In Part 2 of our AI in Medicine series, we move beyond the hype to talk about what’s at stake.
We discuss:
⚠️ The risks of bias, misinformation, and over-reliance on algorithms
🩺 How AI may reshape the physician–patient relationship
🔍 What clinicians need to know to adapt—and stay empowered—in a rapidly changing field
AI is here to stay, but medicine’s heart remains human. This conversation explores how to balance innovation with empathy, and technology with trust.
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
#BeEmpoweredPodcast #AIinMedicine #HealthTech #EthicsInAI #DigitalHealth #FutureOfMedicine #DoctorLife #PhysicianVoice #HealthcareInnovation
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping medicine—from diagnostics to workflow efficiency to patient outcomes. But what does that really mean for clinicians and patients on the ground?
In Part 1 of this two-part series, we explore:
🧠 The emerging uses of AI in clinical practice
💡 How it’s transforming diagnosis, research, and decision-making
⚖️ Why ethical use and human oversight still matter
This episode dives into the promise of AI—where it’s already helping and where it could take us next.
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
#BeEmpoweredPodcast #AIinMedicine #HealthcareInnovation #DigitalHealth #MedTech #FutureOfMedicine #DoctorLife #HealthcareTransformation
In Part 2, Ethan Nkana takes us deeper into the strategy behind physician contract negotiation—from understanding hospital incentives to identifying the clauses that truly shape your career, financial security, and autonomy.
We cover:
• What hospital execs really think during negotiations
• Key clauses that can make or break your career (non-competes, tail coverage, RVUs, termination language)
• How physicians can protect themselves and maximize compensation
• Why good negotiation is ultimately about confidence, clarity, and self-worth
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow @empowermedlife
🔗 Connect with Ethan on LinkedIn: @ethannkana
▶️ Watch his YouTube channel for contract tips: @physicianagency
📩 Email Ethan to learn more about how his team advocates for doctors
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin SignalsNegotiating Like a Pro: Leverage, Value & Protection with Ethan Nkana
In Part 1, we sit down with Ethan Nkana, JD, MBA—former hospital executive and founder of the Rocky Mountain Physician Agency—to unpack why physicians consistently end up with contracts that undervalue their time, talent, and training.
Ethan shares how his experience inside health systems opened his eyes to the massive leverage imbalance doctors face—leading him to create a first-of-its-kind “agent” model that empowers physicians to negotiate like professionals.
We discuss:
• Why doctors struggle with negotiation
• Hidden disadvantages built into typical hospital contracts
• Why having options is the ultimate source of leverage
• The top mistakes doctors make without even realizing it
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow @empowermedlife
🔗 Connect with Ethan on LinkedIn: @ethannkana
▶️ Check out his YouTube channel: @physicianagency
📩 Email Ethan to learn how his team supports doctors with contract negotiation
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
In Part 2, we shift to Dr. Otten’s powerful work beyond the clinic. As the executive producer of the documentary Suck It Up, Buttercup, Dr. Otten uses storytelling to expose the systemic forces harming both clinicians and the communities they serve.
We explore:
• The inspiration and urgency behind the documentary Suck It Up, Buttercup
• How the film amplifies the hidden emotional burden carried by clinicians
• His mission to build a movement through Ripple of Change, podcasts, and national advocacy
• What real transformation looks like — and how healthcare workers can lead it
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels | Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
Learn more about Dr. Otten: https://rippleofchange.us/
Suck it Up, Buttercup Documentary: https://suckitupbuttercupfilm.com/
In Part 1 of our conversation with Dr. Todd Otten, we explore his 20+ year journey in medicine and trying to advocate in a broken healthcare system. Dr. Otten opens up about burnout, moral injury, and the moment he realized that the system was failing both patients and physicians.
We dive into:
• His clinical roots and leadership in primary care
• The emotional and systemic pressures driving physician burnout and Suck it Up, Buttercup: a documentary highlighting the broken healthcare system.
