From Skirts To Scrubs

Join us this week to discuss a crucial yet often-overlooked topic: the impact of climate change on pregnant individuals! Delve into the history of climate change awareness, understand its far-reaching effects on our planet, and discover the specific health risks it poses to expectant mothers. We walk through increased risks of heat-related illnesses, infectious diseases, food insecurity, and air p...

Have you ever heard of Scalp Cooling? In this episode, we sit down with Madison Novice, co-founder of Cap and Conquer, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about Cold Cap Therapy. Maddie joins us to delve into the nuanced topic of body image in the context of cancer treatment. From the diverse impacts of surgeries to common fears about chemotherapy-induced alopecia, we get to hear from someo...

Embark on a captivating journey through the history of fertility and infertility! Explore ancient beliefs, goddess worship, and the evolution of medical practices surrounding conception. Discover how societies revered reproduction, from Earth symbolism to worship of goddesses like Bastet and Brigid. Learn how healers like Hippocrates treated infertility with purging and dietary adjustments. Reflec...

What do you know about the Apgar score? Dr. Virginia Apgar, a trailblazing figure in medicine, was a game-changer in neonatal care. From her early days growing up in New Jersey to becoming a leading obstetric anesthesiologist, Virginia’s life was nothing short of impactful. Her innovative approach during deliveries led to the development of the Apgar Score, transforming how newborn health is asses...

From a cute little cartoon uterus to the intricate details of surgical techniques, let's embark on a journey through the captivating world of hysterectomies! Learn about the various types of hysterectomy procedures and their historical significance. Discover how pioneering physicians like Soranus of Ephesus and Charles Clay paved the way for modern gynecological surgeries, overcoming challenge...

In our fifth season kickoff, we're reflecting on our podcast journey and revamping our format with shorter episodes and more frequent Feminist Corner discussions. We're starting with a dive into the history of feminism, from its origins in the 1880s to the waves that shaped its evolution. We'll explore key moments like the Seneca Falls Convention, the rise of womanism, and the emergenc...

Asylums always bring up images of horror. Whether in pop culture or fall haunted attractions, the stories around asylums are never good. Asylums were created as places to care for the mentally ill, but eventually turned into institutions that took advantage of a vulnerable population AND found ways to punish women for being too ambitious or independent. Join us this week to explore the history of...

Imagine a little kid at school sitting on a rug playing with wooden building blocks to learn math, reading during "circle time" with their friends, sharing with their parents all the things they learned in school that day. That was the vision that Maria Montessori had when she started teaching young children through her education program. But did you know that before she was a teacher, Mar...

Cervical cancer is not like other cancers. This cancer is special because it is caused by the virus HPV. Not only that but there are multiple prevention methods in place to help lower women’s risk of developing this cancer!! But despite that, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women today. Join us this week to learn about the history of cervical cancer, the discovery of the pap sme...

Is shaving a regular part of your shower routine? Or maybe you wax, pluck, sugar, laser or just let it grow out! Regardless of what your relationship is with body hair, we’ve all got it and that means you’ve likely thought about whether or not you want to do something about it. This episode, we delve into the history of body hair removal, covering pre-historic humans using shells to cut their hair...

TikTok is full of trends, including eating your placenta or having a lotus birth. But is this a trend that has existed throughout human history? The placenta is a highly unique organ that humans have been fascinated with for centuries. From Pharaohs carrying their placentas into battle to hanging placentae in trees, there is a wide range of cultural beliefs and traditions surrounding this organ. J...

You’ve probably heard of seizures, maybe even seen or experienced them in real life. But have you heard of PNES? Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES) are seizure-like events that occur due to psychological triggers. They are very distressing, especially for the folks experiencing them, and are sometimes elusive for medical providers to uncover. Join us this episode as we unpack the mystery of...

A pain that is constant, burning, stabbing, aching, crawling. You name it and it might describe it. The pain is mysterious to both the patient and the provider. Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition characterized by specific tender areas in the body and is WAY more common in women than men. Join us in this episode to learn more about this disorder and what this means for people with this disord...

Our personalities make us who we are, but in personality disorders like Borderline Personality Disorder, personalities can keep people from living their lives comfortably in our society. In BPD, a disorder commonly diagnosed in young adult and adolescent girls, words like dramatic, emotional and erratic get thrown around. But is this disorder really more common in women? And what implications does...

Does your bowel function haunt you? Do you use the bathroom way too much or simply not enough? Well, then this episode is probably about you! In this mini-episode, we are talking about irritable bowel syndrome! This is one of the most common gastroenterology disorders primarily affecting women. Not only that, but it has an uncanny tie to psychological stress and anxiety, which makes it hard to dia...

If you haven't already, you should absolutely check out the episode before this in which we interview Dr. Dee Fenner, Chair of Michigan Medicine's Department of OB/GYN about her experiences as a women during her early training. That episode was inspired by this one! So we only thought it would be fitting to bring back, especially since we wrote it when we were coming into our first years o...

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Dee Fenner, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor. She walks us through her journey to medicine, Ob/Gyn and ultimately, Urogynecology. She shares insight into her past as a trainee during a time at which there were very few female medical students and even fewer female physician mentors to turn to. And we round out...

Is it a rash or a wolf bite? Apparently ancient physicians couldn’t tell…or at least they thought that the classic rash across the faces of patients with the commonly known condition Lupus, looked close enough to a wolf’s bite to name it after the Latin word for wolf! We’ll be discussing Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, or Lupus, on this episode, including some history and common symptoms that feel a...

To clarify, we are talking about postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome . Not the disease, and certainly not pottery. hehe. POTS is a condition that millions of Americans today face, and 80% of those with POTS are women!! An absolutely crazy number because we aren’t even really sure why it affects so many women in comparison to men. Join us this week to learn a little more about POTS and hear u...

In this miniseries, we will be exploring conditions that many women experience. Something that ties all these conditions together is that they are more common in women, but not necessarily because of anatomy or biology. We will discuss what the condition is, how common it is, and how we treat the condition now. We'll also sprinkle in some history and fun tidbits along the way!

Sperm meets egg makes baby, should be simple right? Well if it were, infertility would not be a common struggle for millions of people around the world. But through incredible technology and research, assisted reproductive techniques have been created like in-vitro fertilization (IVF) have been created to help people get pregnant. And they work! Join us this episode as we explain the basics of the...

Some people say that women ~ glow ~ when they are pregnant. Or that having a baby is one of the best memories they have. But did you know 80% of women have depressive symptoms in the week following childbirth? Or that ⅛ women develop a condition called postpartum depression? Some women are even at risk for manic or psychotic episodes in the postpartum period. These conditions are so prevalent that...

Do you know how the wickedest woman in New York got her name? Ann Trow, or as she was better known, Madame Restell, was a prominent abortion provider in the late 1800s. She had no medical training, and yet started a business from the ground up, making medication abortion pills and doing surgical abortions. Her work was wildly successful, but also led to her making many enemies in New York society...

Fertilization, conception, the miracle of life. The conjoining of egg and sperm. Women have been having babies since the beginning of time, so it makes you wonder. Did people always know where babies come from? Spoiler alert: they had no idea. Join us in this episode to see how famous physicians like Galen and Hippocrates were woefully wrong about reproduction, how pond water led to the discovery...

There’s really no body part so politicized or fetishized than a woman’s breast. But this was not always the case. For hundreds of years, the breast was a primary symbol of nourishment and nurturance--the sign of a mother’s love. The story of the breast and how it has been perceived throughout history is a fascinating one; it takes us through the times that breasts were celebrated, hidden, politici...