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:

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga and Angeli Mittal

Episode recording date: 11/4/24

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In this mini-series, we explore different health professions to better understand the variety of team members involved in patient care. For this episode, we spoke with Anh Phu about his journey to becoming a physician-scientist.

Anh Phu is an MD-PhD student at the Yale School of Medicine. He was born in Vietnam and moved to San Francisco, CA at 11. He attended City College of San Francisco and transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where he received his Bachelor of Arts with/ Honors in Molecular & Cell Biology in 2019. Anh then worked as a research assistant at UCSF and the San Francisco VA Center studying the roles of macrophages in cardiometabolic diseases. He has published three first-author articles in prestigious scientific journals that further contribute to understanding the metabolic reprogramming of macrophages to regulate chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis. Anh also co-authored numerous publications that investigated the functional properties of extracellular vesicles in atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes, sepsis, and cancer. He is now a 3rd year student and just recently joined the Department of Immunobiology at Yale to begin his PhD work. His scientific interest focuses on understanding the effect of aging on the immune system and cardiovascular diseases. This also translates to his clinical interest, which he aspires to pursue a career in cardiovascular medicine. As an immigrant himself, Anh is also passionate about immigrant health. He volunteers at the HAVEN Free Clinic, where he helps provide primary care services to immigrant patients in New Haven. 

Episode produced by: Deborah Chen

Episode recording date: 10/13/2024

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In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Laura Vater,  board certified Gastrointestinal Oncologist at Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and physician advocate. She shares her journey into medicine, how she started writing, and became a physician advocate at all levels of medical education.

Dr. Vater is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She is also the founding director of the Young-Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer Program at IU and co-founder of the narrative medicine program, Writing for Wellness. She was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society in 2018 and is a member of the Pegasus Physician Writers at Stanford University. She has developed a wellness behavior tool for patients and clinicians (called the SMILE Scale) and has published several narrative medicine essays and peer-reviewed publications. Besides being a writer, Dr. Vaah-ter is a TEDx and commencement speaker, mother, and advocate for patients and healthcare workers. She believes that patients should be treated as whole human beings and that clinicians deserve the same.

We explore the topics of humanism in medicine, compassion, the importance of physician wellness and mental health, burnout in healthcare, and the nuances of medical care both in the clinic and at the institutional level.

For further reference follow Dr. Laura Vater on Instagram @doclauravater and at https://www.lauravater.com/. 

Episode produced by: Nikita Ganeshan

Episode recording date: 11/15/2024

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In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mary King, an internal medicine physician and POCUS enthusiast, to discuss how point-of-care ultrasound is transforming patient care and medical education. Dr. King shares her journey into medicine and her passion for making ultrasound more accessible.

We explore the latest advancements in portable ultrasound technology, the barriers to wider adoption, and the controversies surrounding POCUS in documentation and billing. Dr. King also offers insights into teaching ultrasound to medical students and residents, highlighting its growing role in shaping diagnostic confidence and clinical decision-making.

Whether you’re a seasoned clinician, a medical trainee, or simply curious about the future of bedside medicine, this episode is packed with valuable perspectives and expert advice.

Episode produced by: Ari Peikes and Griffin Johnson

Episode recording date: 10/29/2024

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In this episode, we speak with Dr. Mary Lynn, an obgyn at Loyola University Medical Center, about the often overlooked topic of female sexual wellness and dysfunction. From low libido and pain during sex to emotional barriers and hormonal shifts, we explore the physical, mental, and emotional aspects that can impact sexual health. Our goal is to foster understanding, break down stigma, and provide practical insights.

