The Human Doctor

Today we're giving a quick preview of our upcoming live recording and our love for the Society of General Internal Medicine.

This week Kimberly shares two experiences that show we don't always need to travel far to expand our worlds and perspectives.

This week Ashley is back in town to share a reflection on how a few small acts of encouragement put her on the path to dream bigger for herself.

This week Kimberly is back on the mic reflecting on her role as an educator. When we want our learners to be more than just "fine" we need to teach them more than just knowledge.   

We are constantly called to re-evaluate our roles in any given season or circumstance. Though this is often easier said than done, especially when it comes to those we care for. This week Ashley tells a story about learning when to fix and when to be still. 

Sometimes the things that feel routine or ordinary can become the most important factors for letting us know when something is off. This week, Kimberly shares a powerful reflection on two experiences where a change in routine led to significant discoveries. 

This week Ashley reflects on her relationship to work and how that's evolved over time with the help of some really sage advice

Despite all that's happening in the world, we need not look too far to find moments that uplift and inspire us. Yet it requires our attention and intention to find beauty in the seemingly mundane. In today's episode, Kimberly reflects on a few recent extraordinary ordinary moments in her life. 

"Home" carries different meanings for all of us - from places, to people, to feelings and sensations. Those meanings can also evolve overtime. This week Ashley reflects on how her sense of home changed during a period of many transitions.

Even as human doctors, we appreciate the extraordinary value of non-human connections. This episode Kimberly unpacks several experiences that demonstrate how four-legged friends can be more like family.

Much of life happens outside of our control. Yet, even when we do have the ability to plan, prepare, and make choices for the outcome we want, things can still fall apart. This week Ashley shares how she coped after an experience she prepared for went very wrong in more ways than one. 

Welcome back for season 10! This week Kimberly is kicking us off with a story from Grady Hospital and some words of wisdom for moving through difficult times. 

Sometimes choosing yourself requires a bold move. In this last episode of the season, Ashley shares a story about a choice she's making for herself in 2026 and how she got there despite some real challenges. Again, we are so grateful to all of you who are listeners to this podcast. We look forward to being back in the new year!

This week of Thanksgiving, Kimberly shares some lessons on gratitude and perspective learned from the incredible patients at Grady Hospital.

Commemorating meaningful life events looks different for every person and every occasion. Yet, it's always worth asking whether these moments of celebration reflect something genuine, or does it just seem. This week, Ashley shares how one particular celebration has shifted over the years. 

Being a human doctor also depends on the human staff and other healthcare professionals who help us see our patients in ways that we often miss. This week Kimberly is back with a reflection on some very important and practice changing advice from a colleague at Grady Hospital. 

Often as educators we learn as much, if not more, from our students than the lessons we impart. In this episode, Ashley reflects on an early challenge she faced as an educator and what she learned in the process. Topics Discussed: Tuskegee University Homecoming 2025 Baldwin: A Love Story - by Nicholas Boggs Differences Matter - UCSF School of Medicine

Words have the power to affect us for life. This week, Kimberly shares how a few simple words of advice impacted her in a lasting way.  Topics Discussed: Relationship between scorpion size and venom potency 

This week Ashley reflects on one of her most enduring friendships and the improbable circumstances in which it formed. Topics discussed: Med-Peds - Combined Residency Training Program in Internal Medicine & Pediatrics  Dr. Manning's recent speaking engagements: Plenary at Fall APDIM in Atlanta, IDWeek in Atlanta

In educational settings, when we teach matters just as much as what we teach. This episode, Kimberly shares an important lesson from her time in training that still influences how she shows up as an educator today.  Topics discussed: Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books - Philadelphia, PA University of Pennsylvania - 44th Annual Mossell Lecture on Health Equity with Dr. Manning  Thank a Physical Therapist! World PT Day - September 8th. 

In a time of so much divisiveness, it can be hard to find ways to co-exist across differences. This week Ashley reflects on two difficult experiences and the choice to hold onto her own truth in spite of those who disagree.  The "what"- forgiveness    Topics discussed:  Baldwin: A Love Story - by Nicholas Boggs The Book of Delights - by Ross Gay NPR's Throughline Podcast - "James Baldwin's Shadow" with Eddie S. Glaude Jr.  

