What Brings You In Today?

On this episode of WBYIT, Beth, Kya, and Shree talk about trauma-informed care with Dr. Heather Abernathy, professor and physician in the Department of Anesthesiology at UWSMPH. We discuss the importance of implementing universal trauma-informed care precautions and how to do as a medical student and physician. 

On this episode of WBYIT Beth and Rohitha chat with Dr. Amy Zelenski, professor within the department of internal medicine and instructor of "Medicine Improv for Scientists" at UWSMPH. We talk all things improv, including Amy's introduction into medical education and how her work in helping medical students build confidence, empathy, and adaptability.

Join Beth, Kya, Shree, and Jackie as they continue the discussion on wellness in medical school, specifically surrounding maintaining creativity in learning and changes in relationship dynamics. 

The 8 Dimensions of Wellness (emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual) is one framework for understanding wellness, popularized by Dr. Peggy Swarbrick. In this week's episode, Beth and Kya step through their relationship with these dimensions throughout their medical training. 

On this episode of WBYIT we chat with Rhonda Adams, executive director of The River Food Pantry. Rhonda shares some of the beautiful lessons and stories she's gained from her time with The River as well as the meeting the very real needs of those experiencing food insecurity within the Madison area. We also get an exciting glimpse of their new facility - opening sometime in early February!To learn more of the wonderful services offered by the river, as well as potential volunteer and donation opportunities, please visit: riverfoodpantry.org

Join Beth and Kya as they catch up on where their paths in medicine have taken them, and as they share some of their favorite stories from working with patients through the years. 

 In this episode, Beth sits down with Dr. Vincent Minichiello to discuss his unique approach to integrating the art of healing with modern medicine. They explore his personal journey to becoming a physician and dive into the insights from his course at UW-SMPH, The Healer’s Art. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on compassion, connection, and some of Dr. Minichiello’s favorite lessons from teaching future doctors. 

In this welcome-back episode, hosts Kya and Beth kick off the new season with a reflective conversation about their recent clinical rotations—sharing insights, challenges, and memorable moments from their time in the field. They also cover some important housekeeping updates and give listeners a sneak peek into the exciting stories and voices they’ll be featuring this season. Whether you're a seasoned listener or new to the podcast, this episode is a perfect way to reconnect and gear up for the inspiring narratives ahead!

On this week's episode Kya and Beth talk to one of their mentors, Dr. Greta Kuphal, about integrative medicine. We discuss Dr. Kuphal's journey within her medical training, the philosophies beneath integrative medicine, and the importance of taking a wholistic approach to patient's, and our own, healing.

On this week's episode, we discuss the topic of loneliness with Calvin Lam, PGY-1 in Neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Calvin recently wrote a piece titled 'On Loneliness' for one of his 4th year electives which was published in UW student-run narrative medicine publication, The Script. Calvin shares his inspiration for writing on the topic of loneliness, in addition to reflecting on the impact loneliness as on individuals in terms of their health and wellness.

On this week's episode, in honor of Valentine's Day, we're bringing back a fun-loving episode from last year with a twist: relationships in medical school, but this time, clinical rotations edition.  This week, we'll explore the nuances of navigating a romantic relationship while working as a student on the wards. In this episode, we feature Kya's significant other Zach.

On this episode of WBYIT, we are keeping it in the family as Beth and Kya check in with each other now that their first month of rotations is nearly over! We talk about our first days, initial reflections, study schedules, and how we feel compared to our prior episode. 

We are back after a much-needed holiday break! We are kicking off the second half of this season talking about growth, an especially pertinent topic as hosts Beth and Kya begin their clerkship rotations. This episode, we bring back the adored Haley Strouf, M4 and prior host of WBYIT to talk about the growth she’s experienced this past year, along with advice before entering clinical rotations. 

