I Didn't Go Into Medicine To Become This with Dr. Kemia Sarraf | Ep6

 “I didn’t go into medicine to become this.” It’s a quiet thought. But most of us have had it at some point in our careers. We start with purpose, with energy, with an eagerness to help. And then… the years add up. Patient after patient. Room after room. The tragedies and the hard conversations. The exhaustion of being everything for everyone else. We hold it together with a thin veneer—until it cracks. And somewhere along the way, we notice we’ve become someone we barely recognize. The snapping. The shutting down. The quiet retreat inside ourselves.

In this episode, host Dr. Michael Hersh and guest Dr. Kemia Sarraf, dive into the unseen toll of medical training and practice. Reflecting on their shared journey through residency, they discuss how unprocessed stress compounds into burnout and disillusionment. Dr. Sarraf introduces powerful tools like co-regulation—how connection with colleagues disrupts trauma—and the importance of "resourcing" to prevent embodiment of harm. This episode blends personal storytelling with actionable strategies, offering physicians a path to heal, reconnect with their purpose, and lead with compassion in their demanding roles.