From Skirts To Scrubs

“Sticks and stones may break my bones…” but thinking about women’s pain is easier said than done, it seems. The gender pain gap is the idea that women in pain are taken and treated less seriously than men in pain. Though this concept has been coming up more in the news, social media and more, it is less acknowledged than other gender gaps. In this episode, we explore the history of the gender pain...

Disability is part of our culture, our families, our friends, and our history. Living in a society that is built for able-bodied people doesn’t allow for much education and awareness around disability within the United States. But disability can be tracked through history all the way back to ancient times. And throughout the last two thousand years, the treatment and laws surrounding communities w...

There’s a conversation everyone has at some point, about the birds and the bees. Think back to the first time you had that talk. Maybe it was with a parent, maybe a friend, maybe someone else. Maybe it was sex ed class. That’s what this episode dives into. We go back in time to look at some different sexual practices across ancient history, including Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Then we discuss...

Between 1980 and 2020, the number of incarcerated women increased by 475%. Yes, you read that correctly. The increase in this population can be attributed to the War on Drugs, resulting in an extremely high number of women who are enprisoned for non-violent crimes. Join us in this episode to talk about the history of incarcerated women and the status of their health today. From STI treatment to la...

Ever since we released this episode, it feels like every topic we cover comes right back to it! So this week we are bringing back the Rest Cure: Prescribed Torture? When you go to the doctor with a psychiatric concern, you would expect them to hear you out and find the treatment regimen that is right for you. But in 1800s Victorian America, this wasn’t exactly the case. Neurologist Dr. Mitchell cr...

Knock-knock. Who’s there? Do. Do-who? DOULA (ok ok see, this is why we’re podcast hosts and not comedians). This week we’re discussing the origins of doula care. Best known for their growing role in providing laboring mothers during childbirth, doulas have been around for decades in an official capacity and even longer in an unofficial one. Closely intertwined with midwifery, doula work has evolve...

Throughout history, times of war bring change to medicine. It's a hard truth, but it is the truth. And in American history, no war was more brutal than the Civil War. Of the thousands of people who died during this four-year war, ⅔ died from the disease. The conditions of the war gave an opportunity for medicine to grow, and for women to step into the field. Join us in this episode to talk abo...

When we think of abortions today, we often think about surgical abortions when in fact, medication abortions have been commonplace for millenia. With the decision made in Dobbs v. Jackson, medication abortions in the United States are now at risk as legislators come for this next line of defense against unwanted pregnancies. In this episode, we explore how medical abortions work, their history and...

Here we are, at the root of it all. The piece of history that has defined women’s health for millennia. The wandering womb is a theory that can be traced back to the ancient Mediterranean, where it was believed and practiced. And while this story is fun and laughable at times, our history truly does define some of the grimmest parts of our future. Join us this week as we look at the wandering womb...

Due to current events in the United States with the overturn of Roe, we are re-releasing the episode Underground Abortion Networks: Filling in the Gaps. Even though this episode is based on history, it is extremely relevant today. ---- When a medical system can’t provide needed care for patients who are continuously left out or ignored, what happens? What does a community do when they are aching f...

If you listen carefully on a quiet night, you may hear cries of a weeping woman calling for her lost children. Maybe you tell the children in your life that if they misbehave, she’ll come for you. That's right! In this episode, we tell the story of La Llorona, a woman from Mexican folklore who was wronged by her husband and transformed into the darkest version of herself. Some may say she was...

What constitutes a monster? Is it your looks, your action, your very being? What if you are forced into a situation that makes you a monster, what then? Japanese folklore is full of stories of women as monsters, but this week we are focusing on one woman who isn’t a monster at all. Join us as we tell the tale of Yama Uba and discuss what she represents in the continuum of life as a woman, and as a...

Have you ever heard of the great Hindu Epic, The Ramayana ? Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t. But chances are, you probably don’t know of the seductress Surpanakha, sister of the King of Demons? Join us this episode as we forge into the forests of Ayodhya as we follow the story of Surpanakha, a demon woman whose actions ultimately lead to a kidnapping and major war between two kingdoms. Then list...

