Hey Doc,

These children will really have you questioning your entire motherhood résumé.

This summer, I left my kids in Trinidad with their grandparents while my husband and I stayed home to work on our businesses. And before you come for me, please understand the setup: camp, personal transportation, loving grandparents, extra help, someone cooking for them, and my mother making my son fry bake on request.

This child was living GOOD.

And yet, my son was crying, telling me he hated camp and wanted to come home. It was hard to hear, even when I had photographic evidence that he was perfectly happy when he wasn’t on the phone with me.

Then, a few weeks later, I told him we were coming to get them.

His response?

He didn’t want to come home.

Sir.

In this episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers, I’m talking about what happens when your child’s very real feelings start making you question whether you’ve made a terrible parenting decision.

Because your child can be sad.

They can miss you.

They can cry.

They can even be absolutely furious about a decision you made.

And none of those things automatically mean you made the wrong decision.

Sometimes being their mother means trusting what you know, allowing them to have their feelings, and resisting the urge to immediately fix their discomfort just so you can stop feeling guilty.

I’m sharing what this experience taught me about motherhood, guilt, and sticking with a decision even when your child is giving an Oscar-worthy performance suggesting you have personally ruined their life.

Spoiler: mine went from crying himself to sleep to asking when he could come back to Trinidad.

There’s hope for you, Doc. 😂

🎧 Listen to the full episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

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Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey, Doc

I'm sharing part of an interview I did on my friend Dr. Weili Gray's podcast, *The Dare to Dream Physician Travel Podcast*. At the time, she had just pivoted her show to focus on travel, and listening back now feels like opening a time capsule.

We talk about my journey from Trinidad to Howard University, residency, burnout, entrepreneurship, and coaching. But we also talk about one of my greatest passions: travel.

From solo trips through South Africa... to scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef... to standing inside the slave castles in Ghana while pregnant with my son... this conversation reminded me how much travel has shaped who I am.

But the most surprising moment came near the end.

I casually said, "I haven't really traveled that much."

Then I started listing the places I'd been.

Twenty-two countries.

Five countries in Africa.

Australia. Greece. Turkey. The Seychelles. Botswana. Ghana.

I realized, in real time, that my brain had been telling me a story that simply wasn't true.

That's what this episode is really about.

The stories we believe about ourselves.

In this episode, we talk about:
- Why I started traveling alone during residency
- My love affair with the African continent
- The emotional experience of visiting Ghana and the slave castles
- How scuba diving became one of my favorite adventures
- Why I don't wait for other people before living my life
- The surprising lie I realized I'd been telling myself
- Why coaching and community help us see ourselves more clearly

One of the biggest reasons we stay stuck is because we believe our own thoughts without questioning them.

Sometimes all it takes is saying them out loud for someone else to hold up a mirror and say, "Wait a minute... that's not actually true."

That's the power of community.

That's the power of coaching.

And sometimes, that's the power of a podcast conversation.

🎧 Listen in, get to know me a little better, and maybe you'll catch one of the stories you've been telling yourself, too.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc

You worked incredibly hard to become a physician. Four years of undergrad. Four years of medical school. Years of residency and fellowship. Endless sacrifices.

So why are you acting like you're not allowed to benefit from it?

In this episode, I'm giving you full permission to use one of the few privileges you truly earned: your physician network.

I've used it to get second opinions when my family needed them. I've gotten my nephew seen by a pediatric subspecialist on short notice. I've leaned on physician communities when my mom had a serious burn. Every single time, someone stepped up because I asked.

And that's the part many of us forget.

People actually want to help.

Somewhere along the way, many physician moms start believing they're bothering people if they reach out, ask a question, or call in a favor. We spend our careers taking care of everyone else but hesitate to let anyone take care of us.

I'm here to remind you that this isn't taking advantage of anyone.

This is one of the few privileges you worked your entire adult life to earn.

Use it.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why physician moms often hesitate to ask for help
• Real examples of how I've used my physician network for my family
• The surprising truth: helping others feels good
• Why asking for help is a gift to the person who's able to give it
• How to stop feeling guilty about using the connections you've earned

You don't have to wait months for an appointment if someone is willing to help. You don't have to feel guilty texting a specialist friend. You don't have to do this alone.

Use your privilege, Doc.

You've earned it.

🎧 Listen now, and if this episode reminds you of another physician who needs permission to ask for help, send it to her. She deserves to use the network she worked so hard to build, too.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya