In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. In this episode, we spoke with paramedic Joseph Castello about his journey into the world of emergency medical services and the role of paramedics in healthcare. 

Joseph Castello has been a paramedic for over 22 years and served with the Chicago Fire Department for 20 years. He has also taught and served as a simulation technician for nursing and medical students at Loyola University Chicago for the last 10 years.

To explore careers in emergency medical services, visit https://www.naemt.org/about-ems/careers 

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 7/17/25

www.medicuspodcast.com | [email protected] | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we chatted with Andre Moore about his journey in healthcare law.

Andre Moore is a Chicago native and a final-semester law student at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he is a fellow at the Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago's (UIC) School of Public Health. Over the past two summers, he gained in-house legal experience, most recently at the American Dental Association, where he worked on healthcare compliance and data privacy and security matters.

Episode produced by: Deborah Chen

Episode recording date: 4/29/2025

www.medicuspodcast.com | [email protected] | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonateContact info for Andre Moore: [email protected]

The goal of this mini series is to spark conversations of these new tools and practices within the community of current and future medical practitioners and staff. It is important for medical professionals to have a say in how these Al tools impact practice to ensure practical and ethical use. Join us in discussions of the history of Al, machine and deep learning. computer visions, natural language processing, responsible Al, and so much more. Let's take a step into the future together.

Joining us is Jonathan Theros, Co-Founder and CEO of Dendritic Health AI. A recent MD/MBA graduate from Northwestern University and incoming internal medicine resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, Jon founded his company to address gaps in medical education by developing AI tools that help medical students learn more effectively and prepare for clinical practice. In our conversation, we discussed the future of AI in medical education, the specific tools his startup is building, and how physician entrepreneurs can amplify their impact by supporting the next generation of medical professionals.

Dendritic Health AI and Neural Consult:

https://www.dendritichealth.com

https://www.neuralconsult.com

Episode produced by: Caleb Keng & Rohan Sethi

Episode recording date: May 15, 2025

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In this episode, we chat with Dr. Paul Tran, a pediatric gastroenterologist who may be better known as the “med student on rotations” with his social media platform, Alimentary School. Through his skits on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Paul uses humor to connect with the medical community about current issues in medical education. He shares his journey into medicine, advice on mentor-mentee relationships, shortcomings with medical education, and the inspiration for his relatable content.

Paul is a pediatric gastroenterologist, medical educator, and content creator who wants to promote kindness and encouragement within medical education. As a clerkship co-director, clinical skills instructor, preceptor, and mentor, he strives to equip and empower learners to take charge of their own education. He is passionate about promoting effective feedback conversations, cultivating a growth mindset, and pursuing mastery.

Paul can be found on TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube as @alimentaryschool.

He also has a new gameshow podcast called “The Four Humors,” which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYEi1fQGAdlnpNV62W-CycEYwyvHSzWoo, and his associated media company is hippocratic-collective.com.

Episode produced by: Angeli Mittal

Episode recording date: 1/31/25

www.medicuspodcast.com | [email protected] | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

In this powerful episode, we explore moral injury in healthcare - the profound distress physicians face when they’re forced to make decisions that go against the very reason they entered healthcare. We sat down with Dr. Carol Paris, a retired psychiatrist and the former President and current Vice President of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) to discuss their moral injury survey, part of a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

To learn more about moral injury in healthcare, follow the link below!

https://pnhp.org/understanding-moral-injury-in-health-care/

And if you are a med student or physician interested in filling out the moral injury survey, it’s available at the link below. 

https://www.pnhp.org/survey

The report mentioned in the episode is also available at the link below. 

https://www.elsevier.com/promotions/clinician-of-the-future-education-edition?utm_source=banner&utm_medium=dg&utm_campaign=cotf&utm_content=rpt#2pril6uswzbqotzfozzclm

Episode produced by: Griffin K Johnson

Episode recording date: 4/24/25

www.medicuspodcast.com | [email protected] | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) series, we chat about the field of Pathology. Our guest, Dr. Anaisa Quintanilla-Arteaga, shares advice on how to set yourself up for success regarding matching into this unique specialty and shares tips to help you stand out both on paper and in person.

Anaisa (Nisa) is an incoming PGY1 pathology resident at Northwestern University. She is originally from El Paso, Texas where she had her first exposure to pathology through forensic pathology. After attending Brown University for her undergraduate studies, she earned a master’s degree at Georgetown University and worked at the National Institutes of Health before matriculating to Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine to pursue her medical degree. Nisa is a proud Hispanic/Latina woman in medicine of Mexican descent who is passionate about improving diversity and equity in medicine, healthcare, and pathology. When she isn’t talking about how cool pathology is, Nisa can be found with her nose in a book or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

To connect with Nisa, reach out to her on X @Anaisa_QA

To further explore pathology, check out @Path_SIG and @MatchToPath

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 4/8/25

www.medicuspodcast.com | [email protected] | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. In this episode, we spoke with registered dietitian and educator Kevin Pietro about his journey into the world of dietetics and the role of dietitians in healthcare. 

