Real MD

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing two founding members of the Utah Medical Orchestra, MS4 AnnaLeah Larson and MS3 Heather Smith. The MSO, as they call it, is a rapidly growing volunteer orchestra composed of students, professionals, and staff in the healthcare community in Salt Lake City who hold large scale performances each semester and also perform as ensembles for patients. In this episode I talk about Heather and Annaleah’s journeys into music and medicine, what is transferable, and their passion to stay connected to the musical community. One transferable skill that I was particularly struck by is the concept of listening and yielding. Classical musicians are in a constant state of adjustment to the people around them, listening and being humble enough to yield as needed. In medicine we must recognize that to do our individual parts well, we also need to listen, recognizing the contributions that are occurring around us, and yield as to the expertise and strengths of others. From an identity formation perspective, I also connected with their individual process of claiming and reclaiming their musical identities. I can appreciate on a personal level the literal dusting off of an instrument and reawakening an important part of who you are. So often, when we are handling the rigors of life, we can forget to claim the parts that bring us joy and replenish us for the long road ahead. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Dr. Katherine Anderson is a geriatrician who advocates for her patients and a developer faculty, she knows how to build people up. In this episode, she shares light bulb moments throughout her professional journey including how she “fell into” her specialty, how she navigates being a “yes” person, and how she goes about setting life goals. I was struck by the wisdom she receives from her patients to not have regrets and prioritize family and the things she cares about now. This life philosophy has helped her navigate struggles including her recent journey as a patient. It is clear that Dr. Anderson cares about staying true to who she is no matter the context. 

Dr. Francis Filloux is a pediatric neurologist and faculty member at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah. In recent years, Dr. Filloux has become an amazing RealMD coach and loves working with students as they navigate the inevitable uncertainties of medicine. He treats students like they are family. I think this is the take home message from our conversation. As you navigate your life and career, you will struggle with uncertainty and when you do there are people who will emerge who can help you. Fran’s story about his career demonstrates this. He also offers such strong reassurances: It’s okay to feel uncertain; you will get through it; and there are people who will help you.

Today’s episode features Erica Rojas. She is a colleague of mine who I really appreciate working with. Erica wears a lot of hats at the school of medicine including her roles as a learning specialist in the academic success program, Associate Director of the PROMISE2U  program, and teaching multiple undergraduate courses all while pursuing her PhD in education and being a mother. What stands out to me is how clear much she loves learning and helping all students, particularly underrepresented populations. She is passionate about her work and her story as a first generation student is powerful, she truly wants to take what she learned as a student and help students navigate the system. What came through loud and clear is that everyone feels like an imposter, that we have to work to manage these

Trisha and I had a great conversation about life as a medical student and staying grounded. We covered a lot in our interview but what struck me is her wisdom including the connection her life purpose has to her family, creating authentic relationships, learning how to lead, and bringing her culture including all intersecting identities with her wherever she goes. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

This week’s episode features Dr. Ivette Lopez. She earned her PHD in population health and from the moment she began her journey, she knew that everything she does from research to outreach would be for the benefit of the diverse and vibrant communities she has served for past three decades. Dr. Lopez tells her story of finding meaning in her career and talks about how our medical students have a unique opportunity to learn by working alongside community health workers.

This week’s episode features Dr. Mark Harris. He serves at the University of Utah as the Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education, Associate Chief Medical Officer, and Designated Institutional Official of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. We discuss his journey as a first-generation medical student in Glasgow, Scotland to coming to the US and switching specialties. Mark also talks about his love of academic medicine and improving professional identity development of residents. Lastly, Mark talks about how being a drummer makes him a better physician.

This week’s episode features guest host Savannah Gelhard. She is a third-year medical students and serves as a RealMD facilitator. Savannah had a chance to sit down with fellow third-year Erik Tokita. He was driven to medicine by a desire to help those in his community. Throughout medical school, he has focused on balancing the rigorous workload with enjoying life and having fun with his classmates through memes.

This week’s episode of the RealMD podcast features Dr. Sara Wikstrom. She is an internal medicine physician and faculty member at the U of U and strong advocate for students and residents. In this episode we talk about her journey and connections she made to medicine. She also shares how she navigated choosing a specialty.

Dr. Susan Sample has dedicated her career to creating spaces for narrative in medicine. She has a PhD in Communication and directs the Initiative in Narrative, Medicine, and Writing at the Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities at the University of Utah Health Sciences. She is assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Writer-in-Residence at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI). In this episode, we talk about what narrative is, how it fosters self-knowledge, and the value of hearing stories as well as writing your own. She also shares her journey into narrative medicine and affirms as stated by Dr. Rita Sharon that Self-knowledge is “the physician’s most potent therapeutic instrument.”

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Christina Tushman and Shira Kaplan about conflict management in medical leadership and medical education. They share their insight working with a large network of medical schools across the country. We talk about the importance of communication for working effectively with teams and succeeding in medicine. 

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Dr. Robert Glasgow about how it is possible to be a surgeon, hold administrative leadership positions, and still make it to your kids’ events and then home for dinner most nights.

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Dr. Dale Hull about overcoming hardship, treating individuals as a whole, and the importance of "non-task touching." Dr. Hull tells his personal story of spinal cord injury rehabilitation as well as the founding of Neuroworx. We also talk about the value of a Masters in Public Administration, learning how to run a non-profit, and what physcians can learn from being a patient.

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Dr. Peter Chalmers about how he decided on a career in orthopaedics over other surgical options, how he chose his residency program out of several impressive options, and how research can allow a physician to have a much wider impact on patients around the world.

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Dr. Tom Hurtado about identity & leadership development, graduate populations, and how to answer the question of "Why am I here in Med School?".

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Tony Tsai about advising others, tracking new ideas, and helping connect people with their purpose. 

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Dr. Sara Lamb about working smarter, not harder, and making things happen. 

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger give an introduction to the podcast and let our listeners know what to expect from this season. 

Dr. Megan Fix tells us about where she gets her energy and how she recharges with a busy schedule. She offers some great advice about how to be energized by both putting energy out and filling her cup with a busy lifestyle. 

Dr. Tom Hurtado takes a moment to introduce listeners to this season of the RealMD podcast.