Why Confident People Can Feel Powerless in a Medical Setting with Dara Parker

Have you ever left a medical appointment feeling unsettled — not because of what was said, but because of how it felt? You understood the recommendations. You answered the questions. And yet, something didn’t quite land. In this episode of Off the Charts, Dr. Bobby Parmar sits down with Dara Parker to examine that gap — the space between how care is delivered, and how it is actually experienced by patients. Drawing from lived experience, they explore why even confident, well-resourced individuals can feel hesitant, exposed, or less certain of themselves in a clinical setting — and why patients don’t always share everything, even when it matters. This isn’t framed as a failure of individual practitioners. Instead, the conversation looks at the systems, training, and cultural norms that shape how care is practiced — often in ways that are difficult to see from within. The question isn’t simply whether healthcare is working or failing. It’s whether we are paying close enough attention to how it is being experienced. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why medical interactions can feel misaligned, even when technically correct How assumptions and communication style shape patient trust Why patients don’t always share everything — even when it matters The role of power dynamics in clinical environments How bias operates within systems, not just individuals What a more collaborative, patient-centered approach to care could look like TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Opening: When care feels “off” 1:12 – Introducing Dara Parker 2:42 – “Mediocre” experiences across the system 4:19 – Is healthcare shaped by bias? 6:15 – Systems, assumptions, and lived experience 8:12 – Awareness doesn’t remove bias 10:33 – Pain, dismissal, and women’s bodies 12:16 – The role of humility in medicine 14:27 – Patients, information, and trust 19:06 – Lived experience and belief 20:15 – Assumptions in practice (birth control example) 21:54 – Why patients hold things back 24:56 – Confidence vs vulnerability in clinical settings 26:06 – Physical and emotional exposure 29:37 – What a different experience can feel like ⚠️ This video is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting or stopping medication. REFERENCES The Yentl Syndrome Bernadine Healy, The New England Journal of Medicine https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJM199107253250408  The Girl Who Cried Pain: A Bias against Women in the Treatment of Pain Diane E. Hoffmann and Anita J. Tarzian https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-720X.2001.tb00037.x   Pain Management for In-Office Uterine and Cervical Procedures American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/clinical-consensus/articles/2025/05/pain-management-for-in-office-uterine-and-cervical-procedures Implicit Bias in Healthcare Professionals: A Systematic Review Clemence FitzGerald and Samia Hurst https://bmcmedethics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12910-017-0179-8   Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Patient Nondisclosure of Medically Relevant Information to Clinicians Andrea G. Levy et al. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2716996   Towards a Sociological Understanding of Medical Gaslighting in Western Health Care Jessica C.H. Sebring https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9566.13367 Overview of the National Institutes of Health Investment in Women’s Health Research National Academies / NIH https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK612400/     CONNECT WITH GRAVITY HEALTH Website → https://www.gravityhealthclinics.com/ Book a Consult → https://gravityhealth.janeapp.com/ FOLLOW US Gravity Health Clinics → https://www.instagram.com/gravityhealthclinics/ Dr. Bobby Parmar → https://www.instagram.com/docparmar_nd/ Dr. Paul Maximus → https://www.instagram.com/drmaximus/ Dara Parker → https://www.daraparker.com/ Off the Charts is a podcast by Gravity Health, created for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or any other healthcare service, and should not be taken as medical advice. Listening to this podcast does not create a doctor–patient relationship. Listeners should always seek the guidance of qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical condition or treatment. For more information about content use and disclaimers, please visit: https://www.gravityhealthclinics.com/terms-of-use https://www.gravityhealthclinics.com/medical-disclaimer