NerdMDs StackBytes
A rapid‑fire audio companion to NerdMDs Substack writing—each episode packs a recent essay, insight, or framework into a 10‑minute listen. Perfect for your coffee break or between meetings, StackBytes delivers:
Top takeaways from the latest Substack @ Rewskidotcom.substack.com
Actionable tips you can apply today in clinical practice, health tech, or productivity
Concise reflections that complement the written piece
When it drops: Between every main podcast interview, so you never miss a fresh StackByte. Tune in, think different—and stay efficient. Subscribing ensures you catch every byte, straight from the page to your ears.
🎧 StackByte Episode Summary:
In this StackByte episode of Efficiency Unlocked, the digital AI hosts (courtesy of NotebookLM) shares the story behind his bold departure from a secure Chief Medical Information Officer role at Kaiser Permanente to join a healthcare startup. Framed around his Substack piece "I Left My CMIO Role to Join a Startup - And Ended up Finding My Tribe", the episode delves into themes of reinvention, fulfillment, and building systems from the ground up. It's a thoughtful narrative on how stepping away from legacy institutions can lead to discovering one’s tribe and reshaping healthcare with agility, creativity, and purpose.
🔹 00:00 – Intro & Setup
The hosts introduce the episode’s theme: a deep dive into Dr. Carewe’s transition from a prestigious informatics role to startup life. They frame the conversation around questions of innovation, fulfillment, and what it means to find your professional community.
🔹 01:00 – Leaving Without Burnout
Dr. Carewe’s story begins with him leaving his CMIO post, not out of burnout but driven by aspiration. He reflects on a pivotal moment of silence in his car, a symbol of the major shift he was about to undertake. “It wasn’t a reaction against something bad... but being pulled toward something else.”
🔹 02:00 – The Inner Voice & Bigger Questions
The conversation touches on the internal nudges that led to his career pivot. Rather than merely improving existing systems, Carewe felt compelled to reimagine them entirely. He started asking: “What if your next chapter is defined less by security and more by creativity?”
🔹 03:00 – From Continuity to Informatics
Carewe’s journey from family medicine into health tech is outlined. His desire to bridge technology with true patient-centered care guided his work, as he championed clinician voices in tech design and innovated within the EHR landscape at Kaiser.
🔹 04:00 – Cracks in the System
Despite a successful career, Dr. Carewe began noticing “cracks”—tech adding complexity, patient journeys becoming convoluted. These realizations intensified his resolve to build anew, not just iterate on old frameworks.
🔹 05:00 – Building New Muscles
He shares how he started immersing himself in the startup world, learning product, VC, and design thinking. He joined a Slack group for clinician-VCs and began absorbing insights, not through formal education but “learning by osmosis.”
🔹 06:00 – The Opportunity & Leap
Carewe responds to a job post in the Slack group—one that felt serious due to being shared by TJ Parker (of PillPack/Amazon fame). He joins a stealth startup focused on reinventing triage services, embracing a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
🔹 06:45 – Role & Impact
At the startup, Carewe plays a pivotal role, serving as a translator between clinical needs and product design. He brings frontline insight while learning the startup language, contributing to the rapid success of the platform now known as General Medicine.
🔹 07:44 – When the Time is “Right”
The hosts reflect on Carewe’s idea that the timing wasn’t perfect, but it was “right.” The leap made sense not because of ideal conditions, but due to readiness and alignment with personal growth goals.
🔹 08:40 – A New Way to Practice Medicine
Carewe’s parting insight: “I didn’t leave medicine. I just started practicing it differently.” His story encourages others to see cracks as entry points for transformation and to seek out the communities that empower bold innovation.
🔹 09:00 – Final Thoughts & Call to Action
The episode ends by inviting listeners to reflect on their own paths—how might noticing the cracks in the system become the start of reimagining it? And what does it mean to truly find your tribe in professional life?
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