VITAL WorkLife

Physician Peer Coach and Consulting Physician

GR Coaching and Consulting

Founder and Executive Coach

ChristianaCare

Clinical Faculty, Department of Medicine

Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program

Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program

Program Director, Transitional Year Residency Program

US Army

Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program, Tripler Army Medical Center

Chief Resident, Department of Medicine, Tripler Army Medical Center

Resident Physician, Department of Medicine, Tripler Army Medical Center

Concur Technologies

Senior Consultant

Systems and Computer Technology

Product Consultant

I am an executive coach who empowers high-achieving professionals to elevate their leadership, embrace transitions, and thrive through change.

Change is hard, especially for high achievers who hold themselves to exceptionally high standards and value stability while often grappling with fear of failure.  

However, transitions don’t have to be daunting. Coaching can provide the tools and mindset to confidently navigate change with purpose and joy.

As your coach, I will partner with you through life's twists and turns, transforming these transitions into opportunities for growth and fulfillment. Through one-on-one coaching and tailored leadership development programming, I foster holistic personal and professional growth through every step of the journey.

--

My Story:

My story is filled with many unique chapters. In short, over the course of my career I’ve been a consultant, physician, military officer, healthcare leader, medical education leader, and professional coach -- often wearing three or more of these hats at the same time. Along the way, I’ve found the most joy in providing inspiring leadership through change and helping high-achieving individuals successfully navigate transitions and challenges. I look forward to utilizing my deep expertise in leadership, professional development, and coaching to help you elevate your leadership and thrive through change.

Gretchen Rickards

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁.

Today marks 13 years of marriage to my husband, Nealanjon (Neal) Das.

Our origin story breaks every workplace romance rule. He was my attending during residency, though the dynamic was far from romantic — I actually considered him the second scariest attending in the entire program. We didn’t start dating until after I graduated and stayed on as staff, and we fell in love against the backdrop of Hawaii.

But this post isn’t about how we met. It’s about a moment that changed everything.

During COVID, when I was physically and emotionally depleted but still pushing through, Neal had the courage to tell me I wasn’t OK. He also suggested I try the free physician peer coaching offered through my institution.

That one conversation opened the door to getting the support I needed and eventually led me to my purpose in coaching.

If not for that suggestion, I doubt I would have sought help on my own. The physician mentality of pushing through at all costs, never showing weakness, and always putting work and patients first, was deeply ingrained — even as a leader who regularly suggested wellbeing resources to others.

Over the years, we’ve navigated two children, two cats, seven moves, parental illness, breast cancer, a craniotomy, six job changes, and two major career transitions, and I can’t imagine a more supportive partner every step of the way.

In leadership circles, we celebrate mentors and sponsors, but we rarely acknowledge the partners who make our work possible — the ones who see us clearly even when we can’t see ourselves, and love us enough to tell us hard truths.

Neal, I’m grateful for you beyond words. Here’s to lucky 13 and many more.

Leadership and Transitions Coach | Physician | Educator | Lifelong Learner

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗿𝗮𝗽.

After a few days of recovery and reflection, I’m finally putting words to an unforgettable weekend.

Our inaugural 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 brought eleven women physicians together from across the country, representing different specialties and career stages, for a meaningful blend of leadership development, well-being, and community in Chadds Ford, PA.

When Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH and I created this retreat, our guiding intention was this: 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵. And based on what participants shared, many did.

The magic happened in the small group conversations, the honest stories shared over meals, and the space to pause and reconnect with what matters most. Many participants shared that they left with more clarity, stronger boundaries, new tools, and renewed confidence. Perhaps most powerfully, they left feeling part of a supportive community of women physicians and reminded that they aren’t alone.

To the remarkable women who joined us, thank you. Your openness and generosity shaped the entire experience. And sincere thanks to the Fairville Inn, InJest Events, and Laura Robinson for helping bring this retreat to life.

We’re already planning the next Lead Your Way Retreat for October 2026 at the same location. ✨ If you want priority updates as we finalize plans, feel free to reach out.

#WomenPhysicians #WomenInMedicine #PhysicianLeadership #PhysicianWellbeing #LeadershipDevelopment

“𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱.”

I recently caught up with a former coaching client, a woman physician I worked with nearly three years ago as she was preparing to negotiate a new contract. Back then, we focused on the fundamentals: knowing what she wanted, asking for it clearly, and trusting her own value.

