Written by Dael Waxman, MD

Toward the end of my residency, I didn’t know what to do next. It wasn’t a full-time practice. I liked patient care, but couldn’t see myself doing it full-time. My advisor noticed I had a propensity for teaching and made a suggestion.

“I wonder if you’d be interested in a fellowship we have, and you can be chief resident of the family medicine residency at the same time,” they told me. So, I did.

I stayed as a fourth-year chief resident of the residency, as well as did a faculty development fellowship in learning how to be a faculty member and learning how to teach. All while conducting full-service family medicine, as well. It was a great experience, but I yearned for more. I wanted to dig deeper into person-centered humanistic care.

Then, one day, I was in the library at the University of Arizona School of Medicine preparing for a talk I was going to give to residents. I found an article I needed for my talk. As I perused the bound volume containing said article, I happened to open the book to a page containing a letter to the editor. The word “biopsychosocial” caught my attention.

Naturally, I dove into research on the term and discovered a fellowship at the University of Rochester in Psychosocial Medicine. I suppose this is a prime example of following your passions because multiple doors opened. Turns out the University of Rochester had another fellowship in Family Systems Medicine. I applied for both. During my interview, the directors realized the two fellowships contained many similarities and decided to combine them into a single experience.

I was fascinated by everything.
I knew from this fellowship that what I wanted to do was to bring that energy to education, so I knew after the fellowship I was heading for an academic career – to teach about the very large overlap between mental health and primary care.

During my academic career, to further enhance my teaching and clinical care, I studied and received certification in Clinical Hypnosis, Mind/Body Medicine, and Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction.

As a physician and educator for over 35 years, I have experienced the joys of practice and teaching medicine, but also the mental and emotional distress that can accompany it. This latter reality is unfortunately common in the medical profession; as a result, since 2010, I have focused my attention on promoting well-being and preventing physician burnout. More recently, I decided to enhance my offerings beyond workshops and educational seminars, leading me to complete the Coaching Certificate Training at the Healthcare Coaching Institute in 2018.

In addition to coaching, I continue to teach family medicine residents, which allows me to remain even more connected to my clients’ realities. I am also experienced in physician leadership, mind/body medicine, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. I combine all of these experiences, practices, and framings to help medical professionals evaluate their goals, reconnect with their passions in healthcare, and achieve their personal and professional objectives.

Today, you can find me speaking, coaching, and continuing to learn. When I am not deeply embedded in my work, I love traveling with my family, kayaking, and long-distance running.

Professional Achievements

• Medical School – University of Kansas School of Medicine
• Residency – Family Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Chief Resident – Family Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Fellowship – Faculty Development, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Fellowship – Family Systems Medicine, University of Rochester
• Founder of Dael Waxman MD Coaching and Consulting
• Professor Emeritus of Family Medicine at Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC
• Physician Coach with MD Coaches ☤

To learn more about Dael Waxman, MD, visit https://www.mymdcoaches.com/dael/dr.-dael-waxman