Medicus

Ep 148 | Why Integrative Medicine? A Look at Health Beyond Disease with Dr. Jennifer Ron Oct 30, 2024

In this episode of Medicus, we’re diving into the world of integrative medicine—a healthcare approach that goes beyond symptom management to treat the whole person. We talk with Dr. Jennifer Ron, an emergency medicine and integrative medicine physician about her practice. Join us as we explore how traditional medicine can work hand-in-hand with integrative practices to offer a more holistic path to health and wellness.

Whether you’re curious about what integrative medicine really means, looking for insights on how nutrition impacts health, or interested in how these practices can work within a traditional medical framework, this episode has something for everyone. Tune in and discover how integrative medicine might just be the key to creating a healthcare system that truly heals.

To learn more about Dr. Ron’s DPEP program, you can visit her website at: https://www.healingcancerfromwithin.com

Episode produced by: Griffin K Johnson

Episode recording date: 10/07/2024

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Ep 147 | Careers in Healthcare: Health Educator Oct 16, 2024

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we spoke with Cathy Quach, MPH about her journey to becoming a health educator.

Cathy Quach, MPH is a health educator with the Aggie Mental Health Ambassadors Program at the University of California, Davis. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and a minor in theatre and dance. After undergrad, she worked as an emergency medical technician working in the greater Sacramento area, right just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspired by her experiences, she later pursued her masters of public Health at UC Davis and continued her passion for supporting the local community.

Episode produced by: Deborah Chen

Episode recording date: 7/11/2024

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Ep146 | The Autopsy in Medical Education Oct 02, 2024

The autopsy has wide-ranging benefits on medicine, public health, and research. However, the rates of autopsies performed in the hospital have declined tremendously over the past several decades. The autopsy, accordingly, is often overlooked in medical education today. Emily Hagen, MD, has taken great interest in this.

In this episode, we speak with Emily (former Medicus producer!) about her firsthand experiences with the autopsy, dating back to her pre-med days and continuing throughout her time at Stritch School of Medicine. She is a fierce advocate for the autopsy’s incorporation into medical education. While a medical student, Emily researched non-pathologist physicians’ experiences with and views toward the autopsy and she launched an autopsy observation program for Loyola medical students. The associated research has been presented at multiple academic conferences. She also helped to curate Autopsy/Forensic Pathology modules for the PathElective, an internationally utilized resource.

As an aspiring internist, Emily discusses the relevance of the autopsy to physicians and the medical community at large.

Tune in now to learn more about this important and interesting topic!

To connect with Emily, email her at esh73@cornell.edu.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 6/4/24

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Ep 145 | Genetic Testing Fraud Sep 18, 2024

In this episode, host Julien Stroumza sits down with Medicus member Jackie Tarsitano to discuss the alarming rise of genetic testing fraud, a multibillion-dollar scam that targets Medicare beneficiaries. Tune in as they explore the financial and ethical implications of this deceptive practice, shedding light on its impact on patients, healthcare providers, and the system as a whole. Jackie can be reached at jtarsitano@luc.edu

Episode produced by: Jackie Tarsitano

Episode recording date: 6/15/24

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Ep144 | MS4 Perspective: Neurosurgery Sep 04, 2024

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we chat about the field of Neurosurgery. Our guest, Dr. Deja Rush, shares advice on how to set yourself up for success regarding matching into this competitive specialty and shares tips to help you stand out both on paper and in person.

Deja Rush, MD, was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She is currently an incoming neurosurgery resident at Brown University. Deja attended The Ohio State University for college where she studied Biomedical Engineering and Spanish and graduated cum laude with honors research distinction. She went on to obtain her medical degree from Howard University where she finished first in her class and developed a passion for neurosurgery under the guidance of Dr. Damirez Fossett. Deja is extremely passionate about research that underscores disparities in healthcare, as well as mentorship, particularly for those underrepresented in neurosurgery.

To connect with Deja, reach out to her on Instagram or Twitter at @djrush8

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 5/2/24

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Ep 143 | Charity Care Lifelines: Breaking Free from Medical Debt with Jared Walker from Dollar For Aug 21, 2024

In the U.S., a medical emergency can quickly turn into a financial crisis, leaving many patients buried under insurmountable medical debt. In this episode, we delve into the world of medical debt relief with Jared Walker, the founder of Dollar For—a non-profit dedicated to helping patients eliminate their medical bills through hospital charity care. But how widespread are these programs, and where does the funding come from? Join us as we uncover the answers and share stories of lives changed by this vital work. Tune in now to learn how Dollar For is making a difference, one bill at a time.

You can follow Dollar For on Instagram and TikTok:

https://www.instagram.com/dollarfor/?hl=en

https://www.tiktok.com/@dollarfor?lang=en

And visit Dollar For at their website below!

https://dollarfor.org/

Episode produced by: Griffin K Johnson

Episode recording date: 7/24/2024

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep142 | Careers in Healthcare: Epidemiologist Aug 07, 2024

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we spoke with Simranjit Kaur, MPH about her journey to becoming an epidemiologist.

Simranjit Kaur, MPH is an epidemiologist at a local public health jurisdiction in Northern California. Before becoming an epidemiologist, her experience spans a wide range of disease management aspects related to COVID-19, including case investigation, infection control, and disease prevention. She also managed all COVID-19-related website content and played a key role in developing outreach materials. She received both her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and a Master of Public Health from the University of California Davis. She will be applying for medical schools in hopes of becoming a primary care physician to integrate her public health knowledge into her medical practice.

Episode produced by: Deborah Chen

Episode recording date: 3/29/2024

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Ep141 | MS4 Perspective: Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Jul 24, 2024

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we chat about the field of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics. Our guest, Bran Garcia, shares advice on how to set yourself up for success regarding matching into this unique specialty and shares tips to help you stand out both on paper and in person.

Brian Garcia, MD was born in Mexico City and immigrated to the United States at the age of 10. He grew up in a border town in south Texas, where he attended high school and completed his undergraduate education at Texas A&M International University. Growing up in a border town, he experienced the unique blend of Mexican American culture highlighted by its unique cuisine, traditions, and people. However, he also witnessed health disparities that exist within low-income communities.

Prior to medical school, Brian worked in construction where he learned valuable lessons about resilience and hard work, while noticing the detrimental effects on people’s health due to lack of access to care as well as the language barrier that exists between Spanish-speaking immigrants and physicians. These experiences inspired Brian to pursue a career in medicine. During medical school, he focused on finding ways to extend access to care among low-income communities and minorities. Brian chose to pursue a specialty in Internal Medicine-Pediatrics because it allows him to treat patients of all ages while also working and learning from colleagues in other specialties. Brian is now an Internal Medicine-Pediatrics resident at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York.

If you would like to connect with Brian, reach out to him via email at bgarcia7@luc.edu

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode edited by: Jackie Tarsitano

Episode recording date: 5/4/34

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Ep140 | MS4 Perspective: Psychiatry Jul 10, 2024

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we discuss the field of Psychiatry. Our guest, Julia Versel, shares advice on how to set yourself up for success regarding matching into this increasingly competitive specialty and shares tips to help you stand out both on paper and in person.

Julia Versel, MD, MSc is a current resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School Psychiatry Residency Program. She is passionate about medical education, with a particular interest in incorporating medical student mentorship into her career. Please reach out to the Medicus team if you would like to get in touch with her!

To learn more about the field, check out these resources:

Psychiatry Student Interest Group Network (PsychSIGN): https://www.psychsign.org/

AADPRT Psychiatry Training Resources: https://www.aadprt.org/trainees/psychiatry-training

APA Roadmap to Applying for Psychiatry Residency: https://www.psychiatry.org/getmedia/b7007db1-b815-45fa-93bd-1f1eaf3dff99/APA-Roadmap-to-Psychiatric-Residency.pdf

APA Resources for Medical Students: https://www.psychiatry.org/residents-medical-students/medical-students

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 4/25/24

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Ep139 | From Learner to Leader With Dr. Cassandra Ward Jun 26, 2024

Join us for a discussion about the journey through medical education and the destination of becoming an emergency medicine attending physician. Hear about the up and downs, and the courage to push forward when things get tough.

Episode produced by: Ari S. Peikes

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Ep138 | MS4 Perspective: Anesthesiology Jun 12, 2024

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we chat about the field of Anesthesiology. Our guests, Steph Ryan and Will Chan, share advice on how to set yourself up for success to match into anesthesia and share tips to help you stand out both on paper and in person.

Steph Ryan and Will Chan are both former students from Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, and will be transitioning to their first year of residency this summer. We chat about the things that separate anesthesiology from other specialties in the context of the residency application process.

Episode produced by: Griffin K Johnson

Episode recording date: 04/08/2024

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Ep137 | MS4 Perspective: Radiation Oncology May 29, 2024

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we chat about the field of Radiation Oncology. Our guest, Dylan Ross, shares advice on how to set yourself up for success regarding matching into this competitive specialty and shares tips to help you stand out both on paper and in person.

Dylan Ross, MD, attended the University of Minnesota for his undergraduate education where he met his now fiancée, Lindsey Greenlund, who is also a recent medical school graduate. While at Stritch, Dylan got involved with medical education and research with the radiation oncology department which were influential in his specialty decision. After a successful couple's match, Dylan is heading to Johns Hopkins for his radiation oncology residency following a transitional year at HCA Riverside Community Hospital.

To connect with Dylan, email him at dross8@luc.edu

Resources mentioned in the podcast: NCCN Guidelines and Essentials of Clinical Radiation Oncology (The Red Book)

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 3/27/24

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Ep136 | The Residency Couples Match 101 with Hana O’Hagan and Adam Cardone May 15, 2024

In this episode, we discuss everything you need to know about the Residency Couples Match, and more! We interview two recent graduates from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Hana O’Hagan and Adam Cardone, who participated in the Residency Couples Match.

Hana O'Hagan is from the suburbs of Chicago. She matched into internal medicine residency at the University of Chicago where she is excited to grow as a general internist before further subspecializing in Geriatrics or Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Hana discovered her passion for working with older adults prior to medical school through working as a private caregiver in college and as a nursing aid in a memory care facility during her gap year. Throughout medical school she continued working with local senior citizens by running Senior Programing for a local community center, an endeavor for which she received a prestigious nationally recognized service fellowship awarded to healthcare professionals leading projects aimed at addressing health disparities and improving the well-being of underserved communities. Additionally, Hana loves to teach and thus plans to pursue a career in academic medicine so that she can support the next generation of physicians as she herself was supported by her incredible mentors. Overall, Hana is grateful for her time at Stritch and excited for her future career in the incredible field of medicine.

Adam Cardone has roots only 10 minutes from Loyola University Medical Center as he is from LaGrange, Illinois, and is a proud alumnus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Specializing in Internal Medicine, Adam is drawn to the field for its deep patient relationships and the intellectual rigor it demands, with particular interests in Cardiology and Hematology/Oncology. Beyond medicine, he's passionate about mentorship and education, evident in his leadership of the Health Career Collaborative, a program introducing high school students to medical careers. Adam looks forward to learning and growing in a field that offers deep patient relationships and intellectual challenges, grounded in his commitment to service and education.

Feel free to contact Adam and Hana, respectively, at: acardone5@outlook.com and hana.ohagan@outlook.com.

For more information about the Residency Couples Match, check out: https://www.nrmp.org/residency-applicants/get-ready-for-the-match/couples-in-the-match/

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen

Episode recording date: 3/26/24

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Ep135 | Dual Applying to Residency with Stephanie Moss, MD May 01, 2024

Stephanie Moss is an incoming PGY-1 Psychiatry Resident Physician at Rosalind Franklin University in North Chicago. With her passions for diversity, health equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), she strives to be a voice for marginalized communities. During COVID-19, she co-founded the Chicago Homelessness Response Group for Equity, which brought together organizations across Chicago to combat disparities experienced by individuals who were most at risk of illness from COVID-19. During her clinical years of medical school, she advocated for trauma-informed mental and sexual health care through presenting at conferences such as American Medical Women Association (AMWA), Illinois Academy of Family Medicine (IAFP), and advocacy committee at the International Society for the Study of Women Sexual Health (ISSWSH).

During medical school, she publicly disclosed her own academic and health challenges including failing STEP1, taking a leave of absence, and living with chronic health conditions. Through her experience, she has become an advocate for combating stigmas in medicine and provided mentorship through social media, her blog medpsycmoss.com, and most recently, her podcast “Life as a Patient-Doctor.” During the 2023-2024 Residency application cycle, she dual applied to both Family Medicine and Psychiatry across the Midwest, ultimately matching in her top specialty and program.

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen, Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 3/25/24

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Ep134 | Empowering Doctors: The Rise of Medical Residency Unionization with Dr. Josh Neff Apr 17, 2024

Join us as we delve deep into the evolving landscape of medical residency unions. In this insightful episode, we sit down with Dr. Josh Neff, Member Liaison for Physician Organizing at the Committee of Interns and Residents, to explore the growing movement of residents organizing for fair working conditions, better patient care, and professional development. We discuss common questions about residency unions and uncover the challenges, successes, and future prospects of this vital aspect of medical education and practice. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that sheds light on the intersection of medicine, labor rights, and advocacy.

Your Money or Your Life:

https://www.amazon.com/Your-Money-Life-Collection-American/dp/0197676634/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BZQZwbUZH5jOAQgg20qoZZTUWBAvyfpghafgAoO5oSU.f4_d2aETGJiOafNbuIDS78-vKVzqRTruOVScxJ0fDjU&dib_tag=se&qid=1710098292&refinements=p_27%3ALuke+Messac&s=books&sr=1-1

Whitehall II Study:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1674771/

JAMA article on residency unions:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2783671

Learn more about the CIR at: https://www.cirseiu.org

Episode produced by: Griffin K Johnson

Episode recording date: 02/28/2024

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Ep133 | When the Placenta Attacks: A Birth Story Apr 03, 2024

In this episode, we chat with return guest Dr. Cyndie Chow about her complicated pregnancy and birth experience. Dr. Chow is a 36-year-old mom of two beautiful and healthy children. She experienced complications with her second pregnancy due to placenta previa and placenta percreta. Placenta percreta is a severe form of placenta accreta, a condition in which the placenta grows through the uterus and has the potential to invade surrounding organs. This condition has been steadily on the rise and here she describes her first-hand experience dealing with an unexpected complicated pregnancy, which thankfully had a happy ending for both her and her son.

To learn more about the placenta accreta spectrum, please visit https://www.preventaccreta.org/

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga, Deborah Chen

Episode recording date: 12/3/23

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Ep132 | MS4 Perspectives: Urology with Farah Rahman Mar 20, 2024

Farah Rahman is a fourth-year medical student and a Las Vegas native who has traversed nearly every corner of the United States, from the Bronx and New Haven to Miami and San Diego. Entering medical school at Stritch with a background in public health and health policy, Farah obtained her MPH from the Yale School of Public Health. She is driven by a natural inclination to alleviate health disparities and work within a human centered framework to improve patient outcomes. Her natural tenacity, sociability, and drive to bring more women of color in previously male dominated fields introduced her to urology as a first year med student.

During her first year of med school, Farah discovered her passion for urology, a field she found to be characterized by a harmonious blend of tradition and diversity. Notably, Farah took a year off between her third and fourth years of medical school to delve into research at the University of Miami under Dr. Ramasamy as a MARS scholar. This transformative experience significantly influenced her match process and ultimately contributed to her success in this year’s urology match.

If you are interested in applying into urology or applying for a research year, feel free to reach out to Farah with either email (frahman3@luc.edu) or her twitter (@farahrahman23).

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen

Episode recording date: 02/20/2024

Ep 131 | From Loans to Liberation with Dr. Christina Benedict Mar 06, 2024

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Christina Benedict on public service loan forgiveness and other topics in the financial world that medical trainees (and professionals) need to hear about.

We discuss insurance, seeking out advice, PSLF and how to go about making decisions if these are right for you.

Information provided is for educational purposes only. While we strive to offer valuable insights and perspectives, we are not financial professionals, and this podcast does not constitute personalized financial advice. Navigating student loans and forgiveness options is complex and unique to each individual's circumstances. Therefore, we highly recommend consulting with qualified professionals such as financial advisors, or accountants who can provide guidance based on your specific situation. Our discussions are intended to empower listeners with knowledge and understanding, but please exercise caution and prudence when making financial decisions.

Ep 130 | Curriculum Chronicles: Demystifying the Preclinical Curriculum with Dr. Gregory Gruener Feb 21, 2024

The transition from learning in an undergraduate or graduate program to learning in medical school is a big one, and some may wonder the reasoning behind the structures of a medical school didactic curriculum. In this insightful episode, Griffin engages in a discussion with Dr. Gregory Gruener, Vice Dean for Education at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, delving into the intricacies of preclinical curriculum design. Dr. Gruener sheds light on the in-depth process of curriculum development, elucidates the underlying principles, and explains the challenges posed by recent changes to the USMLE Step 1. Listen as they explore Dr. Gruener's goals for the future of medical education and his aspirations to personalize the learning experience for medical students.

Episode produced by: Griffin K Johnson

Episode recording date: 01/05/2024

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Ep129 | Medical School Detours: Stephanie Moss, MS4 Feb 07, 2024

In this mini-series, we talk to individuals who took a detour in medical school and did not stick to the traditional 4-year curriculum. Stephanie Moss is a trauma-informed advocate and a 4th year medical student pursuing her Doctorate of Medicine degree (M.D.) at Rush Medical College in Chicago. Through her lifelong dedication to diversity, health equity, and inclusion, she has striven to be a voice for marginalized communities. Stephanie shares her experiences through her engaging writing and public speaking, with her work being featured on notable platforms such as MedPageToday, The Endometriosis Foundation, KevinMD, Doximity, and American Medical Women's Association (AMWA). Additionally, she has created medpsycmoss.com, a website that hosts her blog and her podcast called "Life as a Patient-Doctor." It also provides a wide range of trauma-informed resources for both patients and healthcare providers. You can find Stephanie at @medpsycmoss on both Instagram and Twitter.

