414: IMG Journey with Amna Shabbir, MD

Dr. Amna Shabbir was a previous podcast listener and member of the Physician’s Coaching Alliance. In the depths of burnout, she stumbled across Dr. Me First and found that she wasn’t alone in her physician burnout. After listening for over a year throughout her toughest times, she finally reached out to me, and the rest has been history. 

Originally from Pakistan, Dr. Amna made her journey to the US as an international medical graduate (IMG). Statistically, IMGs tend to practice in underserved communities and with the elderly. Hardworking and dedicated, IMGs are still susceptible to burnout as they end up in areas with minimal resources, stressful work situations, and a system that is stacked against them.

With the cultural influence that many IMGs face about the career pressures to become a doctor, it can make the journey out of physician burnout that much more difficult. Finding themselves in situations where they are often underpaid, overworked, and isolated from their support system - the struggle that IMGs face is real, and they need the help, reassurance, and tools to fight burnout amidst the added pressures to succeed that are placed on them by their families. 

After completing her fellowship, Dr. Amna found her calling as an integrated wellness and life coach while continuing to be a practicing geriatrician in nursing homes and obtaining the work-life balance and fulfillment that she has always wanted. She now helps others achieve the same, and she has a heart for helping IMGs carve their path in medicine. 

She has a big passion for helping others transition and succeed while loving themselves and loving medicine, and you will absolutely want to tune in to this episode and hear us chat about the struggle that IMGs face and how the resources that are available to help them succeed. 

“Challenge the narratives that you share with yourself.” Dr. Amna Shabbir

Amna Shabbir

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