The Underside of Medicine | Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD

While this podcast has largely featured clinicians sharing the joy they have found in medicine, in this episode—breaking with tradition—we speak with a physician left disenchanted by her experiences working in medicine. Our guest is Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD, a minimally-invasive and bariatric surgeon who conducts research on gender equity and implicit bias in medicine. At Stanford Hospital, she advises initiatives to promote physician well-being and diversity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her frontline experiences were featured in Newsweek, NBC, CBS, and other press outlets. Over the course of our conversation, Dr. Salles shares fiercely honest accounts about the difficulties she has faced as an immigrant, minority, and woman in medicine. Her stories are by turns saddening, shocking, and amusing, but ultimately invoke us to reflect on the part we can all play to create a more just and inclusive path for current and future physicians.In this episode, you will hear about:Dr. Salles’  path to medicine and her regrets along the way - 2:11The social pressures within medicine to overlook the downsides and hardships of a medical career - 7:11Why Dr. Salles chose surgery as a specialty - 11:02How, upon accepting her first academic position , Dr. Salles found herself in an environment that did not adequately support her surgical practice and her research - 14:12The systemic and cultural factors that led to the lack of support Dr. Salles faced - 23:03Dr. Salles’ research on gender equity in medicine - 29:57A discussion of the challenges of life as an academic physician - 32:13How Dr. Salles made the decision to put herself over her career and leave her academic position - 36:47Why it can sometimes seem that hospitals are exploiting physicians - 41:12Advice on how institutions can better promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in their culture - 47:32Learn more about Dr. Salles’ work on her website and follow her on Twitter @Arghavan_Salles.Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our show, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you know of a doctor, patient, or anyone working in health care who would love to explore meaning in medicine with us on the show, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments or send an email to [email protected] The Doctor’s Art Podcast 2023