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen

Episode recording date: 1/29/2024

Ep128 | A Summer at NASA: Med Student Edition Jan 24, 2024

After the first year of medical school, many students spend their summers doing research and exploring their interests but few students get to participate in a program as unique as our guest on this episode. Sarah Ditelberg is a second-year medical student at Stritch interested in contributing to the field of aerospace medicine. She received her Bachelors of Science in biology from UMass Amherst in 2020, and took two gap years conducting COVID research and working in an orthopedics clinic before starting medical school. During her first year at Stritch, she came across spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS), which led her to apply for a NASA internship, combining her interests in both space and medicine. You can learn more about the internship program here: https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/internship-programs/

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 10/4/23

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Ep127 | Bioethics in Medical Education Jan 10, 2024

Dr. Kayhan Parsi and Dr. Emily Anderson, two faculty members at the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Healthcare Leadership, give us an understanding of how they became bioethicists and expand upon why it’s important to implement bioethics into medical education. Specifically, this episode dives into the concept of research ethics, the current state of trust in research and medical institutions, the importance of physicians conducting research for clinical and public health improvement, and the crucial role ethicists play in facilitating that research. We touch on devices used to give the public a better understanding of ethics at large and forecast the potential landscape that bioethics will be facing in the future.

Episode produced by: John Engelbert

Episode recording date: 12/07/2023

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Ep126 | Extra! Extra! The Third Medicus Reading List Dec 27, 2023

Looking for a good read, show, and/or podcast (besides Medicus of course)? It is in fact the holidays, so what are you waiting for? Tune in now to our third Medicus Reading List episode! You will hear Medicus team members recommend great books and other media content from the medical world.

Content covered:

-Good Reasons for Bad Feelings by Randolph M. Nesse

-The House of God By Samuel Shem

-Dopesick (show)

-Spoonful of Sugar Podcast and White Coat Investor Podcast

-Knock Knock Eye Podcast and Knock Knock, Hi! Podcast

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen

Contributors: John Engelbert, Isabelle Tan, Emily Hagen, Rasa Valiauga, Deborah Chen

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Ep125 | Exploring the International Medical Graduate Experience of Practicing Medicine in the United States with Dr. Ivan Cuesta Dec 21, 2023

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Iván Cuesta, MD. Dr. Cuesta was born and raised in the Dominican Republic (DR) where he attended and graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo. He completed his residency in Neurology at Temple University in Philadelphia and his fellowship in Neurologic Critical Care at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Currently, Dr. Cuesta serves as a Neurocritical Care Attending at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital here in the greater Chicago area as well as on faculty at the Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School.

We spoke extensively with Dr. Cuesta about the process he took to match into a US residency. Toward the end of medical school in the DR, his interest in pursuing a US residency was sparked after a rotation in Miami, Florida. We talk about the different hurdles that International Medical Graduates (IMGs) have to overcome to match into a US residency, including obtaining a visa and learning medicine in a new language. Additionally, he gives his advice to others who dream of following a similar path.

Episode produced by: Griffin Johnson and Aaron Deng

Episode recording date: 10/20/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep124 | Medical School Detours: Nick Sasso, MAT Nov 29, 2023

In this mini-series, we talk to individuals who took a detour in medical school and did not stick to the traditional 4-year curriculum. Nick Sasso, MAT comes from the world of education, having been a teacher in Chicago for half a decade before embarking on his medical school journey. He is currently a fourth-year medical student at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and is applying for residency in neurology. Already a non-traditional student, Nick's journey through medical school took further unexpected turns when his health began to quickly deteriorate. It took the care of one very tenacious physician to realize the diagnosis: postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and its associated complications. In this episode, Nick recounts his experiences with chronic illness during medical school, taking a leave of absence, and his desire to spread awareness around POTS, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and dysautonomia. He encourages all aspiring and current clinicians to read up on these conditions via the following articles:

Bryarly, M., et al. (2019). Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: JACC Focus Seminar. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 73(10), 1207–1228.

Bateman, L., et al. (2021). Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Essentials of Diagnosis and Management. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 96(11), 2861–2878.

Volcheck, M., et al. (2023). Central sensitization, chronic pain, and other symptoms: Better understanding, better management. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 90(4), 245–254.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 8/30/23

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Ep123 | Medical School Detours: David Mata, MD Nov 15, 2023

In this new mini-series, we talk to individuals who took a detour in medical school and did not stick to the traditional 4-year curriculum. We hope that this series will help shed light on the various reasons students have to adjust their trajectory, normalize how common this phenomenon is, and reduce the stigma associated with taking more time to get through medical school than allotted.

David Mata is a non-traditional student who attended Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and is now a current PGY-1 at UCSD Family Medicine. David had a non-traditional journey to medical school finishing his master’s at Western Michigan University and being in the public health workforce prior to starting medical school.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 8/18/23

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Ep121 | Tackling Racial Disparities in Alzheimer’s Disease Research Nov 07, 2023

In this episode, Rasa discusses the innovative research being conducted by Dr. Lisa Barnes at Rush University Medical Center and how she is helping close the gap in Alzheimer’s disease research disparities faced by people of color.

Lisa L. Barnes, PhD is the Alla V. and Solomon Jesmer Professor of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and a cognitive neuropsychologist within the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center. She is also the Associate Director of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. She received her PhD from the University of Michigan in biopsychology and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in cognitive neuroscience at the University of California, Davis. She has been a faculty member at Rush Medical College since 1999. Dr. Barnes has received many NIH grants and has published over 300 manuscripts. Her research interests include disparities in chronic diseases of aging, cognitive decline, and risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. She is the Principal Investigator of the Minority Aging Research Study (MARS), which has been funded by NIA since 2004, and the Clinical Core Leader for the Rush African American Clinical Core. She advocates for recruitment of under-represented groups into clinical studies and has received many awards and fellowships.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 8/21/23

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Ep122 | Mira Krivoshey: A Decade of Advocating for Survivors of Sexual Violence Nov 07, 2023

In this engaging episode, Vamsi and Monica chat with Mira Krivoshey, the Director of Health Promotions at Loyola University Chicago. Mira, a certified sexual assault advocate and health education specialist, graciously shares her knowledge and professional journey. With over a decade of experience working in the realm of gender-based violence, Mira's insights are invaluable.

From offering essential support to survivors of gender-based violence to passionately championing violence prevention in schools and community agencies, Mira has dedicated her career to creating positive change in our community. She has worked with organizations like the National Center for Victims of Crime and the DC Rape Crisis Center and has even taught a course on sexual assault advocacy.

With her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Barnard College and her Masters of Public Health with specialization in Sexuality Studies from The Ohio State University, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. This is an episode you can’t miss!

Episode produced by: Monica Contractor and and Vamsi Rojulpote

Episode recording date: 10/5/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep120 | Surrogacy and Fertility Law: A Conversation with a Collaborative Reproduction Attorney Nov 03, 2023

In today’s episode we talk to Ryan Ferrante, a lawyer whose own experiences with infertility inspired him to pivot his career from tax law to assisted reproductive technology law. Ryan focuses on third-party reproduction, representing intended parents, gestational surrogates, egg donors, sperm providers, and individuals pursuing arrangements utilizing assisted reproduction techniques.

Ryan is dedicated to raising awareness of the infertility community through professional and personal involvement, providing support of the continued progress in the treatment of infertility, and challenging the forces that might deny others the very same opportunity to be a parent for which he is so thankful.

Ryan earned his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago and Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Ryan is a professional member of RESOLVE, the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Chicago Bar Association.

More information about The Law Office of Ryan Ferrante can be found at https://www.ryanferrantelaw.com/, and Ryan can be contacted at ryan@ryanferrantelaw.com

Episode produced by: Jackie Tarsitano

Episode recording date: 10/04/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep119 | Careers in Healthcare: Audiologist Sep 20, 2023

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we spoke with Dr. Cyndie Chow about her journey to becoming an audiologist and the types of conditions audiologists do (and do not) treat.

Cynthia Chow, AuD, PhD, is an audiologist and owner of The Hearing Place, a private practice in Oak Park, IL. Her professional interests include the diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss, tinnitus management, patient education, hearing conservation, and teaching. Dr. Chow received her doctorate of Audiology and doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her PhD studies in hearing science provide her with a unique understanding of sound perception which she applies to the treatment and management of hearing loss and tinnitus.

https://www.audiology.org/

https://www.asha.org/aud/asha-audiology/

https://savehearing.com/

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 8/17/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep118 | Careers in Healthcare: Physical Therapist Sep 06, 2023

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. In this episode, we spoke with Gauri Pawar, PT about her journey to becoming a physical therapist and how physical therapists are an integral part of the healthcare team.

Dr. Pawar hails from Ann Arbor, MI, a university town home to the University of Michigan. She graduated with her BS from U of M in 2013 with a concentration in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience. With an interest in the connection between the mind and body, and as a chronic pelvic pain survivor herself, she pursued her clinical doctorate in physical therapy at Andrews University, graduating in 2018. Her interests include functional weight training, visceral and osteopathic manual therapies, as well as treatment of chronic abdominopelvic pain, bowel/bladder dysfunction, pelvic organ prolapse, and postpartum rehabilitation.

Dr. Pawar is passionate about education and has attended courses through the APTA, Barral Institute, Herman & Wallace, and Great Lakes Seminars. She is working towards being a certified sex educator and sex counselor. She is devoted to patient education and empowering patients on their health journeys and improving their compliance in their medical plans.

When she's not working, Dr. Pawar can be found in the kitchen! She is an avid foodie who enjoys cooking foods from global cuisines and especially enjoys touring cities with her belly. Things that bring Dr. Pawar the most happiness in her day to day life include but are not limited to: listening to NPR, reading Brene Brown and following her on social media, Nina Simone's voice, watching Bollywood dancing, the smell of sandalwood (very calming), walking/hiking, farmer's markets, Ethiopian coffee beans, making a successful meal (efficient and tasty!), and sharing.

To learn more about a career in physical therapy, go to www.apta.org

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 5/24/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep117 | Climate Action in the Medical Field: Sustainability and Impact with Dr. Katie Lichter, MD MPH Aug 23, 2023

Dr. Katie Lichter, MD, MPH and the GreenHealth Lab are at the forefront of improving sustainability in the field of medicine. In this episode, she shares insight into the process of identifying her passion and galvanizing it towards action. We discuss leadership, life balance, and the GreenHealth Lab’s upcoming projects, including an exciting calculator for estimating the environmental impact of conferences and networking events. **Since recording, the calculator has been renamed Network Greener, and it can be found at https://networkgreener.com/.

Dr. Katie Lichter is currently a Radiation Oncology resident at the University of California, San Francisco. She is a Climate Energy Health Fellow with the UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative, as well as a Harvard/Cambridge Health Alliance Climate Health Organizing Fellow and Editorial Fellow with the New England Journal of Medicine. Additionally, she is the Founder of the ARRO Climate Health, Equity, and Sustainability Task Force and the Principal Investigator of the GreenHealth Lab at UCSF. The GreenHealth Lab studies the interplay between healthcare delivery and climate change, exploring the impact of the healthcare system on the environment and the impact of climate change on patient care.

The GreenHealth Lab at UCSF: https://greenhealth.ucsf.edu/home

Episode produced by: Isabelle Tan, Episode recording date: 2/16/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep116 | Careers in Healthcare: Medical Dosimetrist Aug 09, 2023

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we chatted with Jayne Phoenix about her journey to becoming a medical dosimetrist and the integrated team approach to treating cancer patients.

Jayne Phoenix, RT(R)(T), CMD is a Certified Medical Dosimetrist working at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington. She completed her education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL.

Find out more about the career of medical dosimetry and how to become a medical dosimetrist at the following links:

Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board: https://mdcb.org/

American Association of Medical Dosimetrists: https://www.medicaldosimetry.org/

“What is a Medical Dosimetrist?” by AAMD: https://www.medicaldosimetry.org/about/medical-dosimetrist/

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 5/19/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep115 | Trauma-Informed Care with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Maureen Kerr, RN Jul 26, 2023

In this episode, we speak with Maureen Kerr RN, who is certified as a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE). Maureen has been a registered nurse since 2019 and has been working in the emergency department at Glenbrook Hospital since then. Shortly after accepting that position, she also took it upon herself to become registered as a SANE nurse in order to thoroughly conduct sexual assault forensic exams and provide acute and empathetic care to traumatized survivors.

Throughout the episode, we touch on the rampant problem of sexual violence in our modern society. We describe the emergence of trauma-informed care and how it can help alleviate the impact these acts of violence cause towards victims and their families, as well as members of the healthcare team.

To learn more about sexual assault, including measures to take as a healthcare provider when caring for survivors as well as statistics about the issue in the US, visit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8366721/#s001 + https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/366280/9789289058827-eng.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

Episode produced by: John Engelbert

Episode recording date: 6/15/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep114 | MS4 Perspectives: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation with Dr. Tate Halfman Jul 12, 2023

We are back with another specialty series interview! In this episode, we spoke with Dr. Tate Halfman, MD, who graduated from the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in May 2023. After a Preliminary Medicine year at University of Chicago Northshore, he will be heading north for PM&R residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Born and raised in San Luis Obispo, CA, Tate came to med school with an eye on musculoskeletal medicine. After two years of exploration, he stumbled upon physiatry and has never looked back. Tate is a proud graduate and Mic Man alumnus of UC Berkeley (GO BEARS!) where he studied Integrative Biology and Spanish Linguistics. After college, he spent two years working as a research assistant in the Kinesiology department of Cal Poly, SLO. He is a lifelong gamer and huge esports fan. He is passionate about mentorship, medical education, and multilingual medical care.

In our conversation, Tate describes his experiences applying and matching into PM&R this past March. Given the often overlooked nature of PM&R, he also explains what the specialty entails and why it appealed to him. Tate provides useful tips and tricks for students interested in PM&R, as well as valuable advice for the residency application process in general.

You can reach out to Tate at f.t.halfman@gmail.com

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen

Episode recording date: 4/9/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep113 | MS4 Perspectives: Internal Medicine with Dr. Elizabeth Belford Jun 28, 2023

This episode is part of our specialty series, where we interview MS4 students about their experiences applying and matching into their chosen specialty. In this episode, we spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Belford, MD, who graduated from the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in May 2023. Elizabeth now is a first-year resident in Internal Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina.

She reflects on her journey to Internal Medicine with us and shares valuable pieces of advice for medical students in various stages of training. Additionally, Elizabeth describes her decisions for choosing Internal Medicine and provides tips for how to wisely choose a specialty, crafting one’s narrative, and putting one’s best foot forward in the application process.

If you are interested in getting in touch with Elizabeth, you may reach her at @ElizabethMD15 or elizabeth.drews97@gmail.com.

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen, Nikki Ganeshan

Episode recording date: 3/31/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep112 | Reclaiming Voices: Ending the Cycle of Sexual Exploitation with Reclaim13 Founder Dr. Cassandra Ma Jun 14, 2023

In this episode, we discuss the uncomfortable yet important issue that plagues our society - child sex trafficking. Dr. Cassandra Ma discusses what makes children vulnerable to trafficking, her work with the Chicago-based organization Reclaim13 in ending the cycle of sexual exploitation, and what healthcare providers can do to provide trauma-informed care.

Dr. Cassandra Ma, Psy.D., is the Founder and Executive Director of Reclaim13, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing healing services to survivors of sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation. Dr. Ma received her doctorate in clinical psychology and went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in marriage and family therapy at the Family Institute at Northwestern University, where she joined the staff team teaching and coordinating the Bette D. Harris Family and Child Clinic.

Reclaim13 forges healing pathways for survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation. The healing programs include two residential homes for children and young adults. The Child and Family Program, serves survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation and their families by pairing them with trained mentors and opportunities to meet with licensed therapists who specialize in trauma informed therapy. Reclaim13 also engages in prevention and engagement initiatives to equip individuals and communities about the cycle of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

In 2017, Dr. Ma and Reclaim13 were recognized by the Office of the U.S. Attorneys for the Northern District of Illinois for their work with victims of sex trafficking. She has been recognized by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services for her compassion, dedication and commitment to the children and families of Illinois and has served on various advisory boards, including the Illinois Children’s Justice Task Force, College of DuPage’s Human Services. In 2023, Dr. Ma was recognized as Woman of the Year by the Rotary Club of Chicago.

To learn more about Reclaim13, visit www.reclaim13.org or email info@reclaim13.org and check out the Reclaiming Voices Survivor Art show at www.reclaimingvoices.org

If you are in need of services, please visit www.reclaim13.org/therapy

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 4/26/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep111 | Careers in Healthcare: Occupational Therapist May 31, 2023

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we chatted with occupational therapist Alex Le about his journey to becoming an occupational therapist and the essential care occupational therapists provide to patients.

Alex Le is originally from the northern VA area currently residing outside of Richmond, VA. He attended the University of Virginia majoring in Biology and Psychology and received his Masters in Occupational Therapy from James Madison University. Alex currently works at Sheltering Arms Institute where he collaborates with other speech therapists, physical therapists, physicians, nurses, recreational therapists, and psychologists to treat a variety of patients with diagnoses including but not limited to brain injury, spinal cord injury, neurological and orthopedic injuries. Alex has experience in acute care, long-term acute care, inpatient rehab, skilled nursing, psychosocial rehab and vocational training. He is happily married to his wife who is a speech language pathologist and enjoys traveling with her and their goldendoodle Monty, swimming, hiking, cooking, and hosting family and friends.