On this week’s episode, we discuss the topic of disordered thinking with Dr. Mara Esber, clinical psychologist. Beth, Kya, and Dr. Esber discuss how eating disorders are defined, common misconceptions around disordered eating, and some of the treatment types commonly used. We also discuss the topic of disordered eating, which can be a particularly challenging time to find grace and support. ]If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, help is available. Eating Disorder Hope is an online resource that provides information about eating disorders, treatments, support groups, and an eating disorder hotline for crisis situations. For more information, visit: https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/treatment-for-eating-disorders/eating-disorder-hotlines Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 

For our December series, we will be focusing on mental health during the holidays. Our first episode discusses the topic of substance use disorders with Dani Miller and Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar. Beth and Kya chat with Dani and Dr. Salisbury-Afshar about the experiences and challenges of living with a use disorder, along with the cultural perceptions that have shaped our understanding of addiction. We also discuss the role of medicine in use disorders, including how providers can best support their patients in sobriety. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance misuse, help is available. Below are a few resources for more information. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) - online treatment locator and a free, confidential 24/7 treatment referral and information service (English and Spanish): https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline or 1-800-662-4357The NIAAA alcohol treatment navigator provides information for choosing between various treatment programs and offers advice on getting support: https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/ To find a local or online support group for alcohol misuse (Alcoholics Anonymous, A.A.): https://www.aa.org/find-aa To find support for prescription or illegal substance misuse: https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/ Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 

Our second episode of our networking series features UW’s very own Academic Career Advising Program (ACAP) mentors, Dr. Cathy Lee-Miller and Dr. Mary Westergaard. Drs. Lee-Miller and Westergaard share their wisdom around the skills of networking, and answer some of Kya and Beth’s most burning (or perhaps, more logistic) questions on building connections and networks for young medical professionals. 

The chilly weather kicks off our November series on networking! On this episode, Deejay and Beth chat with Dr. Lisa Whitty-Bradley, plastic surgeon and owner of Chicks with MDs, about the nuances of networking and building our support groups. From challenging the fears of putting yourself out there to the skillset of establishing and maintaining your network, Dr. Whitty-Bradley’s wisdom was such a joy to have. Dr. Whitty-Bradley’s personal statement course: https://lwbmd.com/courses/personal-statement-power-course/Discount code: podcast20 at checkout

On this week’s episode, we have a discussion about the world of medical education with Michael Braun and Jeff Amundson from the podcast “Medical Education Matters.” Michael and Jeff pull back the curtain on challenges, discussions, and changes that go into shaping the modern-day and ever evolving curriculum students interact with. Listen to Michael and Jeff's podcast: https://med-ed-matters.captivate.fm/ 

On this week's episode, WBYIT sits in on the Gold Humanism Honor Society's Night of Storytelling, an evening celebrating the stories of those within the medical community. Join us as we share in these moments of tragedy and joy, as we bear witness to the lives of those who have touched us the most.

On this week's episode, we continue our conversation on the integration of artificial intelligence in medicine with our guest, Internal Medicine physician, Dr. Peter Kleinschmidt. Is it all just a tech-fad, or is AI the new face of medicine? In this episode, Dr. Kleinshmidt answers all of our burning questions, and shares the truth about what’s in store for the future of medicine and technology.

We’re back! Kicking off our first episode of the season, we approach the ever-hot topic of artificial intelligence with UW’s very own Sophia Doerr. From the very basics of how machines are trained to the future and potential pitfalls of AI, Sophia opens the year by taking us back to school. 

In this episode we continue our exploration of transitions. Recent UWSMPH graduate Megan Murphy-Belcaster joins us to share her views on transitioning from medical school to residency. She reflects on her medical school experience, from her initial reasons for pursuing medicine, to some of the challenges and rewards of medical school, to applying for/getting accepted into a OB-GYN residency. 

Spring is a time of growth and transition, and that is true for health professions students too! From incoming M1s deciding on a medical school to graduating M4s preparing to start residency, there are lots of exciting transitions to explore. Members of the WBYIT team were able to meet many incoming medical students at UWMPH’s Second Look weekend and hear their thoughts and questions about starting medical school. In this episode, we spend time exploring the questions posed by some of our soon-to-be classmates! 

