The Hidden Cost of Medicine: Breaking the Healers It Was Meant to Protect with Dr. Jessi Gold
Welcome back to Uncover Your Eyes with Dr. Meenal! Join us as we uncover our lives as healthcare professionals.
In this powerful episode of the Uncover Your Eyes podcast, Dr. Meenal Agarwal sits down with psychiatrist and bestselling author of How Do You Feel?, Dr. Jessi Gold. Watch the video episode on YouTube and listen to the audio episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots – follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying the show!
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- Learn more about Uncover Your Eyes with Dr. Meenal
- Learn more about Dr. Meenal Agarwal
Uncover Your Eyes with Dr. Meenal Episode #76: The Hidden Cost of Medicine: Breaking the Healers It Was Meant to Protect with Dr. Jessi Gold
Over 60% of physicians report emotional exhaustion and nearly 1 in 4 medical residents meet the criteria for major depression. Our fields were designed to shape compassionate healers, yet too often they strip away the very person who first entered medicine with hope and purpose.
In this powerful episode of the Uncover Your Eyes podcast, Dr. Meenal Agarwal sits down with psychiatrist and bestselling author of How Do You Feel?, Dr. Jessi Gold, to unpack the emotional survival skills every healthcare provider and patient needs to know.
Whether you’re a healthcare professional, patient, or advocate, this episode offers essential insight into the mental health crisis in healthcare, and how prioritizing wellness, self-advocacy, and compassion can help us build a more sustainable system.
Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- Why medical students & healthcare providers feel judged in the healthcare culture
- The hidden value of self-disclosure in medicine
- What “I’m fine” really means for burned-out providers
- How toxic workplace norms undermine vulnerability & wellness
- The search for humanity in medicine
Learn more about Dr. Jessi Gold at DrJessiGold.com, on Instagram @DrJessiGold, and check out her book How Do You Feel?
Subscribe to Uncover Your Eyes on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube, and learn more about Dr. Meenal on Instagram @Dr.MeenalAgarwal.
Check out the episode and show notes below for much more detail.
Show Notes
- The Hidden Cost of Medicine: Breaking the Healers It Was Meant to Protect with Dr. Jessi Gold
- [0:43] Welcome to Uncover Your Eyes with Dr. Meenal
- [1:00] Welcome to the show, Jessi Gold!
- [1:40] Why Dr. Gold wrote her book How Do You Feel?
- [3:28] Why healthcare providers feel ashamed to admit struggles
- [5:19] Internal stigma about mental health in healthcare
- [7:07] Pressure in the industry vs. in society
- [8:54] Misconceptions about patient expectations and professional boundaries
- [11:35] How medical training shapes emotional expression
- [15:45] Dr. Gold’s personal burnout experience
- [20:25] What does “I’m fine” really mean?
- [23:11] The unspoken competition for healthcare colleagues
- [27;19] Practical coping strategies for healthcare workers
- [32:00] Three Good Things practice
- [33:17] The power of social support and community
- [36:26] When and how to consider psychiatric medication?
- [45:12] The disconnect between reality and media coverage of healthcare
- [49:03] How to maintain your humanity while practicing medicine
- [54:02] Connect with Jessi Gold and follow her on Instagram
- Subscribe to Uncover Your Eyes on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube, and learn more about Dr. Meenal on Instagram @Dr.MeenalAgarwal
- Theme Song: “Upbeat Motivational Pop Rock” by Alexey Anisimov
What is Uncover Your Eyes with Dr. Meenal?
Thanks for listening to Uncover Your Eyes with Dr. Meenal. Being an eye doctor makes life easy, right? Not so fast. Join us as we uncover our lives as healthcare professionals. In each episode, you will face reality and vulnerability. You’ll hear how to manage your wellbeing, culture, and physical and mental health. You’ll also navigate self-improvement and professional development, all while uncovering innovation in patient care from experts in our healthcare system. Let’s do this while keeping it “real” and authentic. Hosted by Dr. Meenal Agarwal, Expert Optometrist, Entrepreneur, Speaker, and Mom of 3.
Who is Dr. Meenal Agarwal?
With three clinics in Toronto and sought-after experience, Dr. Meenal Agarwal is an expert in vision and eyecare innovation. She is a leading voice on patient care, technology, professional development, and wellness in the healthcare industry.