HealthCare Online

In this episode of the Healthcare Thought Leaders' Show, Megan is joined by Dr Susie Muir, palliative care physician, coach, speaker and advocate, to explore what happens when a clinician spends 20 years watching her profession quietly break itself, and finally decides she has something to say about it. Susie is redefining what high performance in healthcare really means, challenging the deep-rooted culture of self-sacrifice in medicine and helping clinicians build sustainable, fulfilling careers by putting humanity, recovery and purpose back at the centre of care. At the heart of this conversation is a simple but rare reframe: caring for yourself isn't selfish, it's essential to caring for anyone else. Susie has spent nine years in palliative care being reminded daily that we only get one life, and she's watching too many of her colleagues quietly hand theirs over to a system that never asked them to. Her message is that high performance in medicine isn't the result of superhuman sacrifice, it's an intentional strategy, and one clinicians can learn. In this conversation, you'll discover: Why the culture of self-sacrifice and endurance in medicine is finally being challenged, and what's replacing it How working in palliative care becomes a daily reminder that this is not a dress rehearsal Why most drivers of burnout are system factors, not individual failings, and what that means for you How Susie went from full-time clinical work to building a thought leadership platform in her evenings, and what kept her energised The two pieces of advice she gives every clinician who wants to step out but doesn't know how: connect with others, and get the right team around you Why bringing humanity back starts with how we treat each other as staff, before it ever reaches the patient The identity shift that happens when clinicians step back from being "doctor" and reconnect with being human Susie also shares how she went from Googling "what is LinkedIn" late last year to meeting healthcare leaders around the world, why every human is a patient at some point in their life, and what her workshop is doing to help clinicians step out of the endurance model and back into their own lives. This episode is a powerful reminder that changing healthcare culture doesn't require a revolution, it requires clinicians willing to model something different. Susie's next intake of her two-day workshop, High Performance Redesigned, is running later this year with just 16 participants. Details on her website. Links: Website: https://drsusiemuir.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsusiemuir/

In this episode of the Healthcare Thought Leaders' Show, Megan is joined by Anna Featherstone, nonfiction author, consultant with the Australian Society of Authors, and judge of the Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Travel Writers Awards, to explore what most clinicians secretly want but few give themselves permission to do: write their book. Anna first landed on Megan's radar through her horticulture writing, and once Megan discovered her guide Look, It's Your Book!, the planets aligned. Together they unpack why books still matter in an AI-saturated world, what the process of writing actually does to the author, and why so many healthcare professionals are already sitting on the raw material for a book they don't yet realise they can write. At the heart of this conversation is a simple reframe: the book isn't the point, the process of writing it is. Anna makes the case that a book signals depth, authority and mastery in a way no podcast, post or business card can, but the deeper gift is what happens inside you as you write it. Old thinking gets cleared out, new ideas sharpen, and the outreach involved in producing a book expands your professional world in ways sitting in a clinic never will. In this conversation, you'll discover: Why books signal depth and credibility that podcasts, posts and business cards can't match What AI can and can't do in the writing process, and why lived experience is now the real differentiator The myths that stop clinicians writing, including "I'm not a writer" and "my book is for everyone" Why niching your audience matters more than ever, with a memorable cat hair example you won't forget The two ingredients of every successful author: dropping perfectionism and practising patience The advantages healthcare professionals already have before they've written a single word Why "no one will publish it" is no longer a valid excuse, with traditional, indie and hybrid publishing all wide open Anna also shares why every clinician's book is different even when the subject looks the same, how the writing process itself acts as a rocket booster to your credibility, and why the closet book so many of us are hiding deserves to see the light. If you've got a book quietly waiting inside you, this episode is your nudge to open the door. Anna is joining Megan on 11 September for a live event, How to Write and Publish a Healthcare Book, followed by two deeper sessions inside the Healthcare Thought Leaders Lab in October and November. Links: Website: https://annafeatherstone.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annafeatherstonewriter/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnaFeatherstoneWriter/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/anna-featherstone-writer Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B007HTH0C8 Upcoming event with Megan, How to Write and Publish a Healthcare Book: https://www.meganwalker.com/how-to-write-a-healthcare-book