What do you get when you put together a powerful woman, an ancient empire, and scared men? The Sphinx! And this isn’t a riddle, I promise (ha, get it? Wait, no? Better listen to the episode!). Join us this week to talk about the origins of the Sphinx and talk about this mythical creature across time, as well as her interaction with the famed Oedipus Rex. Afterward, we talk about the demonization o...

Maybe you’ve heard of the story of Adam and Eve, but the real question is: what do you know about Lilith? If Eve was created from Adam’s rib, Lilith was created as Adam’s equal, from the soil of the earth. From the moment of her conception, she forged her own path and yet, has been branded as none other than a monster for it. Tune in to this episode to hear the lesser known story of the Mother of...

In the beginning… life was apparently perfect. Until men made the Gods upset and they sent down their greatest fear. Women. Well, one woman in particular. Join us in this episode to learn the ancient Greek story of Pandora, the first woman, and bringer of all gifts. But what does this story mean when you view it from a feminist perspective? And how does our frame of reference shape our understandi...

Check out our new trailer introducing our FIRST Mini Series: Women as Monsters . Over a course of six short episodes, we will be telling stories of women from mythology across the world who have been viewed as evil, wrong, and monsters. Then we will discuss why these stories are important today and any thoughts we have on them! Episodes will be posted every other Tuesday as usual and will be 20-30...

We are taking a break from our usual schedule to bring you all another bonus episode! In this episode, we were interviewed by Cultivating Connection , a podcast series that discovers what it means to be human and the many different types of ways we connect. During the interview, we discuss how From Skirts To Scrubs was created, finding and pursuing your passions, handling burnout, the pillars of f...

"You’re so sexy when you’re not spreading STIs." That’s right, this week we are exploring the highly prevalent, ever-stigmatized sexually transmitted infections. In this episode, we get into the difference between STIs and STDs, describe some of the most common STIs and of course, talk about their various histories. Specifically, we dig into the relationship between STIs and women, focusin...

During the pandemic, we both got super into paint-by-numbers. They were just so soothing and an easy way to create while taking our minds off the crazy world around us. It was a way to be calm and focused. And a lot of people use art in this way, to figure out your emotions or as an outlet. But what about using art in medicine? Patients often create art that depicts their disease and experience li...

The thought of shocking someone into having a seizure all for...what? Cure their depression? That sounds crazy! But it’s real! And like so many topics on this podcast, the story of how this concept came to be is just as interesting and seemingly insane as the actual practice. This week we discuss a procedure called Electroconvulsive Therapy, or ECT. A treatment used in the world of psychiatry to t...

There is nothing quite like a delicious breakfast to start your day, a snack to hold you over, or dinner to put you to bed. Right? But as you eat your tasty food, do you ever think about what exactly is in it? Or what it does to your health? Join us in this episode to talk about how the food you eat can play into the leading causes of death in women: heart disease, cancer, and stroke. To explore t...

Internist? Intern? Fellow…doctor? Oh no just, fellow? Can SOMEONE please explain what these words MEAN? Yes, yes we can. We’re back this week to chat about the field of Internal Medicine, the branch of medicine that covers a lot of the parts that you are probably familiar with, specialties like cardiology, gastroenterology, infectious disease, etc. This episode though, we’ll be clarifying what exa...

When you think of witches, what comes to mind? If I had to guess I’d say you thought of Halloween, potions, broomsticks, and big pointy hats. But the witches in this episode didn’t wear pointy hats, at least I don’t think so. They are your mom, your elderly neighbor, your best friend. Join us in this episode to learn who was considered a witch across time and cultures. Then we will discuss the per...

Hyper-promiscuity, mood swings, nausea, anxiety, drowsiness, loss of appetite, aging, back pain. Those are some symptoms of hysteria to name a few. Hysteria is a word that is thrown around a lot from “Oh that was a hysterical joke” to  “that woman is hysterical don't listen to her” and even “the new album is causing mass hysteria.” But what even is hysteria? Well, in history it has meant a lot...