Meaningful Medicine

In this captivating episode, join hosts Nicole and Shieva as they engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Bob Wachter, the eminent Chief of Medicine at UCSF. Together, they explore the evolving landscape of Generative AI, discussing historical challenges in early healthcare initiatives, notably the rollout of the electronic medical record. Dr. Wachter describes how AI will become a val...

Join hosts Nicole and Shieva in this impassioned episode as they delve into the often overlooked yet crucial aspect of medical training - feedback. Nicole opens up about her personal journey of grappling with a loss of confidence following negative feedback, shedding light on the emotional toll it can take on medical trainees. Shieva provides valuable insights into the art of giving effective feed...

In this captivating episode of Meaningful Medicine, Shieva and Nicole talk to Dr. Tomás Magaña, an adolescent medicine doctor and co-founder of a nationwide pipeline program called FACES for the Future Coalition. Dr. Magaña discussed how he and his co-founder were inspired to create FACES and he describes the program’s comprehensive approach. Dr. Magaña delves into crucial themes like code-switchi...

In this episode we explore the extraordinary intersection of storytelling, the medical humanities and the power of patient narratives. Drs. David Elkin and Shieva Khayam-Bashi share practical methods of how they started incorporating poetry into their medical education practices and highlight the strengths of using poetry as a part of medical education with students and residents on the hospital w...

In this compelling episode of Meaningful Medicine, we dive deep into the often-overlooked issue of ableism in medicine. Join us as we sit down with Dr. Meaghan Roy-O'Reilly, a trailblazing physician who became the first person in her neurology residency program at Stanford University to disclose that she is living with a disability. She shares her own lived experience working as a resident wit...

San Francisco is often thought of as the birthplace of advocacy and innovation in combating the HIV epidemic. In this episode, Shieva and Nicole are joined by the world-renowned physician and researcher, Dr. Paul Volberding. Dr. Volberding not only took care of one of the first patients with HIV in the country, but he also was the co-founder of Ward 86, the world’s first HIV/AIDs specialty clinic....

In this episode Dr. Kathy Morsea, a highly dedicated Native physician providing care to the Navajo community in New Mexico, explores the many health and resource disparities experienced by the indigenous population. Dr. Morsea discusses the impacts of lack of basic needs like clean air and electricity, food deserts and COVID-19 as well as the overall poorer health status of the indigenous populati...

Mothers are often thought of as superheroes. For women in medicine, becoming a mother can seem daunting and even impossible. Dr. Andrea Tooley, an Ophthalmologist at the Mayo Clinic, joins Nicole and Shieva to discuss how she balances succeeding at work and in the OR while also succeeding at home with two small kids. Dr. Tooley shares her tips and tricks for maintaining a successful career, home a...

In this episode, we are re-joined by Dr. Carla Kuon, an integrative medicine physician at UCSF's Osher Center. Dr. Kuon shares her knowledge and experience treating Long COVID: a condition that can develop after someone has recovered from acute COVID-19 that can cause a wide range of symptoms that can last for weeks, months, or longer. Dr. Kuon discusses the symptoms and underlying biological...

Nicole and Shieva are joined by Dr. Will Flanary, also known as his humorous social media persona: Dr. Glaucomflecken. Dr. Flanary talks openly about his experience as a two-time cancer survivor and shares how his personal and professional life was altered after surviving a sudden cardiac arrest. Dr. Flanary shares how he uses social media to highlight important topics in health and medicine and h...

Many people, including clinicians, often conflate palliative care with hospice and end-of-life care. In today's episode, Dr. Michael Rabow, a UCSF internist who specializes in palliative care, shares the broader mission of palliative care and how it can provide compassionate and supportive care that is centered on quality life rather than end-of-life care. Dr. Rabow discusses what drew him to...

Have you ever wondered about how healthcare is practiced in other countries? In this episode Nicole and Shieva are joined by Dr. Joyce Hightower, a family physician who has spent more than a decade working closely with health officials and hospital staff in over 30 countries in Africa. Dr. Hightower shares her experience providing primary care abroad, building a sustainably-run hospital, combating...

