According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer remains to be the most common cancer, excluding skin cancers, and accounts for the second leading cause of cancer death, following lung cancer, in women across the nation. Yet, despite these staggering statistics, a Current Oncology commentary from Harvard Medical School states that misinformation believed by the general population within the domain of breast health remains at large, especially when it comes to breast cancer screening. In this episode, we seek to tackle these questions that surround breast cancer screening and detection: What is the BRCA gene, and how does it relate to breast cancer? What are the risk factors for breast cancer? At what age should a woman start getting a mammogram? Can men also get breast cancer? What is the BI-RADS score? How does one perform a monthly breast self-examination? What are the next steps for the patient after a breast cancer diagnosis?

We are joined today by Dr. Robyn Roth, a board-certified diagnostic radiologist and breast & abdominal imaging specialist based in Camden, NJ. She received her BS at the University of Florida, MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Diagnostic Radiology residency and Women's Imaging fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. For the past decade, Dr. Roth has been an attending Breast Radiologist, Women's Imaging Fellowship Director, and Assistant Professor of Radiology in New Jersey. Dr. Roth is the founder of "The Boobie Docs," a renowned social media platform and podcast where she discusses breast cancer and breast health in an educational and fun way. Dr. Roth has been featured on The TODAY Show, USA Today, AOL.com, Health.com, Katie Couric Media, and Good Day Philadelphia.

Livestream Air Date: August 22, 2023

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According to the World Health Organization, around 3.6 billion diagnostic radiologic medical examinations are performed worldwide yearly. Diagnostic imaging exams — including X-rays, MRIs, Ultrasounds, CT scans, and PET scans — can truly save lives and change the trajectory of a patient's care plan by potentially preventing the necessity of surgery and more invasive procedures. Yet, despite the integral work of diagnostic radiologists and radiologic technologists, they remain to be the unsung heroes of medicine. What does the medical education and training for radiology look like? When is an X-ray needed to rule out a medical condition versus an MRI or a CT scan? Is the radiation emitted from the imaging machines safe? What are the scaled effects of radiation exposure on the body?

We are joined today by diagnostic radiology resident physician Dr. Sally Choi (also known online as Drsallymanderchoi). She received her MD from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and is currently completing her Diagnostic Radiology residency at UTHealth San Antonio Long School of Medicine, with an interest in furthering her training in Neuroradiology fellowship. Through social media, Dr. Choi has garnered over 300,000 followers, having shared her journey within medicine, the field of radiology, and mental health.

Livestream Air Date: November 10, 2022

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According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), nearly one-fourth of older adults aged 65 and older are at increased risk for loneliness and are considered to be socially isolated, with risk factors being attributed to hearing loss, losing family or friends, role changes such as retirement, living alone, and chronic disease. Geriatric syndromes — such as polypharmacy, falls, cognitive impairment like dementia and Alzheimer's disease, malnutrition, and incontinence — are clinical conditions and multifactorial impairments that are more commonly identified in older adults. Aging is definitely the normal trajectory of human life, but how can one age in a way that is considered healthy and with an optimal quality of life? How can an older adult look forward to the remaining years of life despite chronic illness? How can we help safeguard a geriatric's mental health despite feelings of abandonment, loneliness, and fear of being a burden to their caregiver/s?

We are joined today by Dr. Christina Chen, a double board-certified geriatrician and internist at Mayo Clinic. She received her BS in Biology and Psychology from Michigan State University, MD from St George's University School Of Medicine, Internal Medicine residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and Geriatric Medicine fellowship at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She further achieved certificates in Acupuncture for Physicians from Helms Medical Institute and Executive Women in Leadership from Cornell University. Dr. Chen currently stands as an Attending Geriatrician and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic Rochester, the Host of the Aging Forward Podcast, the Course Director of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine Senior Sages Curriculum. the Editor of the Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging book, and the Medical Advisory Board of GrandPad, a customizable platform that delivers virtual care to seniors at home while keeping seniors connected to reduce social isolation and improve the telehealth experience.

Livestream Air Date: August 17, 2023

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Did you know that, according to the National Institute of Aging, if we stretched out our arteries, veins, and capillaries as adults, they would measure around 100,000 miles? This means that our blood vessels could circle the globe four times, given that the earth's circumference is about 25,000 miles! The human vasculature is truly an intricate system that literally supplies us with blood (with veins circulating around 2,000 gallons to all body organs every day) - with life. It is no surprise that pathologies and disease processes that involve our vasculature can result in life-threatening effects, like heart attacks and strokes from coronary vascular and cerebrovascular disease, respectively. However, diseases of the vasculature can also result in effects that can simply alter one's quality of life, such as limb loss from critical limb ischemia due to peripheral arterial disease, varicose veins from peripheral venous insufficiency, lymphedema from lymphatic diseases, the need for hemodialysis due to chronic kidney disease secondary to renal artery stenosis, erectile dysfunction from genitourinary vascular diseases, and much more.