Fast forward to today. Because of a family move, she needed to navigate another job transition. When we spoke a few months ago, I encouraged her to consider building in some time off between roles (if financially feasible) to create space for her and her young family to settle and reset.

She confidently negotiated for that and so much more, including:
✔️ A start date of her choosing, with several months off in between
✔️ A significantly higher salary than the initial offer
✔️ A signing bonus
✔️ An administrative role and title with protected time to do it well

She was glowing as she shared the news and expressed gratitude for the groundwork we laid together years ago.

She used the skills she built through coaching to design the job that fits the season she’s in now.

That’s the staying power of coaching: an empowered mindset, tools that last, and a career built with intention.

#LeadershipDevelopment #NegotiationSkills #LeadershipCoaching #SustainableLeadership

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𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Last Tuesday, my 12-year-old daughter was almost hit by a car while crossing to her bus stop. The stop sits on a busy road with poor visibility, made even more challenging by recent construction that has changed traffic patterns near our home. Needless to say, it was a frightening moment for both of us.

At 7:30 a.m., I called the school. By pure chance, the 6th grade principal, Ms. Katie King, picked up. She listened, empathized, and immediately connected me with the district’s transportation director, Mr. Tom Jenkins.

When I couldn’t reach Mr. Jenkins by phone, I sent an email. At 4:30 p.m., he called me back, agreed the situation was unsafe, and took immediate action. By the next morning, the bus stop had been moved to the end of our driveway.

Two days later, Ms. King followed up to express her concern and make sure everything had been resolved.

Listening, empathy, decisive action, accountability, follow through, and strong communication skills were present in every step of this experience.

The entire situation left my daughter feeling safe, our family feeling heard, and me grateful to be part of a district where compassionate, responsive, values-driven leadership isn’t just talked about – it’s practiced and role modeled.

I am proud to be part of Kennett Consolidated School District and so appreciative of the leadership team at Kennett Middle School.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆?

#leadership #everydayleadership #gratitude

𝗪𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱, 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

Last January, my family bought this “unplug” box on Etsy. We came up with the tagline together: 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘞𝘪-𝘍𝘪.

It’s been sitting on a shelf most of the year, but that phrase has become our family code for “Put down the device and be present with us.”

On a recent Saturday, I set an intention to be more present, so we finally put the box to use and ended up having an impromptu digital detox.

What unfolded felt almost magical and reminded me that connection doesn’t always require more time — just more intention.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 — 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

What tools or practices help you reset and reconnect?

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

This Giving Tuesday, I’m supporting the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation 
 — an organization dedicated to protecting the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare workers.

As an Ambassador, I’ve seen the impact they make through meaningful advocacy, education, and efforts to remove the stigma around help-seeking.

If you're looking to give today, I hope you'll consider this important mission. Because when we care for the people who care for us, we strengthen the entire foundation of healthcare.

𝘈 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴.

#GivingTuesday #PhysicianWellbeing #CareForTheCaregivers

𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 — 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀.

But if you're a healthcare professional building a business, exploring a pivot, or interviewing for non-clinical roles, your network matters more than ever.

That’s why I’m presenting:
𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭𝟬𝟭: 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹
📅 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 5 𝘢𝘵 8 𝘗𝘔 𝘌𝘛
🎤 SoMeDocs(Doctors on Social Media) 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢, 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 & 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦

I’ll share practical, timeless strategies to take the pain out of networking — especially for healthcare professionals navigating growth and transitions.

𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: The conference is offering 20% off. I’ll put the course link and the discount code in the comments.

Hope to see you there!

Open article: Networking 101: Timeless Principles for Today’s Healthcare Professional | SoMeDocs: Doctors on Social Media by doctorsonsocialmedia.com

Networking 101: Timeless Principles for Today’s Healthcare Professional | SoMeDocs: Doctors on Social Media

𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻?
You might not need more hours — you might need stronger boundaries.

I’ve had boundaries on the brain this week. They’ve come up in multiple coaching sessions and were also a key theme in my recent leadership retreat.

When the topic arises, it can feel a little nebulous. Here’s how I frame it with clients:

Boundaries aren’t about shutting people out. They’re about giving yourself permission to decide who and what gets access to your energy.

𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂:
→ Protect your well-being and mental space
→ Strengthen relationships through mutual respect
→ Increase focus and effectiveness at work
→ Build confidence and strengthen your leadership presence

Without them, we risk resentment, overcommitment, and exhaustion.

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁?
Pay attention to the moments when you feel resentful or emotionally drained. Those feelings are data points — clues indicating where a boundary may be missing or unclear.

