Zooming Out: How Dr. Neal Douglas Rebuilt Medicine Around His Priorities
- Maryal Concepcion
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Most physicians are trained to optimize what’s directly in front of them.
Schedules. Metrics. Productivity. The next task.
What we’re rarely taught is how to step far enough back to ask whether the direction itself still makes sense.
In this January Reset episode, Dr. Neal Douglas shares a story not about incremental improvement — but about reordering his life from the ground up.
Dr. Douglas describes a season where professional success came at the cost of presence, family, and personal integrity. On paper, things looked right. In reality, the misalignment was growing louder.
What changed wasn’t a new productivity system. It was a decision to zoom out and name his priorities clearly: faith, marriage, children, and then medicine. Everything else followed from there.
That framework mirrors one of the most powerful sections of the January worksheet: the ladder of alignment. When your career direction no longer supports the life you’re trying to live, no amount of efficiency will fix the problem.
Dr. Douglas’ story also challenges a deeply ingrained belief in medicine - that sacrifice is inevitable and imbalance is just “the way it is.” His experience offers an alternative: designing practice around life, not the other way around.
As you reflect on his journey, ask yourself:
If nothing changed in how you practice for the next five years, would it support the life you want to be present for?
That question isn’t meant to create urgency. It’s meant to create honesty.
If you’re ready to explore that honestly, the January Is DPC Right for You? worksheet can help you name where you are on the ladder - burnout, curiosity, relief, or alignment - without judgment.
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