We are joined today by fifth-year Integrated Vascular Surgery resident physician Dr. Yang Yang. She received her BS in Biochemistry and Neuroscience from Drew University, MD from Drexel University College Of Medicine, and is currently completing her Vascular Surgery residency at MedStar Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown University Hospital.

Livestream Air Date: April 16, 2023

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According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), approximately 2.9 million annual injuries occur in sports, athletic, and recreational settings, with sprains and strains accounting for the largest portion of injuries at 41.4 per 1,000. Truly, the universal recommendation is that we all engage in physical activity and exercise due to its evidence-based benefits on our cardiopulmonary health and general wellness. However, how do we do so safely in order to avoid injury? How can professional athletes engage in training that assures safety while achieving desired progress? How can one with chronic pain still increase stamina and endurance during workouts? And in cases of pain and injury, how can one rehabilitate properly without needing surgery?

We are joined today by Doctor of Physical Therapy and board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, Dr. Harris Choe. He received his BS in Psychobiology from UCLA and DPT from the University of Southern California Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, where he also completed his residency as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. Dr. Choe was previously an Adjunct Faculty Member at USC for physical therapy clinical reasoning and interventional skills. Since 2022, he has stood as the Founder and Owner of HYC Physio Physical Therapy and Sports Performance in Santa Monica, California, where individualized physical therapy services are provided to professional athletes to help rehabilitate from injury, eliminate chronic pain, and return to high performance.

Livestream Air Date: August 3, 2023

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"Life in plastic, it's fantastic." This iconic line from the 1997 hit song "Barbie Girl" by Europop band Aqua alludes to the Barbie doll that debuted in 1959. Barbie has long been the paradigm of societal attractiveness through physical features, as confirmed by a survey report by Fairmont State College professor Albert M. Magro. In the same year as the song was released, Magro published the paper "Why Barbie is Perceived as Beautiful" with reasons such as a thinner body frame, longer limbs, elongated neck, square shoulders, and larger eyes. Research studies throughout the decades have shown Barbie's mixed influences on body image and the rise of cosmetic-altering procedures to achieve these physical ideals that have been pushed as societal norms, such as liposuction, breast augmentation, and rhytidectomy (or a facelift). This has placed the medical domains of plastic and cosmetic surgery in a narrowed and misconstrued light of mere vanity and the pursuit of physical "perfection."

However, there is more to the field of plastic surgery than cosmesis - with power and necessity in its own right by bestowing self-confidence and resulting quality of life. The field of plastic and reconstructive surgery daily changes, improves, and saves lives through surgeries such as cleft lip and palate repair, breast reconstruction secondary to breast cancer mastectomy, reduction mammoplasty to relieve Intertrigo, facial reconstruction after physical trauma, skin grafting to treat burn wounds, and much more.

Today, we are joined by sixth-year plastic surgery resident physician Dr. Alex Sun to speak about the often misunderstood beauty of the field. He received his BS in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University, where he was a Research Fellow at Duke University Orthopaedic Bioengineering Laboratory, and MD/MHS from Yale University School of Medicine, where he was an NIH-CTSA-funded Plastic Surgery Research Fellow. Dr. Sun is currently completing his Plastic Surgery Residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He has also served as the Senior Staff Fellow and Medical Officer of the FDA Division of General Surgery Devices and the Division of Infection Control and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Livestream Air Date: July 27, 2023

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According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in 2021, 25% of Asian American adults with a mental illness reported receiving mental health services compared to 52% of White adults. Additionally, Asians were 2.25x more likely to report mental health treatment being ineffective. What is it about the Asian American community that their approachability to mental health and mental health care is lower than other demographics? Is it mistrust in the system? Is it disbelief in the concept of the services? Or can it be fear and shame to partake in these discussions and actually receive help? In this episode, we tackle the sensitive, often taboo, and stigmatized conversations that surround Asian communities and their mental well-being: the model minority myth, racism and microaggression, intergenerational trauma, guilt and shame within collectivist cultures, and the importance of culturally responsive mental health care.

Carrie Zhang is the founder and executive director of the Asian Mental Health Project (AMHP), a non-profit organization that provides educational resources and community care initiatives to help de-stigmatize mental health and make it more accessible for the Pan-Asian community through social media, multimedia content creation, and community events. Carrie graduated from the University of Southern California with a BS in Public Relations and is a Policy and Research Associate at Rise Up Inc, focusing on civil rights.

