Shadow Me Next!

Most people hear “psych” and picture two options: talk therapy or life-altering medication. Whar so many of us miss is an entire world of careers. I sit down with licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Christal Badour to make the landscape of psychology finally feel clear, practical, and real, including what psychologists do, what psychiatrists do, and why that difference matters for patients.  We get...

You can study medicine for years and still feel unprepared for the moment you deliver news that changes someone’s life, then immediately have to walk into the next room and do it all again. That emotional handoff is one of the most invisible skills in healthcare, and it’s exactly what we unpack with Michelle Nesky, The Posh PA, who has spent more than 20 years as a physician assistant in oncology....

Not knowing is not the problem. Hiding it is. Jordan Kessler works as a critical care PA in a neuro ICU, where the alarms are loud, the decisions are fast, and uncertainty is constant. We talk about the skill nobody grades you on in PA school or pre-med tracks: how to communicate clearly when you are not sure yet. That single habit shapes patient safety, team trust, and how quickly you grow from “...

You can do everything “right” in healthcare and still feel like you’re missing the point. That’s the tension we discuss with Dr John Oberg, a clinician, entrepreneur, and behavioral science thinker who has worked across medicine, business, and AI. We talk about the trap of chasing knowledge and productivity without building the skills that matter: clear thinking, real connection, and the ability t...

A 16-year-old with lupus asked an honest question: “How does my diet affect my disease? and it chamged everything for Kerry Jenkins. She discusses being a seasoned derm PA who traded 15-minute appointment slots and quick fixes for a slower, systems-based approach that treats skin as a mirror of the gut, immune system, liver, hormones, and stress. The story isn’t a takedown of conventional care; it...

What are we still missing when service members come home “intact” on paper but feel amputated in spirit? We sit down with Rachel Howard, a 14‑year Army National Guard combat medic, purple heart recipient, VA program developer, and now U.S. Senate candidate, to trace a path from convoy medicine and CBRN readiness to building one of the first VA post‑deployment respiratory clinics, where patients ha...

What if AI could run every clinical protocol and you (the clinician) still felt more essential than ever? We sit down with Dr. Chris Seitz (board-certified in emergency medicine, licensed in all 50 states, and now CEO of Guardian Medical Direction ) to rethink how modern care is built, supervised, and scaled. From trauma bays to telehealth, Chris shares why the “medicine is the medicine,” and how...

What does it really take to last in medicine? In this episode of Shadow Me Next, I sit down with Johnnie Gilpen, a veteran, first responder, and pediatric emergency medicine PA whose path into medicine was anything but linear. Told multiple times that he would never get into PA school, Johnnie shares how resilience, relationships, and reflection shaped a decades-long journey that ultimately led hi...

What if the moment that wrecked your plan ended up shaping your purpose? Follow Dr. Shanea Clancy along the real (and difficult) road to forensic nursing, starting with a fatal EMS tragedy, two jobs, an accelerated program, and the choice to keep going when quitting felt easier. This isn’t a glossy success story. It’s grit, structure, and a deep belief that no one can take your education away. We...

What if heart attacks weren’t a surprise? Dr. Jeffrey Boone of Boone Heart Institute shows how imaging plus modern meds can make heart disease optional. Bold claim, big data. Listen and tell us: would you get scanned before symptoms? Connect with Dr. Boone  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BooneHeartInstitute Instagram: @booneheartinstitute   TikTok: @booneheart   LinkedIn: Boone Heart Institute...

What if medicine chooses you before you choose it?  In this episode of Shadow Me Next, I sit down with Roberts Essex, a seasoned physician assistant who chose to speak under a pen name so he could tell his story honestly. He is a veteran PA with decades across emergency medicine, hospital medicine, and public health, to unpack a life shaped by faith, service, and the quiet power of human connectio...

Sleepless nights rarely start in the bedroom. They usually begin with a racing mind, a tender story, or a belief we’re afraid to say out loud. We sit down with Dr. Benjamin Long, a dual board certified sleep medicine physician and pediatrician, military doctor, and author, to explore how real rest happens when data meets dignity and treatment meets presence. We trace Dr. Long's journey from a...

