What if the most important lessons of residency aren't found in a textbook?

With graduation just days away, Liz shares the three pieces of writing that most shaped her understanding of medicine, residency, and life beyond training. From the realities of surgical culture and physician burnout to the hidden history of American healthcare and the power of personal agency, these recommendations offer a framework for understanding not just residency, but your place within the system.

In this episode, Liz discusses:

- Why Surgeon on the Edge by Frances Mei Hardin is the residency memoir she recommends over The House of God

- What The Social Transformation of American Medicine reveals about the forces shaping modern healthcare

- Why the essay How to Be More Agentic by Kate Hall may be the most important 10-minute read for physicians

- How understanding systems can make you a more effective doctor

- The mindset shifts Liz wishes she had before starting residency

Whether you're a medical student, resident, attending physician, or simply interested in the realities of modern medicine, this episode offers a practical reading list for anyone trying to make sense of the profession, and build a career with intention.

🎧 New episodes of Cut & Tell every Thursday.

What makes a good resident? And beyond that — what actually makes someone great?

In this episode of Cut & Tell, Dr. Liz Malphrus breaks down the unwritten skills of residency that no one formally teaches: anticipation, adaptability, reading the room, emotional resilience, communication, and learning how to survive medicine without becoming robotic in the process.

From OR etiquette and closed-loop communication to social anxiety, burnout, and the strange art of staying positive during training, this is an honest conversation about the human side of becoming a doctor.

Whether you’re a medical student, intern, resident, or just trying to survive a high-pressure environment, this episode is a candid look at the traits that actually matter — and why all of them can be learned.

Cut & Tell is where medicine gets honest.

https://sashachapin.substack.com/p/my-six-stages-of-learning-to-be-a

Cut & Tell is where medicine gets honest.

In this episode, Dr. Liz Malphrus opens up about the failures, regrets, rejections, and detours that never make it onto a CV. From getting a C in biology at Columbia, to losing out on a White House job she thought would define her future, to walking away from a career in music — Liz reflects on the moments she once believed had ruined everything.

This is a conversation about perfectionism, identity, career pivots, rejection, and the pressure in medicine to package every setback into a clean success story. Instead of a polished resume, this episode is an anti-resume: a candid look at the messy reality behind becoming a doctor.

If you’ve ever felt behind, rejected, uncertain, or like your path hasn’t gone according to plan — this one’s for you.

🎧 New episodes of Cut & Tell every Thursday.