• How these experiences led him to co-author Ripple of Change, a book advocating for meaningful healthcare reform
• Why physicians must reclaim their voice in shaping care
🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
📲 Follow @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels | Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
Learn more about Dr. Otten: https://rippleofchange.us/
Suck it Up, Buttercup Documentary: https://suckitupbuttercupfilm.com/
This week on Be Empowered, we sit down with Dr. Sweta Goel, founder and owner of Prime Neurology (https://www.primeneurologynj.com/) in Fairlawn, NJ.
We discuss:
🏥 The challenges and rewards of starting her own medical practice
📚 Why teaching and mentorship remain central to her work
🧩 Balancing clinical care, business ownership, and professional life
Her story is a testament to following where passion and purpose can lead.
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
#BeEmpoweredPodcast #Neurology #WomenInMedicine #MedicalEntrepreneurship #PhysicianLeadership #LifeInMedicine #CareerInMedicine #DoctorLife #PhysicianBusinessOwner #MentorshipInMedicine
This week on Be Empowered, we unpack one of the biggest shifts in modern medicine: the transformation of doctors from independent practitioners to employees of large healthcare systems.
We explore:
📉 How consolidation, corporate ownership, and insurance pressures reshaped physician autonomy
⚖️ What’s gained—and what’s lost—when doctors trade independence for employment
💡 Strategies to navigate this new landscape while protecting your values, career satisfaction, and patient care
Whether you’re already employed, considering a hospital contract, or wondering what this means for the future of medicine, this episode sheds light on the realities behind the changing role of physicians.
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
#BeEmpoweredPodcast #PhysicianEmployment #HealthcareBusiness #DoctorLife #PhysicianAutonomy #MedicineToday #PhysicianWellness #WomenInMedicine #MedLife #HealthcareInnovation
seak.com
https://doctorsonsocialmedia.com/
This week on Be Empowered, Part 2 of our sit down with Dr. Mike Boffa—board-certified neurologist, epileptologist, and clinical neurophysiologist—who made a major career shift from academic medicine to the pharmaceutical industry.
Dr. Boffa shares openly about what it’s like to leave the traditional path in medicine and embrace a new role where he can make an impact on a broader scale.
In this episode, we dive into:
🏥 Why he chose to step away from academic neurology
💊 What working in pharma really looks like for a physician
🌟 How to navigate career pivots with courage and clarity
His story is proof that there are many ways to use your expertise, and sometimes the bravest step is walking away from the expected path to build a career that truly fits.
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
#BeEmpoweredPodcast #Neurology #Epileptology #CareerPivot #PharmaCareers #PhysicianVoice
This week on Be Empowered, we sit down with Dr. Mike Boffa—board-certified neurologist, epileptologist, and clinical neurophysiologist—who made a major career shift from academic medicine to the pharmaceutical industry.
Dr. Boffa shares openly about what it’s like to leave the traditional path in medicine and embrace a new role where he can make an impact on a broader scale.
In this episode, we dive into:
🏥 Why he chose to step away from academic neurology
💊 What working in pharma really looks like for a physician
🌟 How to navigate career pivots with courage and clarity
His story is proof that there are many ways to use your expertise, and sometimes the bravest step is walking away from the expected path to build a career that truly fits.
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
#BeEmpoweredPodcast #Neurology #Epileptology #CareerPivot #PharmaCareers #PhysicianVoice
This week on Be Empowered, we have Part 2 of our sit down with Dr. Ryan Williamson—board-certified neurologist, U.S. Navy veteran, and founder of Transcend Health—to talk about the science of human longevity and how to create a life of deeper meaning and impact.
Dr. Williamson shares his journey from military service to medicine to building a practice that empowers people to optimize health and extend lifespan. We explore:⚓ Lessons from serving as a Navy physician🧬 The science behind longevity and brain health🌟 Why creating a meaningful legacy matters as much as living longer
This conversation lays the foundation for his upcoming book, The Incredible Brain: Proven Science Behind Living a Longer, Healthier, More Impactful Life, launched September 9th.