The goal isn’t to build walls; it’s to open doors with intention.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀?

#Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #SustainableLeadership #Boundaries

SoMeDocs(Doctors on Social Media)

Website: https://doctorsonsocialmedia.com

In the digital world of today, health experts should be easily identified, and connected with, with no middleman. We make it happen.

After actively leveraging online platforms for close to a decade, I’ve grown to excel in (and love) personal branding, marketing, content creation, and business strategy. What makes me unique is that I’m not your average joe: I balance the knowledge and experience of having practices as a medical doctor (board-certified internist) with “mad skills” in the online world (my teenagers taught me to say that).

I founded SoMeDocs - short for “Doctors on Social Media” - to make it easier for my colleagues to build their own brands, for companies & patients looking for real health experts to find them, and for everyone to easily connect.

When people ask me for clarification, I sometimes tell them this: it’s like a modeling agency, but instead of beauty, we focus on the brains. We currently have 40,000+ followers across social media, and are rapidly growing.

Please subscribe to our website: it’s free! And if you’re an expert, join us!

Founder, Editor, & CEO

Built website landing page
Brought in physician co-chairs
Helped curate a speaker lineup
Did marketing for conference through somedocs and social media
Built landing pages for each lecture
Held meetings for speakers and with chairs
Organized an Ambassador Team
Ran conference, including all tech involved
Built conference package, now for purchase through website
Delivered a creative talk, as a speaker, about using the online world to market yourself as an aspiring, or existing, author

Conference Creator, Builder, and Organizer

PRWeek

Spoke at a panel about the evolution of the healthcare digital space, and now physicians are finding their rightful fit within it.

PRWeek Healthcare Influencer Panelist

InnovatorMD

Keynote lecturer at the Global Summit, lecturing on “Re-Equipping the Medical Toolbox: How to Leverage Online Tools in the 21st Century”

Keynote Speaker

Physicians Helping Physicians

Guest speaker in the virtual "What to consider Next" Conference Series.

Spoke about the power of online branding for physicians and about the landscape of the online world where it comes to communication of help and bridging the gap between patient and physician.

Guest Speaker

United Nations Commission for the Status of Women (CSW)

Guest Speaker at AMWA's first United Nations Commission on the Status of Women Parallel Event: Women, Health, and Equity: Progress and Challenges from 1995 to Present

Highland Medical, PC

Director of Quality & Outpatient Internist

Rush University Medical Center: Women in Medicine Summit

Served as speaker to 440 attendees, on the power of social media. Introduced attendees to this 'unconventional avenue' by pointing to successes of those who have traveled it, from an advocacy angle. Taught basic online tools to make the road easier in workshop format, as well (‘Healthcare Social Media 101').

Speaker

Women Physician Wellness Conference

CME Conference: Women Physician Wellness and Professional Development

Harvard Medical School

CME Conference: Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare

Guest Faculty

Harvard CME: Writing, Publishing, and Social Media for Healthcare Professionals

I'm a physician turned founder, consultant, and entrepreneur. I run a health media site, which I've built from the ground up (doctorsonsocialmedia.com), and continue to grow through original content, fruitful partnerships, and a blend of innovation and a unique edge.

Realizing early on that physicians could make a significant difference by leveraging the untapped medium of social media, I built this space, nicknamed SoMeDocs. Our goal is to promote autonomy for healthcare professionals everywhere, boasting 3 public arms:

1. Content: Magazine, SERIES (Like Netflix, But for Healthcare), and Podcast.
2. Directories: Doctor Directory, Student Directory, Experts for Doctors Directory, Job Board, Beyond Exam Rooms - with separate directories for Podcasts/Youtube, Books/Blogs, Speakers, Coaches, Communities, and Courses).
3. Lectures: On-Demand Lectures, or Live CONFERENCES.

We also offer memberships and several interactive Facebook Groups.

Today, SoMeDocs, short for Doctors on Social Media, has grown to 40,000+ followers across social media. I describe it like an Amazon, but for health, with an active marketplace at its hub, at doctorsonsocialmedia.com

Platform/Site: www.doctorsonsocialmedia.com
Handles: @SoMeDocs
FB groups: Facebook.com/groups/SideVentures, Facebook.com/groups/somedocsnetwork

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The Battle

Gretchen Rickards

Dana Corriel, MD

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The Battle

Gretchen Rickards

Dana Corriel, MD

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Gretchen Rickards's LinkedIn Performance

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