Dr. Jalees Razavi on Occupational Medicine Leadership, Specialty Recognition in Canada, and the Anatomy of Burnout

On the Underdog Physician podcast, Dr. Jalees Razavi, an occupational and environmental medicine specialist and author of The Anatomy of Burnout, shares how the Bhopal gas disaster inspired his career and training in Canada at the University of Alberta and the University of Toronto. He recounts leading occupational health efforts at Saudi Aramco, including a firefighter wellness program focused on nutrition, exercise, and heat tolerance, and later serving as executive director for Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil in Canada before consulting for companies and workers’ compensation boards. As current Vice Chair of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s Specialty Committee in Occupational Medicine, he explains the team-based strategy, communication, and external review process that achieved approval for occupational medicine to become a full Royal College specialty by 2027. He argues burnout is an organizational dose-response phenomenon often misidentified as depression, critiques superficial wellness programs, and describes his own routines, views on supplements and longevity, and the legacy of fairness and integrity he hopes to leave.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:42 Bhopal Disaster Spark

02:58 Training in Canada

04:08 Saudi Aramco Leadership

06:18 Back to Canada Career

07:02 Royal College Specialty Push

14:35 Burnout Misunderstood

19:24 Daily Routine and Focus

21:56 Supplements and Longevity

25:06 Legacy and Next Book

26:03 How to Connect and Closing

https://www.razavioccmed.com/about