Dr. Kevin Pietro, PhD, RDN, LDN, CSSD, is an Assistant Professor and Director of Dietetics Education Programs at Loyola University Chicago.  As Program Director and SoTL-based scholar, Dr. Pietro’s primary goal is to enhance dietetics education, supporting students in becoming caring, compassionate, and effective dietitians.  As an academic and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), Dr. Pietro is committed to being an approachable, inclusive, and understanding educator.  His work as an RDN and board-certified Sports Dietitian (CSSD) has centered around nutrition education, helping hundreds of patients/clients/athletes improve their nutrition, health, and wellness.

Connect with Dr. Pietro on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-pietro-phd-rdn-ldn-cssd-b70092b0

To learn more, check out the following resources:

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics - www.eatright.org

Dietary Guidelines for Americans - www.odphp.health.gov 

American Society for Nutrition - www.nutrition.org 

American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition - www.nutritioncare.org 

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 2/24/25

www.medicuspodcast.com | [email protected] | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

The goal of this mini series is to spark conversations of these new tools and practices within the community of current and future medical practitioners and staff. It is important for medical professionals to have a say in how these AI tools impact practice to ensure practical and ethical use. Join us in discussions of the history of AI, machine and deep learning, computer visions, natural language processing, responsible AI, and so much more. Let’s take a step into the future together.

To kick off our first episode of this series we have Dr. Mehul Sheth, the medical director for health informatics for Illinois and Indiana based at Loyola. For his training, Dr. Sheth went to Midwestern University for medical school after which he completed a residency in pediatrics at University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. Sheth has been working in clinical informatics full-time for over 12 years most recently with oracle (formerly Cerner) where he was a member of the AI board and supported the development of machine learning algorithms and generative AI tools like Sax and Actions assist. In this episode we discuss various topics in AI and medicine including its history, capabilities and limitations, current applications, how to prepare for AI’s impact in medicine, and a special announcement of a new AI elective at Stritch!

Episode produced by: Rohan Sethi

Episode recording date: 02/04/2025

www.medicuspodcast.com | [email protected] | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we chatted with Angela Kwon about her journey in successfully matriculating into a Physician Associate program.

Angela is a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Department of Pulmonology at Stanford. While originally from Los Angeles, California, Angela grew up in the small agricultural town of Salinas on the central coast of the Golden State. As a first-generation American born to Korean immigrant parents, Angela was immersed in the world of healthcare from a young age, often stepping into roles as a translator, healthcare navigator, and even caregiver for her family. These experiences sparked her passion for healthcare and shaped her dedication to improving the lives of others. She earned her Honors Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare, with a minor in Global Poverty and Practice, from the University of California, Berkeley. Her honors thesis focused on women’s health, reproductive justice, and its intersection with health and law. Over the years, Angela has gained various experiences in healthcare, having worked in diverse roles, from an oncology Medical Assistant to Research Coordinator in general surgery. Currently, she is contributing to research in pulmonology focused on COPD, the genetic basis of interstitial lung disease, Bronchiectasis and clinical trials for nontuberculosis mycobacteria. This fall, Angela will take the next step in her medical career by starting Physician Assistant school where she will pursue a dual degree in Physician Assistant and Master of Public Health.

Episode produced by: Deborah Chen

Episode edited by Angeli Mittal and Deborah Chen

Episode recording date: 1/4/2025

www.medicuspodcast.com |[email protected] | Donate:http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to get a better understanding of the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we chatted with social worker Lauren Judd about her journey and the essential services social workers provide to patients.

Lauren Judd is a dedicated and experienced social worker with over 12 years of practice in the healthcare setting. Lauren obtained her Masters of Social Work from the University of IL at Chicago and holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Germanic Language and Literature from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  She has worked since 2015 in the Emergency Department at Loyola University Medical Center providing advocacy and support to patients, families, and medical staff.  Lauren is a member of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry and has worked as an expert witness. Passionate about self determination and patient rights, Lauren has found empowering those experiencing mental health crises as part of an interdisciplinary team fulfilling. When not in the ED, Lauren enjoys container gardening and offbeat road trips with family and friends. 

For more information, please visit the following resources:

• National Association of Social Workers

• Types of Social Work Degrees

• Society for Social Work Leadership in Healthcare

• The Center for Case Management | Leading the Industry in Case Management Consulting

• American Case Management Association

• CDC Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) 

• CMS Social Drivers of Health and Health-Related Social Needs 

• Treating the Whole Person: Vince's Story | CMS

  
  

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga and Angeli Mittal

Episode recording date: 11/4/24

www.medicuspodcast.com | [email protected] | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate