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 how to thrive in family medicine by orienting toward what truly matters: how we feel at the end of the day.

Connect with Caitlin:

Website: https://caitlinchristie.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachingbydrcaitlin/

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

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

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 show up with integrity.

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

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

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://hippocraticcollective.org/

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

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.org/

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

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 respect that younger warrior—without trying to fix her—and letting dignity and trust lead the way.

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

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

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

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: https://www.instagram.com/joanchanmd

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