Episode 5: Dr. Ben Marcus
Dr. Ben Marcus went into medicine because he feared wasting his life. After navigating this field that he had stumbled into, he is now the director of facial plastic surgery at the University of Wisconsin, as well as a professor for the department of surgery. But, his story is far more complicated than that. Ben was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2016. As he faced what he thought could be the last months of his life, time slowed down. He realized that living in the moment isn’t about lofty goals, that being joyful is the outward sign of being grateful, and that he wanted to climb to Mount Everest base camp. He shares the perspective this experience gave him, what he learned while facing his multiple myeloma, and how he finds himself more happier than ever despite this disease.
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Dr. Ben Marcus on Joy and Lessons of Life

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Episode 16: Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan
Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan is the Byah Thomason Doxey-Sanford Doxey Distinguished Professor, and Chief of the Division of General Pediatric Surgery at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. She is also the surgeon-in-chief at the North Carolina Children’s Hospital, as well as the first board-certified Black female pediatric surgeon in the United States, and the first person to perform pediatric HIPEC surgery for sarcomatosis. She joins Dr. Mezrich to share her journey through these accomplishments, her experience as an aspiring Black female surgeon, and how she prioritizes the many elements of her life.
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Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan on Innovating in the Face of Racism

Episode 15: Chancellor Rebecca “Becky” Blank
Rebecca “Becky” Blank has been the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2013. It only takes a glance at her Curriculum Vitae to understand that her journey to the position is one of great impact and innovation. Before becoming the chancellor at UW-Madison, Blank was the deputy secretary and acting Secretary of Commerce under President Obama, a member of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Clinton, dean and professor of public policy and economics in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, and served on the faculty at Northwestern and Princeton Universities–just to scratch the surface. She joins Dr. Mezrich to discuss her history in economics and academia, her experience as chancellor at UW-Madison, and her perspective on some of the larger questions her role pushes her to ask herself.
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Chancellor Rebecca “Becky” Blank on Economics and Academia

Episode 14: Dr. Allan Kirk
Dr. Allan Kirk of Duke University is the David C. Sabiston, Jr. Professor of Surgery, chairman of the department of surgery, a professor of immunology and pediatrics, among many other accomplishments (including his former career as a tuba player). He joins Dr. Mezrich to discuss his history in transplant surgery, the first time he met his wife in sixth grade, how innovation itself has changed over time, and the future of transplant.
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Dr. Allan Kirk on the Past, Present, and Future of Transplant

Episode 13: Dr. Rana Awdish
At the end of her medical training, Dr. Rana Awdish suffered a sudden critical illness that nearly killed her. From this experience as a dying patient, Dr. Awdish’s perspective shifted and translated to her practice in crucial ways. She learned the importance of acknowledging the humanity of patients, of nuance in how doctors discuss pain, of relinquishing the pressure to be a “good patient,” and much more. She was able to implement these ideas and form the CLEAR (Connect, Listen, Empathize, Align, Respect) program, which teaches faculty and trainees relationship-based communication skills through workshops involving improvisational actors.
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Dr. Rana Awdish on Personifying Patients

Episode 12: Dr. Layton “Bing” Rikkers
Dr. Bing Rikkers was born in a small town in Wisconsin, attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his undergraduate career, and now holds a special place in the University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery’s history as a prominent past chairman. Dr. Rikkers shares how he overcame his fear of blood, the pioneering days of heart transplant, his lengthy experience as a chairman, his insecurities, and serendipity.
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Dr. Ben Marcus on Joy and Lessons of Life

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