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Burnout isn’t always a collapse. Sometimes it’s a quiet, confusing boredom that shows up after you’ve “made it” and you can’t figure out why the work feels empty. On Eye Care Leadership Live, we sit down with Dr. Brett Cordes, an ENT surgeon turned physician coach, to trace what burnout really looks like over time and why so many doctors stay stuck in denial until the consequences get loud.

We talk through Dr. Cordes’ own story: a thriving private practice career, the moment fulfillment started slipping, and how burnout contributed to substance dependence, job loss, and a long road through rehabilitation and licensing disruption. From there, we get practical about what he now hears daily from physicians across specialties: the crushing administrative burden, endless EHR charting, prior authorization battles, private equity pressure, and the gut-level distress of moral injury when non-clinicians influence care.

We also unpack the human side of physician burnout: irritability, strained relationships, a shrinking frustration threshold, and the fear of being seen as weak. Dr. Cordes explains why self-awareness radically improves the outlook, why there’s no “easy button,” and how building an identity outside medicine can protect your career and your life. If you’re a physician, practice leader, or healthcare administrator trying to reduce burnout and retain great clinicians, this conversation offers clear language and real-world insight.

Subscribe for more candid healthcare leadership conversations, share this with a colleague who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. What’s the earliest sign of burnout you wish you had taken seriously?

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This episode is brought to you by Seasoned Advice HR, where I help eye care clinics to hire, retain, and manage better — helping you get Better Results Through People. Learn more at seasoned-advice.com.

Contact me directly at mike@seasoned-advice.com

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