In this episode of the Healthcare Thought Leaders' Show, Megan is joined by Dr Andrew Leech, award-winning general practitioner, author, speaker, healthcare advocate and founder of the Garden Family Medical Centre in Perth, to explore what happens when a clinician decides that helping people one consultation at a time is no longer enough. Andrew is the 2023 RACGP Western Australia GP of the Year and has become one of Australia's most respected voices in child and adolescent health, family medicine, and healthcare reform. Megan first came across his work on LinkedIn, drawn in by his willingness to think out loud about what's broken in general practice and how to fix it. At the heart of this conversation is a simple truth: healthcare changes when credible clinicians are willing to step forward and share what they know. Andrew makes the case that patients are actively searching for trustworthy, evidence-based voices, and that the opportunity to influence policy, practice and public understanding doesn't arrive after you've become well known. It arrives the moment you begin. In this conversation, you'll discover: Why the 15-minute consult model is unsustainable, and what Andrew redesigned in its place How rethinking clinic design, staff culture and even job titles changed the way patients experience care The ADHD pilot program that helped shift the law in Western Australia and slash paediatric wait times for families Where Andrew's books came from, and why journaling after clinic is a hidden gateway for clinicians who don't think of themselves as writers The topics he still wants to write about, including neurodivergent girls being missed by outdated diagnostic criteria, and the quiet role of dads in paediatric care How to approach AHPRA and thought leadership: stay evidence-based, stay ethical, don't overpromise Where to start if you're a clinician who wants a voice beyond the consult room, from local newsletters through to national media Andrew also shares why saying yes to opportunities compounds in ways you can't see at the time, how the newspaper became an unexpected route to influencing government funding decisions, and why one clinician's willingness to speak up can genuinely change the system. This episode is a powerful reminder that sharing your expertise isn't self-promotion, it's advocacy, and it's exactly what patients are looking for. Links: Website: https://www.drandrewleech.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drandrewleech/

In this episode of the Healthcare Thought Leaders' Show, Megan is joined by Dr. Jo Braid - rehabilitation medicine physician, burnout expert, leadership coach and host of The Burnout Recovery Podcast - to unpack a challenge that quietly takes hold of even the most dedicated clinicians: burnout that builds so slowly you don't see it coming. Drawing on her own lived experience of running a rehab clinic with three kids under six, Jo shares how she went from running on empty to rebuilding a creative, sustainable career she actually loves. Together, they explore why walking away rarely fixes burnout, and what genuine recovery actually requires. At the heart of this conversation is a powerful reframe: quitting isn't the cure. Unless you address the patterns and mindset underneath, the same burnout simply follows you to the next workplace. Jo and Megan dig into self-awareness, energy management, and the courage it takes to become visible, so clinicians can stay in the profession they trained so hard for, just in a way that finally works for them. In this conversation, you'll discover: Why burnout is a slow burn, not an overnight collapse, and how to spot the early warning signs Why quitting rarely cures burnout, and the patterns that follow you from job to job The role of self-awareness, coaching and mindset in genuine, lasting recovery How to protect your energy and set real boundaries as a small business owner The shift from a "do more" clinical model to serving from a full cup Why visibility isn't self-promotion, and how to push through the discomfort of being seen Practical advice for stepping into thought leadership: start before you're ready, keep it simple, and let consistency compound Jo also shares how she's blended clinical work, one-on-one coaching, speaking and her podcast into a career built around sustainability rather than hustle, and why bringing your own vulnerability is one of the most needed forms of leadership in medicine today. This episode is a powerful reminder that burnout isn't solved by walking away. It's solved by changing how you work, who supports you, and how you care for your own energy, so you can keep making an impact for years to come. Links: Website: www.drjobraid.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/burnoutrecoverydr Facebook: www.facebook.com/burnoutrecoverydr LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drjobraid Apple Podcast: The Burnout Recovery Podcast

In this episode of the Healthcare Thought Leaders' Show, Megan is joined by Dr. Dean Watson - musculoskeletal physiotherapist and Director of Watson Headache Institute - to explore what it truly takes to challenge an established medical model and build a global training legacy from a one-man clinic. Dean's journey is unlike most: he didn't set out to become a thought leader. He followed a deep clinical conviction that the neck plays a significant role in headache and migraine conditions - a perspective that directly challenges the prevailing neurological model. That conviction, combined with saying yes to the right opportunities, has taken him from a small Adelaide clinic to teaching across Europe, the UK, and beyond. Together, they unpack how organic growth, authenticity, and relentless clinical commitment can create a career that changes not just patients' lives, but entire professional directions for colleagues around the world. In this conversation, you'll discover: How a chance encounter with a journalist led to 7,000 phone calls and a career-defining moment Why Dean believes there are two types of thought leaders - and why he's pursuing the harder path of changing the model itself The power of niching into a single condition before anyone else was doing it Why staying active clinically is the foundation of credibility and courage in controversial spaces The challenges of training a global audience when manual palpation skills are declining in university curriculums Dean's advice for clinicians sitting on valuable knowledge: start small, be humble, show vulnerability, and let it grow organically Why good systems, strong communication skills, and authentic media presence matter more than formal teaching qualifications Dean also shares why he has no plans to retire - because when your work changes lives daily, it never feels like work. This episode is a masterclass in what happens when deep clinical expertise meets the courage to stand apart from the mainstream - and a reminder that thought leadership doesn't require a grand plan, just a conviction worth following. Links: Watson Headache Website Watson Headache on Facebook Watson Headache on Instagram Watson Headache on LinkedIn