Lance Wagner
Physician Coach for fulfillment & well-being at all career stages
Admissions Committee at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Admissions Committee at New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA)
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Lance's Offerings
Custom hourly · $225/hr
Get help with Board Certification, Interview Prep, and .
Lance’s Physician & Medical Practice Qualifications
Coaches professionally
Experience level: Executive
With more than three decades of experience in anesthesiology and medical leadership, I bring deep clinical and organizational insight to help physicians navigate career challenges and create more sustainable, fulfilling professional lives. My commitment to physician well-being was shaped by witnessing the devastating effects of stress and substance use among colleagues. After personal health challenges redirected my path away from clinical practice, I focused my energy on advocacy, organized medicine, and professional coaching in support of physician well-being—from residency through retirement. I offer a safe, confidential harbor where physicians can gain insight into their values, strengths, and goals, reconnect with what matters most, and move toward a future they can truly embrace. Together, we create space for honest reflection, renewed perspective, and purposeful next steps. Specialty choices or changes, job transitions, communication challenges, imposter thoughts, leadership aspirations, family time and work-life balance, practicing while living with illness, retirement decisions, and legacy are among the topics we might explore as partners in a coaching relationship.
Lance can help with:
Board Certification
Interview Prep
Networking Strategy
Residency Planning
Resume Review
About Lance
For more than three decades, medicine has been central to my life. As an anesthesiologist, physician leader, department chair, and medical educator, I experienced both the privilege of caring for patients and the demanding realities physicians experience every day. Throughout my career, I have worked alongside and supported physicians at many stages—from trainees finding their footing to experienced clinicians considering what comes next. I have seen the pride, purpose, and deep commitment that bring people to medicine. I have also seen how chronic stress, changing systems, difficult transitions, illness, competing responsibilities, and isolation can gradually distance physicians from the work and lives they once envisioned. My commitment to physician well-being deepened after witnessing the serious consequences of stress and substance use among colleagues. Later, personal health challenges redirected my own path away from clinical practice. That experience strengthened my appreciation for the importance of reflection, support, and intentionally shaping a meaningful next chapter. Today, I bring my clinical and organizational experience to advocacy, organized medicine, physician well-being, and professional coaching. My work is grounded in respect for the complexity of physicians’ lives and in the belief that a fulfilling career is not merely about enduring medicine—it is about creating a professional life that is sustainable, purposeful, and aligned with what matters most. From residency through retirement, I help physicians reconnect with what matters and move forward with greater clarity, resilience, and intention.
Why do I coach?
I coach because I care. I coach because physicians deserve a confidential place to be fully human—not only competent, productive, and resilient, but also uncertain, reflective, and honest about what they need. Medicine offers extraordinary meaning, but it can also ask a great deal: long training, relentless responsibility, difficult systems, career uncertainty, family pressures, health concerns, leadership demands, and questions about identity or purpose. Too often, physicians face these realities in isolation or assume that seeking support means they are failing. I believe that meaningful change begins when physicians have room to pause, be heard without judgment, and reconnect with their own values, strengths, and aspirations. Coaching is not about telling you what to do or asking you simply to tolerate an unsustainable situation. It is a collaborative process for gaining perspective, recognizing choices, and taking intentional steps toward a career and life that fit. Whether you are selecting a specialty, navigating a job or career transition, finding your voice as a leader, rebuilding balance, practicing while living with illness, preparing for retirement, or considering the legacy you want to create, I will meet you where you are. Together, we will make space for clarity, possibility, and a future you can genuinely embrace.
Work Experience
Enrollee
Physician Coaching Institute
March 2026 - Present
I am enrolled in the Certified Physician Development Coach Program at PCI. I plan to expand on this training, achieve ICF certification, and utilize these skills to enhance wellbeing for both individual physicians and groups.
VIce President
New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA)
December 2025 - Present
Admissions Committee
While not academic in nature I was very active on the search committee to replace our society's Executive Director. As Vice President my roles include furthering the Academic, clinical, and advocacy initiatives of our 4,500 member society. My particular focus is on enhancing well being for our physicians from residency to retirement.
Treasurer
New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA)
December 2023 - December 2025
Chief Of Anesthesiology
NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn
September 2019 - April 2022
Overview: Developed policy and procedure in response to new practice guidelines, regulatory updates, or clinical issues. Projects included capnography during transport of newly intubated patients, blood conservation, perioperative glucose control, and controlled medication tracking. Developed guidelines and teaching tools for safe airway management during COVID-19 including proper use of PPE and airway equipment. Worked closely with nursing and supply chain to ensure timely availability of all necessary items for the vast number of intubations occurring during the peak of the pandemic.
Advisory Board Member
Medical Society of the State of New York
January 2017 - Present
The CPH is a division of the Medical Society of the State of New York which provides confidential and non-disciplinary support to physicians recovering from substance related or psychiatric impairment. Duties of committee members include oversight of policy, discussion of initiatives, as well as review of challenging active cases concerning involved healthcare providers.
Board Member
Academic Group
2012 - 2016
Board of Governors of Professional Liability Corporation Governance Committee Claims Committee
Attending Physician, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department Vice Chair
SUNY Downstate College of Medicine
September 2006 - September 2016
In this role I was part of the Departmental Executive Committee. In addition to managing LMC I was involved in budget, staffing, and hiring for all the sites in the department. I was deeply involved in development of new GI, ASC, and hospital practices for the department, including the creation of business plans, contracts, financial arrangements, site evaluations, and ultimately staffing and practice implementation. These practices included GI at the Staten Island Physician’s Partnership, Anesthesiology services at Kingsbrook Medical Center, and Ambulatory Surgery at SUNY Bay Ridge. I additionally served actively on the SUNY Clinical Practice Plan Board and the Finance Committee.
Chairman
Lutheran Medical Center
May 2003 - December 2016
Interviewer
As department chairman I was responsible for all clinical, administrative, and educational activities. Interviewing, hiring, team building, orientation and HR management were key to creating a high performing department. Hiring decisions were mine to make and I relished detailed background checks and direct verbal references from prior leadership. Quality, efficiency, budgeting, policy and procedure were all under my domain. As an SVP for the hospital I had broad committee responsibility including credentialing and search committee work.
Committee Chair
SUNY Downstate College of Medicine
January 1992 - September 2019
This position as the chair of the Wellness Committee covered all the sites of the SUNY Downstate program. Having seen affected colleagues’ life, health, and careers affected while I was a resident I was passionate in this role. I have handled numerous interventions for challenged physicians, guiding them towards potentially life and career saving rehabilitation, re-entry, or redirection. In addition to investigation and interventions I did both policy work and annual education for the department. Substance abuse disorder, fatigue, and stress management were our main points of focus.
Education
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
M.D, Medicine
1984 - 1988
Admissions Committee Experience
I completed medical school, residency in anesthesiology, served as chief resident and a completed a fellowship in Cardiac Anesthesiology at SUNY Downstate. I continued on faculty becoming Clinical Director, and then became Chairman and SVP at Lutheran Medical Center when the SUNY group was selected to run their Anesthesiology Department. I remained Vice Chair for operations and continued to lead the Downstate departmental Wellness Committee while at LMC. I did participate in some resident interviews for the SUNY program. I also did residency interviews for NYU when NYU merged with and acquired Lutheran Medical Center.
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry
1980 - 1984
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