In this episode, Dr. Kevin Milo and Jayna Amadasun, an M.D. and ethical strategist, confront one of the most pressing issues in healthcare today: the burnout epidemic among our frontline professionals and why systemic change is no longer optional. They discuss the ethical and systemic issues that have led to a strained healthcare system, where overworked doctors and nurses struggle to provide optimal patient care.

The episode highlights the importance of addressing the healthcare workers’ environment to improve outcomes for both professionals and patients. Key topics include the lack of resources, the need for policy reform, and how burnout impacts the quality of care. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone concerned about the future of healthcare in Canada and beyond.

Jayna also discusses how healthcare systems can become more sustainable by focusing on the well-being of frontline staff. By addressing burnout, healthcare providers can improve patient outcomes, foster a healthier work environment, and prevent the silent withdrawal of professionals who feel disengaged. Dr. Milo and Jayna provide practical insights into how healthcare leaders can begin making changes to support their teams.

About Jayna Amadasun

Jayna Amadasun is a dynamic ethical strategist and consultant who coaches Black medical professionals. With an M.D. from the Dominican Republic, Jayna brings a wealth of experience, having worked as an R.N. in the Bahamas and trained in the U.S. healthcare system. She holds a Master’s in Law and Medical Ethics from the University of Edinburgh and is committed to creating equitable healthcare environments. Her unique perspective, shaped by years in emergency and flight medicine, allows her to address the complex issues facing healthcare systems today.

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Physician Empowerment:

• Attend an upcoming Empowerment Retreat
• Join the Physician Empowerment Masterclass now
• Website: PhysEmpowerment.ca

Jayna Amadasun

• Website: Ember Impact Global
• LinkedIn: Jayna Amadasun
• Instagram: EmberImpact
• Calendly: Jayna Amadasun

Dr. Kevin Mailo welcomes Dr. Iuliaa Povieriena as his guest in this episode to talk about boundaries and wellness. Dr. Povieriena is a hospitalist based out of Georgetown in Ontario and also a Lifetime Physician Empowerment Masterclass member. She discusses how she found balance for herself by re-applying her time outside of work to things that she loves like dance and yoga. She and Dr. Mailo talk about how to maintain non-negotiables for personal wellness.

The pressure to sacrifice personal time to work is high, especially as a medical student or resident, and the things sacrificed contribute to stress and an inability to carve that time back out later in medical careers. Iuliia and Kevin talk about devoting time to things we love and not striving for perfection in them, necessarily, but simply maintaining the joy of those activities as a way to regulate stress. Setting boundaries around our time, not immediately saying yes to covering shifts, keeping an evening class commitment, and prioritizing family and non-negotiables are all aspects of true wellness touched on by Dr. Mailo and Dr. Povieriena that keep us healthy and engaged in our careers without burnout long-term.

About Dr. Iuliia Povieriena:

Dr. Povieriena is a Hospitalist at Georgetown Hospital and has been a physician since 2020. She is a primary care physician with a strong interest in inpatient care, and palliative and geriatric medicine. Iuliia finds her work very meaningful and enjoys spending time with patients. She also has experience in GP psychotherapy, which she says was one of the best jobs she ever had.

Dr. Povieriena is a firm believer that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to pursue their passion in medicine and would like to express gratitude to all women who have paved the path for the female physicians of today.

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Resources discussed in this episode:

• “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle” by Emily Nagoski PhD and Amelia Nagoski DMA
• “F*ck No!: How to Stop Saying Yes When You Can’t, You Shouldn’t, or You Just Don’t Want To” by Sarah Knight
• 17 Questions That Changed My Life by Tim Ferriss

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Dr. Iuliia Povieriena:

• Iuliia Povieriena, MD on LinkedIn
• Calming Chamomile on YouTube

Physician Empowerment:

• Attend an upcoming Empowerment Retreat
• Join the Physician Empowerment Masterclass now
• Website: PhysEmpowerment.ca

Dr. Kevin Mailo welcomes dentist and implantology expert Dr. Sajid (Saj) Syed to the podcast to talk about practice building. Dr. Syed currently owns three dental practices in Ontario, all very successful, and he discusses his journey into dentistry and the business side of things with Dr. Mailo. As he says, “...the profession is 85% business and 15% actual dentistry” and emphasizes the importance of quality training to rely on and of not overthinking opportunities that arise.

Dr. Syed did not start his medical career wanting to be a dentist. He began with a desire to do cardiology. But once he entered dentistry at the suggestion of a friend’s father, he was hooked. Kevin prompts Saj to explain how he’s moved beyond simple dentistry into being a highly skilled technician specializing in full mouth reconstruction and implant dentistry and then becoming a successful business owner. Saj and Kevin discuss the necessity of not over-analyzing goals, having a very skilled team around you, and prioritizing customer service when they talk about how to approach entrepreneurship. Dr. Syed draws on his multiple-practice ownership experiences to impart sound advice and financial tips for any medical professional looking to branch into business ownership.

