Through high school, college, medical school, residency, and beyond, we spend our lives being told what to think. But why do we think these things? Dr. Payton Fennell joins me to chat about his burnout and why he had to burn it all down to rise again. 

Payton is staring straight at the years that are meant to be his prime as a physician, but he doesn’t feel like he’s there. He went to school, got out and went to the Navy, and then came back home to begin working in sports medicine. 

Everything was going great, but he didn’t feel it. 

Instead of continuing on when everything felt off and wrong, he closed down his practice and spent a month in the wilderness. He needed the pause. He needed the time to get away and figure out what was going on in his head. 

You’re not meant to have it all figured out and gone are the days of coming out of residency, finding the perfect job, and staying there. Listen in to learn more about Payton and his story.

In this episode:

[01:49] Welcome to the show, Dr. Payton!

[01:59] His background and the journey to where he is now.

[08:06] How fear can hold us back or drive us.

[11:10] When his burnout started.

[13:08] He made many changes during burnout but they didn’t really help.

[14:43] Taking a pause, reading and journaling were important in getting through burnout.

[16:26] “Your journey is your own, nobody can tell you what to do” is what he wants the listeners to take away from his story.

[18:21] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources 

Connect with Payton:

LinkedIn