Med MentoRx

In Episode 21, I chat with Dr. Rubayat Qadeer about his experience as a first-generation Bangladeshi-American, how he found his “why” as a Family Medicine Doc, and what it means to actively cultivate a more diverse, anti-racist physician workforce.

In Episode 20, I talk with Urologist and FPMRS expert Dr. Fenwa Milhouse about her upbringing as a Nigerian immigrant in the Midwest, the need for more women in surgery, and how she has been able to excel as one of the less than 1% of urologists that identify as Black women.

In Episode 19, I chat with Dr. Alyson Myers, Endocrinologist and Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Einstein-Montefiore Department of Internal Medicine. We discuss her path to endocrinology, what it means to be a Black women treating metabolic and endocrine disorders in marginalized communities, and the importance of paying it forward.

In Episode 18, I kick off the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month with a dope convo featuring Pediatric Hand Surgeon Dr. Michael Galvez. We discuss how an early exposure to health disparities shaped his desire to practice medicine, how he fell in love with hand surgery, and what it means to be part of a national movement to establish Oct. 1 as National Latino/a/e Physician Day.

We’re backkkkkkkkkkk! To kick off Season 2, I chop it up with Neurosurgery Resident Dr. Aaron Hollis Palmer. We talk about how growing up in Akron, Ohio sparked his commitment to activism, the many obstacles he had to overcome on his road to becoming a neurosurgeon, and how he works to inspire the next generation of URM docs.

To wrap up Season 1, I sit down with several members of my Einstein SNMA E-Board. We reflect on our first year of Med School and talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of our experiences as URM students. A very special thank you to everyone that volunteered time that could have been spent studying for finals: Jehron Pura-Bryant (President), Maryam Hashmi (Secretary), Betsiti Araya (Treasurer), Diana Dominguez-Garcia (Community Outreach Chair), and Stacey Franco (MAPS Liaison)

For Episode 15 I host my first inspiration to pursue medicine and my earliest mentor, FPR surgeon Dr. Cedric Olivera. We talk about how the right mentor changed his entire life, how he is able to impact his community as an OB/GYN subspecialist, and the hurdles he overcame along the way.

In Episode 14, I spend the second half of my convo with Dr. Z discussing colorectal cancer disparities among African Americans, what drew him to his subspecialty, and the critical role of mentorship in medicine.

In Episode 13, I chop it up with Colorectal Surgeon Dr. Zuri Murrell about growing up in the Golden State, how attending Morehouse College changed his life, and his journey to becoming one of the nation’s leading colorectal surgeons.

In Episode 12, I chat with General Internist and Internal Medicine Residency Associate Director Dr. Shani Scott about the strong foundation her Howard education provided for the rest of her medical career, the unique challenges and rewards she experiences as a Black woman in medicine, and the necessity of incorporating anti-racism into medical education.