Episode 138: How Medical Training Trauma Shapes Doctors and What We Can Do About It

Welcome to another episode of the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast!

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Sarah Smith sits down with Dr. Cynthia Chen-Joea, a double board-certified family and obesity medicine physician, educator, and passionate advocate for physician wellness. Dr. Cynthia shares her personal journey from academic medicine through the challenges of burnout, her transformative experience with coaching, and how becoming a parent reshaped her professional values and priorities.

Together, they dive deep into the realities of trauma and harm in medical training, the persistence of unhealthy work habits into clinical practice, and the importance of redefining our identities as physicians. Dr. Cynthia also discusses practical strategies for establishing boundaries, healing from the pressures of perfectionism and people-pleasing, and making medicine truly sustainable. You’ll hear about her current work supporting physicians through coaching, retreats, and advocacy, and discover how small daily changes can lead to a more meaningful, balanced career.

If you’ve ever questioned what it means to thrive in medicine, or wondered how to reclaim your empathy and joy for the profession, this conversation is packed with insightful stories and actionable advice. Tune in for a message of hope, transformation, and the reminder that a sustainable career in medicine is possible.

Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode:

1. Medical training often normalizes unhealthy patterns: Dr. Chen-Joea highlights how the culture of self-sacrifice and hierarchy during medical training can introduce trauma, shaping physicians to ignore their own needs. Breaking these cycles is essential for lasting well-being.
2. Redefining your career is possible—and necessary: Whether through coaching, boundary-setting, or exploring new roles, Dr. Chen-Joea emphasizes that medicine can be sustainable. Small, intentional changes—like building in non-negotiable personal time—can have a huge impact.
3. Trauma awareness matters (and it’s practical): Understanding your own “activation” responses (like fight, flight, freeze, or fawn) is key. Recognizing these signs allows clinicians to proactively care for themselves and model healthy behaviors for colleagues and patients alike.

Meet Dr. Cynthia Chen-Joea:

Dr. Cynthia Chen-Joea is a physician career and life coach dedicated to helping early-career physicians finding sustainability in medicine by achieving their “career by design” goals while cultivating a healthy work-life balance. She is a double board-certified physician in family and obesity medicine. Dr. Chen-Joea currently serves as a Medical Director of Copa de Oro Medical Group and Inpatient Director at the Charles Drew Family Medicine Residency Program.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Chen-Joea has held numerous leadership roles, including her past position as Department Chair of Family Medicine, Secretary-Treasurer of the Medical Staff and Physician Advisor at Emanate Health. She is also very active in advocacy on her local, state and national specialty organizations, and currently represents her peers as the New Physician Director on the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Board of Directors. Dr. Chen-Joea is passionate about advancing physician wellness, advocating at the systemic level, and providing individual coaching support to empower physicians in achieving sustainable careers in medicine. Her interests include inpatient medicine, leadership, advocacy, procedures and women's health. Outside of work, Dr. Chen-Joea enjoys quality time with her two-year-old daughter and her nine-year-old pup, traveling and exploring new cultures with her husband, savoring delicious foods, practicing yoga and Pilates, and indulging in the occasional Netflix reality TV binge.

You can find Dr. Cynthia Chen-Joea on:

• Instagram/Facebook: @thrivationcoaching
• Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-chen-joea-do-mph-faafp-dabom-002b5a1b/
• Website: thrivationcoaching.com 

--------------

Would you like to view a transcript of this episode?  Click Here

**** Charting Champions is a premiere, lifetime access Physician only program that is helping Physicians get home with today's work done. All the proven tools, support and community you need to create time for your life outside of medicine.

Learn more at