This week Kimberly shares a recent experience with one aspect of medical culture that is best left in the past. Topics Discussed: Porto Half Marathon  "Portuguese Love" - by Teena Marie

Sometime the greatest hinderance to your future self is comparison to your past. This week Ashley shares about a particular journey to overcome that barrier and all the unexpected ways it shaped her current state.  ------------------------- The "what" - Manifest    Topics Discussed: Happy Birthday Dr. Manning! The First-Ever Home Night Game at Tuskegee University  Dedicating your miles during a race

This week Kimberly reflects on some sage advice she received from a Grady elder and how that experience still resonates with her today. --------------- The "what" - Surprise    Topics Discussed: Lake Hartwell - bordering GA & SC

This week we're live from Grady Memorial Hospital. Ashley reflects on a challenging clinic encounter and the importance of establishing trust early on in a relationship.  ------------------ The "what" - Partnership   Topics Discussed: Chattanooga, TN - Dr. McMullen approved ✔️ Song in a Weary Throat: Memoir of an American Pilgrimage - by Pauli Murray  The Let Them Theory - by Mel Robbins The Mel Robbins Podcast - "What I Wish I Knew in My 20s". Guest: Dr. Meg Jay - clinical psychologist. 

This week Kimberly reflects on two important experiences where one serious lapse in communication taught her how to move another conversation forward. Topics discussed: Heritage Fire Tour Anything We Love Can Be Saved - by Alice Walker Zikora - A Short Story - by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

We're baaaaaack for another season! Thanks to all our listeners for rocking with us for another round of stories and sisterhood. This week, Ashley shares a recent experience where she found that sometimes the best plans are the ones we never made and never anticipated. Let us know what you think! Topics Discussed: 510 Hikers Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. 57th National Convention  Calm the F*ck Down - by Sarah Knight Why We Sleep - by Matthew Walker, PhD

On the final episode of this season, Kimberly shares a powerful reflection on how a singular experience can have an unforeseen impact even decades later. Thanks again to everyone who's been listening and following us along this journey. We'll be back after a summer recharge. Dr. Manning as the keynote speaker at the American Thoracic Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA Clio's Books - Oakland, CA FOREVER - Netflix Series Rustin - Netflix Film about Bayard Rustin  Watch Moonlight The Myth of Normal - by Dr. Gabor Maté

Huge shout out to the Society of General Internal Medicine for inviting us to record live from the 2025 annual conference! "From Ideas to Action" - Ashley and Kimberly share a little about the evolution of The Human Doctor podcast and each tell a story highlighting what it means to be a human doctor in times such as these.

In this episode, Ashley reflects on an experience where she found the courage to speak up and gained an important lesson in dealing with disagreements.

Kimberly is back on the mic this week to reflect on a brief moment in the past that could have changed her life in a major way.

Lessons come to us in all sorts of ways, especially in the places we least expect. Today, Ashley shares a story about being open to new things, especially when we think we have nothing to learn. 

Change is inevitable. It can be hard at times, but change can also be an opportunity embrace a new way of being and seeing ourselves in the world. This episode, Kimberly shares a story about a significant change she went through in the past and what she learned from that experience. Topics Discussed: Formerly Incarcerated People's Performance Project Adolescence on Netflix  Masters of the American College of Physicians - 2024/2025 Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025  

Have you ever had an instance where you made up your mind to do something, but your body said "no"? This episode, Ashley shares an experience that highlights how our bodies sometimes alert us to deeper truths that we'd rather avoid thinking about.  Topics Discussed: Colorectal Cancer Screening - Guidance from the CDC Transgender Day of Visibility - 3/31 Black Liturgies - by Cole Arthur Riley  Quote from The Kite Runner - by Khaled Hosseini Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025

While reflecting on two pivotal experiences as a mom and as an educator, Kimberly gives a masterclass in the value of pausing to ask questions before assuming the worst.    Topics Discussed: March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month  "Racial Disparities and early-onset colorectal cancer: A call to action" - by Andrew Chan, MD, MPH Their Eyes Were Watching God - by Zora Neale Hurston, audiobook narrated by Ruby Dee The Color Purple - by Alice Walker Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025

When things feel uncertain and you have no idea what to do, every once in a while, the answer you need is right there in front of you. This week, Ashley reflects on a beautiful connection that was made during a time of doubt. 

