Medicus

In this series, we are exploring the common and not-so-common specialties in medicine. Nuclear medicine sits at the crossroads of imaging and molecular science, revealing how disease behaves at a cellular level rather than just how it looks. In this episode, we explore how this often-overlooked specialty is shaping diagnosis, guiding therapy, and redefining the future of precision medicine. Dr. Er...

What does it take to prepare healthcare providers for the cases they'll never see coming? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Croft, a fellowship-trained simulationist and emergency medicine physician, to explore the world of medical simulation. Dr. Croft breaks down what simulation actually is, why readiness, not perfection, is the ultimate goal, and how techniques borrowed from the aviation an...

What actually happens when a US-trained physician packs up and moves their practice to another country? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Brock Andreatta, an anesthesiologist who has spent the last 11 years splitting his practice between the United States and the United Kingdom. Dr. Andreatta walks us through the year-long credentialing process required to practice in the NHS, the day-to-day d...

By their 4th year of medical school, most students have chosen one specialty - one path forward. But what if the career you actually want doesn’t fit neatly into a single box?  For students drawn to both the fast-paced, undifferentiated world of emergency medicine and the physiology- and pharmacology-driven world of anesthesiology, there was once a fork in the road. Now for some, that fork may not...

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. In this episode, we spoke with Jordan Meckel, PharmD, BCCCP about his journey to becoming a neurointensive care pharmacist and how pharmacists serve as an integral part of the healthcare team. Jordan Meckel is currently the Neurointensive Care Pharmaci...

In this episode, we examine the complexities of neurodiversity within clinical environments and higher education. Dr. Devon Price discusses the nuances of masking, strategies for navigating academic systems as a neurodivergent individual, and the unique dynamics of concordant care, specifically when both the provider and the patient share neurodivergent identities. We also explore practical approa...

We heard stories of physicians practicing in the USA in a specialty different from the ones they originally trained in, perhaps even from a different country. In this episode, Dr. Czarnkowski shared with us about his journey of how he first got interested in medicine, then gynecological oncology, and finally to psychiatry as well as his insights and hopes for the field of psychiatry.  Trigger Warn...

In this mini series, we interview resident physicians to gain a deeper understanding into the responsibilities and challenges of their chosen specialty, and if their expectations as a medical student matched up with the realities of the field.  Our guest, Dr. Shawn Choe, is passionate about neurosurgery. In this episode, he shares his journey to deciding a career in neurosurgery, what the training...

Dr. Daniel B. Martinez is a Chicago-born, board-certified psychiatrist and one of the leading voices in Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry serving the greater Chicago area. He brings a deep understanding of cultural identity, immigration stress, and community mental health to his clinical work. He is the Founder and Medical Director of Comprehensive Clinical Services, P.C., and has dedicated...

In this new mini series, we interview resident physicians to gain a deeper understanding into the responsibilities and challenges of their chosen specialty, and if their expectations as a medical student matched up with the realities of the field. Our guest, Dr. Farinoosh Dadrass, shares what life is like as a dermatology resident and surprises she has encountered in her training. Farinoosh Dadras...

I spoke with Dr. Elaine Cheng, a neonatologist at Loyola, to learn about her experiences with navigating the challenges she faces in the NICU and how it’s shaped her perspective on striking the balance between being clinically efficient while consistently being supportive and empathetic towards patients and families. Episode produced by: Anumitha Aravindan Episode recording date: 11/10/25 www.medi...

As ICE raids escalate across Chicago, hospitals and clinics have become sites of risk and confrontation for immigrants seeking healthcare. What happens when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents enter a place of healing? What are a doctor's rights - and a patient's - when the line between care and enforcement blurs? To learn more about this, I spoke with Dr. Amy Blair and Dr. Monica Maalouf,...

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. In this episode, we spoke with pathologists’ assistant Alyssha Glass about her journey into this unique specialty and the role of pathologists’ assistants in healthcare.  Alyssha Glass is a Chicago-based pathologists’ assistant who focuses on hospital...

Cultural humility is a lifelong practice of self-reflection, openness, and respect for the diverse backgrounds of the families we serve. Unlike cultural competence, which can imply mastering knowledge about “other cultures,” cultural humility emphasizes curiosity, listening, and shared decision-making. In pediatrics, this is especially important because care involves both the child and the family,...

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. In this episode, we spoke with paramedic Joseph Castello about his journey into the world of emergency medical services and the role of paramedics in healthcare.  Joseph Castello has been a paramedic for over 22 years and served with the Chicago Fire D...

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we chatted with Andre Moore about his journey in healthcare law. Andre Moore is a Chicago native and a final-semester law student at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he is a fellow at the Beazley Institute for Health Law...

The goal of this mini series is to spark conversations of these new tools and practices within the community of current and future medical practitioners and staff. It is important for medical professionals to have a say in how these Al tools impact practice to ensure practical and ethical use. Join us in discussions of the history of Al, machine and deep learning. computer visions, natural languag...

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Paul Tran, a pediatric gastroenterologist who may be better known as the “med student on rotations” with his social media platform, Alimentary School. Through his skits on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Paul uses humor to connect with the medical community about current issues in medical education. He shares his journey into medicine, advice on mentor-mentee rela...

In this powerful episode, we explore moral injury in healthcare - the profound distress physicians face when they’re forced to make decisions that go against the very reason they entered healthcare. We sat down with Dr. Carol Paris, a retired psychiatrist and the former President and current Vice President of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) to discuss their moral injury survey, par...

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we chat about the field of Pathology. Our guest, Dr. Anaisa Quintanilla-Arteaga, shares advice on how to set yourself up for success regarding matching into this unique specialty and shares tips to help you stand out both on paper and in person. Anaisa (Nisa) is an incoming PGY1 pathology resident at Northwestern University. She is originally from El...

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. In this episode, we spoke with registered dietitian and educator Kevin Pietro about his journey into the world of dietetics and the role of dietitians in healthcare.  Dr. Kevin Pietro, PhD, RDN, LDN, CSSD, is an Assistant Professor and Director of Diet...

The goal of this mini series is to spark conversations of these new tools and practices within the community of current and future medical practitioners and staff. It is important for medical professionals to have a say in how these AI tools impact practice to ensure practical and ethical use. Join us in discussions of the history of AI, machine and deep learning, computer visions, natural languag...

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we chatted with Angela Kwon about her journey in successfully matriculating into a Physician Associate program. Angela is a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Department of Pulmonology at Stanford. While originally from Los Angeles...

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we chatted with social worker Lauren Judd about her journey and the essential services social workers provide to patients. Lauren Judd is a dedicated and experienced social worker with over 12 years of practice in the healthcare setti...

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to better understand the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we spoke with Anh Phu about his journey to becoming a physician-scientist. Anh Phu is an MD-PhD student at the Yale School of Medicine. He was born in Vietnam and moved to San Francisco, CA at 11. He attended City College of San Francisco and tra...