Episode #243: How a Reluctant "Yes" Led to an Unexpected New Path

Have you ever done everything "right" on paper, matched into your specialty, landed your first attending job, checked all the boxes, only to lie awake wondering why it still feels so hard? If you've felt stretched thin, questioned your identity in medicine, or sensed that your purpose might be unfolding before the path is clear, this episode will truly resonate.

Today, I'm joined by Dr. Yuri Shindo, an academic hospitalist at UC San Diego who is board-certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine. Dr. Shindo shares her journey from feeling overwhelmed in primary care to stepping into an unexpected calling that began with a reluctant yes to helping her mother's nonprofit drug and alcohol treatment program. This conversation is about courage, values, experimentation, and trusting the quiet inner voice that guides you forward.

In this episode we're talking about:

• The overwhelm and identity shifts that can come with becoming a new attending
• What happens when your values feel misaligned with the system you're working in
• How burnout and self-doubt can become catalysts for growth
• The power of experimentation and giving yourself permission to pivot
• Saying yes to unexpected opportunities and discovering a calling
• Building a mission-driven project inside a hospital system without funding
• Why following joy can lead to meaningful impact

Links for this episode:

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Thank you for listening!