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 with what you actually care about. If you've ever felt like you were trying to fit into a version of medicine that wasn't quite yours, this one's for you.

Connect with Laura:

https://www.lauravater.com/

https://www.instagram.com/doclauravater/

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

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

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.com/

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

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

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 the same for you.

Connect with our guests:

https://www.introspectivespaces.com

https://www.instagram.com/introspectivespaces/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/introspectivespaces/

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

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

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 Alison:

Workbook - https://www.alisonjamison.com/fairplay

IG: https://www.instagram.com/alison_jamison_coaching/

Fair Play Website - https://www.fairplaylife.com/

And the direct link to the cards - https://fairplaypolicy.org/the-cards

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

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

P.S. If you've been wondering what Creating Space actually looks and feels like from the inside, the next cohort starts in October and registration is open now!

Head to joanchan.com/space to book your connection call with me

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… even people-pleasing.

So if we're all being selfish anyway, the real question is: which kind do you want to practice?

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

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

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 protect something precious.XXX

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 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 my messy middle resonates.

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

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

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 patients' emotions to standing alongside them with an open heart and strong back.

Connect with Alysha:

Website: https://www.adeeperwell.ca/

Substack: https://adeeperwell.substack.com/

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

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