Alice Zhang, CEO and Nisha Desai, COO are the co-founders of Anise Health, an online holistic mental health service for the Asian community that incorporates cultural stressors into personalized treatments. Alice and Nisha were co-pupils at Harvard Business School for their MBA, where they saw and agreed on the importance of culturally-responsive providers and an integrated approach to executing data-driven treatment for Asian clients.

Livestream Air Date: July 19, 2023

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According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), approximately 65% of over 50 million anesthesia services in the United States are delivered by certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) each year, whether in collaboration with a physician or independently. In many rural and underserved areas in America, this percentage is significantly higher at over 90%. Despite this, the profession is still regarded as a “hidden gem” within the nursing domain, given that the general public and patients may not be fully knowledgeable about their scope and even their existence at all. Dating back to the American Civil War in the early 1860s, nurses have been providing anesthetics to wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Now, nurse anesthetists administer both surgical and procedural relief in and out of operating rooms across over 100 countries worldwide. How does the scope of practice of nurse anesthetists differ from physician anesthesiologists? What does the educational and training pathway of CRNAs look like? In what settings and specialties can CRNAs deliver anesthesia?

In this episode, we are joined by the co-founders of Confident Care Academy, a comprehensive online educational resource that seeks to empower critical care nurses, nursing students, nurse educators, and future CRNAs through lecture video series and discussion boards. Chrissy Massaro is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist of five years, rooting her near-decade nursing career in the Cardiovascular ICU at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she later received her MSN in Nurse Anesthesia. Anna Jobe is a current Resident Registered Nurse Anesthetist with three years of ICU nursing, ranging from Cardiovascular ICU at The Johns Hopkins University Hospital, COVID-19 ECMO units, and travel nursing around the country in both medical and surgical intensive care units.

Livestream Air Date: June 30, 2023

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According to the Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the Sleep Research Society (SRS), and the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), adults should regularly sleep at least 7 hours a night to promote optimal health. However, over one-quarter of adults do not meet this recommendation. (Oops, me included!) AASM states that about 30% of adults have insomnia symptoms, and about 10% of adults have insomnia that is severe enough to cause daytime repercussions. What is it about sleep that it’s so important to have? What is the parameter of good and quality sleep? What are the health risks of not sleeping enough? In this episode, we tackle it all: sleep, dreams, the sleep cycle, sleeping pills, sleep disorders, and so much more!

We are joined today by Dr. Meredith Broderick, a triple-board certified sleep neurologist and the Founder of Sound Sleep Guru, a boutique sleep telehealth service focused on discovering the root of individualized sleep problems. She received her BA in Chemistry from The Ohio State University as Summa Cum Laude​, MD from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Neurology Residency at the University Hospitals of Cleveland, and Sleep Disorders and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Broderick is on the Medical Advisory Board of Ozlo Sleepbuds®, wireless biometric sensors to help optimize the sleeping experience. She has been the Assistant Professor of Neurology at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, the Sleep Lab Director at Alaska Neurology Center, and the Medical Director at several sleep centers in Seattle, Washington.

Livestream Air Date: June 28, 2023

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According to Harvard Medical School, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a long-hidden mystery of the human body - a complex network of chemical signals and cellular receptors that play a crucial role in regulating various essential functions in our body, such as sleep, temperature regulation, immune responses, learning and memory, and so much more. With the "cannabinoid" receptors in our brain, does this mean that our body is set to receive the cannabinoids that we know of? "Cannabidiol (CBD)," "cannabis," "hemp," "marijuana," "weed" - these are words that revolve around a green flowering plant that produces so many questions, discussions, and controversies. Often regarded as recreational therapy when it comes to parties in the form of gummies and brownies, the plant has been said and shown to provide so many more benefits than recreation. Whether tinctures to help with insomnia, facial oil to reduce acne, or capsules for pain, CBD seems to be a promising technology within the realm of plant medicine. But still, so many questions arise: What are cannabinoids? What are CBG and CBN? What are THC and THCv? What are terpenes? Can CBD give you the high? How can one consume CBD products safely?

We are joined today by Amy Chin, a licensed cannabis coach and consultant and the founder of Calm Better Days (CBD). After over a decade of working in product management, Amy took her experiences of anxiety and depression to help others also find light in what she found an answer in: cannabis. In 2020, she founded Calm Better Days, a boutique that provides a curated CBD regimen suited to an individual's needs and lifestyle while providing educational services to new users of the phytochemical. CBD's boutique has a curated wide range of organic toxin-free, fungicide-, and pesticide-free products from carefully maintained farms in the United States.

Livestream Air Date: June 23, 2023

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