Burnout, Recovery, and the Texas Medical Board: Dr. Brett Cordes’ Journey
Burnout rarely starts with a crash. It begins as a whisper—boredom at the peak, a shortened temper that leaks into home, a creeping sense that paperwork is winning over patients. We sit down with Dr. Brett Cordes, a practicing physician turned recovery advocate and coach, to trace a candid path from early warning signs to addiction, a hard reckoning with the Texas Medical Board, and—after years of delay and probation—a new way to serve the profession he loves.
Across an honest, unvarnished conversation, we unpack the signals clinicians often miss: the pursuit of external validation that props up self worth, the “grumpy” baseline that masks anxiety and depression, and the moment moral injury sets in when insurers overrule clinical judgment. Dr. Cordes names the system pressures that accelerate the slide—EMR overload, relentless coding demands, and a loss of autonomy—and explains how those forces can make good doctors feel like bystanders in their own practice. He also opens the black box of board proceedings: the first letter, the months of uncertainty, the adversarial hearing dynamic, and why counsel is essential to avoid unforced errors. COVID-era delays turned a one year suspension into years, and even after reinstatement, probation created barriers to payer contracts and hospital privileges, complicating any clean return to care.
The story doesn’t end in defeat. We explore practical ways to catch burnout early, set boundaries, and reclaim agency, alongside alternatives when clinical work no longer aligns with your values. Dr. Cordes shares how coaching physicians through burnout and regulatory fallout restored his purpose, and why he believes hospitals will soon be required to proactively identify and treat burnout. If you’re a clinician feeling stretched thin or a leader trying to protect your team, you’ll leave with clear warning signs to watch, steps to take before crisis, and resources to navigate legal and regulatory landmines with less fear and more clarity.
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Visit Dr. Brett Cordes’ Physician Resources below! – https://theburnoutdoc.com/
Brett Cordes is a recently retired ear nose, and throat physician and surgeon who is now launching his own private physician coaching business. His career was almost completely derailed as he battled the disease of addiction. However, through consistent daily work, founded in humility, he was able to re-join the career that he always loved. He is now coaching physicians with symptoms of burnout and substance abuse.
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