Frequently Asked Questions

Before you join our community or sign up for one of our transformative online courses, we want you to feel deeply confident in—and completely clear about—your investment.

Go ahead—ask us anything. We’re eager to help you feel seen, heard and understood.

I get so many emails about online courses. How is this different from any other course I’ve heard of or taken before?

Understory courses are written by and for women doctors—meaning we’ve been in your shoes and intimately understand your challenges and time constraints. We’ve structured every class with bang-for-your-buck (and takeaways-for-your-time) in mind—distilling the most impactful nuggets of wisdom into easy-to-digest information that’s presented clearly and up front. Our courses are also offered in multiple formats (podcasts, Zoom, emails, etc.)—so you can engage on a schedule that works for you (because you do plenty of working for everyone else as is).

We’ve talked with hundreds of women doctors to understand the biggest challenges, pain points and aha! moments for physicians. Our members have called our courses “literally life changing.”

How do I know if Understory courses are a good fit for me?

If you feel like something is missing in your day-to-day life, are overwhelmed by physician burnout or simply cannot get off the hamster wheel (you know, the one that starts with non-step messages in your inbox, overflowing paperwork and a packed clinical schedule—and ends with you returning home exhausted…only to do it all over again), our courses are for you. 

This doesn’t mean you don’t live an incredible life or that you want to quit medicine—things just aren’t quite as fulfilling as you expected, and you’re likely experiencing a slight (or major) lost sense of self. You see the value in what you do—but you’re wondering why the work you love also has to come with anxiety, overwhelm, numbness, and “empty tank” syndrome. You want a way to regain control over your time and over the way you experience medicine. Sound about right? If so, you belong here (with a whole heap of women who feel the same!).

Why might this work for me?

We’ve worked with over 2,000 women doctors, and the vast majority rank Understory programs as “excellent.” There are no other programs for Canadian doctors that look or feel like Understory—we’re the only organization that offers such diverse modalities (podcast, email, live, video) on such a broad range of topics relevant to women physicians.

We take this work incredibly seriously and spend a borderline ridiculous amount of time working with experts and writing courses that deliver real-world, sustainable results. Women have called our courses “life changing,” “inspiring in all the right places,” “so refreshing,” and much more. Check out our testimonials to get a feel for the results and transformations Understory members have experienced.



What kind of CME credits for physicians do you offer?

We are accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and are accredited for Mainpro CERT+ credits. Specialist physicians are able to claim self-study credits through Mainport Section 2 credits.

What’s inside your care packages?  

Our care packages are loving collaborations with Hygge Canada. We seek out incredible local women artisans to create different boxes relevant to each course. We include things like journals, best-selling books, pens, markers, self-care items (lip balm, body scrubs, cocktail mixes, teas, coffees, stickers, candles, scarves and blankets)—amongst an array of other delights and treasures.

Can I get the online course without the care package at a lower cost?

Absolutely! If you would like to slightly lower the cost of your course and waive shipping fees by foregoing a care package, please contact us for details.

I’m interested in teaching for Understory. Is that a possibility?

We are always looking for experts to join the Understory teaching family. If you have a great idea for an insightful, actionable, best-in-class course for women doctors—please reach out to us at hello@understory.me, and we can talk!

Do you offer refunds? 

We unfortunately do not. Understory is a volunteer-run non-profit organization—because we are not a big-box operation, we are unable to offer refunds at this time.

Do you offer a sliding scale? 

If you’re experiencing financial hardship, we would love to help you attend an Understory course. Please contact us, and we’ll figure out a way to develop an investment option that works for you.

Volunteer-run, accredited and registered non-profit organization offering transformative online courses and CME credits to busy women doctors in Canada.