In this episode, Rupa talks with Dr. Hailey Evans, a third-year fellow at Harvard's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program, transitioning to a neonatology faculty role at Yale. Hailey shares findings from her qualitative study of 41 neonatologists on death and non-death loss in the NICU — covering themes like emotional connection, weight of responsibility, and unsupportive workplace culture around debriefs and M&Ms. She also discusses the moral distress curriculum she built for fellows, why mentorship matters, and her advice for pursuing a research niche that feels too unconventional. A candid look at the emotional toll of neonatology, and how to carry it better.

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