As the university‘s annual body donor ceremony approaches, we are continuing our exploration of education with body donors in the world of anatomy. In this episode, medical students Jinan Sous, Sami Stroebel, and Zoey Shultz share their reflections on working with body donors and chat with us about what it is like to have such a  unique educational opportunity to see the human body as many never get to do. 

Every April, the University of Wisconsin - Madison holds a ceremony to honor our first patients as health professional students. These patients, who choose to donate their body to the betterment of medical education upon their death, allow many students to learn the vast intricacies of human anatomy. This month we’re looking more at this event. This episode has us chatting with one of UW’s beloved anatomy professors, Dr. Meghan Cotter, about her role as an anatomist, our first experiences in anatomy lab, and some of her reflections working with the body donor program and ceremony. 

As we close out March, we continue to explore the theme of mentorship. We are joined again by guest host Deejay, a first year medical student and member of the Building Equitable Access to Mentorship (BEAM) mentorship program at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. In this episode, we chat with Dr. Patricia Téllez-Girón, an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and a mentor in the BEAM program. We also had the pleasure of chatting with fourth year medical student Juan Aguirre in the same conversation. Juan is a a member of the inaugural graduating BEAM cohort and one of two mentees within Dr. Téllez-Girón’s mentoring pod. Join us as they discuss the highlights of their experiences as a continuous mentor/mentee pair and the impact of the BEAM program.

This March, we are exploring the theme of mentorship. We are joined by two guest hosts, Deejay and Andrew, who are both first-year medical students and members of the Building Equitable Access to Mentorship (BEAM) program here at UWSMPH. We talk with Dr. Angela Byars-Winston, a tenured faculty member in the Division of Medicine and a leading researcher in advancing diversity goals and mentorship in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. She walks us through the science of mentorship, the history of the BEAM program, and her own experiences with mentorship in her career. You can find the resources Dr. Byars-Winston discusses at cimerproject.org. 

In our second episode exploring the theme of inspiration, we chat with Stanford MD-PhD student Steven Truong. He shares with us his reflections on his father’s passing and the role that grief and relationships have in motivating him both personally and professionally.

We’re kicking off February by exploring the theme of inspiration. What inspires us to pursue careers in medicine? How do we keep going when things get tough? What hopes do we have for the future? In this episode, we chat with Dr. Jasmine Zapata, a pediatrician and public health doctor, about her journey in medicine and where she draws inspiration from. 

In this episode we continue our exploration of doing new things by chatting with Sue Yi, an 8th year MD/PhD student at University of Wisconsin-Madison who is completing her final year of medical school. Sue describes her experience starting Ohai nails, a hand painted, luxury custom press-on nails company she started in fall 2022. We talk about challenges that come with starting something new, how she overcame them, and what she looks forward to in the future. You can find Sue's designs at www.ohainails.com

In our first episodes of 2023, we are exploring the experience of doing new things. January is often a time of change, whether it’s the start of a new semester in school, the beginning of a new project, or new resolutions in general. We chat with Dr. Lisa Barroilhet, a gynecologist-oncologist and principal investigator of a research lab here at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She discusses the transitions she’s gone through in her career over the past few years and how she’s adapted.

This holiday season, we’ve been thinking a lot about our loved ones, and the ways that they support us in our journeys in medicine. So to look more closely at these relationships, members of the WBYIT team are interviewing family members about their experiences with our education and what it’s been like to be with us on this adventure. In this episode, Anqi talks with her sister Annie, and Mayra talks with her siblings Miguel and Gabriella.

This holiday season, we’ve been thinking a lot about our loved ones, and the ways that they support us in our journeys in medicine. So to look more closely at these relationships, members of the WBYIT team are interviewing family members about their experiences with our education and what it’s been like to be with us on this adventure. In this episode we feature Haley and Beth’s significant others, Carrington and Arjun.

