Identity Dissonance (Cognitive Dissonance Part 2): Episode 223

DRIVE TIME DEBRIEF: A Physician Wellness Podcast with The Whole Physician · Jun 18, 2026 · 17m

You worked hard. You achieved the dream. You became the physician you set out to be.

So why does something still feel off?

Many physicians reach a point where they begin asking deeper questions: Who am I outside of medicine? Why doesn't success feel the way I thought it would? What happened to the version of me who felt excited, hopeful, and alive?

In this episode, Amanda, Laura, and Kendra explore identity dissonance—the painful gap between who you thought you would become and how your life actually feels today. Together, they unpack why burnout often becomes more than exhaustion and can…