On this episode of the WISER Podcast, we continue Chief Insights, our mini-series highlighting the experiences of Emory’s female chief general surgery residents. Through these conversations, we explore their paths to surgery, the mentors who shaped them, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

For this installment, WISER co-presidents Julia Burns and Rachel Holstein sat down with Dr. Bernadette Peltier. Dr. Peltier attended UT Southwestern for medical school and completed her general surgery residency at Emory, where she is currently serving as a chief resident. She will be heading to the Cleveland Clinic next year to begin her thoracic surgery fellowship.

In this conversation, Dr. Peltier shares her nontraditional path into surgery, from initially considering internal medicine to discovering her passion during trauma rotations. She reflects on how she ultimately found her fit in thoracic surgery, the role of mentorship and advocacy in a competitive match process, and how she approached residency without taking dedicated research years. She also offers thoughtful advice for medical students and interns, emphasizing the importance of mastering the fundamentals of patient care, building strong relationships, and growing into your role over time. We also discuss her experience as a woman in surgery, the transition into chief year, and how she has found balance and support throughout training.

Editors: Julia Byrnes and Rachel Holstein
Producers: Julia Byrnes, Rachel Holstein and Vienna Wang
Hosts: Rachel Holstein and Julia Byrnes
Artwork: Lily Kamat
Music: Bluedot Sessions

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