Digest This

Dr. Brendan Ross, a psychiatry resident at Mount Sinai, shares what he learned from Indigenous Amis healers in Taiwan during his Fulbright and Pulitzer fellowship. We discuss how culture and identity shape mental health and how those lessons inform his psychiatry practice in New York.

Read his Washington Post article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/22/taiwan-indigenous-amis-tribal-traditional-healing/

In this episode of Digest This, we speak with Tracy Okine, an MD/PhD student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai whose research journey has spanned the globe. From conducting research at the NIH to serving as a Fulbright scholar abroad, she shares how working across diverse scientific and cultural landscapes has shaped her approach to medicine and discovery. We discuss what it means to be a global physician-scientist, the power of international collaboration, and how experiences outside the U.S. can inform better care and more impactful science at home.

Dr. Shruti Mutalik, a transplant psychiatrist at Mount Sinai, joins us to talk about the complexities of evaluating living organ donors. From assessing motivation, ambivalence, and informed consent to navigating altruism and family dynamics, she offers insight into the psychiatric considerations that shape transplant eligibility and donor psychological safety.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not represent the official positions of any affiliated institutions.

In this episode, Grace sits down with Cat Stratis, a rising fourth-year medical student at Mount Sinai and MPH candidate at Columbia, to talk about the power of student advocacy in reproductive healthcare. From co-creating a widely circulated abortion access guide for NYC-area med students, to putting on a play, Cat shares how medical trainees can take bold, informed action, even before graduation. Tune in for a conversation about coalition-building, education gaps, and how future physicians can protect reproductive rights in a post-Roe world.

Recorded in February 2021, this episode features Dr. Erica Cahill, Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Complex Family Planning at Stanford. She discusses medical advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic, from protecting reproductive rights to engaging the public and using social media as a tool for clinician-led education during a time of crisis.

In this episode, Dr. Nicholas Gulati, Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Director of the Early Detection of Skin Cancer Clinic and Oncodermatology Clinic at Mount Sinai, joins us to discuss emerging frontiers in oncodermatology. We explore advances in early detection technologies, critical considerations surrounding skin cancer prevention and sunscreen regulation, and the integration of clinical practice and scientific research.

We're thrilled to welcome Braxton Schuldt, an MD-PhD student at the forefront of groundbreaking medical research. Braxton shares his journey through the dual-degree program, offering a unique perspective on balancing clinical practice with cutting-edge research. We dive into his latest research project on Alzheimer's disease, exploring how his findings could shape the future of patient care.

The March 2020 COVID-19 outbreak in New York City marked the start of the major challenges that the rest of the nation would soon face. Dr. Dara Kass, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Columbia and founder of FeminEM, a platform championing women in emergency medicine, joins Grace to discuss the pandemic, and the role of physicians as advocates for systemic change. 

Pain is often conceptualized as primarily a sensory experience, but the emotional components of pain are just as important. In this episode, Beth Darnall, Director of the Stanford Pain Relief Innovations Lab, pain psychologist, and Associate Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine explains patient-centered pain care, the roles of federal agencies in crafting prescribing and de-prescribing guidelines, and the future of pain psychology. 

Studies show that more Americans than ever favor government action on climate change, but little has been done. Joe Nation, Professor of the Practice of Public Policy at Stanford and former elected official in the California State Assembly, joins Grace to talk about his perspective and experiences with climate policy at the state, national, and global levels.