The biggest threat to a surgeon's career may not be competition, reimbursement, or even the changing healthcare system. It may be their own body and mind.

In the final episode of The Business of Surgery, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lauren Umstattd explores what it takes to build a surgical career that can actually last. For Lauren, that means treating herself like the high-performance athlete she is: protecting her physical health, caring for her mind, and intentionally building systems that make the hardest days sustainable.

From 90-second microbreaks in the operating room and surgical ergonomics to sleep, nutrition, coaching, self-regulation, and protecting your relationship with your work, Lauren shares the practices she uses to preserve both her body and her desire to keep operating.

In this episode:

• Why surgeons should think of themselves as high-performance athletes
• Protecting your neck and spine in the operating room
• The power of 90-second surgical microbreaks
• Improving surgical ergonomics
• Why sleep and nutrition matter for career longevity
• Protecting your mental health as a surgeon
• What Lauren learned from working with a surgeon coach
• Using curiosity instead of frustration
• Self-regulation in high-stress environments
• Building systems and guardrails for difficult days
• Creating a surgical career you still want decades from now

This is Episode 12 and the finale of The Business of Surgery, a FEM, MD series about what it really takes to build, lead, and sustain a physician-owned surgical practice.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

See more shows and content at hippocratic-collective.com