Getting Unstuck in Medicine: Coaching, Leadership, and the Path to Flourishing with Dr. Ellen Singer | Flourishing in Medicine: From Surviving to Thriving #38
Today, we are joined by Dr. Ellen Singer, a board-certified internist and pediatrician. Dr. Ellen L. Singer is a dual board-certified internist and pediatrician with more than 30 years of experience in clinical practice, medical leadership, and physician development. She serves as a Physician Development Coach for Legacy Health, a regional Virtualist with Northwest Permanente, and Medical Director of The Foundation for Medical Excellence. Ellen brings deep expertise in recruitment, credentialing, quality oversight, documentation, revenue cycle, and practice redesign across multiple specialties. ICF-certified, she coaches clinicians and leaders through difficult patient interactions, burnout, privilege restrictions, and career transitions. Grounded in empathy, storytelling, and reflection Ellen is passionate about helping healthcare professionals build meaningful, resilient careers and sustainable, engaged clinical teams. In the conversation, Dr. Singer reflects on the formative influences that drew her to medicine and how her training at the University of Rochester shaped her lifelong attention to the inner lives of clinicians, ultimately leading her to develop a second professional identity as a physician coach. We also cover: How coaching differs from traditional medical problem-solving by creating space for reflection, clarity, and self-directed solutions rather than prescribing answers The structural challenges in modern healthcare including tensions around time, resources, organizational priorities, and the struggle for physician autonomy Practical approaches to transforming meetings, leadership dynamics, and team relationships to create more sustainable and humane clinical environments Dr. Singer concludes with a vision of flourishing grounded in meaningful relationships, sustainable self-care habits, and shared commitment to patient care that truly matters, emphasizing that change must come from individual clinicians and teams building flourishing from the ground up. Links: Dr. Ellen Singer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellensingermdcpcc/ The Foundation for Medical Excellence: https://tfme.org/ EmPro Website: https://www.myempro.com/ EmPro Peer Support Program: https://www.myempro.com/peer-support/ Physician Support Line: +1(888) 409-0141 Physician Support Line Website: https://www.physiciansupportline.com/ Dr. Krasner's Website: https://mickkrasnermd.com/ Mindful Practice in Medicine Website: https://mindfulpracticeinmedicine.com/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:50) Dr. Ellen Singer (03:00) Early Influences (07:00) Clinicians' Inner Lives (11:00) The Unexpected Evolution to Coaching (16:00) Why Traditional Medical Culture Needs Coaching (20:00) Physician Struggles (23:00) Moral Distress and Resource Constraints (27:00) Narratives of Concern (31:00) Transforming Meetings (35:00) Moments That Matter (39:00) How Coaching Changed Dr. Singer (41:00) What Flourishing Looks Like Today (44:00) Conclusion
