So it makes sense that I have 2 businesses which I run with 2 other beautiful doctors.
Real Life Medicine is with Dr Mary Barson and helps women reverse their chronic disease through weight loss and lifestyle changes.
Whole Hearted Medicine is with Dr Emily Amos and helps doctors with self care so they can continue to care for others.
If you’d asked me at the start of my training, is this what I’d be doing, then my answer would have been "Hell no!". I wanted to do emergency medicine but I soon learnt, I like to talk! I can’t do 10 minute Medicine. I need to know more about each person.
It is ok not to know your path early on. It’s ok to try different things and see what fits.
If it doesn’t fit, it’s not a failure. It is clichéd but life is certainly a journey with many forks in the road, chance encounters and opportunities.
Jump in whole heartedly and if it fits- wonderful. If not cross it off your list and move on. Mistakes are part of learning. Wisdom comes with experience.
DR LUCY BURNS
After the process of facing my own battle with burnout and searching for a way to combine my love of education with a desire to help others, I founded the resource hub and blog The Healers Health Collective seeking to be of service to colleagues who may at some point also find themselves on the path towards burnout. Through out the journey of discovery that burning out forced me to go on, I have come to again find my love of connecting with people and helping them be the best version of themselves- the core value that actually brought me to study medicine in the first place.
In a truely portfolio career, I now teach mindfulness, self compassion and meditation to a diverse audience not only at our Whole Hearted Medicine retreats but also via my own online trainings & coaching, to first year medical students at Monash University, as well as via speaking and workshop engagements in the corporate space. Using my breadth of experience in holistic self care and wellbeing practices as well as a comprehensive understanding of the science of behaviour change I developed the concept of Basic Life Support Self Care™- which breaks down holistic self care into simple, actionable and sustainable practices that anyone can do. I also continue to use my skills and training in breastfeeding medicine and mindfulness to provide mindfulness based breastfeeding, newborn care and parental wellbeing education to new parents via my MORE THAN MILK online courses.
The hard learnt lessons that I've gained along the way have given me the strength and awareness to now approach burnout, mindfulness, meditation and self compassion from a unique angle and they are lessons that I absolutely love sharing with others now.
DR EMILY AMOS
Established by General Practitioners Dr Emily Amos and Dr Lucy Burns, Whole Hearted Medicine provides mindfulness and self care education to doctors in a warm and relaxing retreat environment. Through a structured program of education seminars, interactive workshops and guided yoga/meditation & breath work sessions the goal is to provide time for personal reflection on health and wellbeing in all clinicians who attend.
We aim to help doctors tap into their sense of self awareness which in turn helps them be better able to identify and manage feelings of burnout in themselves and others. As an organisation we hope to lead the path towards a more holistic and proactive role in maintaining the wellbeing of doctors and all healthcare providers, not only ensuring their own personal feelings of fulfilment but also their professional longevity in an often demanding profession.
I’m a doctor, wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.
My medical career has taken many twists and turns. I have now found my place.
Lifestyle medicine is what brings me joy.
Coaching and counselling light my fire.
Connecting and collaborating.
I am a passionate teacher of all things mindfulness.
As a General Practitioner, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, 200hr yoga teacher, university tutor and registered mindfulness meditation teacher I've tried to find unique ways to teach these skills to a variety of audiences. Being able to offer these teachings in retreat format via Whole Hearted Medicine has been a passion for both Lucy and I, and I feel so fortunate to be able to do this with such a likeminded colleague.