Sean Pirkle is an orthopedic surgeon and the author of Somewhere in Between: A Memoir, a book he first began writing as a medical student to capture the hidden world of modern medical training. In this episode, Sean reflects on navigating Crohn’s disease while in medical school, grappling with impostor syndrome, and learning to balance empathy with the emotional compartmentalization that caring for patients often requires. Le and Tremayne also explore how writing across four years—from cadaver lab to Step 1, first codes, and the pandemic—helped Sean process his experiences and what advice he would give his younger self about facing uncertainty, setbacks, and self-discovery on the path to becoming a doctor.

Order Somewhere in Between: A Memoir here

Host: Le Nguyen (Instagram: @le_nguyenzzz | LinkedIn: @lenguyen)

Host: Tremayne Ansani (Instagram: @tremayne.y.a | LinkedIn: @tremayneansani)

Guest: Sean Pirkle (Instagram: @seanpirklemd | LinkedIn: @seanpirkle)

Links

https://onchartpodcast.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-pirkle-71362187/

https://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Between-Sean-C-Pirkle/dp/B0FCP5MWSY

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/somewhere-in-between-sean-c-pirkle/1147577501

https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Sean-Pirkle-2131912220