May's Anatomy with May (Yazdi) Chewning

A 35-year-old woman with a history of asthma presents to your office with symptoms of nasal itching, sneezing, and rhinorrhea. She states she feels this way most days but her symptoms are worse in the spring and fall. She has had difficulty sleeping because she is always congested. She states she has taken diphenhydramine (Benadryl) with no relief. She does not smoke cigarettes and dose not have e...

Today's episode is all about cultural competency in the healthcare setting and the importance of building a trusting and supportive relationship with your patient's so that you can provide the most optimal care possible. We discuss differences in religious, spiritual, and cultural beliefs as it pertains to the healthcare setting, outlining various patient populations such as African Americans, Mus...

A 6-month-old male infant is brought to your office by his mother for a routine well-child visit. His mother is concerned that he is not yet saying "mama," because her best friend's baby said "mama" by age 6 months. Your patient was born via an uncomplicated pregnancy to a 23-year-old G1P1 mother. He was delivered by a spontaneous vaginal delivery at full term and there were no complications in th...

Today's show is a much anticipated episode discussing my study plan and strategies used to pass the nurse practitioner board exam. In this episode I will be giving a day by day and week by week breakdown of how I managed to study for the AANP board exam in 8 weeks while using the Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Intensive Review book (better known as the "Leik Manual") and other resources....

It's official--I passed the AANPCB examination! Last Thursday I took the AANP exam and passed and I could not be more relieved and proud! Today I will share with you all the details of what to expect on exam day so that you can be as prepared as possible to walk into the exam with absolute confidence! I'll also give you guys some strategies to prepare for the day and night before the exam to aid i...

This episode is one that has been up and coming since the origin of the podcast as I am finally sitting down to discuss my research and personal beliefs on the use of body mass index in the primary care setting. My husband, Chase Chewning, MS, ACE CHC and I talk about our personal and professional experiences using BMI to determine fat-defined obesity and obesity related risks such as diabetes, hy...

This episode is all about cultivating the perfect study environment. Whether you're studying for boards, exams, or just writing papers and working on projects your environment can be the thing that motivates you to keep going every morning or drains you of any inspiration or discipline. Follow along as I go through my tips of making my environment more welcome with things like rhythmic music, a cl...

In today's episode we will be covering case study #5. A 22-year-old woman who has never been pregnant before presents to you after having a positive home pregnancy test. She has no significant medical history. Upon further questioning, she states that she is unsure of the date of her last menstrual period. She denies any symptoms and is worried as she has not felt the baby move thus far. She is al...

Today's episode is a little different from our regular episodes here on the show, because today I am focusing on self-care. Working in a service-based industry, it makes sense that most of us focus so much of our time on others. However, we often forget to take time to better ourselves and listen to what our needs are. In this episode I discuss my top priorities right now (especially while studyin...

We are back for Part II of the discussion between the ANCC and AANP nurse practitioner board exams! In today's episode I will expand on more frequently asked questions, exam domains (foundations, professional roles, adults, geriatrics, early/late adolescence, pediatrics, etc.), fast facts to keep in mind for the exams, best ways to maximize your scores, and renewal requirements. I also give you gi...

Welcome to 2021 with May's Anatomy! I am so happy to have you all here with me in the second year of the podcast! We have come so far over the last year and I cannot wait to see what is in store for this show over the next year! In today's episode I start to discuss the difference between the ANCC and AANP exams for nurse practitioners. You'll learn about the exam formats, number of questions and...

In today's episode we will be covering case study #4. A 45-year-old white man presents to your office complaining of left knee pain that started last night. He says that the pain started suddenly after dinner and was severe within a span of 3 hours. He denies any trauma, fever, systemic symptoms, or prior similar episodes. He has a history of hypertension for which he takes hydrochlorothiazide (HC...

Can you believe 2020 is almost over? In today's episode I review my first year of podcasting and how embarking on this journey has had a positive impact on my career as a healthcare professional in many ways! I also give you guys the top five most downloaded episodes of 2020 while briefly reviewing and emphasizing main points of each. I encourage you to go back and listen to the top five as they e...

Your girl graduated NP school this weekend! I am so elated and happy to finally be DONE with my program and officially have my Masters of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner! Today I am going to share with you all my review of the FNP program and give you my advice on what to really focus on to make you the best NP you can be! I will discuss the top three courses I found to be most i...

Join me and my husband (and podcast producer) Chase Chewning as we discuss the world of health coaching! In today's episode, Chase and I discuss our experiences as health coaches, the difference amongst various curriculums, namely ACE and IIN, and how health coaching play a crucial role in the interdisciplinary healthcare team.    To try my absolute favorite CBD product line from Cured Nutrition, ...

Today's episode is all about submitting your research to a nursing or nurse practitioner conference and the steps required to get there. Starting from the very beginning, I discuss what to look for when choosing the right conference to financial factors you may have not considered. Listen along as I cover anything and everything you need to know to kickstart your journey and give you a step-by-ste...

In today's episode we will be covering case study #3. A 52-year-old man presents to your office for an acute visit because of coughing and shortness of breath. He is well known to you because of multiple office visits in the past few years for similar reasons. He has a chronic "smokers cough," but reports that in the past 2 days his cough has increased, his sputum has changed from white to green c...

Today's episode is a follow-up to one of my previous episodes (episode 8) where I talk about my favorite resources to use in school, clinical rotation, and patient settings. This episode is an update to new resources I have found to be extremely helpful throughout my practice including web-based resources, books, apps, and podcasts! Tune in today to learn all about the tools that have really helpe...

Last week I finally finished up the last leg of my clinical rotations as a FNP student and I could not be more excited! Today I am joined by my husband and podcast producer, Chase, as he interviews me on all things clinical rotations. We discussed what I wish I knew before starting clinicals, how my perspectives have changed, advice I would give to prospective NP students, and so much more. We are...

Today I had the great joy and honor of sitting down with a very special guest and experienced nurse and nurse practitioner, my mom! Mehrnoush Fakhriyazdi is a board certified family nurse practitioner who has spent the majority of her career specializing in the field of pulmonology, allergy, and asthma. In today's episode I have the privilege of learning about my mom's journey to nursing, why she...

We are officially on our second episode of the case study series! Follow along as I go through cases from the 'Case Files: Family Medicine' book. In today's episode, I will be going over a case of a 52-year-old male who presents to the clinic for a routine physical examination. We will discuss appropriate screenings, health maintenance, USPSTF recommendation levels, as well as immunizations. These...

Anddddd we are back on the COVID-19 updates game! Well, for this episode at least. In today's podcast I bring you all up to date on all things COVID. Over the last few months, I have been asked many questions about COVID symptoms, antibody testing, vaccine creation, and so much more. I decided to compile the most pertinent and frequently asked questions and provide the best research-based feedback...

Join me today as I celebrate the passage of AB890—the bill that will give nurse practitioners in the state of California full practice authority! Today, I give you guys a thorough breakdown of the bill, its history, timeline, as well as specific areas of note for the transition to practice period. I also discuss an argument in support and an argument in opposition of the bill and relay my personal...

In today's episode I discuss a patient encounter that helped me view medicine in a new light. As healthcare professionals and medical providers we have to do a better job at educating our patients and motivating them to make changes in their lives. Our healthcare system isn't the best--we know this. But that doesn't mean we can use that as an excuse to give subpar care to our patients. Lifestyle m...

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and if you've been a listener of the show you probably know that this topic is very near and dear to my heart. A little over two months ago my uncle took his own life after a very long and hard battle with mental illness and substance abuse. Today's episode is a re-release of the episode I recorded after his passing addressing suicide risks...