How Come Doctors Often Struggle With Boundaries?

The LOUNGE - A Newsletter for Savvy Physicians

We scour the net, selecting the most pertinent articles for the busy doc so you don’t have to! Here’s what kept our focus this week…

• The struggle to say “no” in medicine often starts with how doctors define themselves.

• 30-minute buffer on a doctor’s calendar may be the most powerful productivity hack in medicine.

• What happens to a company when more than half its people don’t believe the people in charge?

• In a sea of flashy AI promises, one company won by telling the boring truth.

• 79% of U.S. small businesses have adopted AI in some form.

• Hospitals face mounting pressures, and the right digital strategy could be the difference between burnout and breakthrough.

Ten Reasons Why Every Physician Needs a Mentor

In this episode of BootstrapMD, Dr. Mike Woo-Ming opens up about the breaking point that forced him to ask for help. Bad location, useless equipment, $5,000 Valpak disasters, and exactly one patient looking for free advice until one desperate phone call to a mentor turned everything around.

From avoiding the crushing “stupid tax” and compressing years into months, to getting ruthless accountability, emotional support through the lows, real-world playbooks no CME ever teaches, instant network expansion, burnout prevention, borrowed confidence, and staying ethical while scaling — Mike proves mentorship isn’t optional for physician entrepreneurs. It’s the difference between surviving and thriving.

LOUNGE TALK

At the heart of the issue is a simple human need: the desire to feel seen, valued, and important. For many physicians and healthcare professionals, that sense of importance is tightly linked to helping others, being altruistic, and providing comfort. This identity as a “giver” becomes a core part of who they are and how they want to be perceived by others. Over time, that attachment to service can blur the line between healthy dedication and self-sacrifice. The more someone ties their self-worth to being indispensable, the harder it becomes to step back or set limits. In this way, boundary struggles aren’t just about time management — they’re about identity. Understanding where one’s sense of importance comes from is the first step toward healthier, more sustainable boundaries.

A new analysis suggests that building dedicated EHR time into a physician’s daily schedule significantly reduces after-hours charting without meaningfully hurting productivity. By reserving a 20–30 minute “buffer” slot each half-day, physicians spent 25–29 fewer minutes per week in the EHR outside normal hours. Despite seeing fewer patients each day, their relative value units (RVUs) dropped only slightly. Even more striking, physician burnout rates fell dramatically after the intervention. The dedicated time helped doctors work more efficiently by reducing constant interruptions during patient care. Researchers believe focused, interruption-free work leads to faster completion of asynchronous tasks like messaging and refills. While the study has limits around setting and model generalizability, it points to a simple schedule change as a potential system-wide fix.

Employee trust in senior leadership is alarmingly low, with fewer than half of workers saying they trust their leaders. In an era of constant disruption, that lack of trust can quietly erode engagement, performance, and long-term results. Research shows that employees who trust leadership are far more engaged than those who don’t — a glaring 25-point gap on Gartner’s engagement scale. While layoffs and restructuring naturally strain relationships, it’s often leaders’ behavior and communication style that do the most damage. Withholding information, blaming others, and reversing decisions are all major trust killers. The solution isn’t perfection — it’s transparency, consistency, and genuine concern for employee well-being. Leaders who clearly explain decisions, invite open dialogue, and invest in their own development can begin to rebuild credibility. Ultimately, trust isn’t built through slogans, but through repeated, visible actions.

In an overcrowded AI market driven by bold promises and polished messaging, one company chose a radically different path: transparency. Drawing on decades of experience in healthtech, the founder recognized that long-term success comes from trust, not hype. Instead of overselling capabilities, the company focused on being clear and honest about what their AI product actually does. The tool—an ambient listening and note-taking assistant—was built to solve real, everyday problems faced by healthcare providers. By emphasizing empathy and real-world application, the product aligned directly with user workflows. This grounded, human-first approach helped it stand out in a saturated market. Ultimately, reliability and authenticity proved more powerful than grand claims.

Despite ongoing fears about AI replacing jobs, new data shows it is actively fueling small business creation and growth. A LinkedIn report found that the vast majority of U.S. small businesses have already adopted AI in some capacity, using it for tasks ranging from email writing to advanced data analysis. At the same time, interest in entrepreneurship is surging, with a sharp rise in professionals adding “founder” to their profiles. Many workers now see AI as an enabler, giving them the confidence to launch ventures that previously felt too complex or costly. The technology is lowering operational barriers by automating routine tasks and providing insights once reserved for large enterprises. Small business marketers believe AI will help them compete with larger brands and improve efficiency. Rather than being a distant future trend, AI adoption has become an immediate priority for companies looking to stay competitive.

Hospitals and health systems are under intense operational pressure, with rising drug costs, regulatory demands, and workforce burnout straining the system. Technology offers a path to efficiency, but adoption requires careful planning, change management, and staff training to succeed. Customization and flexibility are essential, as each hospital has unique patient populations, workflows, and resource needs. Machine learning and interoperable systems can optimize operations, from medication inventory to linking data across EHRs, improving accuracy and reducing waste. However, hospitals must focus on value, not trendiness, choosing solutions that deliver meaningful short- and long-term ROI. Effective partnerships with technology providers are crucial for continued relevance and adaptation. With deliberate strategy, digital transformation can reduce costs, streamline workflows, and alleviate workforce pressure while improving patient care.

WANT TO REACH THOUSANDS OF FORWARD-THINKING PHYSICIANS? CONSIDER SPONSORSHIP. CONTACT US FOR DETAILS.

QUICK BITES

• Why the best business ideas come from the voices you're ignoring.

• 5 ways organizations can pivot with purpose.

• How failure taught me to succeed as an entrepreneur.

• How to navigate private equity in medicine.

Like the newsletter? Share it with someone you know! If you have any feedback or suggestions for future issues, please don’t hesitate to reach out!