Find out more about Occupational Therapy at American Occupational Therapy Association: https://www.aota.org/practice/practice-settings

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 4/13/23

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Ep110 | From Marines to Medicine With Daniel Estrada May 17, 2023

In this episode, we discuss transitioning from careers outside of healthcare to medical school. We sit down with Daniel Estrada, a second year student at the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago and discuss his background, finding a career in the military, and transitioning to medicine. Along the way, we compare medical and military culture, and learn what we can do to help serve those who have served our country.

Ep109 | Space Medicine with Dr. Michael Barratt May 03, 2023

In this episode, learn all you can about space medicine from Dr. Barratt! As a NASA astronaut and a flight surgeon double board certified in internal medicine and aerospace medicine, Dr. Barratt is an expert on human physiology here on Earth and up in orbit. We talk about the body’s adaptations from takeoff to spending time on the ISS, what aerospace medicine really is, and the future of spaceflight. Join us for an episode that’s truly out of this world!

Dr. Michael Barratt attended the University of Washington where he majored in zoology, and became interested in aerospace medicine while studying for the MCAT. He went on to earn his MD from Northwestern University, where he also completed residency for internal medicine, and after his year as chief resident, started aerospace residency at Wright State. Dr. Barratt joined NASA in 1991 and was shortly assigned as a flight surgeon. He worked on joint U.S./Russian shuttle missions until his selection as an astronaut in 2000. He has participated in two spaceflights and has spent 212 days in space, and is currently in training for an upcoming mission.

Episode produced by: Sarah Ditelberg

Episode recording date: 4/15/23

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Ep108 | Breaking Barriers: Addressing Anti-Racism in Medicine & the Creation of Pathology Central with Dr. Andrea Deyrup Apr 19, 2023

In this episode of our podcast, we have the pleasure of speaking with the accomplished and passionate Dr. Andrea Deyrup. As a Professor of Pathology at Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. Deyrup is an expert in her field, serving as the course director for the medical school pathology course and co-editor of Robbins Essential Pathology and of Robbins and Kumar Basic Pathology.

But Dr. Deyrup's work goes beyond academia. She is a dedicated advocate for anti-racism in medicine, using her thriving Pathology website and YouTube channel to share information and raise awareness about the intersection of race and healthcare.

During our conversation, we delve into Dr. Deyrup's impressive educational background, from her undergraduate studies in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University to her Ph.D. in Pathology at the University of Chicago and her M.D. from the Pritzker School of Medicine at the same university. We also discuss her residency in Anatomic Pathology at the University of Chicago and her fellowship in soft tissue pathology at Emory University.

Join us as we learn from Dr. Deyrup's wealth of knowledge and passion for pathology and anti-racism in medicine. This is an episode you won't want to miss.

Episode produced by: Isabelle Tan, Lauren Hekman

Episode recording date: 01/23/23

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Ep107 | Careers in Healthcare: Speech-Language Pathologist Apr 05, 2023

In this new mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. In our inaugural episode for the series, we sat down with speech-language pathologist Blake Potts Le and discussed her path to becoming an SLP and the field more broadly.

Blake Potts Le is from Richmond, Virginia. She attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia and received a double major in French and Communications Sciences and Disorders. She went on to achieve her Master of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. She began her career as a speech-language pathologist at Lucy Corr, a retirement community in Chesterfield, Virginia. She then accepted a position with HCA at Henrico Doctor's Hospital working primarily with adults. Blake has also worked in outpatient pediatrics at Retreat Doctor's Hospital. She currently works primarily in the NICU at Henrico Doctor's hospital as a feeding specialist. In her free time, Blake loves to play with her dog, spend time with her husband (who is an occupational therapist), read, and go to the gym.

Find out more about Speech Pathology at American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: https://www.asha.org/

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 3/19/23

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Ep106 | Addressing Maternal and Fetal Health Disparities - Dr. Kecia Gaither Mar 22, 2023

In this episode, we address the topic of maternal and fetal health with Dr. Kecia Gaither, a double board-certified physician in Ob/Gyn and Maternal Fetal Medicine and a champion of closing the gap in poor pregnancy outcomes for women of color. Dr. Gaither discusses some of the causes for this discrepancy and offers solutions for both patients and providers.

Dr. Gaither received her BA in Biology from Barnard College, and her MD from SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse. She completed her Ob/Gyn residency at Riverside Regional Medical Center, a subsidiary of The Medical College of Virginia and completed her Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship at The University of Medicine and Dentistry-Rutgers in Newark NJ. Dr. Gaither earned her MPH in Health Policy and Management from Columbia University and completed her dual MS/MBA degree in Healthcare Policy and Research/Healthcare Leadership from Cornell SC Johnson School of Business. She has recently been named a Fellow for the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM).

A perinatal consultant and womens’ health expert, Gaither’s expertise is grounded in both research and her professional experience in caring for women with multiple medical/surgical/fetal conditions in pregnancy. In her current role, Dr. Gaither serves as the Director of Perinatal Services/Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine for NYC Health+ Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx. Dr. Gaither is also an Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology with Cornell Weill Medicine.

A Harlem native, Gaither’s mission as a medical professional is to offer exemplary prenatal care to all women, regardless of circumstance. Dr. Gaither regularly lends her commentary and expertise on issues pertaining to womens’ health, pregnancy, and environmental/ population health policy, to leading national consumer health and lifestyle outlets across print, radio, TV, film and online. With her foray into social media, Dr. Gaithers’ combined perspective as a maternal child specialist and public health proponent has allowed her to reach millions via her Twitter feed-- @KeciaGaitherMD and her website: www.keciagaither.com. Dr. Gaither has co-authored “The Confident Woman”, a must read book for women who desire increased confidence, self-esteem and empowerment.

Helpful links:

Dr. Gaither’s Website: https://keciagaither.com/

National Medical Association: https://www.nmanet.org/

Medical Mentor: https://medicalmentor.org/

Key to Eliminating Medical Racism May Lie In Universal Healthcare: https://healthnews.com/news/eliminating-medical-racism-is-hard-but-universal-healthcare-could-help/

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 2/26/23

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep105 | Asian American Diversity in Medicine with Dr. Nolan Kagetsu Mar 09, 2023

In this episode, we are excited to be speaking with Dr. Kagetsu about his stories and experiences with Asian-American diversity within Medicine. Dr. Kagetsu explores concepts such as cultural humility, the Asian monolith myth, and his own experiences growing up in a family with Japanese ancestors who lived through the years of internment.

Dr. Nolan Kagetsu is a neuroradiologist based at Mount Sinai West in NYC. Dr. Kagetsu completed his Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology fellowship at NYU and has since been a diagnostic neuroradiologist for the Mount Sinai West Department of Radiology. Dr. Kagetsu has been influential in the formation of the ACGME Diversity Task Force where during his term on the task force, he helped influence the ACGME to create the positive of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Dr. Kagetsu holds several chair positions on diversity and inclusion committees across medicine and radiological organizations and has extensively written about unconscious bias and microaggressions. Additionally, Dr. Kagetsu is the faculty co-advisor for the APAMSA (Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association).

Dr. Kagetsu's Social Media:

Twitter: @nkagetsu

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/neuroradiologyprimer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-kagetsu-%E8%8A%B1%E6%9C%88-md-facr-5a38a220/

Episode produced by: Aaron Deng and Karen Yuan

Episode recording date: 12/5/22

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep104 | Dean Darrell Nabers Answers, "Should I Do a Post-bacc or an SMP?" Feb 15, 2023

In this episode, Insup and John interview Dean Darrell Nabers about post-baccalaureate and special masters programs (SMPs) as a means to gaining admission into medical school. They cover a wide range of topics which include what is a post-bacc and SMP, who should and should not do a post-bacc or SMP, and how medical school admissions offices view post-bacc and SMP students.

Dean Darrell Nabers is the dean of admissions and recruitment at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and serves as the primary recruitment and committee administrator for all members of the committee on admissions. He oversees and manages the office of admissions and recruitment efforts. He also aids the office of student life.

Episode produced by: Insup Hong and John Engelbert

Episode recording date: 01/18/2023

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep103 | Shedding Light on Mental Health Struggles and Building Your Ideal Practice with Dr. Delicia Haynes Feb 01, 2023

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Delicia Haynes, a Family Medicine Physician, about her personal mental health struggles and how she is using that experience to advocate for others as well as her unique direct primary care practice model.

Dr. Haynes has an additional board certification by the American Board of Obesity Medicine, and is highly trained in medical aesthetics, and lifestyle medicine. She completed her specialty training at the Halifax Health Center for Family and Sports Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Haynes attended medical school at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with a minor in Spanish from the University of Louisville where she was a record holding division I track and field athlete.

Dr. Haynes is a bestselling author of The Dawn: A Roadmap to Finding a Light In Your Darkest Hour and the Daybreakers Inspirational Planning Journal. She is an international speaker, award winning business coach and founder and CEO of Family First Health Center, an integrative membership-based family medicine clinic in Daytona Beach, Florida. Considered a “trailblazer” in the medical community, Dr. Haynes founded the first direct primary care clinic in Volusia and Flagler counties as part of her mission to make healthcare more accessible and advocate for the sacredness of the doctor-patient relationship.

Much like her approach to transforming barriers to healthcare for her patients, Dr. Haynes is on a mission to improve the wellness of physicians and medical professionals. She is the creator of the WHITE COAT SAFE SPACE initiative dedicated to raising awareness, advocacy and prevention of physician suicide and helping health professionals love the life they live. Dr. Haynes speaks widely on the topics of physician wellness, mental health, lifestyle medicine, and direct primary care.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 01/11/23

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Ep102 I Father Doctor David DeMarco Jan 11, 2023

You read that right, Father AND Doctor. It doesn’t get any more Loyola than that. But how does a physician with a private practice in Dayton, Ohio find themselves being called to become a Jesuit Priest on the Red Lake Reservation in Northern Minnesota? Join Katherine as she sits down with the Stritch School of Medicine’s much beloved Father Doctor David DeMarco as they discuss his childhood, dual calling, and reflective practice.

Dr. Hardt said it best when he described Father Doctor David DeMarco as the ideal fit for Loyola because he is “kind, a good listener, highly intelligent, a skilled physician and a person of deep faith and humble disposition”. And you’ll also hear this from patients and students alike.

Episode recording date: August 29th, 2022

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Ep101 | Military Medicine Dec 07, 2022

In today’s episode, we take a look at a unique scholarship opportunity that allows healthcare professionals to pay for their education while serving their country. Learn the ins and outs of the Health Professions Scholarship Program from Jesse Webb, a medical student in the program within the Air Force.

Jesse Webb is a fourth year medical student at Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine. Originally from Minnesota, Jesse has always called the Midwest his home. After four years in St. Paul, MN studying biology at Bethel University and singing in the college’s internationally-recognized Bethel Choir, Jesse moved back to his hometown in Rosemount, MN where he advocated and cared for adults with disabilities at ACR Homes, worked as an Emergency Department medical scribe, and gained clinical research experience at ThreeWire, Inc. He commissioned in the U.S. Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant, enrolling in the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) prior to moving to Chicago and matriculating at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. Jesse anticipates completing a residency in Emergency Medicine and thereafter serving as a physician in the Air Force while hoping to participate in humanitarian missions abroad. When not studying or in the hospital, you can find him binging Marvel, running or hiking in the great outdoors, writing and recording music, or spending time with family, friends, and animals. He is eager to become an emergency medicine physician and would love to help anyone looking for a resource or advice!

You can contact Jesse via email at jessewebb22@outlook.com

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 10/13/22

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Ep 100 | Diversity Within Medical School Admissions Nov 23, 2022

Dean Sunny Nakae is back! In this episode we discuss diversity within medical admissions - a hot topic with recent news coming out about affirmative action. Dean Nakae provides wisdom, interesting discussion, and pertinent information for pre-med students applying for medical school or for medical professionals within their training/practice. Make sure to take a listen to one of our most popular episodes with Dean Nakae, Episode 3: Must Hear Discussion on Medical School Admissions.

Dr. Nakae is dedicated to access and equity in medical education and healthcare through transformative leadership and practice. She collaborates with campus constituencies and community partners to build capacity for justice in medicine and society through teaching, mentorship, and innovation. Dr. Nakae began her career as a director for Diversity at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah, and later served in the same role at the Feinberg School at Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. She then served as Assistant Dean for for Admissions, Recruitment and Student Life at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine where she also joined the academy as an Assistant Professor of Medical Education. Dr. Nakae moved to Southern California to serve as Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. She currently serves as the Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Partnership at CUSM.

Links and emails referenced in the episode:

Link to referenced study: TBA

Email to join Dean Nakae's pre-med group advising: premedprepadvice@gmail.com

Twitter: @DrNakae

Episode produced by: Aaron Deng

Episode recording date: September 8th, 2022

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Ep99 l How to Teach Medical Students to be Healers with Dr. Sari Hart Nov 09, 2022

Dr. Sari Hart is an Emergency Medicine physician at Hines VA Hospital and an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. She is also the founder of ESME, Emotional and Social Medical Education and the creator of Healer's Art Reflections, which she was inspired to create as a sequel to Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen's Healer's Art.

She was born in Chicago, in the very same rooms where she would later learn to deliver babies. She completed medical school and her emergency medicine residency at University of Chicago. Her emergency medicine experience spans the full spectrum from outpost locum tenens work in the midwestern flatlands to dynamic inner-city practices.

Over time, her commitment to healing expanded to include healing the healers themselves. With this new focus, Dr. Hart founded ESME, bringing the best of current social and emotional learning to tomorrow's doctors.

To learn more about ESME and Healer's Art Reflections, visit www.sarihart.com.

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen, Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: October 3, 2022

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Ep98 | Climate Change, Social Justice, and Medicine: Worlds Collide Oct 26, 2022

Eva Rawlings Parker, MD is back! In this episode we discuss the intersection of climate change and social justice, and how it can have an impressive impact on your health. We first heard from Dr. Parker in Episode 86: Effects of Climate Change on Dermatology and Medicine. Make sure to go back and give that one a listen! As a reminder, Dr. Parker’s impressive bio is as follows:

Dr. Parker is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She is President of the Nashville Dermatologic Society and Vice President of the Williamson County Medical Society. Dr. Parker practices general and complex medical dermatology, inpatient dermatology, as well as cosmetic dermatology at Vanderbilt. Dr. Parker’s academic interests include the health effects secondary to climate change, global health, HIV dermatoses, and tropical skin disease. She also provides volunteer dermatologic care to immigrant, refugee, and underserved populations in Nashville, TN at Siloam Health and the Shade Tree Clinic. As well, she provides volunteer telehealth consultation services in Kenya through The Addis Clinic, has taught internationally in resource-limited settings, and is an external supervisor and mentor at the Regional Dermatology Training Center in Moshi, Tanzania. She received her B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Denver which fueled her interest in how environmental impacts and climate alterations affect health.

She is a staunch advocate for both climate justice and health care sustainability, actively promoting broader education on the health impacts caused by climate change.

Resources Mentioned in First Episode with Dr. Parker:

Planetary Health Report Card

https://phreportcard.org/

CDC Climate Change and Human Health
https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/default.htm

Climate Resources for Health Education Initiative
https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/global-consortium-climate-and-health-education/climate-resources-health-education-initiative

Medical Students for a Sustainable Future
https://ms4sf.org/

Episode produced by: Lauren Hekman

Episode recording date: 9/5/22

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep97 | More Homework: The Second Medicus Reading List Oct 12, 2022

Hey, you! Yeah, YOU!

What are you doing reading this podcast description when you could be reading one of the books recommended by Medicus team members in our newest reading list episode?!?! Stop wasting time and get going!

Content covered:

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
God’s Hospital: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine by Victoria Sweet
“What I Would Give” by Rafael Campo (poem)
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity by Izzeldin Abuelaish
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss

Episode produced by: Brendan Connolly

Contributors: Monica Contractor, Rasa Valiauga, Lauren Hekman, Isabelle Tan

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep96 | Beyond Mad Cow: Prion Diseases Explained Sep 28, 2022

In this episode, we learn about prions and the neurodegenerative diseases they cause. Join us as Michael Terranova explains how these rare infectious proteins impact patients and why the medical community needs to be aware of their effects.

Michael Terranova earned his BS and MS degrees at UC San Diego, and he is currently a medical student at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. A lifelong interest in neurology led Michael to research the neurobiology of substance use at the San Diego Veterans Affairs Healthcare System before researching rapidly progressive dementias at the UC San Francisco Memory and Aging Center. He is also an avid automotive enthusiast, having participated in the Society of Automotive Engineers International Collegiate Design Series and restored multiple classic cars with his family. The opinions expressed in this podcast do not constitute medical advice and do not represent the views or opinions of the institutions, researchers, or patient advocacy groups discussed during the interview.

Additional resources related to prion disease can be found at:

https://memory.ucsf.edu/dementia/rapidly-progressive-dementias

https://cjdfoundation.org

https://case.edu/medicine/pathology/divisions/prion-center/

http://www.cureffi.org

Episode produced by: Jackie Tarsitano

Episode recording date: 7/13/22

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep95 | Abortion Care in a Post-Roe v. Wade America Sep 14, 2022

In this episode, we discuss the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, taking away the constitutional right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade and granting states the authority to impose restrictions on abortion care. We speak with Amy Perez, a nurse and abortion care provider living in Texas, about what the decision means for reproductive health.