We continue our three-part series on advocacy and civic engagement by talking with Wisconsin State Senator Kelda Roys about her views on and experiences with physician advocacy. She provides insight on why it is important for medical professionals to be involved in policy creation, examples of effective advocacy efforts, and advice on how to get involved at any stage of training. 

It’s election season, so let's talk about voting! In this episode, we talk with Sam Crowley, MPH, a second year medical student at University of Wisconsin SMPH and student leader of RxCivicHealth. We chat about why voting is so important for physicians and for patients. For more information on the resources discussed in this episode, follow the links below: VotER: https://vot-er.org/To register to vote: https://myvote.wi.gov/ 

In this episode, we continue our celebration of Spooky season by exploring the concept of fear in medicine with Allison Coffelt, an award winning author, poet, and teacher who focuses on narrative medicine. She shares with us her piece titled “Winter of Fear”, a poem published in JAMA in April 2021 about caring for patients during the height of the COVID pandemic and the inevitable feelings of loneliness, uncertainty, and fear that arose. We discuss how poetry offers a unique lens through which we can view and reflect upon the world around us and how it provides a platform to explore word choice intentionality and style variations to capture sentiment. 

We’re kicking off spooky season by exploring fear in medicine. In this episode, Dr. Helen Salisbury shares her essay titled “Reasons to be Fearful.” She also talks with us about different sources of fear health care providers face, the many ways in which fear presents itself in medicine, and what we can do to address fear in ourselves and others. 

In this episode, we explore extracurriculars in medical school by chatting with leaders of two student organizations at UW SMPH, Scrubs Addressing the Firearm Epidemic (SAFE) and PRIDE in Healthcare. We chat about their work, why it’s important to them, and how they balance it with medical education.

To kick off Season 3 of What Brings You In Today, we are exploring hobbies and extracurriculars in medical school. In this episode, we talk to Mallory, Megan, and Sarah about their hobby of rock climbing, and to Sammie about her hobby of painting Disney silhouettes. We discuss the foundations of their hobbies, the challenges of maintaining them throughout their medical training, the fulfillment that they provide, and the connections they inspire. 

Happy Pride Month! In this episode, we talk with Micah Larson (they/them), a recently graduated medical student from UWSMPH about their experiences in medical school. We explore the highs and lows of medical school, the challenges and joys of being a queer person in medicine, and hopes for the future. If you're interested in resources for LGBTQ+ folks both in and outside of medicine, check out: World Professional Association for Transgender Healthcare (www.wpath.org)UCSF Transgender Care (www.transcare.ucsf.edu)Wisconsin Transgender Health Coalition (www.witranshealth.org) 

Stories help us better connect with patients, build community with our peers, and process our own experiences in healthcare. In this episode, we continue our exploration of story-telling in medicine by talking with Thor Ringler, a writer who works for the My Life, My Story project at the Madison VA. He discusses the scope and logistics of the program, reflects on the richness these stories provide to patient experiences and care, and even shares two stories from real patients. 

Stories are fundamental to what it means to be human and to be human in medicine. Stories help us understand our patients, find community amongst our peers, and make sense of the challenges and joys of being in medicine. A few weeks ago, the power of stories was put on display at the Night of Storytelling, a live storytelling event organized by the Gold Humanism Honor Society at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.  At this event, we heard compelling stories from six speakers: Dr. Robert Golden, Ben Kannenberg (M4), Ali La Jeunesse (M1), Hasan Nadeem (M4), Olivia Rater (M4), and Dr. Jason Stephenson. We are excited to have hosted this event (our first live event!) and to be able to share it with all of you in this episode. We hope you enjoy!

In our second episode this month, we continue our conversation about alternative career paths in medicine. We had the pleasure of talking with Greg Raupp, a third year medical student at University of Wisconsin SMPH who trained as a social worker and joined the National Guard prior to starting medical school. He discusses his motivations for pursuing medical training, experiences with transitioning back into a student role, and lessons learned along the way. He also reflects on his ideal career and life in the future. If you are interested in learning more about getting involved with the National Guard, check out https://www.nationalguard.com/careers/medical. 

