Real MD

Maria Poluch came to medicine after pivoting from a promising career as an engineer. Underneath the surface, her desire to serve people and her underlying interest in medicine could not be denied. So she made the jump to medicine and with it a commitment to be honest with herself throughout out the process. Honest about the struggle, honest about what where to find joy, honest about when to take a break, honest about when to ask for help. I appreciate the moment for this conversation as Maria packed up her apartment where she lived for the past four years and heads out on the next phase of her journey in residency. She has changed, she has grown, and I am sure she will keep finding her way. 

Dr. Morton is a distinguished anatomy and neurobiology professor at SFESOM. In addition to his celebrity presence as The Noted Anatomist on YouTube, Dr. Morton became a Fellow of the American Association for Anatomy in 2021 and has been awarded numerous teaching awards — the UU Distinguished Teaching Award among them.

Tracy Bumsted specialized in pediatrics and currently serves as Associate Dean for the MD program Oregon Health and Sciences University. In this episode we talk about the moments when she stepped out into the unknown, tried something new, and risked failure to do the work she believes she is here to do. Tracy talks about how this cycle has played out multiple times in her career and I think we need more of these life journey narratives that respond with hope when the naysayers question you or project their own fears onto you. Tracy reminds us to be open, trust the plan, and move forward. 

According to Dr. David Morton, the greatest moment for growth is following a setback. In a recent RealMD lunch session with students, rather than talk about successes, he shared his “CV of failures.” Because for him, that is where the most valuable lessons are. But more than just accepting failure, what do you do after the fact? You fell on your face, you weren’t expecting to and now what?! Dr. Morton’s lived experiences navigating failure provide valuable lessons during medical school and for anyone climbing their way back. He says surround yourself with people who can help you co-create a solution. And it will be better than what you could do on your own. Most of all, I loved hearing the deeper lesson that Dr Morton is trying to teach, it’s bigger than anatomy or clinical skill. It’s about adopting a learner’s mindset which can help you be humble enough to get out of your own way and embrace the lessons in the losses  I think learning from failure is such a powerful topic especially from a distinguished anatomy and neurobiology professor! 

Sri Radhakrishnan matched into general surgery last March. We had an opportunity, post Match Day celebrating, to talk about his identity as a leader and how it informed his specialty choice. A core aspect of Sri’s leadership style is the desire to create and support community. He talks about realizing a need for deep connection when his class started medical school during the pandemic. To me, Sri reminds us all of the value of community and also realizing who you are as a leader begins and ends with listening and serving the needs of those around you.

Adam Sharp is CEO of Galvan Health and his journey to this point is uniquely his own. His path started out as a business undergrad, playing on the U of U basketball team, and an unexpected pivot to medical school. Residency led to a surprising interest in research coupled with a desire to change the way patients access and use data to better inform their decisions. Adam’s journey reminds us that the twists and turns give us the greatest lessons. His story speaks to the challenging task of aligning our head with our heart in order to trust ourselves, keep our family and friends close, and make an impact through our work.

Dr. Brian Stagg is an Ophthalmologist and clinician scientist. In this episode, we talk about his experience during residency, feeling happy with his specialty, and still burning out. Brian talks about how in that moment, he started asking himself important questions that led to a life changing self-reflection process. This conversation reminded me how important it is to remember and hold onto your stories when the future is unclear, this allows the past to help inform the future. 

Sadie Robinson is in her second year of emergency medicine residency, she is a former RealMD facilitator, and U of U Alum. In this episode we look back at her time in medical school, the process of choosing her specialty, and formative experiences that helped her grow. We also look forward to her current role and the things that bring her meaning. Throughout Sadie’s journey she has noticed the value of taking time to process experiences and build community. Most of all, the message that she encourages is to give yourself grace. In whatever stage of training and during the inherent challenges you will face along the way. 

Dr. Beth Vukin has spent the last 20 years as a pediatric hospitalist in an academic setting. Her medicine, as she puts it, is talking to people and listening to the words they use. Lately, this has translated into her own podcast called Real Talk with Kid Docs. We had such a great conversation and I was struck by her story of being undiagnosed while practicing medicine. She went from having a clear path to dealing with uncertainty and this has changed her perspectives, reprioritizing her values. Beth also reminds us how important it is to take care of ourselves and that it’s okay to notice when your batteries are low, take a break, regroup and then figure out your next steps. 

Eli Bunzel is a fourth year orthopedic resident who helped start the RealMD program. It is so great to stay connected to former students who made RealMD possible. In this episode, we reminisce about the early days and also how the program impacted his own journey. Eli talks about navigating the hurdles of medical school by remembering his strengths and nurturing deep relationships with mentors who advocated for him. His message of doing the internal work to discover his purpose is a much needed message during medical school. Our job is to find and hold on to our strengths and be willing to ask for help along the way. He also reminds each of us that no one is expecting you to have it all figured out (except maybe you) and sometimes you have to get out of your own way to pursue life’s work.