Amy Perez is a queer activist from Madison, Wisconsin. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a minor in Chican@ & Latinx studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As an undergrad, the Obama administration awarded her the President’s service medal in recognition for 200+ hours of volunteer service for Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Upon graduation, Amy moved to Austin, TX to complete a Residency in Pediatric Intensive Care. After SB8 took effect, a bounty law that allows private citizens to sue whoever helps people obtaining abortions beyond 6 weeks of gestation, Amy decided to switch specialties to serve those affected by this law. Amy currently works as an Abortion Services Nurse for Planned Parenthood of greater TX at the South Austin Surgical Services Center.

Amy intends to become a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner to help victims of sexual violence when she becomes eligible to certify. Amy’s goal is to become a Midwife and a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and open her own sexual and reproductive health center. Eventually, she will also get a DNP in psychiatry & mental health. Amy has devoted her life to serving and empowering underserved and marginalized communities.

Follow Amy @amy_jochett and check out the resources discussed on the show:

Plan C Pills (@plancpills)

Aid Access (@aidacess)

Forward Midwifery (@forwardmidwifery)

Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline (@ma_hotline)

If/When/How (@ifwhenhow)

Shout Your Abortion (@shoutyourabortion)

Jane’s Due Process (@janesdueprocess)

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 6/14/22

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Ep94 | MS4 Perspective: Orthopedic Surgery Aug 31, 2022

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we investigate the field of Orthopedic Surgery. Our guest, Dr. Brooke Dickens, shares what led her to pursue this male dominated field and how to make yourself a competitive applicant while staying true to yourself.

Brooke Dickens is a first year orthopedic surgery resident at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. Originally from California, Brooke has found herself a home throughout the United States. After four years in Cambridge, MA playing soccer for Harvard Women's Soccer and earning her BA in Neurobiology, she spent time doing policy work in DC before moving back to California to teach junior high and coach soccer, and then had a pit stop in Chicago where she graduated from the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. Brooke is excited to be living and learning in North Carolina alongside her husband, Scotty, who works for the Wake Forest Football team. When not in the hospital, you can find her cheering on the Deacs, taking a long nap, or playing a game of pick-up soccer. She is super excited to become an orthopedic surgeon and would love to be a resource for anyone who wants to reach out!

You can contact Brooke via email at brookedickensmd@gmail.com.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 6/14/22

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep93 | Addressing the Emergency Medicine Job Shortage Report: Dr. Mark Cichon Aug 10, 2022

In this episode, we interview Emergency Medicine physician Dr. Mark Cichon on the recent ACEP report regarding potential Emergency Medicine physician job shortages over the next decade. This has been a hot topic among medical students and emergency medicine residents. Dr. Cichon clears the air on this report and gives great insight into the world of emergency medicine.

Dr. Cichon is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, and has been a member of the Loyola University Chicago faculty since joining the institution in 1996. Dr. Cichon is the Medical Director for Loyola University Medical Center – Emergency Medical Services System where he oversees the licensing, education, policy and procedures for the 3000 "Pre-Hospital" personnel in the Loyola System. As Medical Director, Dr. Cichon has overseen the establishment and organization of disaster preparedness. As Faculty at the Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine, Dr. Cichon mentors and teaches in the existing curriculum during the sophomore pathology program and during the clerkship years, and he has developed a curriculum in Disaster Medicine for the medical students. Dr. Cichon has held several other leadership positions and greatly impacted the field of Emergency Medicine, the before mentioned are just a few of his several achievements!

Episode produced by: Aaron Deng and Lauren Hekman

Episode recording date: 4/11/22

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Ep92 | MS4 Perspective: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Aug 03, 2022

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we investigate the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Our guest, Hye-Jin Yun, shares what led her to pursue this often overlooked specialty and how to make sure you make the most of virtual interviews.

Hye-Jin ("HJ") Yun is the former MS4 Class President and recent graduate of Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. She is a preliminary intern at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and will be training at Stanford University for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). As a former performer, she holds a certificate in Performing Arts Medicine. Her passion includes utilizing social media to mentor, empower, and provide exposure to the wonderful world of physiatry.

You can contact HJ via Instagram @doc.ladywonder or email (doc.ladywonder@gmail.com)

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 5/30/22

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Ep91 | MS4 Perspective: Family Medicine Jul 20, 2022

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we dive into the field of Family Medicine. Our guest, Kendall Frisoli, shares what drew her to this specialty and what keeps her sane through the rigors of medical training.

KENDALL is a musician passionate about connecting to and healing with her audience. Originally from Los Angeles, KENDALL has been training to become a physician in Chicago. She is returning home to California to pursue her Family Medicine Residency journey in July 2022 at Long Beach Memorial. Since childhood, music has kept her centered. It continued to keep her grounded throughout her experiences as a collegiate D1 athlete, LGBTQ woman, and medical student. It is her expressive outlet and treatment of choice. Music is medicine, and KENDALL integrates this artistic tool within her medical practice.

Her music is vulnerable, relatable, and most importantly - real. KENDALL’s songwriting is sparked by human relationships, whether it be with romantic interests, friends, family, patients, or herself.

KENDALL’s first single release, “Slow My Mind Down,” is one of many songs she wrote about a girl. This piece evokes the range of emotions we feel in our relationships. And it is a perfect example of how KENDALL’s mind can race from 0 to 100 after experiencing a meaningful connection. She hopes it hits people in all of the tender places - because those are the best places - and brings humans closer to our common ground.

You can reach out to Kendall by email at kendallfrisoli@gmail.com

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 5/10/22

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Ep90 I A Conversation with a Genetic Counselor Jul 06, 2022

In this episode, we explore the field of genetic counseling and its significance in both research and clinical settings. We talk with board certified genetic counselor Magan Trottier about her path to genetic counseling, the ethics behind genetic testing results, and what direct-to-consumer tests can tell you.

Magan Trottier received a master’s degree in Molecular Genetics and another in Genetic Counseling, both from the University of Toronto. In addition to counseling, she has over ten years of research experience and has published papers in prestigious journals like Cell Stem Cell and the Journal of the American Medical Association. She is an adjunct professor in the Long Island University Post Genetic Counseling Graduate Program. She currently works for Memorial Sloan Kettering, and the opinions she expresses in this interview are solely her own and do not express the views or opinions of Memorial Sloan Kettering.

More information about the All of Us Research Program can be found at https://allofus.nih.gov/about

Episode produced by: Jackie Tarsitano

Episode recording date: 12/21/21

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Ep89 I What It’s Like to Be An Intern: Wisdom From the Original Medicus Squad Jun 22, 2022

The original creators of the Medicus Podcast are wrapping up their first year of residency and offer their perspectives on being an intern.

Alek Druck - Urology, University of South Florida

Mara Peterson - Internal Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University

Nathan Burstedt - Preliminary Medicine Year, Loyola University Medical Center (going into Internal Medicine at Overland Park Regional Medical Center)

Joshua Lewis - Preliminary Medicine Year, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (going into Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Montefiore Medical Center)

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga, Katie Mott

Episode recording date: January - June, 2022

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Ep88 I What It’s Like to Be a Hematologist-Oncologist With Many Interests: Dr. Elizabeth Henry, MD Jun 08, 2022

In this episode, we spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Henry, a clinical associate professor at Loyola University Chicago with a clinical focus on GU medical oncology. Before joining the faculty, she completed her hematology/oncology fellowship at Loyola and served as Chief Fellow in her final year of training. Elizabeth is a former heme/onc fellowship program director and has research interests in medical education and utilization of digital technology in training and professional development. She is a 2021-2022 ASCO Education Scholar. As the Medical Director of Oncology with theMednet, she oversees the editorial teams in moderating the high quality physician discussions, as well as expanding engagement through special programming such as the Tumor Board Q&A, ASCO and NEJM Journal Club discussions, SWOG outreach programs, and more.

We discuss her many interests, including hematology-oncology and medical education and technology to advance medical knowledge. She explains her role at theMednet as a medical information platform for physicians, highlighting how physicians can have unique roles aside from practicing medicine in the hospital and/or clinic. Dr. Henry also shares her story about pursuing medicine and hematology/oncology specifically, simultaneously while conveying valuable advice to all aspiring physicians.

More information about theMednet can be found at: https://www.themednet.org

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen, Insup Hong

Episode recording date: March 28th, 2022

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Ep87 | MS4 Perspective: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery May 25, 2022

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we investigate the field of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Our guest, Teresa Veselack, shares advice on how to set yourself up for success regarding matching into this competitive specialty and shares tips to help you stand out both on paper and in person.

Teresa Veselack is a recent graduate of Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and will be starting a 7-year Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery training program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL this summer. She is passionate about teaching, mentorship, and increasing medical student exposure to the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

You can contact Teresa via email (tveselack@luc.edu) or on Instagram @teresaveselack

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 3/30/22

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Ep 86 I Effects of Climate Change on Dermatology and Medicine May 11, 2022

Medicine meets Mother Nature.

Tune into this episode about the effects of climate change on the specialty of Dermatology and more broadly, medicine. Our guest today is Eva Rawlings Parker, M.D. Dr. Parker is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She is President of the Nashville Dermatologic Society and Vice President of the Williamson County Medical Society. Dr. Parker practices general and complex medical dermatology, inpatient dermatology, as well as cosmetic dermatology at Vanderbilt. Dr. Parker’s academic interests include the health effects secondary to climate change, global health, HIV dermatoses, and tropical skin disease. She also provides volunteer dermatologic care to immigrant, refugee, and underserved populations in Nashville, TN at Siloam Health and the Shade Tree Clinic. As well, she provides volunteer telehealth consultation services in Kenya through The Addis Clinic, has taught internationally in resource-limited settings, and is an external supervisor and mentor at the Regional Dermatology Training Centre in Moshi, Tanzania. She received her B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Denver which fueled her interest in how environmental impacts and climate alterations affect health.

She is a staunch advocate for both climate justice and health care sustainability, actively promoting broader education on the health impacts caused by climate change.

Resources Mentioned in Episode:

Planetary Health Report Card
https://phreportcard.org/

CDC Climate Change and Human Health
https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/default.htm

Climate Resources for Health Education Initiative
https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/global-consortium-climate-and-health-education/climate-resources-health-education-initiative

Medical Students for a Sustainable Future
https://ms4sf.org/

Episode produced by: Lauren Hekman

Episode recording date: 4/24/22

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep85 I Medical School Admissions — What a Rush! Apr 13, 2022

This episode is for all you pre-medical students who are aspiring to apply for medical school.

Today, we have a special guest, Dr. Jill M. Volk who currently serves in two capacities at Rush Medical College in Chicago, IL -- Director of Admissions and Recruitment and Director of Diversity and Inclusion. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, Master of Science in Education degree from Eastern Illinois University and has focused her entire career on student development. Before settling into the Admissions, Jill worked as Assistant Dean of Students at Lake Forest College where her primary functions were residence life and judicial affairs; Director of Student Affairs at Rush University where she focused her energies on new student orientation, commencement, student organizations, and advising; and Director of Special Programs for Rush Medical College where she devoted her time to orientation, special events within the medical college, scholarship processing and awarding, and residency selection programs. With her nearly 15 years of experience in admissions and recruitment, Jill has a broad knowledge of admissions, recruitment, financial aid and assists prospective students in all aspects of the admissions process. On the national level, Jill was a member of the AMCAS Admission Processing Solution Implemental Advisory Committee which advised AMCAS as they work through implementation plans and decisions regarding a new medical school admission processing product and served as the Executive Secretary/Treasurer of the Central Group on Student Affairs. In her spare time, Jill enjoys all the things Chicago has to offer including neighborhood dining, the lake, theater, and of course summer festivals.

Episode produced by: Aaron Deng and Isabelle Tan

Episode recording date: February 10th, 2022

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Ep84 I High Yield Wisdom from “Pathoma” Creator, Dr. Husain Sattar, MD Mar 30, 2022

You know his voice. You own and love his review book. He’s your go-to person for your medical school pathology studies. You must be thinking – there’s no way that Dr. Husain Sattar, MD was interviewed in this episode – well, think again!

In this episode, we interviewed the one and only, Dr. Husain Sattar, MD, creator and author of “Pathoma.” In addition to teaching medical students high yield USMLE STEP1 content, Dr. Sattar is a professor of Pathology at The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and a practicing surgical pathologist. He specializes in breast pathology.

What you probably do not know about Dr. Sattar, however, is his non-linear path to medicine. In fact, he took a substantial amount of time off from medical school. He changed his mind about his specialty and career goals several times. Along the way, he developed his inspiring teaching talents and accrued important life lessons and perspectives, which he imparts in this episode. So, take a break from studying Pathoma to understand the wisdom and intentions that drove the book’s inception in the first place. Trust us, you’ll return to your studying, and time on the wards as well, feeling especially inspired and grateful.

Episode produced by: Aaron Deng and Emily Hagen

Episode recording date: 3/2/2022

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Ep83 | Crack Open a Good Book: The First-Ever Medicus Reading List Mar 16, 2022

Do you love Medicus, but you're caught up on all the episodes? Not sure where to turn for other great medicine and healthcare content?

We feel you! Introducing the first-ever Reading List episode. In lieu of the normal interview format, four Medicus team members share some of their favorite books, articles, shows, and other medical content. These items can tide you over until our next episode releases...enjoy!

Content Covered:

--"Morning Rounds" newsletter, statnews.com

--"The Cost Conundrum" by Atul Gawande

--"Overkill" by Atul Gawande

--Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington

--Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

--Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

--When the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Annie Faidman

--Every Patient Tells a Story by Lisa Sanders

--"Diagnosis," series on Netflix

Episode produced by: Brendan Connolly

Contributors: Brendan Connolly, Rasa Valiauga, Katherine Mott, Emily Hagen

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep82 l Extra Extra, Dr. Cory Franklin Will Write All About It Feb 26, 2022

Ever wonder what your life would look like if you went to journalism school instead of medical school? Or the stories you’d have and people you’d meet if you were the Director of Medical Intensive Care at County Hospital for 25 years? Well, if you’re Dr. Cory Franklin, you’ve found a way to get the best of both worlds. You also happen to be the inspiration for Harrison Ford’s character in The Fugitive.

Join Katherine for the next episode in our Literature in Medicine series, where we interview Dr. Cory Franklin, current Editorial Board contributor to the Chicago Tribune. Author of three books: Cook County ICU: 30 Years of Unforgettable Patients and Odd Cases, The Doctor Will See You Now: Essays on Changing the Practice of Medicine, and Chicago Flashbulbs: A Quarter Century of News, Politics, Sports, and Show Business (1987-2012). And obituary advocate.

Episode produced by: Katherine Mott

Episode recording date: 12/23/21

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Ep81 I Hello From the Other Side: What It's Like to Date a Medical Student Feb 18, 2022

In this episode, Alex and Diana who tell their story about what it is like to date a medical student. This is a great episode about what it is like to date someone who is in medical school and the unique challenges that they have to overcome when navigating both life and medical school. Hope you enjoy!

Episode produced by: Shawn Choe

Episode recording date: 1/22/22

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Ep80 I Residency Round 2: How the Pandemic Inspired One Physician to Embark On a Second Residency Feb 09, 2022

In this episode, Rasa interviews family medicine physician Dr. Samantha Peterson who was inspired by what she saw on the frontlines of the pandemic to pursue an additional residency and fellowship in infectious disease.

Dr. Samantha Peterson is currently an internal medicine resident at Franciscan Health Olympia Fields, where she also completed her family medicine training. She finished her undergraduate training at University of Wisconsin-Madison and went to medical school at Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. In addition to her passion for infectious disease that was potentiated while working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, she also enjoys practicing osteopathic manipulative medicine and LGBTQ+ aspects of medicine. In her free time, Sam enjoys cooking, traveling, hiking, running, and watching the Packers beat the Bears.

Chicago Sun Times article: https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2021/11/16/22785114/covid-brings-out-resilience-valor

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 01/01/2022

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Ep79 I Nutrition and Body Kindness in Medicine with Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RDN, EP-C Jan 26, 2022

In this episode, Rasa chats with registered dietician, exercise physiologist, author, and fellow podcaster Rebecca Scritchfield about body kindness, intuitive eating, and health at every size and how to incorporate these practices into the art of medicine.

Rebecca Scritchfield (She/Her) is an award-winning registered dietitian nutritionist, certified exercise physiologist, author of the book Body Kindness, now in 4 languages, and host of the Body Kindness podcast. Through her counseling practice, she helps people make peace with food, find the joy in exercise, and create a better life. Her Body Kindness philosophy has been studied at UNC Charlotte to help reduce depressive symptoms and heal body image in pregnancy and postpartum. Rebecca is co-creator of Self-Care for Diabetes, a global virtual membership for education and emotional support for people with diabetes concerns to make weight-neutral, positive changes to habits, without dieting or food restrictions. Rebecca's free "get started" e-course is at BodyKindnessBook.com/start rebecca@bodykindnessbook.com

Links:

Body Kindness: https://www.bodykindnessbook.com/

Free "get started" with Body Kindness: www.BodyKindnessBook.com/start

Free diabetes myths guide: www.SelfCare4Diabetes.com/myths

Association for Size Diversity and Health: https://asdah.org/

Why You Can’t Lose Weight on a Diet: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/opinion/sunday/why-you-cant-lose-weight-on-a-diet.html

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 12/26/21

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Ep78 | Incorporating Psychotherapy in Psychiatry Jan 12, 2022

In this episode, Lauren dives into the discussion of incorporating psychotherapy into the practice of psychiatry. Discussing this hot topic with her is Dr. Carol Hekman, Dr. Joshua Pretsky, and Dr. Alan Chen. Their lengthy and impressive resumes are explained in detail at the beginning of the episode, but the sparknotes version of these impressive guests are below:

Dr. Carol Hekman is a practicing psychoanalyst and psychologist in Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Joshua Pretsky is a practicing psychiatrist at UCLA and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA where he is the founding director of the Concentration in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.

