We are back after a bit of a hiatus.

Medical education has a reputation for being intense, hierarchical, and emotionally grueling. But what if we designed it differently?

In this episode of YOU OUGHTA KNOW: The Motivation Series, Matt sits down with Dr. Adam Neufeld, Family Physician & Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, to explore how Self-Determination Theory (SDT) can transform the way physicians are trained, supported, and developed. Drawing on his experience as both a clinician and medical educator, Adam unpacks the motivational pressures embedded in medical culture, from perfectionism and burnout to fear-based assessment and emotional suppression.

Together, Matt and Adam examine how autonomy support, meaningful feedback, psychological safety, and human-centered relationships can create more resilient physicians and better patient outcomes. Along the way, they connect SDT to real-world challenges like medical errors, patient disengagement, team-based care, and the hidden curriculum of higher education.

This is a powerful conversation about rigor without rigidity, excellence without exhaustion, and what happens when we design learning environments that actually support human motivation.

• Rigor does not require control, fear, or humiliation

• Autonomy support works even in high-stakes, hierarchical environments

• Burnout is not an individual weakness but a systemic outcome

• Feedback should fuel growth, not performance anxiety

• Human connection is central to both learning and healing

• Motivation science is as essential to healthcare as medical knowledge

Some of our favorite articles by Adam include:

Orsini, C., Neufeld, A. (2026). Ten tips for supporting clinical teachers’ motivation to teach. Canadian Family Physician, 72(1), 51-3. https://doi.org/10.46747/cfp.720151

Neufeld, A. (2025). When I say autonomy. When I say, Advance Online, . https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.70051

Neufeld, A. (2025). Putting self-determination theory Into practice: A practical tool for supporting medical learners’ motivation. The Clinical Teacher, 22(4), Article e70140. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.70140