In this episode exploring alternative paths in medicine, we had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Seema Yasmin, an Emmy-award winning journalist, author, medical doctor, and professor. We discussed her multifaceted career and all the transition points she encountered along the way. She covers her journey from clinical practice, to public health work as an EIS officer, to journalism, authorship, and professorship. We talk about how scary it can be to “step off the conveyor belt” in the world of medical training and forge a new path, as well as the ways different opportunities and interests work together to create a life that is varied, fulfilling, and impactful. She shares lessons learned, career advice, and goals for the future.

From Monday, when students learned if they had matched, to Friday, when they gathered with family, friends, and peers to celebrate where they matched, it was a week full of emotions. In this Post-Match Day episode, Kate, Karina, and Luke return to tell us about their Match Day experience  and final thoughts on the excitement and anxieties surrounding this process.  We recognize that people experienced this week in many different ways, but regardless of Match Day results, the WBYIT team wants to congratulate every student who went through the Match process for making it to this point in medical school. We wish you the best in the rest of your journey in medicine!

On Match Day, medical students around the country find out their residency training placements. While Match Day is usually a day full of celebration, it’s preceded by months of application preparation, long interview days, hard decision making, and uncertainty. In this Pre-Match Day episode, we talk to three fourth-year medical students at UWSMPH, Kate Lauer, Karina Barretto, and Luke Richard, about how the last few months leading up to the Match have been for them. Tune back for our next episode in two weeks, where we check in with these students Post-Match! 

The Solidarity Week for Compassionate Patient Care is a nationwide celebration organized by the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) that promotes clinician-patient relationships based on caring, personalization, and mutual respect. This year, UWSMPH was one of over 50 medical schools to participate in the week-long celebration. As part of the events, GHHS asked medical students to reflect on what they are grateful for in medical school.  From little pleasures like food and music, to the relationships that guide and ground us, we certainly have a lot to be grateful for. We are proud to partner with UWSMPH GHHS to share our classmates’ stories of gratitude!

In this special Valentine’s Day episode, we’re talking about love in medicine! As medical students, we spend so much time and energy focusing on our careers but of equal importance is growing and maintaining relationships outside of the hospital. What is it like to navigate life milestones like getting married or having children while in medical school? In what ways does medicine make relationships more challenging, and in what ways does it make them stronger? What’s it like to have a partner in medical school with you? What’s it like to not? Listen as two UWSMPH couples, Noah and Meghan Trapp and Kasey Wood and Mario Matabele, share their love stories!

In part 2 of our series "Doctors as Patients," we continue to explore how medical students and residents with chronic illness navigate  training within a field that often places value on able-bodiedness. We chat with fourth year medical students and co-founders of the Disability Advocacy Coalition (DAC) student organization at UW SMPH: Wendy Sun, Kimberly Rosenthal, and Athena Wilson. Started in Fall 2021, DAC aims to establish a space for students struggling with medical school to talk about their concerns and offers resources for medical students with disabilities. Listen as Wendy, Kimberly, and Athena describe their individual journeys in medicine so far, frustration with ableism in medicine, and ideas for ways to make medical training more feasible for everyone.

This episode discusses mental health, depression, and suicide. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255In medical training, we are taught how to provide care for others: we learn to communicate clearly, perfect physical exam skills, elicit a thorough history, and more. Far less discussed, though, is how medical trainees navigate their own medical and psychiatric care in an environment where stigma and limited personal time often make asking for help difficult. In the first episode of our series “Doctors as Patients,'' we chat with Dr. Justin Bullock, MD, a PGY3 Internal Medicine resident at University of California, San Francisco about his journey seeking treatment for bipolar disorder, depression, and suicidality throughout medical training. Listen as he reads excerpts from his 2020 NEJM article, “Suicide–Rewriting My Story,” and shares his journey reconciling his mental health care and career in medicine.Check out Justin’s full article here:https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1917203 And for future updates from Justin, follow him on Twitter @jbullockruns.