When we find ourselves in certain situations that seem like way more than we bargained for, sometimes we do have to ask the question, "if not me, then who?" Recently, Kimberly was thrust into one of these circumstances and in this episode, she shares her experience of how things unfolded. 

Often, it's only through proximity to different lived experiences and that issues become personal enough for us to change our thoughts and behaviors. This week, Ashley reflects on some key moments that opened her awareness to issues she hadn't previously contended with.  Topics Discussed: UCSF Black Caucus Gala  Oakland Black Joy Parade How Can Black People Write About Flowers at a Time Like This - poem written and read by Hanif Abdurraqib Quiet - book by Susan Cain Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez (@DoctoraEdith) Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025

The stories we often tell ourselves, about ourselves, later become self-fulfilling prophesies that can either help us reach our potential or keep us constricted. Sometimes we need to pump the breaks long enough to ask, what story am I telling and is it true? Sometimes we need others to help us do it. This week Kimberly shares a pivotal moment that invited her to reshape her narrative and learn to aim higher.  Topics Discussed:  Becoming Wise - by Krista Tippett On Being - Podcast  Jesus and the Disinherited - by Howard Thurman The Fire Next Time - James Baldwin  Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025

How you treat people always matters; and in places or spaces where there are differences in power, it's even more important to recognize the type of impact we can have on others. Here, Ashley shares a story from training and lessons she learned from a negative interaction.  Topics Discussed: White Coat Investor - On YouTube Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025!

At a time when concepts like diversity and inclusivity may seem dilute or even controversial in some cases, it's worth revisiting the WHY behind DEI. This episode, Kimberly highlights how proximity to a very different lived experience set her up to become a better doctor and better human.   Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025!

The HD Pod is back! This week Ashley shares some important updates from our time away and a story that highlights the importance of taking the occasional leap of faith, especially in times that feel difficult or uncertain.  Topics Discussed:  Unrivaled - Women's Basketball League Poet Andrea Gibson All Fours, by Miranda July  Australia recs: State Library of New South Wales, The Rocks, Botanic Gardens of Sydney Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025  

In many situations, the line between right and wrong can be blurred or confusing, but sometimes it is very clear. On this final episode of the season, Kimberly gives a powerful reflection on accountability and owning what is right vs. what is wrong when it comes to certain behaviors. 

Everyone expresses grief or sorrow in different ways, and in an ideal world, we would all feel safe enough to do so however we choose. This week, Ashley shares stories on what this has looked like in her life. 

When is the last time you paused to really take in a meaningful moment - big or small? This week, Kimberly shares a reflection on this practice along with an invitation for us all to make time to appreciate the moments we may look back on one day and long for.  Topics Discussed: Nexus Summit 2024 Conference  The Message - by Ta-Nehisi Coates Marcus Bookstore - Oakland, CA Playground - by Richard Powers "Cherish the Day" - by Sade Make a plan to vote!

Today, Ashley reflects on the most important gift she received in her medical training - it's one that continues to give, even to this day.  Topics Discussed: Make a plan to vote!

Our words have power - and sometimes a positive word can be life-giving, especially in a world that often prioritizes negativity. This week, Kimberly shares a story about a patient who reminded her of this possibility.    Topics Discussed: Women in Medicine Summitt 2024 - Dr. Manning's Closing Keynote Speech  Beyond the A Word: Reproductive Life Stories  Make a plan to vote!

This week, Ashley reflects on some pivotal experiences from medical training and the lessons she learned.  Topics Discussed: The Five Love Languages Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides Slow AF Run Club by Martinus Evans Make a plan to vote!

In today's episode, Kimberly describes an encounter with a patient that pushed her to think differently about what it means to "do no harm"   Topics Discussed: The Fire Next Time - by James Baldwin, audiobook narrated by Jesse L. Martin NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st Century  Panchinko by Min Jin Lee Trust by Hernan Diaz Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin An American Marriage by Tayari Jones The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi  Make a plan to vote!