📖 Order or learn more: transcendhealthgroup.com/book
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
#BeEmpoweredPodcast #TheIncredibleBrain #Longevity #BrainHealth #HumanPerformance #PhysicianLeadership #MilitaryMedicine #Neurology #DoctorLife #LifeExtension
This week on Be Empowered, we sit down with Dr. Ryan Williamson—board-certified neurologist, U.S. Navy veteran, and founder of Transcend Health—to talk about the science of human longevity and how to create a life of deeper meaning and impact.
In Part 1, Dr. Williamson shares his journey from military service to medicine to building a practice that empowers people to optimize health and extend lifespan. We explore:
⚓ Lessons from serving as a Navy physician
🧬 The science behind longevity and brain health
🌟 Why creating a meaningful legacy matters as much as living longer
This conversation lays the foundation for his upcoming book, The Incredible Brain: Proven Science Behind Living a Longer, Healthier, More Impactful Life, launched September 9th.
📖 Order or learn more: transcendhealthgroup.com/book
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
#BeEmpoweredPodcast #TheIncredibleBrain #Longevity #BrainHealth #HumanPerformance #PhysicianLeadership #MilitaryMedicine #Neurology #DoctorLife #LifeExtension
This week on Be Empowered, we have Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Michelle Boudreau—Board-certified Neurologist, Clinical Neurophysiologist, and founder of NeuroExpert Services, LLC—about how she built a career that blends clinical work with high-impact non-clinical roles.From leading a neurology department to becoming a telestroke innovator, performing disability file reviews, and serving as a medical expert witness, Dr. Boudreau shows how physicians can leverage their expertise beyond direct patient care.You’ll hear:📂 The ins and outs of disability file reviews⚖️ What it’s like to serve as an expert witness🌟 How to diversify your income streams and career pathResources:SEAK.com🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube📲 Follow us @empowermedlife🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals#BeEmpoweredPodcast #NonClinicalCareers #PhysicianLife #BeyondTheBedside #CareerInMedicine #WomenInMedicine #PhysicianEntrepreneur #HealthcareLeadership #ExpertWitness #Telemedicine
This week on Be Empowered, we chat with Dr. Michelle Boudreau—Board-certified Neurologist, Clinical Neurophysiologist, and founder of NeuroExpert Services, LLC—about how she built a career that blends clinical work with high-impact non-clinical roles.
Dr. Boudreau shows how physicians can leverage their expertise beyond direct patient care.
You’ll hear:
📂 The ins and outs of disability file reviews
⚖️ What it’s like to serve as an expert witness
🌟 How to diversify your income streams and career path
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
Resources
www.seak.com
#BeEmpoweredPodcast #NonClinicalCareers #PhysicianLife #BeyondTheBedside #CareerInMedicine #WomenInMedicine #PhysicianEntrepreneur #HealthcareLeadership #ExpertWitness #Telemedicine
Healthcare doesn’t have to mean hospital shifts forever. In this episode of Be Empowered, we explore the growing world of non-clinical career paths for healthcare professionals—roles that let you use your skills, expertise, and passion outside traditional patient care.
🌟 Learn how to:
💼 Transition into new industries
🧠 Leverage your medical knowledge in innovative ways
🌍 Build a career that aligns with your lifestyle and values
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife for more stories and resources
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – TwinSignals
Consulting companies:
Atheneum
GLG
Guidepoint
Reckner
#BeEmpoweredPodcast #BeyondTheBedside #HealthcareCareers #NonClinicalCareers #PhysicianLife #APPsInMedicine #CareerPivot #HealthcareProfessionals #PhysicianEntrepreneur #LifeBeyondMedicine #HealthcareInnovation
This week on Be Empowered, it's Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Susan Flyer —board-certified anesthesiologist, locums physician, and outspoken healthcare advocate—to explore her remarkable journey from Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse to MD.
With a career that spans the bedside, the operating room, and now the national conversation on healthcare policy, Dr. Flyer shares:
🏥 How her early nursing experience shaped her perspective as a physician
🗣 Why she speaks out about Advanced Practice Provider (APP) scope of practice issues
🌍 What life and flexibility look like as a locums anesthesiologist.
