Fem MD

In this episode of Fem MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd speaks with Dr. Stephanie Pearson, an OB-GYN whose surgical career ended after a work-related shoulder injury sustained while delivering a baby. What should have been a routine delivery resulted in permanent damage, ultimately preventing her from returning to operative or obstetric practice. Dr. Pearson shares the difficult aftermath of her injury, in...

In this episode of Fem MD , host Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with Brooke Martin—Emmy Award–winning news anchor turned author—to discuss her powerful memoir, Controlled Burn . Brooke opens up about her journey of faith, resilience, and love in the face of unimaginable loss after her daughter, Emma, was diagnosed with a fatal condition. Together, they explore the inspiration behind the book, the e...

In this episode of Fem MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd interviews author Audrey Bellezza, who shares how, at age 50—healthy, active, and a mom of two boys—she was blindsided by a diagnosis of stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer. Audrey recounts the shock, the agonizing period of unknowns, and how biomarker testing revealed a mutation-driven cancer. She explains her targeted therapy treatment, its difficult...

In this episode of Fem MD , Lauren sits down with Emmy-nominated producer Chelsea White — known for her work on Watch What Happens Live and The Drew Barrymore Show — for an honest, layered conversation about identity, neurodiversity, and the freedom that comes from embracing every part of who you are. Chelsea was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at just three years old, a moment that shaped how sh...

In this raw and unfiltered episode of Fem, MD, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Melyssa Hancock opens up about her 12-round, 3-year IVF journey—one that spanned multiple clinics, a cross-country move of frozen embryos, a complicated surrogacy process, canceled transfers, and more than $250,000 in out-of-pocket costs. We talk about: Fertility preservation as a surgical trainee Why she switched IVF clinic...

In this episode of Fem, MD , Lindsey White—professional fit model, jewelry designer, and mother—joins to explore how fashion, identity, and creativity collide. Through years of working within an industry obsessed with measurement and perfection, Lindsey learned the tension between being the “ideal” body and living in a body that evolves. She opens up about the quiet discipline behind fit modeling,...

When a freak accident ended her performing career, Lala Ziemski turned pain into purpose—pivoting from the stage to the kitchen, and eventually building The Firefly , a boutique hotel and restaurant in Panama. Now a private chef in New York City and host of the podcast Put It In My Mouth , Lala joins Dr. Lauren Umstattd for an open conversation about resilience, creativity, and redefining success....

Dr. Lily Nguyen’s path to medicine didn’t begin in a classroom - it began at the bedside. After five years as a nurse, she made the rare leap from nursing to medical school and is now completing her residency in radiology. In this episode of Fem MD , Dr. Nguyen reflects on how her nursing background shaped her clinical intuition, her empathy, and her definition of “success.” We talk about identity...

What does it take to survive — and actually thrive — as a surgeon when the system keeps asking you to show up like a machine? In this episode of Fem MD, host Dr. Lauren Umstattd talks with Dr. Mel Thacker — double-boarded ENT, lifestyle medicine specialist, and surgeon-coach — about the “dark surgeon psyche,” the ways training teaches us to disconnect from our bodies and feelings, and how to come...

What does it really take to be happy? In this episode of Fem, MD , host Lauren talks with happiness coach Dannie De Novo , who shares her powerful journey from years of depression and anxiety to building a life rooted in true joy. Dannie opens up about breaking free from destructive cycles, challenging the idea that happiness is out of reach, and finding the courage to face yourself honestly. Toge...

What if the secret to a long, fulfilling medical career isn’t doing more—but doing less? This week on Fem MD , host Lauren sits down with Dr. Joan Chan , a Canadian family physician, coach, mom, and host of The Other Human in the Room . Joan shares her radical approach to working under maximum capacity, teaching physicians how to reclaim space, set boundaries, and prioritize joy without sacrificin...

In this powerful episode of Fem MD , host Lauren Umstattd sits down with Alex Owens to share the raw, unfiltered reality of life after a breast cancer diagnosis. Alex speaks candidly about the unique grief of losing parts of oneself—physically and emotionally—captured in her poignant words: “You’re grieving your old self, you’re grieving your breasts.” Through intimate storytelling, Alex and Laure...

In this episode of Fem MD , we explore the uncomfortable truth: love alone doesn’t make a marriage last. Dr. Lauren Umstattd opens up about the realities of partnership, drawing from her own experiences to unpack the deeper ingredients that sustain a strong marriage—kindness, respect, communication, and growth. It's a candid conversation about what happens after the honeymoon phase ends, how coupl...

In this powerful episode of FEM MD , Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with Dr. Frances Mei Hardin for an unflinching conversation about the darker realities of surgical training. Frances Mei shares her personal experience navigating a medical culture where bullying, abuse, and emotional isolation are often normalized—and where “resilience” is too often code for silent suffering. Together, they unpack...

In this episode of Fem MD , Dr. Lauren Umstattd unpacks the quiet pressure to be everything to everyone: the perfect doctor, the perfect parent, the perfect partner. But what if success isn’t about getting it all right? What if the real work, and the real growth, comes from simply getting a little better each day? This episode explores how embracing small, consistent improvements can lead to more...

Why do women in medicine still have to be twice as good to get half the credit? In this episode of Fem MD , Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sinehan Bayrak for a raw and real conversation about what it takes to succeed as a woman in medicine—and the unspoken costs of trying to be “perfect” in a system that still rewards mediocrity in men. They talk candidly about the d...

In this episode, I open up about something that’s all too common in medical training but rarely talked about: abuse and mistreatment. I share a personal story from my own training — including a moment where a supervising surgeon crossed a serious line with physical aggression — and reflect on how that experience shaped my decision to walk away from fellowship. We talk about the blurry line between...

In this raw and thought-provoking episode of  Fem MD , trauma surgeon Dr. Brittany Bankhead sits down with Dr. Lauren Umstattd for an honest conversation about the challenges of being a woman in surgery. Dr. Bankhead opens up about her personal journey to embracing her full identity—not only as a surgeon but as a mother, partner, and woman who has navigated professional toxicity, imposter syn...

In this powerful and unfiltered debut episode of  FEMMD , Dr. Lauren Umstattd—a facial plastic surgeon, business owner, and mother—opens up about the beautiful mess of balancing a high-stakes medical career with motherhood, identity, and ambition. Lauren speaks candidly about what it means to crave complexity, lean into vulnerability, and challenge societal norms around success, femininity, a...