The AI Tool I Keep Talking About Because It’s Actually Making My Life Easier
May 27, 2026
There are a few things I become deeply annoying about once I discover them.
Good Nigerian food. A skincare product that actually works. A bra that doesn’t feel like punishment.
And now? NotebookLM.
I have talked about this tool so much recently that I finally realized I needed to record a podcast episode because clearly I was becoming that person.
You know the one. The person who somehow turns every conversation into:
“Okay but have you tried this one AI tool though?”
And honestly? I accept it.
Because this thing is genuinely useful.
Especially for physician moms.
Most AI Tools Feel Impressive… Until They Start Making Stuff Up
Most people know the big AI names now. ChatGPT. Claude. Gemini. Copilot.
They’re trained on the internet, which is what makes them powerful.
But also? That’s the problem.
Because the internet is full of nonsense.
And sometimes these tools will confidently hand you completely incorrect information with the energy of a senior resident who absolutely refuses to admit they don’t know the answer.
That part makes people nervous. Especially physicians.
We’re trained to verify information. We’re trained to question sources. We’re trained to notice details.
So when AI starts hallucinating, physicians immediately get the ick.
Fair.
But NotebookLM works differently.
And that’s why I love it.
Why NotebookLM Feels Different
NotebookLM only pulls from the sources YOU upload.
That’s it.
You can upload:
PDFs
Research articles
Google Docs
Websites
YouTube videos
Audio files
And then it uses only those materials to answer questions.
Not random internet nonsense.
YOUR sources.
Honestly, it feels like having a research assistant who:
remembers everything
organizes information instantly
cites her sources properly
and never gets offended when you ask follow-up questions
Which frankly makes her more emotionally stable than some people I met in residency.
The Part Physicians Will Love Most
The citations.
Every time NotebookLM gives you information, it tells you exactly where it came from.
You can hover over the citation and see the exact section from the document.
That part alone makes my physician brain relax.
Because I don’t have to wonder:
“Okay but where did you get THAT from?”
It’s right there.
No scavenger hunt. No vibes-based medicine. No trusting an AI model that sounds persuasive because it used bullet points.
The MOC Example That Changed Everything
Another physician mom actually introduced me to NotebookLM.
She saw me talking about using ChatGPT while studying for my maintenance of certification and told me to try it.
And immediately I understood the hype.
Also, before somebody starts clutching pearls:
No, I am not cheating on my MOCs.
Please.
Most of us are already doing the exact same thing:
Reading the question. Then aggressively Ctrl + F’ing through the article like our lives depend on it.
NotebookLM just makes the process more efficient.
And honestly? Physician moms need efficiency.
Not more suffering for the sake of appearances.
Physician Moms Do Not Need More Martyrdom
One thing I think we struggle with culturally in medicine is this idea that everything has to be hard to count.
If something makes life easier, people immediately become suspicious.
Especially mothers.
Especially physician mothers.
But I’m deeply uninterested in performative struggle at this point in my life.
If there is a tool that helps me:
save time
reduce mental load
organize information faster
protect my energy
create more space in my life
…I’m going to use it.
And I think more physician moms should too.
Not because productivity is the ultimate goal.
But because our time matters.
Our peace matters.
And some of y’all are spending two extra hours manually searching documents after the kids go to bed because medicine trained us to believe exhaustion equals virtue.
Absolutely not.
AI Is Not Going Away
I know some people are uncomfortable with AI.
And honestly, some concerns are completely valid.
But this is where we are.
AI is not disappearing.
So my personal belief is that physicians need to be involved in shaping how these tools are used responsibly instead of pretending they don’t exist.
Because if people who actually care about ethics, nuance, and patient care stay out of the conversation?
That won’t end well.
We need physicians involved.
And physician moms especially understand nuance, complexity, multitasking, emotional labor, critical thinking, and decision-making under pressure.
In other words:
You are actually very well-positioned to use these tools intelligently.
What I Really Want for Physician Moms
At the end of the day, this isn’t really about AI.
It’s about capacity.
It’s about creating a life where everything doesn’t feel unnecessarily hard all the time.
It’s about finding ways to support yourself instead of constantly white-knuckling your way through motherhood, medicine, and life.
And honestly?
If a little AI assistant can help you reclaim some time and mental energy so you can rest, be present with your kids, build your business, pursue leadership, or simply sit in silence without somebody asking you where their water bottle is…
I support it wholeheartedly.
Even if it does make me sound like the neighborhood AI auntie.
Which, apparently, is now part of my brand.
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