Episode 3: Dr. Adam Sandell on the Cost of Caring and the Future of Work

What happens when your work is a calling—but the job starts to grind you down?

In this episode of My Robot Boss, Devon speaks with Dr. Adam Sandell—ER physician, writer, and former human rights lawyer—about the paradoxes of purpose-driven work. From his remote post on a First Nations reserve in British Columbia, Adam shares a deeply human view on what it means to help others, the cost of caring, and why burnout is often a byproduct of meaning.

We explore:

• Why people in mission-driven roles struggle with boundaries
• What AI can and can’t replace in high-empathy professions
• The promise and perils of AI in medical settings—from scribes to decision support
• How feedback and coaching from AI could transform how we work and grow
• The rising difficulty (and necessity) of having hard conversations—and whether AI can help

Whether you’re in healthcare, social impact, education, or just thinking about what a “good” working life really means, this conversation will resonate.

Read more of Adam’s work at www.adamsandell.net