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A Doctor’s Guide to Overcome Your Emotional Flatline

White Coat, Black Face

Part memoir, part roadmap—Dr. Pamela Buchanan shows you how to rise from the emotional flatline and live life on your terms.

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About The Book

The Emotional Flatline is Real. This is the Revival.

What happens when you give everything to your career, your family, your community— and have nothing left for yourself?

Dr. Pamela Buchanan calls it the emotional flatline—a silent, soul-crushing collapse that feels like burnout, but runs much deeper. And for her, it hit hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As an emergency room physician on the front lines of a global crisis, Dr. Buchanan witnessed the devastation of an overwhelmed, broken healthcare system—especially for women, people of color, and the underserved. She kept going, caring for others through fear, chaos, and trauma… until there was nothing left of her to give.

White Coat, Black Face isn’t just a memoir. It’s a lifeline.

It’s the story of what happens when the healer needs healing. In White Coat, Black Face, Dr. Buchanan shares her unfiltered journey through emotional collapse—and the radical steps she took to recover and rise.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Break the burnout cycle that’s stealing your life
  • Reclaim your identity, energy, and sense of purpose
  • Navigate bias, microaggressions, and chronic exhaustion
  • Create a career—and a life—that honors your whole self

Whether you’re in medicine, education, business, or caregiving—this book will help you rise from the flatline to fulfillment.

Foreword by KIM DOWNEY

As the Community Ambassador for Medicine Forward and an Ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation, Kim Downey brings a unique perspective to healthcare as both a physical therapist and a three-time cancer survivor. Her personal journey has provided her with profound insights into the clinical and human dimensions of medicine.

Through meaningful conversations with countless physicians, Kim has developed a deep understanding of the challenges they face—ranging from loss of autonomy and frustrations with electronic medical records to burnout and moral injury.

Kim's mission is to raise awareness, foster support, and promote physician wellness—driving positive change that benefits both doctors and patients.

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Reader Reviews

“This book is incredible and powerful—like you, Dr. Buchanan. I felt like I was walking alongside of you, and I appreciate the opportunity to witness your journey. I look forward to purchasing this book when it comes out and recommending it widely—so many will feel seen and validated through your stories. This book will save lives from suicide… and even more souls who are walking through life ‘emotionally flatlined.’”
Jillian-Rigert

Jillian Rigert, DMD, MD
Martha Beck Wayfinder Master Coach

"If you work in healthcare, read this. If you lead a healthcare team, assign this. If you've ever felt the quiet ache of being everything to everyone while no one checked on you, this book might just save your spirit. Let's use this as a tool for real conversations...for healing circles. For remembering why we chose this work in the first place, and how we can make it sustainable for ourselves and each other."
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Aneesha Smith, RNC-OB
Maternal Health Clinician

about the author

Dr. Pamela Buchanan is a board-certified physician, TEDx speaker, and mental health advocate with over 20 years in emergency and private practice medicine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she fought to save others while silently losing herself—until she experienced a personal crash she calls the emotional flatline.

Now, through her Strong Medicine brand, coaching, and speaking, she helps others heal—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Her message is universal:

  • You can come back from the brink.
  • You can reclaim your power.
  • You can revive your life.
Pamela Buchanan MD

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