Queer Diagnosis: The LGBTQ+ Health Podcast

Cheryl Leong, founder of Leading With Consciousness, contextualizes the progress of anti-Asian rhetoric with the onset of the pandemic. They touch on the collective trauma of COVID from the perspective of a former DEI consultant and current marriage and family therapist for East Asian clients. An occupant of the Ohlone territory, San Francisco, Cheryl advocates for the decolonization of psychotherapy and considers different therapy practices in Singapore VS. the United States. Therapy-enthusiasts Zarya and Srihita are joined by interns Aaliya and Sofia to reflect. You can support our future projects by donating to Patreon.com/QueerDiagnosis and checking us out at QueerDiagnosis.com and @QueerDiagnosis on Twitter/Instagram!

In our first episode of Season 2, Dr. Sonali Paul draws attention to the postpartum nuances of using a sperm donor. She addresses the harmful assumptions underlying heteronormative family structures dominant in medicine in her article. From the Shaadi.com profile to her family’s absence at her wedding, Dr. Paul overcomes the trials of being out to her traditional South Asian family. Her meditations on the ever-changing landscape of medicine call for an increase of resources and community available to LGBTQ+ patients, students, and providers. Dr. Sonali Paul is a transplant hepatologist at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Interns Aaliya and Sofia lead our reflection for this episode! You can support our future projects by donating to Patreon.com/QueerDiagnosis and checking us out at QueerDiagnosis.com and @QueerDiagnosis on Twitter/Instagram!

Happy Pride! For our first season finale, rising MS4 Davy Ran reminds us that queer perspectives are invaluable assets to medical schools and patient care alike. Recognizing a major deficiency in their LGBTQ+ health curriculum, Davy is writing the playbook on navigating medical school, healthcare, and networking as a queer medical student. We learn how moral injury and translating for family members led Davy to author the URMC Rainbow Book, an excerpt of their medical memoire coming out in 2022. Davy Ran is currently a rising MS4 at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. You can follow them on Twitter @DavySRan, and check us out @QueerDiagnosis.com and @QueerDiagnosis on Twitter/Instagram!

CEO Devon Clement founded Happy Family After to address the lack of continuity of care for birthing parents during the postpartum period. She embraces peace in parenthood by matching expert postpartum doulas to expecting and new parents with attention to perinatal mental health. Devon has effectively honored her 12-year-old self by returning to her love of caring for not only children but also their often overlooked parents as she did when babysitting. An egg donor, Devon looks forward to having a child with her two best friends. Check us out @QueerDiagnosis.com and @QueerDiagnosis on Twitter/Instagram!

MS4 Sarah Islam pilots her own medical care with Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis in a system that failed to provide affirmative care. Acutely aware of homogeneity and heteronormativity in healthcare, she emphasizes the involvement of LGBTQ+ providers in gender-affirming surgery and care through the emergence of wraparound clinics. Sarah advocates for self-care and therapy, especially for her South Asian parents. She is an MS4 at Indiana University School of Medicine who recently matched to a psychiatry residency in Hennepin Healthcare and Regions. Check us out @QueerDiagnosis.com and @QueerDiagnosis on Twitter/Instagram!

In Part 2/2, MS1 Vahni-Vishala Bernard calls upon the administration of the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University to address a letter that desecrated a safe space intended for students. We examine the dissonance that transformed into unity in response to Vahni’s advocacy for change. Her continued dedication to improvement is evident in her work with communities in Baltimore as an undergraduate student. Vahni earned her Bachelor's in Neuroscience, Psychological & Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. Check us out @QueerDiagnosis.com and @QueerDiagnosis on Twitter/Instagram!

In Part 1/2, MS1 Vahni-Vishala Bernard from the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University discusses how safe spaces in online forums and the Medical Student Pride Alliance have empowered her to challenge heteronormative culture. A loud and proud advocate for her LGBTQ+ counterparts in local and virtual communities, Vahni shares her own timeline with exploring sexuality. We learn more about the ongoing advocacy at her medical school in Part 2/2. Vahni earned her Bachelor's in Neuroscience, Psychological & Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. Check us out @QueerDiagnosis.com and @QueerDiagnosis on Twitter/Instagram!

Laurel Hiatt, a second-year MD-PhD student at the School of Medicine at the University of Utah, inspires Zarya and Srihita to affect change through discussion of their experiences as a Spanish translator and outspoken activist for undocumented individuals and the LGBTQ+ community. By speaking about their path to bridging gaps in accessibility, Laurel teaches us how to identify performative actions taken by medicine as an institution while also taking adversity in stride. They earned their Bachelor’s in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Spanish at the University of Georgia. Check us out @QueerDiagnosis.com and @QueerDiagnosis on Twitter/Instagram!

In their inaugural episode, co-hosts Zarya and Srihita speak with Dr. Valjean Bacot-Davis, a third-year student at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. Prior to medical school, Valjean completed his Bachelor’s in Biology at Duke University and his PhD in Microbiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Valjean offers insight into discussing gender as a spectrum with individuals resistant to embracing the LGBTQ+ community. He also shares his journey going stealth out of the United States and into Canada. In their reflection, our hosts expand on pronoun pins and address inclusive changes in healthcare forms that are already taking place. Check us out @QueerDiagnosis.com and @QueerDiagnosis on Twitter!

The Podcast features patients, medical students, and healthcare providers involved in improving LGBTQ+ healthcare. Join hosts Zarya Shaikh and Srihita Mediboina as they learn about the experiences that define high-quality, culturally sensitive care.