The Hive

The Quiet Work

Some months are loud. Some are not.

In October, we weren’t trying to make headlines - we were building. A lot of the work that keeps The Hippocratic Collective alive happens quietly: planning and creating a magazine, shaping collaborations, building infrastructure, experimenting with ways to give doctors and healthcare professionals more creative control over their own voices.

We’ve learned that the loud moments only matter if they’re backed by something real - if there’s muscle behind the movement. HC has always been about that tension: creating a new kind of medical culture that’s not performative, not corporate, and not afraid to take a breath between swings.

As a team of a physicians who are used to always being on call, never taking a moment for ourselves, we’re learning to embrace the slowness. If we can’t embody the type of culture that we aim to set, how can we convincingly tell anyone else to?

November is about getting ready to hit the next stride. The foundation is set. The culture is growing. The noise will come later.

Surgical Residency Interview Webinar

We hosted a Surgical Residency Interview prep webinar last week and were overwhelmed by the turnout and response. Thank you to everyone who participated, both as an attendee and those on the panel. This was a webinar with an all-star panel of surgeons and residents across ENT, plastics, urology, and general surgery.

The candid 75-minute roundtable went beyond generic interview tips to tackle the real dynamics of surgical residency interviews—what programs actually look for, how to stand out without being performative, and how to bring authenticity and emotional intelligence into the room.

If you or anyone you know might benefit from this webinar, we made it available on Youtube as well, so please check it out.

Surgeon Social Club: Chicago

The Empowered Surgeons Group x HC event in Chicago earlier this October was a hit! Surgeons from across the city and those attending conferences had the chance to unwind, enjoy free drinks, and connect with colleagues in a relaxed, social setting. Instead of a traditional booth at the ACS conference, we embraced HC’s style by renting out a bar for our first-ever Surgeon Social Club—a night dedicated to building real connections, sharing stories, and enjoying some well-earned downtime. The turnout was fantastic, and the conversations, networking, and camaraderie made it a night to remember.

Ex Vivo Update

We want to again thank every person who submitted their work for the inaugural edition of Ex Vivo. Our team has been hard at work editing and curating the Fall/Winter publication, and we are nearing the finish line! Please stay tuned for the final version - we can’t wait to share all of this incredible art and storytelling with everyone in this community.

Your Podcast Binge List

We linked some YouTube and Spotify pages for you, but click here to listen to any of our shows on the platform of your choice.

• Social Rounds - Anthony Chin-Quee, MD + Janet McMordie, MD - How to Quit Medicine Gracefully and Still Look Like a Doctor

• Fem MD - Lauren Umstattd, MD - From Nurse to Doctor: Dr. Lily Nguyen’s Inspiring Career Change Story

• Surgeons with Purpose - Mel Thacker, MD - No More Stigma with Dr. Jose Greenspon

• Surgeon, Interrupted - Frances Mei Hardin, MD - How Medicine Trains You To Be Always On, And How I Turned It Off

• The Other Human in the Room - Joan Chan, MD - From Overwhelm to Efficiency with Dr. Adam Stewart

A Few Of Our Favorite 'Progress Notes' From October

Applying to a Competitive Specialty as a Prior-Year Graduate

By Olivia Perez, MD

Part 4 of Dr. Perez’s ‘How I Changed Specialties’ series, Olivia describes how different the process was to apply in Dermatology after having already completed a year of Family Medicine residency.

Matt Sesow’s Choice: Life and Art After Amputation

By Sacha McBain, PhD

A beautiful look into the medical trauma-informed art of Matt Sesow. “Sesow has used the word conquer when talking about his injury and his art. His paintings show that process in action by turning pain into something he can face directly and master on his own terms. The energy in his work feels like rebellion. By painting through his strongest emotions, he refuses to be defined by the injury and instead claims authority over it. He chose the fight, and through his art, he has built exactly what the angel promised—an interesting life.”

How to Deal with Imposter Syndrome

By Iya Agha, DO

“Imposter syndrome probably never vanishes. At least, it hasn’t for me. But I no longer see it as evidence that I don’t deserve to be here. I see it as a sign that I’m in a room that once felt impossible to enter.”

Explore Our Growing Podcast Network

Here’s what’s live and ready for your next commute, call-room break, or coffee run:

• The Hoeflinger Podcast - Brian Hoeflinger, MD + Kevin Hoeflinger

• Social Rounds - Tony Chin-Quee, MD + Frances Mei Hardin, MD

• Fem MD - Lauren Umstattd, MD

• Surgeons with Purpose - Mel Thacker, MD

• Beyond the Scope - Andy Nguyen, MD

• Surgeon, Interrupted - Frances Mei Hardin, MD

• The Other Human in the Room - Joan Chan, MD

Want to Get Involved?

Since launching, we’ve been blown away by how many physicians have reached out asking, “How can I get involved?”

Here’s how:

• Submit your writing for consideration on our blog

• Pitch us a creative idea or original column

• Apply to be a guest on a podcast

• Follow us and share our content on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube 

The Collective only works because of voices like yours, and there’s always room for one more.

Until next month,
The HC Team

Join the movement

You bring the vision. We make it loud.