The Resilience Factor

How do you leave work at work when you’re still worried about your patients? For nurses and anyone in an emotionally demanding job, clocking out doesn’t always mean switching off. And when you’re exhausted, even making plans on your days off can feel like another demand. In this episode of The Resilience Factor podcast, Dr. Pamela Mehta talks with ICU nurse Mercedes Balingit about nurse burnout and what has helped her after difficult shifts. Mercedes shares how she leans on coworkers, makes room for rest without forcing herself to be social, and protects sleep between night shifts. Drawing on her own experience, she also explores when leaving an unsupportive job can be part of building a nursing career you want to stay in. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Meet ICU Nurse Mercedes Balingit 01:05 How Do You Leave Work at Work? 03:24 Why Do You Feel Emotionally Drained After Work? 04:16 How Do You Rest Without Feeling Guilty? 05:46 Why Start Therapy When Life Looks Good on Paper? 07:11 How Do Nurses Cope With Difficult Patient Experiences? 09:03 How ICU Nursing Changes Your Perspective on Life 10:52 Finding a Life Outside Nursing 11:43 Nursing School During COVID 12:27 Is Working Night Shift Isolating? 13:52 How Do You Wind Down After a Night Shift? 15:22 What Helps With Nurse Burnout? 16:54 How Do You Choose a Nursing Specialty? 19:33 What Do Medical Dramas Get Wrong About Nursing? 21:07 When Is It Time to Leave a Nursing Job? 23:48 Why Do ICU Nurses Use Dark Humor? 25:41 What Do ICU Patients Teach You About Resilience? GUEST RESOURCES: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mercedesbalingitt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mercedesbalingitt THE RESILIENCE FACTOR WITH DR. PAMELA MEHTA: YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiQ_AOy_Pd4mEXrsUN3hC6dEtSpmtQuDF&si=szS_5tqUV85kV1R9 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-resilience-factor/id1822815775 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3D3mys5DJka3zrsdKEPVs3?si=c56539bea0174bbd HOST RESOURCES: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.pamelamehta TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.pamelamehta Become a Patient: https://www.resilienceorthopedics.com Earn FREE CE Credits: https://learnatpinnacle.com This episode is brought to you by ⁠The Pinnacle Podcast Network⁠! ABOUT DR. PAMELA MEHTA: Pamela Mehta, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, practice owner, chief medical officer of the Good Feet Store, and founder of the education platform Learn at Pinnacle. Dr. Mehta specializes in minimally invasive surgery, orthobiologics, and sports medicine. She helps people of all stages of life learn how to live a healthier life, longer. Disclaimer: Pamela Mehta, MD, is a doctor, but she is not your doctor. This content is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About 1 in 8 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Yet early prostate cancer often causes no symptoms. So when should you start the screening conversation, and how do your age, family history, and personal risk change the answer? In this episode of The Resilience Factor podcast, Dr. Pamela Mehta talks with Dr. Karine Tawagi, a board-certified hematologist and medical oncologist specializing in genitourinary cancers. Dr. Tawagi explains when to discuss PSA screening, why a diagnosis doesn’t always mean immediate treatment, and how newer therapies are changing care. She also shares what to ask about hormone therapy, side effects, and protecting quality of life. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Why Prostate Cancer Can Be Silent 01:18 When Should You Start Prostate Cancer Screening? 03:58 Should You Stop Prostate Cancer Screening at a Certain Age? 05:07 Can You Lower Your Prostate Cancer Risk? 07:30 Does Every Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Need Treatment? 10:18 What Are the Side Effects of Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy? 12:56 What’s New in Prostate Cancer Treatment? 17:47 Immunotherapy vs. Chemotherapy: How Do They Differ? 21:29 What Side Effects Can Immunotherapy Cause? 22:58 How Do Biomarkers Guide Cancer Treatment? 24:14 Can Supplements and Natural Therapies Affect Cancer Treatment? 26:33 Should You Change Your Diet During Cancer Treatment? 28:44 Can Biomarkers Help Avoid Cancer Overtreatment? 30:32 Can an Old Biopsy Reveal New Cancer Treatment Options? 