Dr. Nikia Smith shares burnout recovery lessons on Sustainable Clinical Medicine podcast

By AI, Created 4:41 PM UTC, May 29, 2026, /AGP/ – Board-certified anesthesiologist and wellness coach Dr. Nikia Smith discussed physician burnout, healthcare culture, and sustainable career changes on the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast. She described her own recovery path after exhaustion pushed her to rethink how she practiced medicine.

Why it matters: - Physician burnout continues to push clinicians toward leaving medicine, making sustainable work models a real workforce issue. - Dr. Nikia Smith’s approach centers on staying in medicine while changing schedules, boundaries, and support systems. - The episode offers a clinician-focused example of burnout recovery that goes beyond short-term self-care.

What happened: - Dr. Nikia Smith, a board-certified anesthesiologist, wellness coach, and retreat curator, appeared on the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast with Sarah Smith. - The conversation focused on physician burnout, healthcare culture, and ways clinicians can build more sustainable careers. - Dr. Smith described her own burnout after years of demanding anesthesiology schedules. - She said exhaustion and irritability turned into emotional numbness and thoughts of leaving medicine. - She pointed to a breaking point after an intense overnight call shift that lasted nearly 20 consecutive hours.

The details: - Dr. Smith said staffing shortages, unrealistic workloads, and administrative cultures all contribute to burnout in healthcare. - She said the system can reward clinicians for functioning under unsustainable conditions. - After the 20-hour shift, Dr. Smith began reevaluating both her career and her relationship with work. - She negotiated for schedules that better aligned with her well-being. - Dr. Smith eventually moved into a part-time anesthesiology role. - She now combines that role with coaching and physician wellness retreats. - The podcast episode emphasized that burnout recovery takes more than sleep or a weekend off. - Dr. Smith said recovery means reconnecting with yourself, your community, and the things that genuinely recharge you. - She also stressed community, self-compassion, and advocacy for healthier systems in healthcare. - Listeners can hear the full episode here.

Between the lines: - Dr. Smith’s message is not about exiting medicine; it is about redesigning clinical work so more physicians can stay. - Her comments suggest burnout can be treated as both an individual recovery issue and a systems problem. - The episode also frames boundary-setting as a practical career strategy, not a personal luxury.

What’s next: - Dr. Smith said she will continue helping clinicians through coaching and retreats. - Her work will keep focusing on boundaries, sustainable work arrangements, and reconnecting with identity outside medicine. - She encouraged clinicians to keep asking for what they need as healthcare systems change.

The bottom line: - Dr. Nikia Smith’s core message is clear: sustainable medicine depends on both personal recovery and structural change, not endurance alone.