Dr. Alan Chen is a practicing psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Keck School of Medicine and an Assistant Program Director of the University of Southern California.

Topics discussed are the importance of incorporating talk therapy into psychiatrist practice, what to look for in a residency program, and the optimal relationship between a psychologist and psychiatrist supporting a patient’s health goals. Words of wisdom are plentiful in this episode, check it out!

Episode produced by: Lauren Hekman

Episode recording date: 12/22/21

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Ep77 | Literature and Medicine with Professor Elena Fratto Dec 29, 2021

Want more content that explores links between the art and science of medicine? Here it is!

In this episode, Brendan dips outside the usual world of hospitals and clinics to talk with Dr. Elena Fratto, a professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Princeton University. Professor Fratto published a book in November titled Medical Storyworlds: Health, Illness, and Bodies in Russian and European Literature at the Turn of the Twentieth Century, so she brings a unique perspective to conversations in medicine and healthcare.

Topics discussed include mortality and dying with dignity, the importance of gathering patient stories, how literature has influenced medical care, and so much more. Enjoy!

Episode produced by: Brendan Connolly

Episode recording date: 11/10/21

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep76 I I Am Abel Foundation: Raising Our Next Generation of Healthcare Heroes with Dr. LaMenta Conway Dec 08, 2021

In this episode, Rasa chats with Dr. LaMenta Conway, founder of the I Am Abel Foundation, about creating communities that allow the dream of becoming a physician a possibility for underserved youth. Trained in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Illinois, Dr. LaMenta Conway has celebrated over 22 years as a physician with most of her career teaching in top academic hospitals in the Midwest. In her current professional role, she is Deputy Chief of Medicine for the Illinois Department of Health where she and her team are responsible for the medical care of +40K offenders in custody in the Illinois State Prisons.

She is known best for her warm and exuberant personality and bedside manner as a physician and clinical educator devoted to the care of vulnerable populations. But an act of violence would inspire a powerful work of advocacy that would change her trajectory and become her life's legacy. Dr. Conway decided to formalize her lifelong legacy of mentoring young people in the art of compassionate medicine and service when one of her favorite 14-year-old cousins, full of promise and talent, was paralyzed following a gunshot wound to the spine intended for someone else. This pivotal moment followed the murder of her 15-year-old cousin on Mother’s Day just 6 months earlier.

She realized that many of the younger, misguided youth from these communities not only lacked mentors to guide and position them for success but they also did not understand how we are all as humans connected one to the other. Thus she created I AM ABEL FOUNDATION, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that she describes as a "mentoring scholarly community" whose motto is "Excellence Period. Serve Always."

The foundation is focused on community and global service with pipelines to medicine and STEM with the objective of bridging socioeconomic gaps so that all of Chicago's children would have a shot at the not so impossible dream. Through conferences, workshops and community outreach, the foundation has impacted thousands of kids already that will one day become our community's future researchers, leaders, advocates, healers and healthcare heroes.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 11/4/21

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Twitter hashtags: @sweetiecac @IAMABEL_FND

Instagram: @sweetieconway @iamabelfoundation

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAMABELfoundation

Website: https://www.iamabel.org

Becoming a mentor: https://www.iamabel.org/physician-medical-student-mentor

I Am Abel Foundation as featured by the Obama Foundation: https://youtu.be/H5HS7KtinHs

I Am Abel Foundation in Cuba: https://youtu.be/H5HS7KtinHs

Ep75 I A Look Into Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation: Dr. Leslie Rydberg Nov 26, 2021

In this episode, Raj chats with Dr. Leslie Rydberg, who is a general physiatrist and associate residency director at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. She discusses her path to physical medicine & rehabilitation, and why medical students should consider it as a future specialty choice. Dr. Rydberg has a special interest in resident and medical student education.

Join us as we learn about the day-to-day life of a physiatrist, the variety of the field depending on sub-specialty and setting, and how to make yourself a strong applicant to PM&R.

Episode produced by: Raj Ramini

Episode recording date: 1/7/21

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Ep74 | Authentic Relationship Building with Miriam Pierce, MSW, School Social Worker at Chicago Public Schools Nov 10, 2021

In this episode, Brittany chats with Miriam Pierce, MSW, who is a School Social worker at Chicago Public Schools. Before becoming a licensed social worker, Miriam graduated from Loyola University Chicago with her Bachelors in Communication Studies: Advocacy and Social Change, and a minor in Education Policy. She received her Masters in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis.

Join us as we discuss Miriam’s journey to school social work, parallels she sees between the fields of social work and medicine, how we can approach relationship and trust building with students and patients, and her approach on how to show up for yourself so that you can fully show up for others.

Episode produced by: Brittany Zelch

Episode recording date: 10/7/21

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Ep73 I Improv in Medicine: Dr. Orlov on the Art of Communication Oct 06, 2021

Dr. Nicola Orlov is a pediatric hospitalist with an interest in improving the sleep and health of hospitalized children. She is also an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Residency Training Program, and Co-Clerkship Director for the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School Medicine. All of which require exceptional communication skills, do they not?

After working with medical students, Dr. Orlov noticed that their training was excellent at teaching them about the medical interview, but that it left something to be desired in terms of the sort of improvisational communication skills that would prepare them for the unexpected and allow them to be more present with their patients. Thanks to a yes from The Bucksbaum Institute for Clinical Excellence, and a collaboration with The Second City, she was able to develop an innovative curriculum that uses improvisational theatre to work on just that. Join us as we discuss this research and her new elective at The University of Chicago. Our host, Katherine, may or may not have signed up for an improv class immediately after completing this interview.

Episode produced by: Katherine Mott

Episode recording date: 9/15/21

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Ep72 I Leading By Example On and Off the Field: From Professional Soccer Player to Medical Student Sep 22, 2021

In this interview, we chat with Kody Wakasa, a former professional soccer player who traded in his cleats for a stethoscope and is now a medical student at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine.

Kody is a second year medical student from Burlingame, CA. He studied Biology while playing division I soccer at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He then went on to play professionally in Arizona—two years with a second division team, Phoenix Rising FC, and two years with a third division team, FC Tucson. He is the oldest of four, enjoys the outdoors, and hanging out with family & friends.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga, Jacqueline Tarsitano

Episode recording date: 9/12/2021

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Ep71 | Under the MICROscope with Cullen M. Lilley, MS, MB(ASCP), MDxT(AAB) Sep 01, 2021

In this episode, we chat with microbe and pathology aficionado Cullen Lilley about exciting initiatives in the world of microbiology and pathology, utilizing social media and online platforms to educate the masses.

Cullen Lilley is a third-year MD/MA student at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine studying medicine and bioethics/health policy. He is also co-founder of PathElective.com, creator of #MicroMedEd, and member of the ASCP Patient Champions Steering Committee as well as the ASCP Social Media Committee. Before medical school, he was a microbiologist and certified molecular diagnostic technologist at CDC in the Enteric Diseases Laboratory Branch contracted through IHRC, inc. Currently, he is interested in innovative means of augmenting medical education and bioethical considerations in pathology and laboratory medicine.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 7/17/21

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Ep70 I Dr. Marchalik - The Physician Who Started a Book Club in Medical School and Can’t Seem to Put the Books Down Aug 18, 2021

Interested in thinking more about the intersection between literature and medicine? We were - and found an expert on the topic at the Georgetown School of Medicine.

Dr. Marchalik is the creator and director of the Literature in Medicine Track at Georgetown and the associate director of the Medical Humanities Initiative. He also holds a masters degree in English literature from Georgetown and contributes a monthly column in The Lancet medical journal, where he discusses literature and how it overlaps with medicine and public health.

Join Brendan and Katherine as we talk with Dr. Marchalik about books, why you should keep reading them in medical school and beyond, and how they might even help you fight burnout in medicine. So what are you waiting for? Click on the link already, this episode is clearly a page turner.

Episode produced by: Katherine Mott, Brendan Connolly

Episode recording date: 1/15/2020

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For more information about the Literature and Medicine track at Georgetown check out: https://www.georgetownliteratureandmedicine.com

Ep69 | Social Media in Medicine #2: Dr. Austin Chiang Aug 04, 2021

This is the second episode in our series, "Social Media in Medicine," where the Medicus team will be speaking with medical social media influencers about their experiences utilizing these new social platforms to further their goals as professionals. For students or medical professionals who are interested in this budding sector of healthcare, this series will explore the advantages, motivations, and downfalls of social media in presenting medical information to the general public.

Our second guest, Dr. Austin Chiang, is triple board-certified, dual ivy-league educated (Harvard, Columbia) and trained gastroenterologist and advanced endoscopist. Dr. Chiang specializes in novel endoscopic weight loss treatments and complex interventional endoscopic procedures. Dr. Chiang currently practices at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia and serves as the Director of the Endoscopic Weight Loss Program and Chief Medical Social Media Officer there. Dr. Chiang is also the Founding President of the Association for Healthcare Social Media (AHSM) and has conducted extensive research in social media within medicine. In addition to his professional achievements, Dr. Chiang is a verified Tiktok influencer (460k+ followers), Youtuber (11k+ subscribers), Twitter influencer (13k+ followers), and Instagram influencer (67.5k+ followers). Please make sure to view Dr. Chiang's content at his below social media handles.

Dr. Austin Chiang Social Media Handles linked below:

Website: http://www.austinchiang.com/

Instagram: AustinChiangMD

Twitter: AustinChiangMD

Facebook: AustinChiangMD

Tiktok: AustinChiangMD

Episode produced by: Aaron Deng, Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 4/24/21

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Ep68 | Social Media in Medicine #1: Dr. Eric Burnett Jul 22, 2021

This is the first episode in our series, "Social Media in Medicine," where the Medicus team will be speaking with medical social media influencers about their experiences utilizing these new social platforms to further their goals as professionals. For students or medical professionals who are interested in this budding sector of healthcare, this series will explore the advantages, motivations, and downfalls of social media in presenting medical information to the general public.

Our first guest, Dr. Eric Burnett, is a hospitalist at New York-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center who has been diligently working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic both within the hospital and online. Dr. Eric Burnett created his Tiktok account in June 2020 and has since garnered over 230k followers and 7 million likes, a viral following that he has used to spread factually medical information about the COVID-19 pandemic this past year.

Episode produced by: Aaron Deng, Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: April 16th, 2021

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Dr. Eric Burnett's Social Media is linked below:

Tiktok: dr.eric.b | Instagram: @eric2687

Ep67 | Living Without a Diagnosis Jul 09, 2021

Living without a diagnosis is hard. Being a mom of two undiagnosed children is perhaps even harder. In this episode, we interview Amanda Upton, who has two medically complex daughters who continue to live without a name for their condition. Throughout their journey, the Upton family has learned to roll with the punches and make the best out of every good day. Listen to learn what it is like to manage medical mysteries, dispel myths of living with disabilities, and what healthcare providers can do to make families like Amanda’s feel heard and supported.

Amanda Upton is a midwestern mom and a licensed teacher for children from birth to age eight in both regular and special education. After several years in the classroom, her teaching license is now being used at home to homeschool her daughters. She loves all things Disney and experimenting in the kitchen.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 2/23/21

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Wishlist for Ronald McDonald House (purchases directly ship to RMH): https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/80FxSHO?ref_=wl_share

Published articles:

https://complexchild.org/articles/2019-articles/september/accessible-world/

https://complexchild.org/articles/2018-articles/july/just-go/

https://complexchild.org/articles/2017-articles/april/fixing-healthcare/

https://complexchild.org/articles/2017-articles/february/lessons-feeding-tube/

https://complexchild.org/articles/2017-articles/february/taping-gj-tube/

https://complexchild.org/articles/2017-articles/november/emergency-one-page/

https://littlelobbyists.org/blog/2020/11/5/before-the-aca-my-health-insurance-was-junk-by-amanda-upton

Ep66 | The Wonder Woman Passion Project Jun 23, 2021

Inspired and unified by the humanitarian spirit of Wonder Woman, the Wonder Woman Passion Project aims to assemble a Healers League that empowers and mentors the next generation of healthcare team leaders and members by responsibly leveraging social media. The Wonder Wisdom Series features individuals from all aspects of healthcare and science who provide truthful and resilient stories of their journey. The creator of the WWPP, Hye-Jin Yun, shared with us her vision and hopes for this non-traditional method of mentorship. If you are a pre-health student or medical student in preclinical years, you can follow along with the "Med Student Wonderland: A Day-in-the-Life" Series via InstaStory, and feel free to DM for mentorship. Hye-Jin Yun is a rising fourth-year medical student, Class President, and Gold Humanism Honor Society inductee at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She has lived in seven global cities and mostly grew up in San Francisco. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in Neuroscience & Behavior from Barnard College of Columbia University. Prior to medical school, her experiences are diverse to include working with the CBS Evening News and UNICEF USA in New York City. Passionate about connecting with people and storytelling, she hopes to mentor forward, educate, and foster conversation across individuals in medicine, healthcare, science, public health, media, policy, business, and humanitarian spaces through the Wonder Woman Passion Project. Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga Episode recording date: 4/30/21 www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep65 | MS4 Perspective: Urology Jun 10, 2021

We are keeping the ball rolling with another amazing MS4 match episode! Alek sits down with Dr. Cesar Delgado, MD, and Dr. Hannah Slovacek, MD, two recent 2021 Loyola Stritch School of Medicine graduates that matched into Urology at University of California San Diego (UCSD) and University of Texas, Houston (UT Houston) respectively. Here, Cesar and Hannah reflect on their journey in pursuing a career in Urology, as well as provide tips and recommendations for all stages of the match process.

If you are interested in learning more about Urology, you can reach out to Cesar via DM on Twitter @CesarDelgadoMD or Hannah at hannah.slov@gmail.com, or the official American Urological Association website at https://www.auanet.org/

Episode produced by: Alek Druck

Episode recording date: 05/2021

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Ep64 | MS4 Perspective: Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Jun 02, 2021

We have another amazing MS4 match episode! Alek and Katherine sit down with Colten Wolf, MD, and Emily Bacalao, MD, two recent 2021 Loyola Stritch School of Medicine graduates that matched into Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Loyola Hospital Systems and University of Colorado respectively. Here, Colten and Emily reflect on their journey in pursuing a career in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (colloquially known as “Ears, Nose, and Throat Surgery or “ENT”), as well as provide tips and recommendations for all stages of the match process.

If you are interested in learning more about ENT, you can reach out to Colten at coltenpwolf@gmail.com or emilybacalao@gmail.com., or the official ENT website at https://www.entnet.org/.

Episode produced by: Alek Druck, Katherine Mott

Episode recording date: 05/2021

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Ep63 | MS4 Perspective: Vascular Surgery May 26, 2021

The MS4 Specialty Series is back! Here to kick things off is Melissa D'Andrea, MD, and John Hallsten, MD, two recent 2021 Loyola Stritch School of Medicine graduates that matched into the Integrated Vascular Surgery track at University of Arizona, Tuscan, and University of California, San Diego, respectively. Melissa and John reflect on their reasons for pursuing a career in Vascular Surgery, as well as provide tips and recommendations for all stages of the match process. Additionally, they provide great insight on how medical students can stand out on their surgery rotations.

If you are interested in learning more about Vascular Surgery, you can reach to Melissa (@MelissaDAndrea4) or John (@JohnHallsten) via twitter, or go to the American Board of Surgery's webpage at https://www.absurgery.org/default.jsp?examoffered_vs .

Ep62 | Bonus Episode #3: Medical Student Experiences during COVID-19 May 19, 2021

In the final bonus episode of a three part series, Katherine and Brittany interview current students at the Stritch School of Medicine about how COVID-19 has impacted their medical education.

Join us as we talk with current M4, Lauren Lamparter, about her experience finishing her clinical rotations, applying to residency programs, and anticipating ways that the transition to residency may look different from previous years.

Post-Recording Update: Lauren will be going to the University of Illinois Chicago for her residency in Emergency Medicine!

Episode produced by: Katherine Mott, Brittany Zelch

Episode recording date: January 2021

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep61 | Getting Sued for Malpractice: Dr. Stacia Dearmin May 12, 2021

Through personal, firsthand experience Stacia Dearmin, MD has witnessed the impact of unexpected negative outcomes and medical malpractice lawsuits on physicians and other medical professionals. Through her website and counseling company www.thrivephysician.com, she now works to support others through the confusion and uncertainty that often follows adverse outcomes and malpractice litigation.

Episode produced by: Olivia, Nate

Episode recording date: 2/8/21

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep60 | Bonus Episode #2: Medical Student Experiences during COVID-19 May 05, 2021

This is the second bonus episode in a three part series where Katherine and Brittany interview current students at the Stritch School of Medicine about how COVID-19 has impacted their medical education.

Join us as we talk with current M3, Gideon Levinson, about what it was like to wrap up pre-clinicals, study for STEP1, and begin clinical training during the pandemic. We found Gideon to be a natural motivational speaker, so this is the perfect episode for anyone looking for a little extra juice to help them finish the year (or Dedicated!) off strong.