The quietest lifesaving moments often happen between a slammed door and a deep breath. We sit down with crisis mental health clinician and SWAT negotiator Jessi Beyer to unpack what it really takes to bring a volatile scene down, earn trust in minutes, and move someone from danger toward safety. Jessie works nights alongside law enforcement on 911 calls involving suicidal ideation, psychosis, and...

What happens when the humanity of oncology collides with the creative engine of biotech? We sit down with Dr. Satya (Nanu) Das, a former gastrointestinal oncologist who left a thriving academic career to build the next generation of cancer therapies. He walks us through his turning points:  carrying patients’ stories home, confronting the limits of “approved” treatments, and realizing that trial d...

What if your hardest seasons became the fuel for your life’s most meaningful work? We sit down with Dr. Oluwole Babatunde, a physician who turned early loss, cross-continental training, and relentless study into a compassionate career in psychiatry. From medical school and public health in Nigeria to a PhD in epidemiology and psychiatry residency in the United States, his story shows how purpose a...

A 97% pulse ox can lull anyone into a false sense of safety, until ventilation fails and the patient quietly slips into danger. That tension between what looks stable and what is actually happening runs through our conversation with Dr. Julie Siemers, whose 46 years in nursing span ICU, trauma, helicopter medicine, academia, and leadership. We explore the moments that forged her commitment to advo...

We start with a simple question: what is your why?  Today we sit down with Dr. Ken Botelho, a seasoned primary care PA and the founding director behind a new Doctor of Medical Science program, to explore how purpose, presence, and mentorship shape better clinicians and healthier teams. From the first lab review of the morning to the final patient call, he shows how showing up as a human can stabil...

Curiosity is a skill, and it can carry a medical career farther than raw talent. We sit down with interventional gastroenterologist Dr. Doug Adler to unpack 30 years of change in training, technology, and the mindset it takes to serve patients well. From the rise of gap years and research-heavy applications to the moment you realize you’re responsible for another human life, Doug brings candid adv...

Connect with Dr. Duffy at: aimeeduffymd.com Feeling “fine” on paper but worn out in real life? We sit down to virtually shadow Dr. Amiee Duffy, a board-certified family physician and founder of Carolina Integrative Medicine. Dr. Duffy traded seven-minute visits for two-hour conversations and a root-cause approach that helps patients actually feel well. Her journey from delivering babies and teachi...

To learn more about Dr. Aaron Hartman, visit: aaronhartmanmd.com Dr. Aaron Hartman—triple board certified in family, integrative, and functional medicine—walks us through his path from military rounds and high-volume private practice to a more deliberate, patient-first model.  We unpack how evidence-based medicine lost two of its three legs, why publication bias distorts what we read, and how over...

Want a front-row seat to the human side of sexual health and urology? We sit down with Dr. Stephanie “Dr. Z” Zwonitzer, a urology and sexual health nurse practitioner, to explore how candor, education, and empathy turn the most awkward appointments into moments of relief and real progress. From the first conversation to the follow-up high five, Dr. Z shows how evidence-based care—and a little humo...

The most powerful moments in medicine often unfold after the diagnosis, in the quiet where plans are made and hope is rebuilt. Join us as we sit down with Dr. Kristen Cain, a physician who is double board certified in OBGYN and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She traces a winding path from a mismatched residency to a specialty that blends precise science with unmatched patient care.  W...

What if the most important part of your hospital stay happens after you leave? We sit down with a seasoned hospitalist who treats complex conditions on the floor and still argues that health is mostly made at home, at work, and in the community. From refeeding syndrome and new-onset renal failure to the familiar rhythms of CHF and COPD, she shows how the real challenge isn’t just diagnosing accura...

A surgeon stands at a national podium, defends operating on children with severe obesity, and gets asked how he sleeps at night. Two decades later, he’s helped shape national guidelines and is building new ways for families to access care. That is what defines our candid conversation with Dr. Evan Nadler, a pioneer in pediatric bariatric surgery and a person who refuses to accept shame as a treatm...

What does it take to run toward chaos and know you will like the result? We sit down with Dr. Josh McConkey, an emergency physician, Air Force Reserve commander, and combat veteran, for a candid tour of the ER and the deeper forces that sustain a life in medicine. From managing codes to navigating the “bread and butter” of primary care concerns that flood emergency departments, Dr. McConkey explai...