Hey Doc!

I'm going to need you to start talking your shit.

Seriously. Because all that excellent work you're doing? The patients who love you, the charts you close, the problems you solve, the department you help keep running?

People are not paying nearly as much attention as you think they are.

And if you're waiting for someone to notice your contributions and reward you accordingly, you may be waiting a very long time.

In this episode, I'm talking about why bragging is one of the most important things you can do for your career, even if you have absolutely no desire to climb the leadership ladder.

I share a lesson from an unexpected place: my husband's work as a licensed HVAC contractor in our family business. Watching him downplay the expertise and effort it takes to solve problems that other contractors couldn't figure out reminded me of something I see physician moms do all the time.

We dismiss our accomplishments because they're just part of the job.

Except they're not just anything. That's your expertise. Your experience. Your value.

And when you don't communicate that value, you leave it up to other people to decide what you're worth. People who may be far more impressed by the colleague who never stops talking about himself. You know the one. 🙄

We're getting into why visibility matters for everything from compensation and job security to OR block time, administrative responsibilities, and getting the call schedule you actually want.

And we're talking about the particular danger of humility for women, especially Black women, who've been conditioned to believe that making themselves smaller is somehow admirable.

You don't have to want a promotion to deserve recognition. And you certainly don't have to be humble about being damn good at your job.

🎧 Listen to this episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers, then send it to five physician moms who need a reminder to talk their shit, 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.

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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

We spend plenty of time talking about what motherhood costs us.

The mental load. Childcare. Career complications. The never-ending question of what these people are going to eat.

All valid.

But motherhood has also given me access to something incredibly valuable: community.

And recently, I realized I haven’t appreciated that enough.

I’m in multiple local mom groups. I can ask for childcare recommendations, swim schools, resources, advice, free stuff...and apparently get 10 different opinions on any topic I could possibly imagine.

I can also use these communities professionally. As I’ve become more intentional about growing my business locally, I realized I have access to thousands of women simply because I’m a mom.

That’s a privilege.

And I’m going to use it.

In this episode, I’m talking about the resources and relationships that become available to us through motherhood, why physician moms sometimes overlook them, and how we can stop trying to figure everything out alone.

Because your community doesn’t always have to understand every part of your life to be valuable.

And if the community you need doesn’t exist? You can create it.

You already have the kids, Doc. We might as well use some of the benefits that came with them. 😂

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why motherhood gives us access to powerful built-in communities
• Looking beyond physician mom spaces for support and resources
• Using local mom groups for everything from childcare to business connections
• Creating the community you wish existed
• Appreciating motherhood for something beyond how much we love our actual children
• Why asking other moms instead of figuring everything out yourself can make life a little easier

Motherhood asks a hell of a lot from us.

It’s okay to notice where it gives something back, too.

🎧 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.

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,

I spent most of my career as an OB/GYN saying, “Pregnancy is not a disability.”

I believed it.

Then I had my second baby.

That pregnancy gave me a very different understanding of what it means when someone says, “I can’t do this anymore.”

I had pain that made walking excruciating. I stopped working at 30 weeks, six weeks earlier than I had with my first pregnancy. And I finally understood something I wish I had understood more deeply for my patients:

Sometimes pregnancy really can be disabling.

And for women physicians, admitting that can be especially difficult.

We’ve been trained to push through discomfort, show up no matter what, and make sure our personal lives don’t inconvenience the system. Add the pressure of not wanting your pregnancy to create more work for your colleagues, and suddenly you’re negotiating with a body that is very clearly telling you to sit your ass down.

In this episode, I’m talking about why your capacity during pregnancy may look completely different from what you expected, including what you were capable of during a previous pregnancy.

I’m also getting into the bigger issue: the culture of medicine that treats pregnancy like an individual scheduling inconvenience instead of a normal part of life that institutions should be prepared to accommodate.

Because you should not have to prove your dedication to medicine by pushing your pregnant body beyond what it can safely do.

Your colleagues will figure it out.

The schedule will get covered.

The department will survive.

And when you’re the colleague, partner, or leader making decisions that affect another pregnant physician, you have an opportunity to help create a culture where she doesn’t have to choose between taking care of herself and proving that she belongs.

If you’re pregnant, considering another baby, working alongside pregnant physicians, or leading them, this episode is for you.

Listen to this episode of ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ and send it to a physician who needs to hear it.

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