Dr. Mary Lynn is an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loyola University Medical Center. She is the co-director for the Loyola Sexual Wellness Program and recently published on outcomes of this multidisciplinary program in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. She is active in research and mentored medical students through the Star program as well as research honors. Dr. Lynn created the women’s sexual health education module which is part of the curriculum for 3rd year medical students and she lectures to them regularly on this topic. Currently, she serves on the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health education committee and as well as the Faculty Advisory Board for the Medical Student Forum on Female Sexual Medicine. Additionally, she contributes to the Sexual Medicine Society of North America women's sexual health committee and acts as an advisor for the Medical Student Forum on Female Sexual Health. She is an oral board examiner for the American Osteopathic Board of Obstetrics and Gynecologists and serves on the recertification committee. She is a PCM1 Advisor and active on the Loyola IRB committee. Her current research focuses on Women's Sexual Health Medical Education and Sexual Health in Pregnancy.

For further questions, Dr. Lynn can be reached at [email protected] 

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga and Jaqueline Tarsitano

Episode recording date: 10/14/24

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In this episode of Medicus, we’re diving into the world of integrative medicine—a healthcare approach that goes beyond symptom management to treat the whole person. We talk with Dr. Jennifer Ron, an emergency medicine and integrative medicine physician about her practice. Join us as we explore how traditional medicine can work hand-in-hand with integrative practices to offer a more holistic path to health and wellness.

Whether you’re curious about what integrative medicine really means, looking for insights on how nutrition impacts health, or interested in how these practices can work within a traditional medical framework, this episode has something for everyone. Tune in and discover how integrative medicine might just be the key to creating a healthcare system that truly heals.

To learn more about Dr. Ron’s DPEP program, you can visit her website at: https://www.healingcancerfromwithin.com

Episode produced by: Griffin K Johnson

Episode recording date: 10/07/2024

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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 spoke with Cathy Quach, MPH about her journey to becoming a health educator.

Cathy Quach, MPH is a health educator with the Aggie Mental Health Ambassadors Program at the University of California, Davis. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and a minor in theatre and dance. After undergrad, she worked as an emergency medical technician working in the greater Sacramento area, right just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspired by her experiences, she later pursued her masters of public Health at UC Davis and continued her passion for supporting the local community. 

Episode produced by: Deborah Chen

Episode recording date: 7/11/2024

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The autopsy has wide-ranging benefits on medicine, public health, and research. However, the rates of autopsies performed in the hospital have declined tremendously over the past several decades. The autopsy, accordingly, is often overlooked in medical education today. Emily Hagen, MD, has taken great interest in this. 

In this episode, we speak with Emily (former Medicus producer!) about her firsthand experiences with the autopsy, dating back to her pre-med days and continuing throughout her time at Stritch School of Medicine. She is a fierce advocate for the autopsy’s incorporation into medical education. While a medical student, Emily researched non-pathologist physicians’ experiences with and views toward the autopsy and she launched an autopsy observation program for Loyola medical students. The associated research has been presented at multiple academic conferences. She also helped to curate Autopsy/Forensic Pathology modules for the PathElective, an internationally utilized resource. 

As an aspiring internist, Emily discusses the relevance of the autopsy to physicians and the medical community at large. 

Tune in now to learn more about this important and interesting topic! 

To connect with Emily, email her at [email protected]. 

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 6/4/24

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In this episode, host Julien Stroumza sits down with Medicus member Jackie Tarsitano to discuss the alarming rise of genetic testing fraud, a multibillion-dollar scam that targets Medicare beneficiaries. Tune in as they explore the financial and ethical implications of this deceptive practice, shedding light on its impact on patients, healthcare providers, and the system as a whole.  Jackie can be reached at [email protected] 

Episode produced by: Jackie Tarsitano

Episode recording date: 6/15/24

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

Deja Rush, MD, was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She is currently an incoming neurosurgery resident at Brown University. Deja attended The Ohio State University for college where she studied Biomedical Engineering and Spanish and graduated cum laude with honors research distinction. She went on to obtain her medical degree from Howard University where she finished first in her class and developed a passion for neurosurgery under the guidance of Dr. Damirez Fossett. Deja is extremely passionate about research that underscores disparities in healthcare, as well as mentorship, particularly for those underrepresented in neurosurgery.

To connect with Deja, reach out to her on Instagram or Twitter at @djrush8

Episode produced by: Rasa Valiauga

Episode recording date: 5/2/24

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