The latest episode of the NASS Governance Committee’s Burnout in Spine Care podcast series, Stuck in the Middle: Mid-Career Surgical Burnout and How to Reclaim Meaning in Practice, is now available through the NASS podcast channel. In this episode, Moises Googe, DO interviews Victor Chang, MD and Matthew Karek, MD, about the challenges of mid-career burnout among spine surgeons. They discuss how administrative pressures, shifting career milestones, and competing personal and professional responsibilities can affect fulfillment during this stage of practice. The conversation highlights strategies such as reconnecting with meaningful aspects of patient care, setting new professional goals, and prioritizing personal well-being to sustain a long and satisfying career.

The podcast is the third in the series (released every other week on Mondays) which explores physician well-being, burnout, and resilience through candid conversations with leaders in medicine who share both professional insights and personal experiences. Across episodes, experts examine the evolving challenges facing clinicians and researchers, including the cumulative impact of stress, shifting expectations in medical training, and the cultural barriers that have historically limited open dialogue around mental health in medicine.

Through these discussions, the series highlights practical strategies for recognizing burnout, supporting colleagues, and building healthier work environments. Emphasis is placed on normalizing these experiences, fostering connection, and identifying institutional and individual resources that promote long-term sustainability and fulfillment in clinical practice. Episodes feature speakers including:

• Christopher Ahuja, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FAANS
• Victor Chang, MD
• Michael Fehlings, MD, PhD, FRCSC
• Moises Googe, DO
• Roger Härtl, MD
• Melvin Helgeson, MD
• Matthew Karek, MD
• Peter Rhee, MD
• Rahul Shah, MD
• Jamie Wilson, MD, FRCS, MSc