Torres Hodges Podiatry

06/10/2026

06/08/2026

Most of us think we’re making choices.

But most of the time, we’re just picking our favorite corner of a box someone else built.

This week, a software “upgrade” reminded me how that happens in medicine, too.

https://open.substack.com/pub/drgracedpm/p/when-defaults-decide-for-us?r=zs5po&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

06/01/2026

If your hurricane plan is “I bought better flashlights,” you don’t have a plan.

In medicine, “don’t worry, reforms are coming” is the same move. We keep tweaking rules and payment formulas and calling it progress.

The hard truth: the water owns this house. And we’re still living in the flood zone.



https://open.substack.com/pub/drgracedpm/p/its-hurricane-season-in-healthcare?r=zs5po&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

05/25/2026

Our world in medicine is pretty obsessed with optimization—better schedules, more autonomy, less burnout. I’m all for that, and it’s what I talk and write about a lot.

But this week, I went a little more personal - my parents’ 60-year marriage and what “showing up” over six decades really looks like.

A good reminder that some outcomes in life and in medicine aren’t meant to be optimized—just faithfully sustained.

https://open.substack.com/pub/drgracedpm/p/sixty-years-and-counting?r=zs5po&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

05/20/2026

05/18/2026

I have a lot of empathy for the next generation of doctors.

They’re walking into a system that can be meaningful and beautiful, but also heavy, confusing, and sometimes harsh. Many of us went in with a simple message: ‘Study hard, sacrifice now, and it’ll all be worth it.’ For some, that held true. For many, the reality was much more complicated.

We’ve seen what happens when no one talks about burnout, boundaries, contracts, or the emotional cost of always saying yes.

We can’t change what we weren’t told.
But we can change what we tell them.

They deserve honesty, options, and support—not just once they’re struggling, but before they ever step into this profession.

https://open.substack.com/pub/drgracedpm/p/before-they-step-into-medicine?r=zs5po&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web