me explore something that's been loudly alive for me lately: the fear and vulnerability that comes with stepping into a new leadership role as a medical educator.

We follow the thread from imposter syndrome and performative teaching all the way back to a grade four classroom — where a little part of me learned that being wrong in front of others meant being cast out.

This session gets tender and real, and I hope it reminds you that the parts driving our professional anxiety are almost always just trying to pr...

In this episode, I'm sharing the second part of my journey finding humanity as a medical educator, focusing on three practical workflow challenges I've been navigating. I'm getting real about the "inhuman stories" that have been surfacing - like feeling I need to be my residents' cruise director, believing teaching shouldn't take extra time, and worrying that learners mean worse patient care. Through trial and error, I'm learning that creating space in my schedule isn't laziness, it's essential for sustainable teaching and quality care. If you're in medical education or integrating any new aspect into your work, I hope...

In this deeply nourishing conversation, I sit down with Dr. Alysha Mackenzie-Feder, a pediatrician from Kelowna, BC, to explore the critical difference between empathy and compassion in healthcare. Alysha shares how her journey through Zen Buddhism and contemplative practices transformed her understanding of physician wellbeing and patient care, revealing why "compassion fatigue" might actually be empathetic distress. We dive into emotions as physiological experiences, the hidden curriculum of medical training, and how creating community might be our path through these challenging times in healthcare. This episode offers both the language and practical tools to move from drowning in our...

In this solo episode, I'm sharing three major "inhuman stories" that have been haunting me as I've stepped deeper into medical education as a preceptor and co-site director. I unpack the beliefs that I need to know everything to teach, that my job is to mold students in my image, and that I'm solely responsible for their outcomes—and how these stories create unnecessary stress and anxiety. Through frameworks like the carpenter versus gardener model and the division of responsibility, I'm finding my way toward more sustainable, humane approaches to teaching. This is very much the messy middle of my...

In this conversation, I reconnect with Dr. Caitlin Christie, a fellow family physician and coach practicing in Ontario, to share what we're actually doing on the ground to create sustainable, joyful practices. We dive into the real challenges of primary care - from new funding initiatives to physician capacity pressures - and explore how we've shifted from feeling helpless about external circumstances to focusing on what we can control. Caitlin and I trade practical strategies for protecting our wellbeing, from micro-moments of pleasure during clinic days to redesigning schedules that honor our capacity. This is a boots-on-the-ground conversation about...

In this follow-up session with my friend and IFS therapist Dr Risa Adams, I explore my complicated relationship with anger—an emotion I've spent most of my life suppressing and fearing. After a conflict with my husband revealed layers of resentment and shame, I discovered that my anger isn't the enemy I thought it was; it's actually a protective part trying to keep me safe and advocate for my authentic voice. This conversation opened my eyes to the possibility that I don't have to choose between being loving and being honest; I can honor all my parts and still sh...

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...

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.or...

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 resp...

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: ht...

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/joanchanmd

Website: 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...

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...

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://hippocrat...

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!

Everything about this podcast episode is mediocre. YOU'RE WELCOME.

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!

How do you need your patients to change in order for you to be happy? It may seem like a strange question - but answering this question honestly can help unearth the stories about our patients that are reall...

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!

I had such a brain expanding conversation with Vanessa de Oliveira Andreotti that the internet demons tried to shut it down! Nevertheless, we persisted and really explored what it could look and feel like to identify what is dying...

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!

People pleasing is such a common struggle for humans in healthcare - especially those in marginalized identities. Joan shares what she has been learning about the connection between people pleasing and our default survival trauma responses -- and how t...

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!

Do you get stressed about following the guidelines? Or notice other colleagues seem stressed if anyone strays off the guidelines? Commute to work with Joan as she explores the idea of guidelines legalism and how we can trust our...

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!

Joan explains the powerful concept that shifted the way she viewed conflict forever - and made her much more calm and capable of having difficult conversations as a result.

Learn more about Hippocrat...

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!

Please join Joan as she interviews Dr Hillary McBride, as they explore how the ideas and practice of embodiment can change our experience and practice of medicine.  

Where to learn more from Hillary: Website: https://hillarylmc...

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!

Anyone who works in healthcare encounters illness anxiety on a daily (if not hourly) basis. Anxiety about getting sick is a driving factor behind so much healthcare utilization, and can be draining for healthcare clinicians as well. Joan expl...