Episode
E189 - The Heart of the Matter: Paul Fedak on the Pursuit of Balance and Excellence
- Published
- Mar 17, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3181
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://share.transistor.fm/s/e4c7d136
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Summary
Paul Fedak is a cardiac surgeon and translational scientist at the University of Calgary. He has written and spoken about what it means to pursue excellence and what it might cost us. Dr. Fedak unexpectedly had to cut short his clinical career as a surgeon due to spinal cord issues. The result has been a powerful exploration about identity, meaning, burnout and the pursuit of excellence. This is a conversation about that pursuit. Bio: https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/paul-fedak Links: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-as-a-heart-surgeon-i-chased-excellence-it-cost-me-my-body-and-my-mind/ http://paulfedak.com/ https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_fedak_beyond_mastery_how_a_heart_surgeon_found_his_own_heart https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-the-mountain-decides-who-goes-and-who-stays