Community as Care: Why Physician Families Need More Than Coping Strategies with Elizabeth Landry

Physician burnout is often framed as an individual issue; something physicians are expected to manage through resilience, self-care, or better boundaries. But this framing overlooks an important truth: burnout does not occur in isolation.

In Episode 14 of the podcast, I spoke with Elizabeth Landry, founder of The Med Commons, about the role of community in supporting physician families. Our conversation highlights how isolation quietly compounds stress in medical households and why connection is not a luxury, but a protective factor.

Physician families often live within unpredictable schedules, emotional strain, and constant adaptation. Over time, this can erode traditional support systems. Friends and family outside of medicine may care deeply, but struggle to understand the realities of medical life.

Community spaces that are built with physician families in mind offer something different. They provide shared understanding, reduced emotional labor, and a sense of belonging that doesn’t require explanation. In this way, community itself becomes a form of care.

When we widen the lens on physician wellness to include families and communities, we move toward more sustainable and humane approaches to support. This episode invites listeners to consider how belonging, connection, and shared experience can buffer stress — not just in moments of crisis, but over the long term.

🎧 Listen to Episode 14 to explore how community can support physician families beyond the clinic.

The MedCommons

The MedCommons Circle for Healthcare Organizations

The MedCommons Circle for Physician Families

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