Story of an Immigrant Doctor Mom
married for 2 years (they had a "love marriage" different from the stereotypical arranged marriage that most Westerners know about). My dad was working in Kuwait as an electrical engineer and thought that moving to the U.S. was a great next step. My mother had no frame of reference and figured why not. She moved without any immediate family or support.
Dealing With Burnout
I never thought that I had experienced burnout, when I was asked about it a few years ago. I love what I do. Sure, I have felt stressed and overburdened at times, but I didn't think the term burnout applied to me. I never felt like I needed to quit my job or leave medicine altogether. But that's where I was wrong. I had experienced burnout, but I just didn't recognize it.
Work-Life Imbalance
Recently, a well known consultant in my field made some troubling comments about female ophthalmologists. Though, I do believe they were unintentional, he insinuated that women's desire for work-life balance leads them to work part time and therefore causes issues in succession planning for retiring ophthalmologists.
Closing My Clinic Doors
I was recently interviewed locally to discuss how I had to pivot as a female business owner during the pandemic. Many people don't think about doctors as business owners or entrepreneurs, but that's what we are. Whether you're a physician, dentist, therapist, accountant, attorney, etc. - we all faced challenges these past 15 months.
Are Women Really Competitive With Each Other?
Are women really more competitive with each other? Does this narrative hold true across all fields? And, is there any way to change it? I came from a residency class in which there were 6 women and 1 man. I know many of our attending physicians were concerned that infighting and cattiness would dominate our program - but I don't think that was the case at all.
The Biggest Mistake I Almost Made
I almost made a huge mistake in my practice a few years ago. And, this mistake almost occurred because I wasn't crystal clear on my personal mission and vision statements. Yes, I had a mission statement for my clinic. But, what I wasn't doing was use it to guide my decision making on a daily basis.
Are You A Micromanager? Welcome To The Club
Many of us are in professions in which we are taught to be detail oriented and meticulous. But how do you translate those skills - those that make you a good doctor, accountant, attorney, therapist (or whatever your profession is) into being a good boss?
Busyness As A Badge Of Honor
All too often, we pride ourselves on how much we can accomplish in a day. How busy we are and how many things we have still left to do on our task list. It's a cult of busy, as we rush from appointment to appointment, activity to activity. Dr. Wong discusses if this is really necessary and if there are alternatives to constant busyness, while still remaining productive.
All Work Is Not Created Equal
In this episode, Dr. Wong discusses the Eisenhower Matrix and how it can apply to your personal and professional life. Distinguishing that not all tasks are important for you to complete will free up more time for yourself to pursue those things that will help you make forward progress.
Taking a Leap of Faith in Yourself
The scariest decisions are ones in which you have to truly trust in yourself to get something done - but they also have the potential to be the most rewarding.