Part 1: The Multifaceted Career

What happens when the “perfect” medical specialty no longer fits, and you dare to forge a new path?

In this Echo Episode, Dr. Andrea Austin sits down with Dr. Kim Chan Ko, a former academic ophthalmologist and co-founder of Ketamine Startup, to explore her transition from repairing eyes to building a ketamine infusion clinic and teaching other physicians to do the same. Kim opens up about the challenges of practicing at a high-pressure Level 1 trauma center, the emotional weight of patient care, and the struggle to reconcile her identity as an ophthalmologist with her need for creativity and connection.

Through personal development coaching and a circuitous journey, Kim discovered her passion for patient education, mentorship, and innovative healthcare models. She shares how embracing her multifaceted identity and saying “yes” to new opportunities—like video editing and coaching—paved the way for her current work. This episode dives into the power of redefining “physician,” the value of coaching for personal growth, and the courage to step away from traditional medicine to serve patients on your own terms.

You’ll hear how they:

• Navigate the emotional and professional challenges of leaving a specialty that no longer aligns
• Use coaching to uncover personal strengths and reframe physician identity
• Embrace creative outlets like video editing to build new ventures in healthcare
• Highlight the growing trend of physicians starting independent practices, from ketamine clinics to telemedicine

If you’re a physician feeling stuck or seeking a more fulfilling career, this episode offers honest insights and practical inspiration for your own journey.

About the Guest

“I am a multifaceted individual. I am just practicing medicine.” – Dr. Kim Chan Ko
Dr. Kim Chan Ko is a board-certified ophthalmologist, diplomat of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and co-founder of Ketamine Startup, an online course teaching physicians to open ketamine infusion clinics. After years as creative director of Reset Ketamine in Palm Springs, CA, alongside her emergency physician husband, Kim stepped away from academic ophthalmology to pursue a path aligned with her passions for patient education, mentorship, and innovative healthcare. Her journey through burnout and coaching has shaped her mission to help physicians find clarity and build fulfilling careers.

📍 Connect with Kim
Website: https://www.ketaminestartup.com

 

📚 Resources + Mentions

· 🔗 Co-Active Training Institute (formerly CTI): https://coactive.com
· 🔗 Reset Ketamine: https://www.resetketamine.com

🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways

1. Redefine Your Identity as a Physician: Shifting from “I am an ophthalmologist” to “I practice medicine” opens up possibilities for multifaceted roles and reduces the pressure of tying your worth to a single specialty.
2. Embrace the Meandering Journey: Career transitions don’t need to be linear. Exploring passions like teaching, mentoring, or creative skills can lead to unexpected and fulfilling paths.
3. Coaching Unlocks Growth: Personal development programs, like the Co-Active Training Institute, help physicians ask powerful questions, foster self-discovery, and find clarity in their professional and personal lives.

🩺 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.