Episode produced by: Katherine Mott, Brittany Zelch

Episode recording date: January 2021

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Ep59 | Financial Literacy, Student Loans, and House Hacking in Residency with Dr. Will Brundidge Apr 28, 2021

We sit down with Dr. Will Brundidge to discuss financial education from the lens of a resident. Will is a PGY-4 Med/Peds senior at Loyola University Hospital Systems. Outside of spending time with his family, Will has interests in financial independence and real estate. Currently, Will and his wife own and rent out properties in both the California and Chicagoland areas. Through a process known as “House Hacking”, he serves as both a tenant/landlord in a triplex unit to obtain supplemental streams of income to offset his monthly mortgage. We also discuss certain principles of financial education every healthcare-professional-in-training should be aware of, including student loan management, contract negotiations, and financial mentorship. This podcast is for information purposes only; no member of this podcast is a licensed financial advisor.

Recommended resources from Will: https://www.studentloanplanner.com/ https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/ https://financialresidency.com

Episode produced by: Alek Druck

Episode recording date: 3/30/21

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep58 | Supporting Trans Patients Part 2 with Lucas Greeff Apr 21, 2021

In the second part of this conversation, Luke talks about their experiences interacting with the healthcare system, and their thoughts on how we can better support our trans and nonbinary patients. From being mindful of making assumptions about patients’ health needs based on their gender identity or sexual orientation, to having the humility to listen and learn from our patients, there is a lot we can work on moving forward. If you are looking for a primer on how to better accommodate our gender non-conforming patient populations, this is an excellent place to start!

Episode produced by: Dave Lee

Episode recording date: 7/25/2020

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep57 | Supporting Trans Patients Part 1 with Lucas Greeff Apr 14, 2021

Lucas Greeff (xe/they) is a dancer, choreographer, and circus artist in the Chicagoland area, who has done some incredible work with Joel Hall Dancers, Blue Fire Dance Collective, and Aloft Circus Arts. They also have personal experience exploring their gender identity, and going through the process of transitioning over the past several years. In this episode, Luke shares their experiences going through HRT (hormone replacement therapy), continuing their performance art work while transitioning, and we celebrate what they have gained from this process.

Support for LGBTQ+ Health in Chicagoland: https://howardbrown.org/

Episode produced by: Dave Lee

Episode recording date: 07/25/2020

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Ep56 | Global Service in Medicine with Dr. Amy Blair Mar 31, 2021

For students interested in pursuing a healthcare career to serve communities in need both international and domestically, the process of finding an organization and travelling can be complicated yet incredibly rewarding. Aaron and Rasa speak with Dr. Amy Blair, a well-traveled faculty member at the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine about her global experiences who provides stories of her service experience abroad and tips for students to find their own path to international service.

Dr. Amy Blair is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Assistant Dean of Medical Education at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and practices Family Medicine in Maywood, Illinois. She became the Director of the Center for Community and Global Health (CCGH) in 2008. Dr. Blair became involved in global health training as an undergraduate and continued to seek experiences to immerse and serve in local and international communities throughout medical school and residency. As a faculty, she has been a visiting professor and volunteer clinician in local and international settings in Central America and the Caribbean, South America, and Southern Africa. As Director of the CCGH, she hopes to inspire and support medical students who have a passion for health equity and envision local and global service as a part of their medical careers.‌

Episode produced by: Aaron Deng, Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: February 2021

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep55 | Bonus Episode #1: Medical Student Experiences during COVID-19 Mar 24, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has touched the lives of nearly everyone on the globe and has drastically changed how we live and interact on a daily basis. Join Katherine and Brittany as they speak with medical students on what the pandemic has meant for their medical education and the impact it’s had on medical student experiences. Stay tuned for three bonus episodes, including this one, where they speak with students at the Stritch School of Medicine from each class, starting with students in their preclinical years and working their way up to a fourth year student who applied to residency during the pandemic.

In today’s bonus episode, Brittany and Katherine speak with Anisha Sharma and Guy Olson about how they are navigating their first and second years of medical school, mainly from home.

While every medical school is handling the pandemic a little differently, let us show you how it has impacted our students and sit with us as we contemplate how it may change medical education for years to come.

Episode produced by: Brittany Zelch, Katherine Mott

Episode recording date: January 2021

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep54 | Leadership in Medicine with Nicolette Codispoti Mar 17, 2021

Have you ever wondered how a medical student, low on the totem pole in the very rigid hierarchy of healthcare, can seek out opportunities for leadership in medicine? If so, then this episode is for you!

Brendan and Brittany chat with Nicolette Codispoti, a second-year medical student at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. She shares how she has pursued various leadership roles, both within medical school and beyond in the broader healthcare landscape.

Nicolette is originally from Long Island, New York and graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a major in Biology and certificates in Gender and Women’s Studies, Global Health and Leadership. Following undergrad, Nicolette completed two masters degrees, in Public Health and in Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. While completing her Master’s of Science, she also worked as a Research Associate at Clinical Outcomes Solutions, where she supported several clinical trials. Nicolette has a passion for women’s health and medical education and is intimately involved in both areas at Loyola as the President of the Academic Medicine Interest Group and the Mentorship Chair for the Society of Women’s Health. Outside of Stritch, Nicolette serves on the Committee of Medical Education for the Medical Student Section of the American Medical Association, as well as Education Chair for the Medical Student Forum on Female Sexual Dysfunction. Her past and current leadership experiences led to her latest position, in which she was selected to serve as the first medical student on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Professionalism in Medicine.

You can connect with Nicolette on Twitter at @nmcodispoti.

Episode produced by: Brendan Connolly and Brittany Zelch

Edited by: Shawn Choe

Episode recording date: November 2020

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Ep53 | Emotional Intelligence with Dr. Ramzan Shahid Mar 03, 2021

Dr. Shahid is an expert on the topic of emotional intelligence. In this episode, he shares with us what it means to have emotional intelligence and how developing this important skillset can help physicians become effective leaders, build strong relationships with patients, develop resiliency, and perform well under stress.

Improving your emotional intelligence starts with knowing your strengths and weaknesses. You can start here with these brief assessments:

https://globalleadershipfoundation.com/geit/eitest.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/personality/emotional-intelligence-test

To learn more about the topics of EI and Resilience, check out the review videos Dr. Shahid has posted: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcAalo94zsJeiXv63fmTtGg

About our guest - Dr. Ramzan Shahid received his B.S. from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 1992 and his M.D. also from UIC in 1996. He completed his Pediatric Residency training in 1999 from Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, IL. Dr. Shahid's entire 20 year career has focused on graduate medical education and academic pediatrics. He has an interest in emotional intelligence (EI) and has given several presentations and workshops on using EI skills to promote the development of resilience. Additionally, he has published several articles and a book chapter on this topic.

Episode produced by: Mara and Monica

Episode recording date: November 2020

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Ep52 | Pediatric Bioethics with Anesthesiologist Dr. Alyssa Burgart Feb 17, 2021

Dr. Alyssa Burgart is a board certified pediatric anesthesiologist and bioethicist. She specializes in pediatric anesthesia and pediatric abdominal transplant anesthesia. She also has a joint appointment in the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, serves as the Co-Chair of the LPCH Ethics Committee and as a member of the SHC Ethics Committee. She provides ethics consultation services for people of all ages. Her ethics interests include pediatric ethics, organ transplantation, communication skills, disability rights, women's healthcare access, adolescent decision-making, ethics education, and excellence in ethics consultation. Dr. Burgart is active on Twitter, where she comments on Anesthesiology and Bioethics issues. You can follow her at @BurgartBioethix.

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen, Brendan Connolly

Episode edited by Shawn Choe

Episode recording date: 09/21/20

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep51 | Switching Specialties During Residency - From Internist to Pathologist Feb 03, 2021

Dr. Imran Uraizee is currently a Clinical Instructor and fellow in surgical pathology in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) and is board certified by the American Board of Pathology. He plans to complete a cytopathology fellowship at LUMC in the upcoming academic year. He graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry and served as an intern in internal medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC). He completed his residency training in combined anatomic and clinical pathology (AP/CP) at UCMC and served as chief resident. Dr. Uraizee curates surgical pathology cases and questions for Loyola Pathology's @HallwayPathQuiz Twitter account and can also be followed at his personal handle, @IUraizee3MD.

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga, Emily Hagen

Episode recording date: 12/19/20

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Ep50 | Dr. Anthony Fauci - Beyond Physician Leadership: Values, Virtue, and Character Jan 29, 2021

Loyola University Chicago hosted Dr. Anthony Fauci for a conversation about humanism in medicine and we got permission to share the interview with you! He talks a bit about the COVID 19 outlook as well as his own career. At the end he gives advice for current medical students entering the workforce about the many opportunities there are for people with medical degrees.

Episode produced by: Nate

Episode recording date: 1/28/2020

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep49 | Achieving Success in Academic Medicine - From a Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgeon Jan 20, 2021

Dr. Elizabeth Mueller is the division director of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPRMS) at Loyola University Medical Center and incoming president of the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS). She is a renowned expert in female pelvic floor dysfunction, with over 80+ publications and 15+ grant-funded research initiatives. Notably, she is the first AUGS president to graduate from a urology residency. As demonstrated by the litany of these academic accolades, Dr. Mueller understands what it takes to be a successful physician. In this podcast, we dive into nuts and bolts of her success story.

Interestingly, Dr. Mueller’s path to medicine was fairly untraditional. Originally, she started her career as a critical care nurse in the ICU. After saving up enough money to go to college, she found an interest in the math and sciences, and graduated with a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla. She worked for Procter and Gamble for six years, climbing the ranks of the engineering and business world to eventually lead a 120 person department with a $13 million/year operating budget. In reflecting on the satisfaction she felt during her days as an ICU nurse, she made the decision to apply for medical school at age 36. She would then graduate from St. Louis University School of Medicine and complete a urology residency and urogynecology/FPRMS fellowship at Loyola.

Captivating, insightful, and knowledgeable, Dr. Mueller is known as an amazing mentor inside and outside the OR. Tune in for discussions on what it takes to achieve such success in the world of academic medicine.

Episode produced by: Alek Druck, Josh Lewis

Episode recording date: September 30th, 2020

Ep48 | Blazing New Trails and Staying Grounded: Words of Wisdom from Neurosurgeon Dr. Boockvar of Netflix's "Lenox Hill" Jan 08, 2021

Dr. John Boockvar is a neurosurgeon and Vice Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in NY, which is featured in a Netflix-original docuseries called “Lenox Hill” (released June 2020). He is also a professor of neurosurgery and otolaryngology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He has an extensive list of awards, lectures, papers, and research accomplishments. Currently, he is a co-principal investigator of ongoing clinical trials testing a new delivery method of targeted drug treatment for common types of brain cancer.

Prior to joining the Northwell in 2014, Dr. Boockvar was a professor of neurosurgery and neuroscience, the co-director of the brain and spine tumor program at the Weill Cornell Medical College, and a neurosurgeon at New York Presbyterian Hospital. In 2014, the Feinstein Institute opened a research center, of which Dr. Boockvar is the co-director. In this role, he heads the neuro-oncology research program. The Feinstein Institute focuses on helping startup companies test ideas to treat or diagnose brain tumors. He has also conducted basic research to study cancer stem cells in the context of brain tumors, as well as methods using neural stem cells to treat brain disorders. Dr. Boockvar is passionately committed to offering patients proven and better therapy.

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen, Rasa Valiauga

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep47 | Dismantling Racism Utilizing the Power of the White Coat: White Coats for Black Lives Dec 25, 2020

In this episode, we talk to Jessica Simpson, a second-year medical student at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and founder of the Loyola chapter of White Coats for Black Lives, about the WC4BL organization, racism in healthcare, and how to begin having meaningful conversations and take action to combat this systemic issue.

Jessica L. Simpson, M.P.H. is a second-year medical student at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM). She grew up in Maryland and earned her Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Community Health from the University of Maryland College Park. Jessica earned a Master of Public Health degree from her parents’ alma mater, the University of Louisville. Prior to medical school, Ms. Simpson worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for five years in HIV-related surveillance, national survey analysis, and emergency preparedness and response, including deployments to Sierra Leone for the 2014-2016 Ebola Outbreak and the Emergency Operations Center at CDC Headquarters for the opioid epidemic. Early in her career, Ms. Simpson has authored more than 10 peer reviewed abstracts, quick stats, or data briefs and has been the recipient of several federal, state, and academic awards. During her first year of medical school, she was a Co-Coordinator for the high school mentor program, Health Professionals Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP) and continues to mentor her mentees. Currently, Jessica volunteers at the CommunityHealth Clinic (CHC) in Chicago, the largest volunteer-based free clinic in the nation, providing gynecological medical care under the supervision of attending physicians. She also volunteers as a phlebotomist at the CHC. Jessica is the founder and President of the White Coats for Black Lives Chapter at SSOM and Vice President of the Integrative Medicine Student Interest Group. She believes that storytelling has the capacity to change heart and minds by igniting action which leads to meaningful change. For that reason, Ms. Simpson organized the White Coats for Black Lives photo collage project in solidarity for Black Lives at Loyola University Chicago. Jessica enjoys yoga, meditation, gardening, cooking, traveling, running, hiking, and spending time with family and friends. She invites you to connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Episode produced by: Rasa

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep46 | Non-Traditional Paths to Medicine: From PhD to Dr. Dr. Dec 11, 2020

This episode features Dr. Travis Nielson who started his medical career after obtaining his Doctorate in biology. For those non-traditional wondering if medicine is the right path for you, take a listen!

Episode produced by: Shawn Choe

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Ep45 | Tackling Physician Suicide, In Loving Memory of Nicole Marie Walls Nov 27, 2020

Dr. Pamela Wible is a family physician born into a family of physicians who warned her not to pursue medicine. She soon discovered why—to heal her patients she first had to heal her profession. Fed up with assembly-line medicine, Dr. Wible held town hall meetings where she invited citizens to design their own ideal clinic. Open since 2005, Wible’s community clinic has inspired Americans to create ideal clinics and hospitals nationwide. In between treating her own patients and helping doctors launch community clinics, Dr. Wible devotes herself to medical student and physician suicide prevention. She has investigated nearly 1,300 doctor suicides and her extensive database and suicide registry reveals highestrisk specialties—and solutions. Dr. Wible runs a free doctor suicide hotline and has helped countless medical students and physicians heal from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts so they can enjoy practicing medicine again. Dr. Wible speaks widely on health care delivery and physician suicide prevention.

Episode produced by: Rasa, Dave, and Aaron

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Ep44 | What’s it like to be a traveling doctor? - Locum Tenens with Dr. Carrie Reynolds Nov 13, 2020

Carrie Reynolds is a pediatric gastroenterologist and host of the excellent podcast “Hippocratic Hustle” where she interviews women physicians who have found their freedom through entrepreneurship and side-projects. Recently she transitioned from a private practice w2 job to working as a locum tenens physician and she joined us on the podcast to discuss the ins and outs of locums work.

Here are some links to websites and organizations mentioned in the show:

Episode produced by: Nate

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Ep43 | Disability Advocacy and the Community Emergency Services and Support Act (CESSA) - Justin Cooper Oct 30, 2020

In this episode we sit down with Justin Cooper, a prominent advocate for disabilities rights in the state of Illinois. In this discussion, we talk about the Community Emergency Services and Support Act (CESSA), a potential state bill that would offer an alternative emergency response system for mental or behavioral emergencies to disabled Illinoisans. We cover a broad range of topics including many of the myths surrounding this bill, the history of how it came to be, and how it may benefit Illinoisans. Justin also describes some of his other efforts to improve the rights of disability community.

A little bit of background about Justin - Justin has worked together with Access Living since 2014, an organization whose mission statement includes "...igniting disability power and pride, providing critical services, and breaking down systemic barriers to create a stronger, more inclusive society." As part of his work with Access Living, Justin is the president of the Young Professionals Council (YPC). This group is comprised of multiple disciplines (including healthcare providers, lawyers, architects, and more) and whose goals includes utilizing professional networks to advocate and support the disability community. Justin is also heavily involved with Advance Your Leadership Power, a group whose focus is on combating racial inequalities.

For more information on many of these topics please see the links below:

CESSA: https://www.accessliving.org/defending-our-rights/racial-justice/community-emergency-services-and-support-act-cessa/

CESSA Virtual Lobbying Week: https://www.accessliving.org/get-involved/join-a-community-organizing-group/advance-your-leadership-power/cessa-virtual-lobbying-week/

YPC: https://www.accessliving.org/get-involved/young-professionals-council-ypc/

YPC Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AccessLivingYoungProfessionalsCouncil

YPC IG Page: @ypcalchicago

Justin's IG Page: @mrcooper82

Ep42 | Treating Patients with Opioid Use Disorder Jun 26, 2020

In this episode, we interview Dr. Nate Kittle, a family medicine faculty member at The Wright Center National Family Medicine Residency program at HealthPoint. Combining his passions for community health and bioethics, Dr. Kittle is especially interested in treating patients with opioid use disorders. Tune in to learn about the different approaches that Dr. Kittle utilizes to humanistically and ethically treat such patients and the associated challenges.

This episode is a follow-up to Dr. Kittle’s talk called, “Treating Patients with Opioid Use Disorder” that he gave to third year medical students at the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine earlier this month. It was also an Ethics Grand Rounds talk and celebrated the 20th anniversary of Loyola’s Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics & Healthcare Leadership.

Dr. Kittle can be reached at: nathankittle@gmail.com. He is very willing to email with students about their questions regarding family medicine or addiction medicine, or other related topics.

