I'm Michael Hersh, MD
I am a full-time practicing gastroenterologist and a physician coach. When I became an attending in 2009, I hit the ground running. I was excited to build my practice and engage with patients. I joined a small multispecialty group and took on as many leadership opportunities as I could find. If you had a committee that needed a young, eager physician, I was your guy. My position in the group blossomed, and I became a well-respected physician in my community.
Everything changed in 2014, with the birth of my daughter.
I went from having all of the time I needed for everything I wanted to do, to realizing that every patient and committee meant trading valuable family time for my career. I slowly backed away from the leadership roles, but the extra time quickly became filled with patient care. The more I tried to slow down, the faster everything seemed to be moving and the less control I had over my day. My family grew even more with the birth of my son in 2017. I stepped away from other activities outside of the home, but was never quite able to untangle myself from the complexities of patient care.
How I Got Here
The Finish Line That Kept Moving
Like so many other physicians, I had fallen prey to a mutual fund company and needed to figure out my finances immediately. In my journey to learn as much as possible about finances, I found the solution to my problem: The financial independence (FI) community. I devoured all the information I could find and pursued FI as if it were my only job. I knew that if I could achieve FI, I would finally get to live the life I wanted. I could finally carve out time from my day to be with my family. I did all of the things. I listened to podcasts, opened up all of the right accounts, and found a fee-only financial advisor who told me I was on the right path. But nothing changed. I was still working just as hard as before.
Something Has To Change
While scrolling on social media, I came across a post about physician coaching. I was not completely sold on the idea, but it seemed interesting. I decided to give it a try and listened in on a complimentary group coaching call while driving home from work one night. As I listened to the physicians on the call, I was surprised at how much their stories sounded like mine. But when the call ended, I still wasn't convinced that physician coaching was the right solution. I was incredibly skeptical. The following day, the physician coach reached out to see if I wanted to arrange a one-to-one physician coaching session. I politely declined with the following explanations/excuses:
- I am not sure I have anything to "coach on."
- As someone striving for FI, I have a hard time investing money in myself.
- I am an introvert and find it hard to open up.
- I'm afraid I am too set in my ways to actually make a change.
Then I typed the words that would change everything: Something needs to change, but I don’t know where to start. When I saw those words typed out in front of me, my decision became clear. I took a huge leap of faith and invested in myself. I can honestly say that I have never made a more important investment. Ever.
Years later, I'm married to the same woman. I have the same kids. I live in the same house. I commute every day to the same job. But everything is different. Physician coaching saved my career.
Physician Coaching Changed Everything
We all have a story. In fact, I have been telling you mine. Physician coaching turned my story on its head and showed me that I am more in control than I had ever truly understood, believed, or imagined. My reasons for not wanting a physician coach turned out to be the very reasons I needed a physician coach. Through physician coaching, I finally learned how to prioritize the most important people in my life, rediscovered my passion for medicine, and developed the ability to embrace discomfort, fear, and failure.
Once I saw the power of physician coaching, I knew I had to be a part of the solution. If you are a physician struggling with burnout or overwhelm, wanting to feel more present at home, or just trying to balance your family and your career, physician coaching is an incredible solution. It can help guide you through the important work necessary before making a big life change. Looking for your better physician life? Physician coaching might just be the solution your've been looking for.
Are you ready to leave work at work and be more present with your family and the things that matter most?
No journaling. No nonsense. Just a five-minute system to shut off work mode and show up with more presence, intention, and control.
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