In this podcast episode, Maria Abreu, MD, current president of the AGA, discusses the unique upbringing of health care professionals who are children of immigrants, formal versus on-the-job leadership training and more. •    Intro :24 •    The interview/about Abreu :31 •    Can you tell us about where you grew up and the impact your family had on the work you’re doing now? :54 •    Chey and Abreu on the profile in Gastroenterology in May 2024, which announced Abreu as the current AGA president and summarized her personal and professional life. 3:08 •    Abreu on her father’s involvement with the Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba.  7:00 •    Chey and Abreu on the impact of an upbringing as children of immigrants. 12:02 •    How did you get interested in GI, specifically in IBD?  13:00 •    When did it become apparent to you that you were interested in more than traditional academia and clinical medicine, and wanted to inspire and have a broader impact? 17:37 •    What would you say to a younger physician or someone earlier in their career about formal leadership training versus on-the-job training? […] Do you think this generation needs formal training in how to manage people as health care becomes more complex? 21:11 •    Do you think that the future of academia and the phenotype of who is going to lead in academic divisions will change? 28:40 •    What are your priorities during your presidential year at AGA? 34:24 •    What have you learned so far as president of the AGA? Has anything struck you as surprising? 42:03 •    Thank you, Maria 44:12 •    Thanks for listening 44:45 Maria T. Abreu, MD, is the current president of the American Gastroenterological Association. She is the fifth woman to lead AGA as president and the association’s first Latino president. Dr. Abreu currently serves as the Martin Kalser Endowed Chair of Gastroenterology; professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology; and director of the Crohn’s and Colitis Center at the University of Miami.   We’d love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to [email protected]. Follow us on X @HealioGastro @sameerkberry @umfoodoc. For more from Abreu, follow @ibddocmaria on X. Disclosures: Berry and Chey report no relevant financial disclosures. Abreu reports receiving consultant fees from serving on pharmaceutical advisory boards.