About Dr. Sajid (Saj) Syed:

After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan in 2003, Dr. Syed began practicing dentistry in Estevan, Saskatchewan, where he worked for two years before moving to Ontario.

In 2005, Dr. Syed purchased a practice in Dunnville, using his unique style and service improvements to maintain the quality care the Dunnville community has always enjoyed. Dr. Syed continued to expand his business, purchasing Pavillion Dentistry in 2009. He is dedicated to providing the residents of St. Catharines and surrounding communities with excellent dental care and personalized service.

In 2021, Dr. Syed purchased Lakeside Dental in Stoney Creek. He and his family now live in Stoney Creek, where they love being part of a smaller community.

Dr. Syed enjoys all aspects of dentistry, with a special interest in complex cases like dental implants, full mouth reconstruction, and orthodontics. He has a passion for performing life-changing treatments that increase a patient’s quality of life by providing them with a fully functional smile.

Recently, his dedication and hard work were recognized when he became a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology, the highest level of competency in implant dentistry. He is also an Associate Fellow and a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Aside from being a big promoter of continuing education, Dr. Syed also mentors other general dentists wanting to enhance their clinical skills in implant dentistry.

Outside of work, Dr. Syed loves spending quality time with his wife and two children. He also enjoys staying fit and playing tennis.

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Dr. Sajid (Saj) Syed:

• Dentistry Dunnville
• Pavilion Dentistry
• Lakeside Dental

Physician Empowerment:

• Attend an upcoming Empowerment Retreat
• Join the Physician Empowerment Masterclass now
• Website: PhysEmpowerment.ca

Dr. Wing Lim hosts Dr. Eileen Heo in the first episode of a new series about medical entrepreneurship. Eileen graduated from the University of Toronto Medical School and then did a family medicine residency at UBC, across the country. Upon completing residency, she moved back to Toronto where she is in her first five years of real practice. Wing talks with her about why she chose not to open a clinic and instead went into being a hospitalist.

Dr. Eileen Heo and Dr. Wing Lim discuss what it is about working in a hospital that Eileen finds so compelling and they also address the family medicine crisis in Ontario, which is also more or less nationwide. Eileen honestly shares that fee increases are not keeping pace with inflation and the related difficulties of wealth building as a medical practitioner. This led her to her non-medical entrepreneurship in educating herself about financial well-being through studying investing, stock options, e-commerce, and managing personal finances. Wing and Eileen shed a lot of light on why understanding finance is such an important investment for any physician.

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Contact Dr Eileen C D Heo, BMSc, MD, CCFP:

• email: eileen.cdh@gmail.com

Physician Empowerment:

• Attend an upcoming Empowerment Retreat
• Join the Physician Empowerment Masterclass now
• Website: PhysEmpowerment.ca

Dr. Wing Lim hosts Physician Empowerment Masterclass Faculty Member and Certified Financial Planner Nick Giovannetti in a myth-busting conversation on the financial marketplace. Win and Nick discuss the good and bad aspects of the industry, what to look for, how to verify information, and why research is important before entrusting your wealth to an advisor or team.

Nick Giovannetti explains that the relative ease with which licensing can be attained in the financial industry leads to some advisors not being proficient in areas where they may claim proficiency. He advises anyone looking to work with a financial advisor to perform due diligence - to search how long somebody has been insurance licensed or, if they are less experienced, do they have a good team around them. It’s alright to ask questions about somebody’s abilities. Wing and Nick talk about why everyone should background check where information is coming from, perform peer review, encourage the financial team members to work together, and why we should not be afraid to explore other financial planning options if we’ve outgrown our current team. This episode myth-busts common misconceptions, addresses concerns, and offers sound advice on everything in the financial marketplace.

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About Nick Giovannetti:

Nick is a Certified Financial Planner® with a fully Integrated Wealth Planning Team. His approach to financial planning centers around a deep understanding of clients' goals and objectives, fostering long-term relationships built on trust and transparency.

Nick is one of the professional Masterclass Faculty members of Physician Empowerment.

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Contact Nick Giovannetti:

• LinkedIn

Physician Empowerment:

• Attend an upcoming Empowerment Retreat
• Join the Physician Empowerment Masterclass now
• Website: PhysEmpowerment.ca

Dr. Kevin Mailo is joined by physician and entrepreneur Dr. Amjed (AJ) Kadhim-Saleh. AJ has a remarkable story to share because he is not only a family physician in Toronto who built his own clinic in his second year of residency, but an AI entrepreneur as well. He and his wife are the founders of Pippen, an AI technology specifically designed to ease the administrative notes burden of physicians. He tells Kevin all about how it works and why it will revolutionize physician lives.