31:22 Where to Find Dr. Karine Tawagi and Two Onc Docs GUEST RESOURCES: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.tawagi.karine/?hl=en X: https://x.com/DrKarineTawagi THE RESILIENCE FACTOR WITH DR. PAMELA MEHTA: YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiQ_AOy_Pd4mEXrsUN3hC6dEtSpmtQuDF&si=szS_5tqUV85kV1R9 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-resilience-factor/id1822815775 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3D3mys5DJka3zrsdKEPVs3?si=c56539bea0174bbd HOST RESOURCES: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.pamelamehta TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.pamelamehta Become a Patient: https://www.resilienceorthopedics.com Earn FREE CE Credits: https://learnatpinnacle.com This episode is brought to you by ⁠The Pinnacle Podcast Network⁠! ABOUT DR. PAMELA MEHTA: Pamela Mehta, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, practice owner, chief medical officer of the Good Feet Store, and founder of the education platform Learn at Pinnacle. Dr. Mehta specializes in minimally invasive surgery, orthobiologics, and sports medicine. She helps people of all stages of life learn how to live a healthier life, longer. Disclaimer: Pamela Mehta, MD, is a doctor, but she is not your doctor. This content is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your child building a lifelong love of sports, or learning that rest means falling behind? Competitive youth sports can turn opportunity into pressure, leaving young athletes vulnerable to overuse injuries, burnout, and losing the joy of the game. In this episode of The Resilience Factor podcast, Dr. Pamela Mehta talks with board certified sports medicine physician and Chicago Bulls and White Sox team doctor Dr. Jeremy Alland about growth plate injuries, pitch counts, early sports specialization, sleep, recovery, and the warning signs parents should not ignore. He shares practical guidelines for training hours, time off, multiple teams, and knowing when to push through a hard season or step away, so families can protect both performance and long term health. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 How Much Youth Sports Is Too Much? 01:20 Why Are Young Athletes Playing Through Pain? 02:43 Why Are Growth Plates Vulnerable to Overuse? 07:35 What Are Pitch Counts in Youth Baseball? 11:54 How Does Social Media Add Pressure to Youth Sports? 13:05 Are Late Bloomers Being Shut Out of Youth Sports? 14:03 Do Travel Baseball Teams Follow Pitch Count Rules? 17:50 Should Kids Play on Two Teams in the Same Sport? 18:42 When Should Kids Specialize in One Sport? 20:44 How Much Time Off Do Young Athletes Need? 22:08 How Many Training Hours Are Too Many for Kids? 22:55 What Counts as Rest for Young Athletes? 25:10 Why Does Sleep Matter for Young Athletes? 30:03 How Can Parents Help Kids Keep Enjoying Sports? 32:31 Should I Let My Child Quit a Sport? 37:38 Why Are Teen Athletes Getting PRP Injections? 40:28 What Do Sports Clinics Mean by Stem Cell Injections? 41:53 Can Injections Regrow Cartilage or Tendons? 46:17 How Can Parents Plan a Healthier Youth Sports Schedule? 51:00 Where Can You Find Dr. Jeremy Alland? GUEST RESOURCES: Website: https://jeremyallandmd.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyallandmd/?hl=en Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyallandmd THE RESILIENCE FACTOR WITH DR. PAMELA MEHTA: YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiQ_AOy_Pd4mEXrsUN3hC6dEtSpmtQuDF&si=szS_5tqUV85kV1R9 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-resilience-factor/id1822815775 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3D3mys5DJka3zrsdKEPVs3?si=c56539bea0174bbd HOST RESOURCES: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.pamelamehta TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.pamelamehta Become a Patient: https://www.resilienceorthopedics.com Earn FREE CE Credits: https://learnatpinnacle.com This episode is brought to you by ⁠The Pinnacle Podcast Network⁠! ABOUT DR. PAMELA MEHTA: Pamela Mehta, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, practice owner, chief medical officer of the Good Feet Store, and founder of the education platform Learn at Pinnacle. Dr. Mehta specializes in minimally invasive surgery, orthobiologics, and sports medicine. She helps people of all stages of life learn how to live a healthier life, longer. Disclaimer: Pamela Mehta, MD, is a doctor, but she is not your doctor. This content is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When patients feel rushed and doctors feel burned out, the problem may be bigger than either person in the exam room. Direct primary care offers an alternative built around longer visits, direct access, transparent pricing, and smaller patient panels. But how does it work, what does it cost, and who is it right for? In this episode of The Resilience Factor podcast, Dr. Pamela Mehta talks with Aleea Gupta, MD, a board certified family physician and founder of Family First Direct Primary Care. Dr. Gupta explains what a DPC membership covers, how it differs from concierge medicine, and why patients may still need insurance for emergencies, specialists, and hospital care. She also shares how she launched and grew her practice, protected herself from burnout, and reclaimed the doctor patient relationship. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Why Do Primary Care Appointments Feel So Rushed? 