According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, the number of medical students who matriculate into medical schools has increased by more than 30% in the last 20 years, yet the corresponding number of residency program spots has not kept up. A consequence of this mismatch is that between 7-20% of 4th year medical students do not match into a residency program on their first try. In this...

Ever wonder how we can better connect with and care for our veterans? Dr. Mikel Matto is a veteran himself and works as a psychiatrist at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He is board certified in Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine and in this episode, Dr. Matto shares his approach of compassion, respect and cultural humility when caring for veterans. Dr. Matt...

Have you ever doubted your own abilities or had a nagging feeling that at any moment someone was going to expose you as a fraud in your profession or area of study? You are not alone! It turns out that imposter syndrome is quite common and can occur at all stages of medical training and beyond. In this episode, UCSF emergency medicine doctors and educators Dr. Rosny Daniel, Dr. Jill Mongelluzzo &a...

Pain isn’t just a sensation we feel in our body, it is a complex experience fueled by our minds. In this episode, Nicole and Shieva sit down with Dr. Zoffness, a leading expert in pain psychology, to uncover the root cause of chronic pain. Dr. Zoffness reveals the biopsychosocial factors that increase pain, uncovers some of the common misconceptions regarding pain management and discusses how we c...

Ever wonder what contributed to the Great Resignation in healthcare? In today’s episode, Shieva and Nicole discuss the intersection of race and burnout in medicine with Dr. Starr Knight, the Associate Chair of Diversity & Inclusion for the UCSF Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Knight delves into what the process of recovery and healing from burnout looks like at the individual and systemi...

As rates of burnout, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization rise amongst healthcare workers, the National Academy of Medicine recently published a national plan for health workforce well-being. On today’s episode Dr. Larrissa Thomas, a nationally recognized expert in the field of physician well-being and burnout, discusses the root causes of burnout and discusses using Deep Thinking Human-Cent...

We often don’t associate healthcare and climate change, yet healthcare accounts for ~10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. On today’s episode, Dr. Heather Whelan, an internal medicine doctor, climate change activist and educator at UCSF, explores how physicians can promote a climate-conscious environment. Dr. Whelan shares her innovative climate change curriculum and discusses opportunities to get...

*Trigger warning- this episode discusses suicide and pays tribute to National Physician Suicide Awareness Day* In today’s episode, Nicole and Shieva have a candid conversation in which they discuss the stresses and challenges of starting their intern year of medical residency. Facing new challenges such as imposter syndrome, difficulties coping with painful emotional situations, lack of sleep and...

What happens when healthcare workers’ duty to care for patients conflicts with the interests of the system in which they work? In this episode, we discuss this conflict known as Dual Loyalty with Dr. Nathaniel Morris, a psychiatrist at UCSF. Dr. Morris shares his experience caring for incarcerated patients in the San Francisco jail system and discusses his experience tackling dual loyalty in this...

Free clinics serve as invaluable resources that provide critical health care to marginalized and underserved communities. In this episode, Dr. Mark Diaz, a Family and Occupational Medicine doctor who co-founded and runs Clinica Tepati at UC Davis, discusses the inception of this student-run free clinic, the challenges presented in facilitating these services, and the need for accessible healthcare...

Microaggressions in medicine are all too common and are often disproportionately experienced by those underrepresented in the medicine. In this episode Dr. Melanie Molina, an emergency medicine physician at UCSF, shares her personal experience facing microaggressions and discusses both the psychological and physiological impact of microaggressions. Dr. Molina also highlights strategies to both red...

Have we been overlooking food as a tool to potentially combat disease and reduce inflammation? In this episode Dr. Carla Kuon, an integrative medicine doctor who co-manages UCSF’s hematology-oncology inpatient service, highlights the importance of nutrition and nutrition education, and describes evidence-based dietary changes that can improve health and wellness. To read more about Dr. Kuon: https...

*Trigger warning - this episode discusses suicide* Is it possible to maintain a lasting experience of Joy with patient care in medicine? Dr. Ricki Pollycove is an Integrative Women's Health physician who shares her wondrous ability to derive joy and love in her daily practice even after 35 years of practicing medicine. To read more about Dr. Ricki Pollycove: https://sfintegrativegynecology.com/ Li...