Dr. Kadhim-Saleh describes how building and managing his own clinic from the ground up was a big challenge that added an extra administrative burden to his days. He says that one of the largest unpaid administrative burdens is one that faces all physicians: taking patient notes. The extra time drain from that pushed him towards burnout. So he and his wife created an AI that works in the background of patient conversations, transcribes, and takes notes. It frees physicians from being stuck to a screen taking notes instead of facing patients and conversing and eases the burden. AJ describes the potential of AI for physicians to Kevin, explaining all the ways in which it is already making their lives easier and the ways it will be incorporated into practices and clinics in the future.

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About Dr. AJ (Amjed) Kadhim-Saleh:

AJ is a community family physician and clinic owner in Toronto. AJ has a deep understanding of the joys and pains of practicing family medicine, building an efficient practice, and creating workflows that work for family physicians. AJ developed Pippen [AI] so that family physicians could claim back their time, feel supported, and have a great day at work. AJ also wants to help physicians discover the wonder of AI, which is poised to revolutionize how physicians deliver care.

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Dr. AJ (Amjed) Kadhim-Saleh:

• LinkedIn
• Website: Pippen.ai

Physician Empowerment:

• Attend an upcoming Empowerment Retreat
• Join the Physician Empowerment Masterclass now
• Website: PhysEmpowerment.ca

Physician Empowerment Masterclass Faculty Member Simon Wong joins Dr. Wing Lim for a conversation about financial freedom. Simon dissects how the interchangeable terms of financial freedom, financial independence, and financial security actually hold rather different meanings and how there are philosophical mindset factors that affect where people see themselves as finally achieving freedom or security. What are the quality of living goals, retirement goals, and wealth ambitions? Simon walks Wing through how all of these affect financial freedom.

Dr. Wing Lim asks the question “When are we free?” which leads Simon to explain that financial freedom is almost impossible to 100% achieve because life will always contain risk. Even a passive income real estate portfolio carries the innate risk of rising interest rates or damage to a property due to fire. But Simon also points out that feeling 100% secure in whatever the projected “freedom” rate is for each individual isn’t necessary because one can experience a sense of financial freedom at 70% certainty or 90% certainty. Simon and Wing discuss all the factors that affect financial freedom, how to think about it, what to set up to make it a future reality, and why a financial planner can assist in setting the right goalposts for hitting that freedom.

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About Simon Wong:

As an Integrated Wealth Planner, Simon’s expertise lies in simplifying complex financial concepts into clear, actionable insights, forming the cornerstone of his Financial Plans. He specializes in navigating individuals and businesses through the intricate landscape of finance, utilizing his extensive knowledge and experience to foster their financial success and stability.

Simon’s academic and professional credentials, including an MBA in Accounting and a prestigious trio of designations - Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Investment Manager, and Chartered Life Underwriter - empower him to provide holistic and strategic financial advice. His career spans beyond traditional wealth planning, enriched by collaborations with elite asset management firms and a notable tenure at a leading accounting firm.

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Physician Empowerment:

• Attend an upcoming Empowerment Retreat
• Join the Physician Empowerment Masterclass now
• Website: PhysEmpowerment.ca

Dr. Kevin Mailo and Dr. Wing Lim, co-hosts of Physician Empowerment, join together for this episode to talk about the recent Physician Empowerment Live Conference. They recount the success of the conference and attribute much of it to the vulnerability of the panellists and the willing feedback from the attendees. Addressing some of the topics broached, Kevin and Wing highlight lessons learned and stories shared that contributed to the atmosphere of positive connection.

One of the things Wing revealed was that the conference was designed with the intent of the first day covering more ‘brainy’ subjects and the second day reaching more into the heart of physicians. Attendees were pleasantly surprised by that revelation and equally enjoyed another highlight of the second day which featured a non-medical spousal panel. Topics like burnout, experiences being the spouse of a physician, wealth creation, leadership, and technology were all addressed at the conference by Masterclass leaders and students alike. Acknowledging the real heart-felt success of the conference, Wing and Kevin then moved on to announce the upcoming more relaxed destination conference weekend in Canmore. Physician Empowerment continues to grow through the inclusion and involvement of all members and through the success of events like these where attendees allow themselves to learn and share.

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Physician Empowerment:

• Attend an upcoming Empowerment Retreat
• Join the Physician Empowerment Masterclass now
• Website: PhysEmpowerment.ca