Leading Through Uncertainty: Unpacking EM’s Future with Dr. Gillian Schmitz

What does it take to lead emergency medicine through unprecedented challenges like workforce shortages and systemic burnout?

In this Heartline Echo Episode, Dr. Andrea Austin sits down with Dr. Gillian Schmitz to explore her career trajectory, from civilian roles in military medicine to becoming ACEP’s past president. Gillian reflects on her path, inspired by her father’s military service, and how she balanced family life with a demanding career. They discuss the hidden opportunities in government jobs like those at the VA or Uniformed Services University, the resilience of EM physicians, and the impact of events like the FM talk that reshaped her focus on advocacy.

You’ll hear how they:

• Navigate civilian careers in military and VA settings, highlighting opportunities for academic and clinical roles
• Address burnout and moral injury in EM, emphasizing resilience, teamwork, and the need for systemic support
• Explore leadership in organized medicine, from grassroots involvement to national policy influence
• Discuss evolving reimbursement models, like the shift to thought-process-based documentation for better compensation

If you’re an EM physician facing burnout or seeking ways to amplify your voice in healthcare policy, this episode offers inspiration, practical advice, and a call to action for involvement in organized medicine.

About the Guests

“Emergency physicians are resilient—we adapt to challenging situations with little information and make the best of it.” – Dr. Gillian Schmitz

Dr. Gillian Schmitz is a professor at the Uniformed Services University and an emergency physician at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. As the  past president and a member of the Board of Directors of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), she has been a leading voice in addressing workforce challenges, burnout, and policy reform in emergency medicine. A civilian working in military medicine, Gillian’s career blends clinical practice, academic teaching, and advocacy, inspired by her commitment to serving those who serve the country. Her work focuses on fostering resilience, improving team dynamics, and advocating for systemic changes to support emergency physicians.

📍 Connect with Gillian

LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillian-schmitz-md-facep-8a5b5b1a/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillian-schmitz-b88794302/

📚 Resources + Mentions

· 🔗 American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP (https://www.acep.org/) )

· 🔗 Uniformed Services University Job Opportunities (https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/uniformed-services-university-of-the-health-sciences-jobs)

· 🔗 FM Talk by Dr. Gillian Schmitz (https://www.acepnow.com/article/qa-with-new-acep-president-dr-gillian-schmitz/)

· 🔗 Recalibrate: Group Coaching for Physicians (https://learn.coachingfordoctors.net.au/recalibrate-application)

🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways

• Explore Civilian Roles in Military Medicine: As a civilian, you can work in VA or military settings like the Uniformed Services University—ask around for openings and leverage networks for academic and clinical opportunities.
• Combat Burnout with Resilience and Teamwork: EM physicians thrive by adapting to challenges; focus on teamwork, advocacy, and organized medicine to address moral injury and systemic issues like workforce shortages.
• Embrace New Reimbursement Models: Shift to documenting thought processes and differentials for better compensation under updated guidelines, reducing unnecessary tests while improving patient care and practice sustainability.

🩺 About the Host:

Dr. Andrea Austin is a board-certified emergency physician, educator, and passionate advocate for system-level change in healthcare. As the creator and host of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Austin brings curiosity, compassion, and bold honesty to conversations with leaders who are challenging the norms and reshaping medicine from the inside out.

With decades of experience in high-pressure clinical environments, Andrea has seen firsthand the cracks in the system—and the people working to repair them. Whether she’s mentoring residents, speaking on national stages, or recording with a fellow disruptor, she centers one theme: change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens heart to heart.

💫 About the Show:

Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare isn’t just a podcast—it’s a pulse check on what’s possible.

Hosted by emergency physician and educator Dr. Andrea Austin, Heartline features conversations with healthcare leaders, innovators, and quiet disruptors who are challenging the way things have always been done.

Each episode explores real stories of change—from redefining leadership and communication, to reimagining systems built on burnout and hierarchy. This is a space for truth-telling, for asking better questions, and for reconnecting with the reason we all got into medicine in the first place: to make it better.

This isn’t about perfection…