Tiktok: SFlyerMD
Her story is a testament to resilience, ambition, and using your voice to protect both colleagues and patients in a changing medical landscape.
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin
Signals#BeEmpoweredPodcast #Anesthesiology #PhysicianAdvocate #HealthcareLeadership #WomenInMedicine #CareerInMedicine #APPsInMedicine #LocumsLife #PhysicianVoice #HealthcareInnovation
This week on Be Empowered, we sit down with Dr. Susan Flyer—board-certified anesthesiologist, locums physician, and outspoken healthcare advocate—to explore her remarkable journey from Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse to MD. With a career that spans the bedside, the operating room, and now the national conversation on healthcare policy, Dr. Flyer shares:
🏥 How her early nursing experience shaped her perspective as a physician
🗣 Why she speaks out about Advanced Practice Provider (APP) scope of practice issues
🌍 What life and flexibility look like as a locums anesthesiologist.
Her story is a testament to resilience, ambition, and using your voice to protect both colleagues and patients in a changing medical landscape.
🎧 Streaming now on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube
📲 Follow us @empowermedlife
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin
Signals#BeEmpoweredPodcast #Anesthesiology #PhysicianAdvocate #HealthcareLeadership #WomenInMedicine #CareerInMedicine #APPsInMedicine #LocumsLife #PhysicianVoice #HealthcareInnovation
What happens when you realize the traditional healthcare path isn’t serving your purpose—or your well-being?
In this episode, we sit down with Mariam Ali, PA-C, founder and director of Zen Aesthetics Med Spa, who courageously left clinical medicine to build something of her own. With elite training from Allergan and MERZ, Mariam fuses medical expertise with an artistic vision to offer subtle, empowering aesthetic care—all while reclaiming her autonomy and joy.
💬 We talk about redefining success, building a purpose-driven business, and how stepping off the traditional path can lead to healing and transformation—for both patients and providers.
💡 You don’t have to stay stuck in a system that’s burning you out. There are other ways.
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @empowermedlife
🌍 Visit our website: empowermedlife.com
📧 Share your story: empowermedlife@gmail.com
✨ Connect with Mariam:
Website → zenaestheticsmedspa.com
Instagram → @zen_medspa_dmv
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
What happens when you realize the traditional healthcare path isn’t serving your purpose—or your well-being?
In this episode, we sit down with Mariam Ali, PA-C, founder and director of Zen Aesthetics Med Spa, who courageously left clinical medicine to build something of her own. With elite training from Allergan and MERZ, Mariam fuses medical expertise with an artistic vision to offer subtle, empowering aesthetic care—all while reclaiming her autonomy and joy.
💬 We talk about redefining success, building a purpose-driven business, and how stepping off the traditional path can lead to healing and transformation—for both patients and providers.
💡 You don’t have to stay stuck in a system that’s burning you out. There are other ways.
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @empowermedlife
🌍 Visit our website: empowermedlife.com
📧 Share your story: empowermedlife@gmail.com
✨ Connect with Mariam:
Website → zenaestheticsmedspa.com
Instagram → @zen_medspa_dmv
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals
We’ve talked about the tensions—now it’s time to hear from the other side.
In this episode, we sit down with Nurse Practitioner Simran Grewal to explore:
🧠 What training and preparation looks like for APPs
💬 Her take on the MD/APP divide—and how we got here
🤝 Why respectful collaboration matters more than ever
🧭 The challenges, misconceptions, and hopes for the future
💬 What does it really mean to center patients while honoring each role on the team?
This is a candid, constructive conversation aimed at bridging divides, not deepening them.
💡 When we listen, we learn. When we learn, we build better.
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @empowermedlife
🌍 Visit: empowermedlife.com
📧 Share your story: empowermedlife@gmail.com
🎵 Intro Music: Lift Off – Wolf Samuels
🎵 Outro Music: Summer – Twin Signals