Real MD

Dr. Paloma Felga Cariello is Associate Dean of Health, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the U of U school of medicine and an infectious disease physician. In this episode, we talk about her journey into medicine, exploring specialty, her love of teaching and EDI work. She shares the unexpected life and career challenges she has faced and how self-reflection and a willingness to accept the challe...

Dr. Dominic Moore is an Associate professor and division chief of pediatric palliative care as well as the medical director of palliative care for intermountain healthcare. In this episode we talk about how grief, humor, and music play a part in his life and work.

This week’s episode features guest host Savannah Gelhard. She is a third-year medical students and serves as a RealMD facilitator. Savannah had a chance to sit down with fellow third-year Erik Tokita. He was driven to medicine by a desire to help those in his community. Throughout medical school, he has focused on balancing the rigorous workload with enjoying life and having fun with his classmate...

This week’s episode of the RealMD podcast features Dr. Sara Wikstrom. She is an internal medicine physician and faculty member at the U of U and strong advocate for students and residents. In this episode we talk about her journey and connections she made to medicine. She also shares how she navigated choosing a specialty.

Dr. Susan Sample has dedicated her career to creating spaces for narrative in medicine. She has a PhD in Communication and directs the Initiative in Narrative, Medicine, and Writing at the Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities at the University of Utah Health Sciences. She is assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Writer-in-Residence at the Huntsman Cancer Institut...

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Christina Tushman and Shira Kaplan about conflict management in medical leadership and medical education. They share their insight working with a large network of medical schools across the cou...

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Dr. Robert Glasgow about how it is possible to be a surgeon, hold administrative leadership positions, and still make it to your kids’ events and then home for dinner most nights.

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Dr. Dale Hull about overcoming hardship, treating individuals as a whole, and the importance of "non-task touching." Dr. Hull tells his personal story of spinal cord injury rehabilitation as we...

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Dr. Peter Chalmers about how he decided on a career in orthopaedics over other surgical options, how he chose his residency program out of several impressive options, and how research can allow...

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Chip Souba about how to develop leadership in organizations, how to make a difference, and discussing what to contribute to medicine. 

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Dr. Tom Hurtado about identity & leadership development, graduate populations, and how to answer the question of "Why am I here in Med School?".

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Tony Tsai about advising others, tracking new ideas, and helping connect people with their purpose. 

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger interview Dr. Sara Lamb about working smarter, not harder, and making things happen. 

As we gear up for Season 3 next month, we are posting throwback episodes from the first season (formerly called: Unleashing the Doctor Within) that started it all. In this episode, Sam and Bridger give an introduction to the podcast and let our listeners know what to expect from this season. 

Savannah Gelhard and Brandon Wilde are second year medical students and co-facilitators in the RealMD Program. In this episode, we talk about their individual purpose, what has helped them as they've traveled through almost 2 years of medical school, and how RealMD is a space for self-discovery. They also re-define what it means to be a great future physician. 

Chloe Ekelem is a third-year dermatology resident here at The University of Utah. Before attending Utah, she studied at Morehouse School of Medicine and Emery in Atlanta, Georgia, which allowed her to see a need to help the underserved there. Chloe is proving that making career changes even partway through your residency is not only possible, but can be more fulfilling, too. 

Dr. Joe Mendez is both an assistant professor at The University of Utah, and works at The Huntsman Cancer Institute, specializing in Neuro Oncology. Dr. Mendez talks about building patient rapport, tells his story of becoming a patient, and how it guided his career. Joe's story is for anyone who had to break free of small towns and small mindsets to find themself. 

Licensed Clinical Social Worker Meghan Sullivan is the Wellness Program Manager at The University of Utah School of Medicine, and part of a wonderful team that provides individual therapy, group support, and medication management for our medical students. In addition to her wellness role, Meghan is a certified yoga teacher, endurance runner, and mindfulness practitioner. In this episode, Meghan ta...

Corey Shayman is an MD/PhD student at The University of Utah School of Medicine, and a co-facilitator of the RealMD program. He has completed the first half of medical school and started the PhD portion of his degree this past fall. In this episode Corey discusses the importance of journaling and hobbies, along with his interest in "brain-mapping.”

Dr. Karly Pippitt divides her time teaching medical students and as a Family Medicine Physician here in Salt Lake City. She talks about having strong relationships with her patients and providing opportunities for Medical Students to pursue their passions, as well as access resilience along the way. 

Former football player at the University of Utah and fitness enthusiast, Dr. Bridger Battaglia, pivoted from Business to Medical School. Along the way, he overcame challenges, changed his specialty, and is currently a psychiatry resident at the U of U. 

Sam Wilkinson graduated from Medical School in May 2021 and is currently doing a research year in Ophthalmology. He talks about how important it was for him to get involved during school, and discusses the challenge of not matching last year. 

Former medical student, Jake Fitisemanu tells his story of making a career pivot into public health and how staying connected to his community has served as a guide to finding meaning and purpose throughout his career.

Dr. Ellie Gilbertson was guided by intuition and a love of skiing to attend The University of Utah. She balanced the rigors of medical school with non-negotiable self-care times in the mountains. Picking her speciality was a process she had to think through, that helped her define 'derived joy'. She is currently specializing in Emergency Medicine here at The University of Utah. 

Dr. Megan Fix tells us about where she gets her energy and how she recharges with a busy schedule. She offers some great advice about how to be energized by both putting energy out and filling her cup with a busy lifestyle.