What If I Chose Wrong? Breaking the Regret Cycle in Medicine | Ep 21
What if regret isn't truth, but a story stealing your present?
In this episode of Better Physician Life, Dr. Michael Hersh unpacks regret's grip on physicians—from specialty choices to life paths. He reveals how regret is indulgent and impedes progress. Dr. Hersh explores the impact of shifting from “what if?” to "what now?" through reflection, naming gifts, and intentional action. With examples of pivots and physician coaching breakthroughs, this episode empowers doctors to drop the weight, embrace growth, and build futures without romanticizing unchosen paths.
đź”— Design Your Life: A Goal Setting Guide for Physicians: betterphysicianlife.com/design-your-life
About the Show:
Created for physicians who want more than clinical competence, Better Physician Life is a space for honest reflection, reinvention, and reclaiming purpose beyond the pager.
Hosted by Dr. Michael Hersh, each episode dives into the questions we didn’t learn to ask in training, offering tools and conversations to help you live and lead with intention
Top 3 Takeaways:Â
- Reframe Regret as a Story: Regret feels urgent but spins wheels. It's rumination, not reflection. Dr. Hersh explains: you made the best decision you could with the information you had at the time. Practice asking "What now?" instead of "What if?" to break the loop and focus on present decisions.
- Name the Gifts in Your Path: Every choice brings unseen benefits, like relationships or resilience. Dr. Hersh shares how a client's medical career regret transformed into a pivot. List three "gifts" from your past decisions this week to shift from loss to gratitude.
- Use Physician Coaching for Momentum: Grinding on our own ignores patterns. Physician coaching helps to provide perspective. Try one small forward step, like journaling, to build accountability and turn regret into growth.
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