Episode produced by: Emily Hagen & Josh Lewis (interviewers), Brendan Connolly (interview preparation), Shawn Choe (podcast editor)

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep41 | Supporting Children with Special Needs - Sharon Pike Apr 25, 2020

Raising a child with special needs brings many joys and challenges. On this episode we hear about it firsthand from Sharon Pike, who has a daughter with special needs. Through her experience navigating the healthcare system with her daughter, she was inspired to start Operation Homefront. This organization pairs medical students with special needs children and their families, for an immersive experience that broadens perspective and helps future doctors learn how to better support their patients with special needs. Additionally, Sharon works at Easterseals, an organization dedicated to providing resources to people with different abilities. She is an amazing advocate and we are lucky to learn from her and share her message with you all.

Get in contact with Sharon: 630-479-7230, samj142@aol.com

Episode produced by: Josh and Mara

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Ep40 | Medical Myths: Undocumented Immigrants and Healthcare - w/ Dr. Mark Kuczewski Mar 27, 2020

Immigration: you may have strong opinions about it on one side or the other, but how much do you actually know? And what does undocumented immigration have to do with medicine?

For this episode, we sat down with Dr. Mark Kuczewski, a lead bioethicist at Stritch School of Medicine and an expert on the intersection between undocumented immigrants and the American healthcare system. Dr. Kuczewski covered a broad number of topics in this interview, including common myths about the demographics of immigrants in the U.S., medical school admissions for DACA students, and much more. Tune in to learn something new!

Links from the episode:

https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/451937-health-insurance-for-undocumented-immigrants-its-only-fair-to-all-of-us

https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/how-medicine-may-save-life-us-immigration-policy-clinical-and-educational-encounters-ethical-public/2017-03

Episode produced by: Brendan Connolly and Emily Hagen

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep39 | What happens if you don’t match? SOAP - Dr. Liza Brecher Mar 15, 2020

If you are interested in learning more technical details of the SOAP we highly recommend these videos on the NRMP website:

SOAP for Applicants Video

SOAP for Programs Video

How the Matching Algorithm Works

Liza a first year resident in Family Medicine at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, IL. She graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine in 2019. She is passionate about reproductive health and caring for underserved populations. In her off time she loves to read, cook, and explore Chicago!

Episode produced by: Nate, Alek

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Ep38 | Medical Myths: Admissions - Dean Nabers Feb 28, 2020

It's time once again for every pre-med's favorite topic...admissions! For the latest episode in our Medical Myths series, Brendan, Emily, and Raj--safely on the other side of the admissions hurdle--sat down with Darrell Nabers, the Dean of Admissions at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, to de-mystify the process of getting that desired acceptance. So set aside those MCAT books and give yourself a quick break from Student Doctor Network to tune in!

Episode produced by: Brendan Connolly, Emily Hagen, Raj Ramini

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Ep37 | Race and Loss in Medicine: Hermona Abera Jan 25, 2020

In this episode, we sat down with a third year medical student Hermona Abera to discuss two topics in medicine which are all too familiar to her - racism and loss. Listen along as we explore the types of discrimination Hermona has faced before and during medical school, the losses she’s experienced, and how she’s dealt with both.

Episode produced by: Rasa, Neal

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Ep36 | Disability in Medicine: Adam Wadina (M4) Jan 18, 2020

In this episode we sat down with Adam Wadina. Adam is a 4th year medical student applying to neurology residency. He was born missing his left hand, and this has shaped his medical school experience and overall life outlook in many ways. He has become very passionate about disability ethics, and hopes his experiences can help further the discussion in the future for both patients and doctors who face long term disability. In today’s conversation, Adam talks about his experiences through medical education, and shares his insights on how we view and discuss issues around disability.

For resources and support for parents of children with limb deformities, Adam recommended checking out The Lucky Fin Project: https://luckyfinproject.org/

Ep35 | Non-Traditional Paths to Medicine: Law to Medicine Jan 13, 2020

This episode is for those who love school. We have a special guest Robert Canning who decided to obtain his JD and MBA and then pursue medical school. He is currently a first year student at Stritch School of Medicine. Listen as he shares his story about being a lawyer by day and EMT by night prior to beginning medical school. Hope you enjoy!

Robert Canning is a first year student at Stritch School of Medicine. He received his JD/MBA degree from the University of Connecticut, Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and History from Wake Forest University while being part of pre-hospital emergency medicine since 2004.

Ep34 | Non-Traditional Paths to Medicine: From Marketing to Med School Dec 14, 2019

This series is especially for pre-meds pursuing or thinking about pursuing a non-traditional path to medicine. Our guest for this episode is Cheryl Zhang, who transitioned from a career in marketing to being a student at Stritch School of Medicine. She shares her stories, thought process, post-bac program experience, and tips and tricks about applying to medical school. We hope you enjoy!

Cheryl Zhang is a first year medical student at Stritch School of Medicine. She worked in marketing for a few years before attending a formal post-bac program at the University of Michigan. She was then accepted to Stritch School of Medicine for class of 2023 and is currently the president of the M1 Class Board.

Episode produced by: Shawn

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Ep33 | Medical Myths: Women's Sexual Health with Jen Romanello Dec 06, 2019

Welcome to "Medical Myths," a new series on the Medicus podcast where we explore misinformation and common misunderstandings in the healthcare world, with the goal to help dispel common myths and promote education and awareness.

Today’s episode focuses on women’s health, specifically women’s pleasure and pain. We interviewed Jen Romanello, a medical student at Rush Medical College in Chicago who has previously done extensive work in women’s health, which she considers a passion.

Before medical school, Jen was an Ambassador at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC. In this role, she created a panel with local physicians and health educators open to the public titled, "I LIKE IT: A Conversation on Female Pleasure and Sexual Communication" on raising the consciousness of how women can more readily identify and communicate what is pleasurable for them in their own lives. She has worked at a global fertility practice doing clinical research and also served on the organization’s ethics committee. She keeps a blog about exploring the intersection of bioethics, women’s health, and identity, and she graduated from the George Washington University with B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Applied Ethics.

So, how "cliterate" are you? What myths about women’s health are you holding onto? Tune in to find out!

Correction to episode:

The urologist cited in the podcast has a fellowship in “Male and Female Sexual Dysfunction” not “Sexual Medicine”

Links from episode:

https://jenromanellobioethics.com/

https://www.isswsh.org/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/serena-williams-black-women-health-care_n_5aa156fce4b002df2c61c6aahttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/serena-williams-black-women-health-care_n_5aa156fce4b002df2c61c6aa

Ep32 | Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy - Dr. Timothy Buckley Nov 23, 2019

In today’s episode we dive deep into the topic of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, one of the newer emerging modalities in the field of medicine. We sit down to discuss with Dr. Timothy Buckley, a clinical psychiatrist at the Edward Hines VA system to discuss the what the current research is telling us, why this is so exciting for the field of psychiatry and how this new therapy will fit into medicine in the future.

Before we hop into our discussion, we wanted to make sure that our listeners understand that this episode is intended to be for general informational purposes only and is not to be interpreted as an endorsement for use. Dr. Buckley’s discussion today is not meant to represent the views or policy of the VA hospital system, but are rather an expression of his own academic interests in this evolving therapeutic modality. Furthermore, listeners should be aware that the inappropriate use of these compounds carry real consequences including both the potential for physiologic harm as well as potential legal ramifications, as these substances are currently considered schedule 1 drugs by the DEA. With that said, please enjoy this discussion with Dr. Timothy Buckley

Bio - Dr. Buckley grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He attended Western Michigan University where he received a BA in English and Spanish. He then worked with the mentally ill in rehabilitation centers for several years before returning to school to obtain a medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine and later did his residency in psychiatry at the University of Kansas Medical Center, followed by a fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry from NW University. He now works at Hines VA medical center and teaches Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine.

Links from episode

https://maps.org/

https://hopkinspsychedelic.org/

https://www.nature.com/articles/npp201784 - great review article on the potential for psychedelics as a therapy

https://tim.blog/2019/09/10/largest-psychedelic-research-center/

https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Mind-Consciousness-Transcendence/dp/0735224153/ref=sr_1_3?crid=DV9Q4Y90D9S7&keywords=how+to+change+your+mind&qid=1574527221&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sprefix=how+to+change+%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-3

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5641975/

Ep31 | Dying with Dignity - A Discussion on Palliative Medicine with Dr. Aziz Ansari Nov 11, 2019

The terms “hospice” and “palliative care” are frequently associated with end stages of dying and can be misinterpreted as giving up or losing hope, but it could not be further from the truth. In fact, hospice and palliative care are not synonymous and do not have to be mutually exclusive. Listen as we discuss the differences between hospice and palliative care, debunk some common misconceptions, and explore the benefits of these routes of treatment.

Dr. Aziz Ansari is an Associate Professor of Medicine and is the Associate Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Optimization and Revenue Integrity at Loyola University Medical Center. He graduated from Midwestern University and completed his residency training at Loyola University Medical Center. He is a practicing and board certified hospitalist and palliative care physician. Dr. Ansari teaches frequently on the role of primary palliative care in improving health care delivery, primary communication skills in serious illness, opioid management and the role of cultural humility in challenging one's implicit biases at the bedside. He has over a decade of speaking and teaching experience.

Ep30 | Patient Perspective: Moonwalking Through Breast Cancer Oct 26, 2019

To honor breast cancer awareness month, we sat down with Alice Moon, Devon and Peter Moon to get a patient’s perspective on being diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer as a 26 year old woman. We talk about various topics such as dealing with cancer, navigating the healthcare system, and handling side effects of chemotherapy treatment.

Alice is a 26 year old patient who graduated with a masters of science in nutrition from University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She has various interests such as cooking, walking on the beach and enjoying spending time with friends and family.

Instagram: @moonwalkingtc

Episode produced by: Shawn Choe

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep29 | Experiences From a One-Year Fellowship at a Rural Bolivian Clinic Oct 18, 2019

Medical students Megha Srivastava and Andrea Escobar spent a whole year working at a free clinic in rural Bolivia for their global health fieldwork fellowship. You can find out more about the clinic and the fellowship here:

http://centromedicohumbertoparra.org/

https://hsd.luc.edu/global_health/programs/scholarsprogram/

Episode produced by: Nate

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Ep28 | Women Leaders in Medicine - Dr. Shikha Jain Oct 12, 2019

Women have made up at least 40% of medical students in the US for over 25 years, yet this is not reflected in medical leadership. Women account for only 18% of hospital CEOs and 16% of all deans and department chairs. While the reasons behind this discrepancy are numerous and the potential solutions even more complex, there is hope. We sat down with Dr. Shikha Jain, a hematology and oncology physician at Rush University Medical Center, to discuss some of these barriers to women leadership and some questions we all should be asking ourselves as we shape the future of medicine.

Dr. Jain has also written for several organizations including Doximity, KevinMD, ASCO Connection, and completed a year as a Doximity writing fellow. Additionally, Dr. Jain has peer-reviewed publications on her research interests, which include gender equity, career advancement for women, increasing underrepresented minorities in medicine, the impact of social media on medicine, and GI oncology. Her clinical research focus includes precision oncology, immunotherapy, neuroendocrine tumors and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Ep27 | MS4 Perspective: Obstetrics & Gynecology Sep 28, 2019

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) specialty episode, we investigate the field of obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn). Our specialty series with 4th year medical students consists of three parts. Part I consists of a discussion about the field. Here, we will learn about the reasons why our guests have decided to pursue a career in this specialty, likes/dislikes about the field, and common stereotypes surrounding the field. Part II explores what it takes to match into the field. Our discussions in this section include ways in which medical students can become a competitive applicant for this specialty, tips for rotations in this specialty, advice on structuring your curriculum, and ways to evaluate which residency programs to apply to. Part III is the general advice section. Here, our 4th year students will reveal the secrets to success for each year of medical school, as well as advice for pre-med students, gap year students, excelling on board exams, and more.

Our guest in this episode, Andy Chen, is completing his medical education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Andy is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles, and majored in microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics. Andy took four years off after college to work on his medical school application. During this period, he would take the MCAT multiple times, went on a medical mission’s trip, and obtained EMT certification. Andy’s journey to medicine has been published in the “Inspiring Stories” section on the AAMC website, which can be found at the following link:https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical-career/article/andy-chen/

Andy provides great insight into the world of Ob/Gyn, delivering a unique perspective of a being a male applicant/provider. He highlights the importance of women’s health and the variety that Ob/Gyn can offer.

For advice, tips, and a glimpse into the lives of medical students pursuing a career in Ob/Gyn, follow along!

Ep26 | Patient Perspective: Surviving Pediatric Cancer Sep 16, 2019

In this episode, we sat down with fellow Medicus team member Dave Lee to discuss his experience with pediatric cancer (specifically ALL). Dave shares his perspective as a former patient and now as a physician in training. We get into some pretty interesting discussions (I especially enjoyed his thoughts on the role that labels play in our identification process). Additionally, we are excited to start bringing in the new M1 members of the team. On this episode, we are joined by Shawn Choe! We are excited to have him as well as all of our new members.

Ep25 | Hypnosis, Acupuncture, and Integrative Medicine Aug 31, 2019

On this episode we take a look into complementary and alternative medicine. Does hypnosis actually work? Can a certain herbal medicine make me live longer? These are some of the questions we ask Dr. Kit Lee, a Family Medicine physician at Loyola University Medical Center. While medical education programs spend little class time addressing non-traditional therapies, the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative health reports that about 38% of adults and 12% of children currently use some type of complementary and alternative (CAM) therapy. To shed some light onto CAM therapies like chiropractic/osteopathic manipulation, acupuncture, aromatherapy, biofeedback therapy, biofield therapy, herbal medicine, hypnosis, meditation, naturopathy, and yoga, we brought in a champion of CAM therapy, Dr. Lee. Dr. Lee completed her undergraduate and medical education at Northwestern University, and completed her residency at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, IL. She is board certified in medical acupuncture and is a certified yoga instructor. Additionally, she has professional training in mind, body spirit medicine and training in medical hypnosis. If you have wanted to hear some of the research, science, and anecdotal testaments behind complementary and alternative medicine, be sure to give this one a listen! Episode produced by Alek www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep24 | Dr. Kamran Mirza - "#twitterhomework, #103%, #pathology, and more" Aug 23, 2019

If you've ever watched any crime show, you're probably familiar with the stereotype of the pathologist - alone in the recesses of the hospital, dissecting the deceased. Thanks largely to this stereotype (we are looking at you CSI), this has lead to the misconception that pathology is boring and lonely. But in the real world, this could not be further from the truth. We sat down with Dr. Kamran Mirza, a clinical pathologist, to discuss why this medical specialty can be just as rewarding and challenging as other specialties, and why medical students should consider it. In our discussion, we get into a host of other topics such as the future of medical education, how to develop a meaningful and engaging career, how technology can enhance learning and foster collaboration and much more. If you’ve never considered pathology as a career, you will definitely want to listen to this episode.

About Dr. Kamaran Mirza

Dr. Mirza, MD, PhD is completed medical school at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan and his graduate training at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His residency was in combined anatomic and clinical pathology, followed by fellowships in hematopathology, thoracic pathology, and medical education at the University of Chicago. He is currently a hematopathologist, assistant professor of pathology, associate director for the pathology residency, medical director of molecular pathology, and director of the medical student pathology clerkship at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine-Chicago.

Follow Dr. Mirza at

@KMirza on Twitter

@ kam5.2 on instagram

Or you can check out some of his published articles here

"My Classroom is empty: Is that a problem?"

"#Twitter Homework"

"Meeting Kristoff"

Ep23 | MS4 Perspective: Pediatrics Aug 18, 2019

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) specialty episode, we investigate the field of Pediatrics. Our specialty series with 4th year medical students consists of three parts. Part I consists of a discussion about the field. Here, we will learn about the reasons why our guests have decided to pursue a career in this specialty, likes/dislikes about the field, and common stereotypes surrounding the field. Part II explores what it takes to match into the field. Our discussions in this section include ways in which medical students can become a competitive applicant for this specialty, tips for rotations in this specialty, advice on structuring your curriculum, and ways to evaluate which residency programs to apply to. Part III is the general advice section. Here, our 4th year students will reveal the secrets to success for each year of medical school, as well as advice for pre-med students, gap year students, excelling on board exams, and more.

Our guests in this episode, Tara Funk and Hannah Friedman, completed their medical education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Tara is a graduate from Baylor University, and completed a dual degree in business and pre-medicine. To prepare for her application for medical school, she did research and scribed in an emergency department after graduating. Tara has always had interests in medicine, and originally had thoughts of becoming a veterinarian before realizing that medical school was her true calling. Tara also “couples matched” with her partner, who is currently in an emergency medicine residency. A native of Colorado, Hannah completed her undergraduate degree at Wellesley College with a degree in psychology. She would then spend two years at Yale University as a research fellow before applying to medical school. Hannah says she has always wanted to be a pediatrician, and is excited to pursue her dream career. Today, both Tara and Hannah are in their first year of Pediatrics residency at the University of Michigan and the University of Colorado Boulder respectively.

For advice, tips, and a glimpse into the lives of medical students pursuing a career in Pediatrics, follow along!

Episode produced by: Alek

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep22 | MS4 Perspective: Ophthalmology Aug 09, 2019

Nolan Adams is a 4th year student at the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine who will be entering Loyola's ophthalmology residency after a transitional year program at Presence Resurrection Hospital. He is originally from Rockford, IL and entered medical school after a gap year working as a Certified Nursing Assistant following his graduation from Northwestern University. He found ophthalmology early in his first year at Loyola and enjoys helping other students discern if ophthalmology is a good fit for them, as well as helping them through the application process.