01:15 What Is Causing Doctor Burnout in Primary Care? 02:44 What Is Direct Primary Care? 04:28 How Do Doctors Start a Direct Primary Care Practice? 05:51 How Much Does Direct Primary Care Cost? 09:40 15 Minute vs. 60 Minute Doctor Appointments 10:53 Direct Primary Care vs. Concierge Medicine 11:54 Do You Still Need Health Insurance With DPC? 14:13 Can Direct Primary Care Improve Patient Access? 17:11 Direct Primary Care Challenges and Physician Boundaries 19:48 How Can Patients Use Direct Primary Care? 21:07 How Much Do Lab Tests and MRIs Cost Without Insurance? 24:47 Can You Trust ChatGPT for Medical Advice? 28:04 Should New Doctors Open a DPC Practice? 30:28 How to Market and Grow a DPC Practice 33:01 How to Find a Direct Primary Care Doctor 35:01 Can Independent Practice Reduce Physician Burnout? GUEST RESOURCES: Family First Direct Primary Care: https://www.familyfirstdirectprimarycare.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aleeagupta/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.aleeagupta THE RESILIENCE FACTOR WITH DR. PAMELA MEHTA: YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiQ_AOy_Pd4mEXrsUN3hC6dEtSpmtQuDF&si=szS_5tqUV85kV1R9 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-resilience-factor/id1822815775 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3D3mys5DJka3zrsdKEPVs3?si=c56539bea0174bbd HOST RESOURCES: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.pamelamehta TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.pamelamehta Become a Patient: https://www.resilienceorthopedics.com Earn FREE CE Credits: https://learnatpinnacle.com This episode is brought to you by ⁠The Pinnacle Podcast Network⁠! ABOUT DR. PAMELA MEHTA: Pamela Mehta, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, practice owner, chief medical officer of the Good Feet Store, and founder of the education platform Learn at Pinnacle. Dr. Mehta specializes in minimally invasive surgery, orthobiologics, and sports medicine. She helps people of all stages of life learn how to live a healthier life, longer. Disclaimer: Pamela Mehta, MD, is a doctor, but she is not your doctor. This content is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catching breast cancer earlier starts with knowing your personal risk, not just waiting for a mammogram at 40. By 25, every woman should have a breast cancer risk assessment, because family history, breast density, and other risk factors can change when screening should begin and whether a mammogram is enough. In this episode of The Resilience Factor podcast, Dr. Pamela Mehta talks with board certified breast radiologist Dr. Sonya Bhole about breast cancer screening, mammograms, MRI, ultrasound, and early detection. They explain who may need screening before 40, what dense breasts mean, what a mammogram callback means, and how to make informed decisions without fear. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Breast Cancer Screening: Why Age 40 Is Not the Whole Story 00:48 Why Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Starts by 25 02:25 How Personal Breast Cancer Risk Is Assessed 03:25 Who Needs Breast Cancer Screening Before 40? 04:30 What to Know Before Your First Mammogram 07:06 How Often Should You Get a Mammogram? 08:37 What to Expect at Your First Mammogram 11:02 How AI Is Changing Breast Cancer Detection 14:07 Dense Breasts and Supplemental Breast Screening 16:53 What Does a Mammogram Callback Mean? 18:30 Evidence Based Ways to Lower Breast Cancer Risk 22:38 How to Build a Personalized High Risk Screening Plan 23:29 Mammogram Myths: Radiation, Compression, and Family History 26:16 Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening and Access 27:40 The Future of Early Breast Cancer Detection GUEST RESOURCES: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youreadoctorright THE RESILIENCE FACTOR WITH DR. PAMELA MEHTA: YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiQ_AOy_Pd4mEXrsUN3hC6dEtSpmtQuDF&si=szS_5tqUV85kV1R9 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-resilience-factor/id1822815775 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3D3mys5DJka3zrsdKEPVs3?si=c56539bea0174bbd HOST RESOURCES: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.pamelamehta TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.pamelamehta Become a Patient: https://www.resilienceorthopedics.com Earn FREE CE Credits: https://learnatpinnacle.com This episode is brought to you by ⁠The Pinnacle Podcast Network⁠! ABOUT DR. PAMELA MEHTA: Pamela Mehta, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, practice owner, chief medical officer of the Good Feet Store, and founder of the education platform Learn at Pinnacle. Dr. Mehta specializes in minimally invasive surgery, orthobiologics, and sports medicine. She helps people of all stages of life learn how to live a healthier life, longer. Disclaimer: Pamela Mehta, MD, is a doctor, but she is not your doctor. This content is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices