Direct Well-Being Podcast

About Direct Well-Being Podcast

Welcome to the Direct Well-Being Podcast, hosted by Dr. Anders Apgar, MD, FACOG, M.S. — an Ob/Gyn physician leader and nationally recognized voice in clinician well-being. This show is a trusted, peer-driven space for honest conversations about what actually supports physicians — beyond resilience training and surface-level wellness. Each week, Dr. Apgar sits down with physician leaders, partner organizations, and frontline clinicians to talk about the real drivers of distress: financial stress, mental and emotional health, family dynamics, and the systems in which physicians practice. Conversations are evidence-aligned, research-informed, and grounded in lived clinical experience — never promotional, always physician-first. Produced as a Direct Self Care production in partnership with the Doctor Podcast Network, the show integrates insight from the Well-Being Index, Champions of Wellness, Tend Health, and the broader Direct brand ecosystem to move listeners from awareness to agency. Whether you’re a practicing physician, a physician leader, a health system executive, or a partner of someone in medicine, this podcast offers an honest perspective and a path forward.

Publisher

Doctor Podcast Network, Anders Apgar MD FACOG MS

Category

education · health & fitness · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Jun 2026

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Listen Again: The Pattern I Didn't See Coming | Ep15

   Dr. Anders Apgar explores how financial and professional choices impact future agency, revealing a hidden pattern in burnout, money, family, and career decisions.

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   The Number That Changes Everything: When Money Stops Controlling Your Medical Career - Part 2 | Ep14

   Dr. Anders Apgar and Dr. Jerry Schreibstein explore financial independence and its profound impact on medical careers when physicians reach their financial goals.

3. 

   23 Sept 2026

   “The Number That Changes Everything: When Money Stops Controlling Your Medical Career” Part 1 | Ep13

   Dr. Anders Apgar interviews Dr. Jerry Schreibstein about how financial horizons, not just income, empower physicians to control their medical careers.

4. 

   16 Sept 2026

   How Do You Predict a Ghost? The Career Decisions We Make Before We Know What We’ll Love | Ep12

   Dr. Anders Apgar explores how young physicians make career decisions before knowing their future selves, offering insights into burnout and job satisfaction beyond salary.

5. 

   9 Sept 2026

   Taking Back Control Inside the System | Ep11

   Dr. Anders Apgar interviews physician leader Jonathan Moss about reclaiming physician agency and mastering the business of medicine to combat burnout and build sustainable careers.

6. 

   2 Sept 2026

   The Kids' Side of the Story | Ep10

   Dr. Anders Apgar interviews his children, Katie and Sean Apgar, sharing candid insights into the realities of growing up with physician parents.

7. 

   26 Aug 2026

   The Price of Security | Ep9

   Dr. Anders Apgar interviews retired Army Colonel Dr. Aaron Pitney about the significant trade-offs physicians face in military medicine, exploring debt-free training against autonomy and family impact.

8. 

   19 Aug 2026

   Losing Yourself - and Finding Your Way Back | EP8

   Dr. Diane Shannon, a physician coach, discusses with Dr. Anders Apgar how to navigate burnout by shifting identity and making intentional changes for a sustainable medical career.

9. 

   12 Aug 2026

   Mental Health Care That Physicians Will Actually Use | Ep7

   Dr. Anders Apgar synthesizes key lessons from physician well-being conversations, exploring what's needed for real change in healthcare.

10. 

    5 Aug 2026

    Burnout is A Symptom, Not A Diagnosis: Implementing Relevant Tools for Systemic Change | Ep6

    Dr. Anders Apgar interviews John McMahon, Director of Client Experience at the Well-Being Index, about moving beyond burnout to implement systemic well-being changes for healthcare professionals.

11. 

    29 Jul 2026

    What Your Health System Doesn't See | Ep5

    What really keeps physician leaders awake at night? In this episode of the Direct Well-Being Podcast, Dr. Anders Apgar sits down with emergency physician and hospital executive Dr. Neil Roy to explore physician burnout, hospital leadership, financial literacy, and why understanding money may be one of the most important wellness strategies physicians can adopt.

12. 

    22 Jul 2026

    Why Resilience Training Isn’t Working: And What Actually Works | Ep4

    What’s the difference between resilience and true well-being? In this episode of Direct Well-Being Podcast, Dr. Anders Apgar speaks with Dr. Ridgley Salter, Medical Director of Well-Being at WellSpan Health, about moving beyond “doctor heal thyself” to systemic support, moral injury, second victim syndrome, and practical ways organizations and individuals can thrive.

13. 

    15 Jul 2026

    The Hidden Driver: Financial Stress in Physicians | Ep3

    Why do physicians making six or seven figures still feel financially trapped? In Episode 3 of Direct Well-Being Podcast, Dr. Anders Apgar talks with longtime friend and Certified Financial Planner Brian Case about the hidden financial stress many physicians face. From massive student debt and “negative millionaire” years to lifestyle creep, delayed earnings, and the emotional toll of financial illiteracy.

14. 

    8 Jul 2026

    The Cost of Two Medical Careers | Ep2

    What happens to a marriage and family when both parents are physicians? In this deeply personal episode of the Direct Well-Being Podcast, Dr. Anders Apgar speaks with his wife, Dr. Jacqueline Apgar, about the realities of dual-OBGYN careers, the impact on their four children, and the hidden costs of medicine on home life.

15. 

    1 Jul 2026

    How Did We Get Here? | Ep1

    When was the moment you realized the grind wasn’t sustainable? In Episode 1 of Direct Well-Being Podcast, Dr. Anders Apgar sits down with longtime friend and Emergency Medicine leader Dr. Daren Girard. From “negative millionaire” residency debt and brutal early-career shifts to finding breathing room through admin roles and rebuilding connections. This conversation is for every physician asking: how do I make this career last?

16. 

    24 Jun 2026

    The Breaking Point Is the Beginning — START HERE

    When was the first time you whispered, “I can’t do this anymore”? Direct Well-Being is a new podcast for every physician who deserves more than burnout. In this teaser, Dr. Anders Apgar reframes the breaking point — not as failure, but as the beginning. Coming July 1, 2026.

Who has been a guest on Direct Well-Being Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jerry Schreibstein
• Jonathan Moss
• Katie Apgar
• Sean Apgar
• Aaron Pitney

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Contact Direct Well-Being Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Direct Well-Being Podcast