Episode produced by: Nate

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Ep21 | Community Health - How Free Clinics Provide for Low-Income Individuals Aug 02, 2019

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably heard a lot of debate about the skyrocketing cost of healthcare in the United States. With the expansion of Medicaid and other reforms that were a part of the Affordable Care Act, many people gained access to government-subsidized health insurance,. But that doesn’t mean that going to the doctor is any cheaper.

In the complex web of insurance, citizenship status, and income instability many patients fall through the cracks. For those people, Community Health and many other free clinics around the country are providing healthcare completely free of charge, no insurance required.

How can they afford to see all these patients for free? Where do the patients get medications, labs, or even surgery? Vicki Chester and Ava Zeligson from Community Health answer all those questions and more on today’s episode.

You can find out more information about the clinic at communityhealth.org

Episode produced by: Nate, Rasa

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep20 | MS4 Perspective: Neurology Jul 26, 2019

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) specialty episode, we investigate the field of Neurology. Our specialty series with 4th year medical students consists of three parts. Part I consists of a discussion about the field. Here, we will learn about the reasons why our guests have decided to a pursue a career in this specialty, likes/dislikes about the field, and common stereotypes surrounding the field. Part II explores what it takes to match into the field. Our discussions in this section include ways in which medical students can become a competitive applicant for this specialty, tips for rotations in this specialty, advice on structuring your curriculum, and ways to evaluate which residency programs to apply to. Part III is the general advice section. Here, our 4th year students will reveal the secrets to success for each year of medical school, as well as advice for pre-med students, gap year students, excelling on board exams, and more.

Our guests in this episode, Jennifer Novak and Harjot Hansra, completed their medical education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Jennifer graduated from the University of California Irvine with a degree in economics and psychology. Although she had a passion for neuroscience, Jennifer studied for the LSAT before realizing that medicine was her true calling. She then completed a post-baccalaureate pre-med program at San Francisco State, and applied to medical school the year after. Harjot’s interest in medicine began at a young age—some of her earliest memories consist of going to the library with her parents and flipping through pictures in cartoon anatomy books. Her interest persisted throughout high school and college, and she eventually graduated with a degree in neuroscience from the University of Southern California. Today, both Jennifer and Harjot are in their first year of Neurology residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona respectively.

For advice, tips, and a glimpse into the lives of medical students pursuing a career in Neurology, follow along!

Episode produced by: Alek Druck

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep19 | The Anatomy of Dr. Dauzvardis Jul 20, 2019

Anybody who has taken an Anatomy course can tell you about their eccentric Anatomy professor. It seems that a unique personality is a prerequisite to teaching this course that has been a vital part of the medical school curriculum for so long. On this episode of Medicus, Neal and our guest host, Hye-Jin Yun, welcome Dr. Dauzvardis, anatomy professor at the Stritch School of Medicine. Together they discuss Dr. D’s journey to becoming an anatomy professor and the experiences that shaped him into becoming an educator for student doctors. We also dive into how the instruction of anatomy has changed throughout the years, Dr. D’s peculiar interests, and much more. Tune in because this was a fun one!

Michael Dauzvardis, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Medical Education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. He holds a doctorate in anatomy and has been recognized by the Stritch students with numerous teaching awards.

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep18 | Summing Up the USMLE Step 1 Jul 12, 2019

We're back! Alek, Neal, Josh, Nate, and Mara have all made it to the other side of the Step 1 exam. We took a few weeks off for studying and recovering but we are happy to be back, and this time with some new Medicus team members! Meet Rasa and Dave, fellow med students here to help us create new Medicus content to bring to you each week.

On this episode we recap our experiences with the USMLE Step 1.

Interesting follow-up to our discussion: https://www.usmle.org/pdfs/incus/InCUS_summary_report.pdf?fbclid=IwAR274hc3u3Rz5u9U8RN5JasYwDPP9wMU-nwkT5l60U4IiJ5Ne7S4t3QmD7U

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep17 | Why Would a Physician Get an MBA? Apr 19, 2019

With 500 medical students getting an MD/MBA combined degree every year, along with many attending physicians enrolling in executive MBA programs, it is increasingly common to see practicing physicians taking a role in healthcare administration. Today we invited Nelly Gonzalez who pioneered her own dual degree program here at Loyola to talk about her experience and the importance of having people with clinical experience in administrative roles.

Nelly Gonzalez-Lepage is currently a 4th year MD/MBA student at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She graduated from University of California Berkeley with a double major in Molecular Cell Biology and Cognitive Science. She has over 8 years of work experience in health policy, management, research and public health. She is a 2016 Schweitzer Fellow and 2019 MOLA Scholar (Medical Organization for Latino Advancement). She will be applying to residency this fall 2019.

Also, you might recognize that we are joined by a new host and producer for this episode. Dave is a dual degree student at Stritch, working on his MD as well as a master's in public health with a focus on policy and management. Before starting school, he has worked as a scribe in an emergency department and rheumatology clinic, and briefly worked in healthcare tech.

Links for the topics we discussed:

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/09/the-rise-of-the-mdmba-degree/380683/

https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/is-an-mba-worth-it-for-an-md/

https://hbr.org/2014/09/should-you-get-an-mba

https://hbr.org/2016/12/why-the-best-hospitals-are-managed-by-doctors

http://www.amandagoodall.com/SS&MarticletJuly2011.pdf

https://khn.org/news/death-by-a-thousand-clicks/

Episode produced by: Nate Burstedt

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep16 | The Syrian Refugee Crisis and Islamophobia - Amal Kassir Apr 12, 2019

In September 2018 our local chapter of Physicians for Human Rights hosted an event where guest speaker Amal Kassir gave a talk called “The Syrian Refugee Crisis and Islamophobia.” A few members of the Medicus team were at this event and we thought her message was worth sharing, so we’ve decided to play the audio from this event on the podcast. She delivers her message with a mixture of poetry and storytelling about her experience growing up as a Muslim-American, her extended family living through Syrian Civil War, and the importance of empathy.

Amal Kassir is a Muslim Woman, born and raised in Denver, CO to a German-Iowan Mother and a Syrian Father. She is an international spoken word poet, having performed in 10 countries and over 45 cities. She has conducted workshops, given lectures, and recited her poetry in venues ranging from youth prisons, to orphanages to refugee camps to universities to churches to community spaces for the public. She designed her own undergraduate degree called 'Community Programming in Social Psychology' and she is a major proponent in education and building individual agency in particularly underserved and vulnerable populations, especially through writing. She hopes to take part in the global effort for literacy in war-struck areas and refugee camps, Insha'Allah.

You can see Amal's TEDx talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIAm1g_Vgn0

Amal Kassir's Social Media Links:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/activistamalkassir

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amalthepoet

Twitter https://twitter.com/amalthepoet

Website http://www.amalkassir.com/

For the introduction to this episode we are joined by Abdallah, the president of a local chapter of Physicians for Human Rights, an organization that “works at the intersection of medicine, science, and law to secure justice and universal human rights for all.” You can find out more information about them at https://www.phr.org

Outro Music: Chillin Hard - Kevin Mcleod

Episode produced by: Nate Burstedt

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep15 | MS4 Perspective: Internal Medicine Apr 05, 2019

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) specialty episode, we investigate the field of Internal Medicine. Our specialty series with 4th year medical students consists of three parts. Part I is a discussion about the field. Here, we will learn about the reasons why our guests have decided to a pursue a career in this specialty, likes/dislikes about the field, and common stereotypes surrounding the field. Part II explores what it takes to match into the field. Our discussions in this section include ways in which medical students can become a competitive applicant for this specialty, tips for rotations in this specialty, advice on structuring your curriculum, and ways to evaluate which residency programs to apply to. Part III is the general advice section. Here, our 4th year students will reveal the secrets to success for each year of medical school, as well as advice for pre-med students, gap year students, excelling on board exams, and more.

Our guests in this episode, Dipan Karmali and Dhruv Kumar, are completing their medical education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

Episode Produced by: Alek Druck

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep14 | Healthcare on the Hill - Working for the AMA Mar 29, 2019

Listen as current medical student Blake Murphy coaches us on how to get educated about healthcare policy and become involved in advocacy. Serving as this year's Government Relations Advocacy Fellow (GRAF) for the American Medical Association (AMA), she has been learning how policy is informed and enacted at the national level. Our discussion will leave you eager to become involved with issues impacting healthcare delivery and patients across the US!

Stay up to date on healthcare and policy news with these resources recommended by Blake-

Axios Vitals Newsletter: https://signup.axios.com/2019/am.html?utm_source=Search&utm_medium=CPA&utm_campaign=brandterms&utm_content=new

AMA Morning Rounds: https://www.ama-assn.org/ama-member-benefits/individual-member-benefits/email-newsletter-publications

Politico Pulse: https://www.politico.com/politicopulse/

Episode produced by Alek Druck and Mara Peterson.

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep13 | Healthcare Behind Bars Mar 22, 2019

If you ask most medical students why they decided to go to medical school, there’s a good chance that they will say it was, at least in part, to help an underserved population. While every patient population has its own unique features and challenges, one demographic that is often overlooked is prison inmates. In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Chad Zawitz (Assistant Professor at Rush University Medical Center, and Director of Infectious Diseases at Cook County Jail) to discuss the fascinating world of correctional medicine. He shares his insights from his 15 years of experience working at Cook County Jail, which happens to be the largest single-site jail in the US, housing approximately 6500 detainees at one time. In this interview, Dr. Zawitz explains how healthcare in the prison system works, the differences in how he approaches medicine in the jail setting (including many of the challenges that he faces), and the barriers his patients face after rehabilitation.

Throughout our interview, Dr. Zawitz shares impactful stories where he recalls some of his most formative patient encounters. Some of the stories you will hear are graphic, yet educational. For a humbling learning experience, take a listen to this correctional medicine episode!

Ep12 | Becoming a Resilient Physician Mar 15, 2019

Many physicians will tell you that there will come a time where you are so fatigued mentally, physically and emotionally that you begin to lose sight of why you pursued a career in medicine in the first place. These moments are extremely challenging and can leave you feeling isolated, disengaged from your work, and full of more questions than answers.

In this episode we sat down with Dr. Greg Ozark, the Vice President/Assistant Dean of Graduate Medical Education at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. In our discussion, he shares his strategies and insights on how to remain grounded through the highs and lows of this high-stress occupation.

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review! If you have learned something from this podcast then be sure to share Medicus with a friend! We would love to hear your ideas and suggestions. Comment below or feel free to contact us here:

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep11 | Should Step 1 Be Pass/Fail? Mar 08, 2019

Every medical student knows of that one hurdle that can make or break their aspirations of getting into the specialty or program of their choice. It’s the bane of existence for every medical student in their first two years of medical school. That hurdle is the USMLE Step 1.

The United States Medical Licensure Exam - Step 1, is a standardized exam that is administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). It was created to assess the ability of medical students to apply basic science fundamental concepts to the practice of medicine. The entire exam is divided into three steps, but in this episode we will be primarily be focusing on Step 1, which is typically taken after the second year of medical school.

On this episode of Medicus, Dr. Josh Hopps joins Nate and Neal to talk about the history and philosophy behind the exam, the controversies surrounding it, its place in medical education, and the changes that it might be undergoing in the years to come.

Sound effect is "DunDunDunnn.wav" by copyc4t - available at https://freesound.org/people/copyc4t/sounds/146434/

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep10 | A Physician's Balancing Act Mar 01, 2019

Part of being a physician is establishing a balance between personal life and work life. On this episode of Medicus, Dr. Bernadette Aulivola joins us to discuss how she is able to manage her roles as a mother and wife, while also being a physician in the demanding field of vascular surgery. Dr. Aulivola also dives into a variety of other topics such as her clinical area of interest, which is to save legs from requiring amputation with techniques to improve blood flow, as well as the progression of women representation in surgical specialties. Did we also mention that Dr. Aulivola practices transcendental meditation?

Tune in to Medicus to learn more about how this amazing multitasker does it all!

Follow Dr. Aulivola on twitter @baulivola

Follow Loyola Vascular Surgery @loyolavascular

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep09 | Caring for Veterans - The VA Healthcare System Feb 22, 2019

There are many different types of hospitals in the United States, most of which fall under the broad categories of for-profit, not-for-profit, and government-owned (Department of Veterans Affairs "VA"). Although only a select demographic can utilize government-owned hospitals, our VA hospitals are a major component of the US healthcare system. From the US Department of Veteran Affairs website, “The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,243 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,062 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program.”

We brought in Dr. Haralampopoulos, an internist at the Edward Hines Jr. VA hospital in Illinois for over a decade, to shed light on the VA system. She shares how medicine is practiced at the VA, discusses working with the VA’s patient population, and reasons why one should pursue a career at the VA.

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep08 | Valentine’s Special Pt. 2: Being a Parent in Medical School and Residency Feb 15, 2019

Welcome to Part 2 of our Valentine’s Day Special! Here we explore what it’s like to be a parent while attending medical school and residency. For insight into this topic, we have brought in two “physicians in training” who have a three year old daughter and another baby on the way. We sure learned a lot from our incredibly talented and dedicated guests, and know you will too!

Ep07 | Valentine’s Special Pt. 1: Relationships and Marriage in Medical School Feb 15, 2019

In the Part 1 of our Valentine’s Day Special, we learn about managing relationships and getting married while in medical school. We discuss the obstacles, thought processes, and joys of planning a wedding from the perspective of two amazing (and hilarious) guests. From doing long-distance, transitioning to new jobs and cities, and having their perfect wedding, they've done it all.

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep06 | MS4 Perspective: Emergency Medicine Feb 08, 2019

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) specialty episode, we investigate the field of Emergency Medicine. Our guests in this episode, Shea Boles and Chase Thorson, are completing their medical education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Shea is a native of Sonoma, California, and completed her undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University. Before coming to medical school, she worked as a scribe in an Emergency Department. Shea is part of the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) with commitments to work as a physician in the Air Force upon completion of her residency at UC Davis. Chase is from Seattle, Washington, and completed his undergraduate degree at Gonzaga University. Following graduation, Chase went on to teach English in France for a year, and scribed in an Emergency Department upon his return to the States. Both Shea and Chase are passionate about the ideas of advocacy and community integration that comes with being an Emergency Medicine physician.

For advice, tips, and a glimpse into the lives of medical students pursuing a career in Emergency Medicine, follow along!

Ep05 | Undocumented Physicians - DACA Feb 01, 2019

Medical training is a stressful process. Sometimes we get lost in the grind and rely on taking each task one at a time, only focusing on what is directly in front of us. When we let our own stressors consume us it is easier to forget about the challenges that others around us are facing. It can be a shock to find out that our classmates are also dealing with difficult circumstances outside of school. In this episode, we interview Aaima and Cesar about the challenges of being an undocumented immigrant and physician in training.

Read more about this topic and our guests: https://medicuspodcast.com/ep5/

Ep04 | Bioethics and Faith in Medicine Jan 25, 2019

One of the most difficult questions that patients can ask a healthcare provider is “why me?”. To complicate things further, this question is often posed with spiritual or religions undertones, i.e. “why is X, Y, Z god doing this to me?” While healthcare providers seek to treat the physical, at one point in their career they will be challenged to respond to questions of spiritual and religious doubt. This is no easy task, as studies have shown that spiritual care is an enigmatic area for healthcare providers with multiple barriers (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28249545?log$=activity;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24480531).

John Hardt, Ph.D. is the Vice President for Mission Integration for Trinity Health Illinois and Associate Provost for Mission and Identity at Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division. In his capacity as Vice President, he is responsible for the implementation, growth, and assessment of Trinity Health’s mission and ethics portfolio across the region. His grant research has focused on Ignatian spirituality and the formation of physicians and launched The Physicians’ Vocation Program, a four-year program for medical students at Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine interested in exploring the concept of vocation in their own lives as future doctors. For more info on Dr. Hardt and this episode topic, visit medicuspodcast.com.

Ep03 | Must-Hear Discussion on Medical School Admissions Jan 18, 2019

For students hoping to go through the rigorous process of becoming a physician, the challenge begins before they even set foot in a school. Navigating the application process is a daunting task. In 2018, medical schools in the US admitted, on average, just 4.1% of the applicants to their school (https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/). That translates to 41% of the total 52,777 applicants claiming a spot in the first year class at a medical school this year. With thousands of qualified applicants vying for less than 200 spots, how does an admissions department approach the process of selecting the young men and women who will become future doctors representing their institution? To find out, we sat down with Sunny Nakae, former Assistant Dean for Admissions at Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine.

Sunny Nakae is Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Clinical Professor of Health Sciences at the University of CA Riverside School of Medicine. Prior to her role at UCR, Dr. Nakae served as Assistant Dean for Admissions, Recruitment and Student Life at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She has been in medical education since 2001 and loves sharing in the journeys of students. Dr. Nakae is a passionate ally and advocate for social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine.

Ep02 | MS4 Perspective: General Surgery Jan 11, 2019

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) specialty episode, we investigate the field of General Surgery with two students who are pursuing this as a career. Our guests for this episode, Steven Marincel and Allison Zarnke, are completing their medical education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. For advice, tips, and a glimpse into the lives of medical students pursuing a career in General Surgery, follow along!

Ep01 | A Deep Dive into Medical Education, Med-Peds, and Much More Jan 09, 2019

On this episode of Medicus, Dr. Nate Derhammer joins us to talk about medical education and how it has changed since when he was a student. He also discusses his role as the residency program director of Med-Peds at Loyola and offers his perspective on how students can do well in their clinical years of medical school, as well as match into Med-Peds for residency. You won't want to miss this!

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