Shadow Me Next!

When Rachelle Hodel set her sights on working with babies, nothing would stand in her way, not even the absence of a job posting. Armed with determination and a freshly written cover letter, she walked straight into the nursery manager's office and launched a 15-year career in labor and delivery.

That same decisive spirit guided her next evolution when family needs called for a more flexible schedule. While raising three daughters and working part-time, Rachelle completed her nurse practitioner degree online, eventually finding her true calling in pediatrics where she's spent nearly a decade building relationships with children from birth through adolescence.

On this episode of Shadow Me Next, Rachelle brings us into the nuanced world of pediatric care, where success depends on your ability to read the room and adapt your approach instantly. For teenagers needing connection, she kicks back and creates a relaxed environment where they might actually open up. With younger children, she skips the intimidating white coat in favor of Disney t-shirts. This chameleon-like ability to meet patients where they are allows her to address not just physical health but critical conversations about bullying, mental health, and self-confidence.

The weight of responsibility in pediatrics is immense. These early health foundations shape entire lives. Rachelle navigates this responsibility with both professional expertise and personal warmth, creating such powerful bonds that during a recent medical leave, patients repeatedly called asking, "Is Rachelle back yet?"

Despite acknowledging medicine's broken systems, Rachelle remains optimistic about healthcare careers, believing the right people in the right roles can heal the profession itself. Her advice to aspiring clinicians? Explore widely, trust your instincts, and maintain flexibility. You never know where your medical journey might lead you next.

Subscribe to Shadow Me Next for more conversations with healthcare professionals who are reshaping medicine one patient at a time.

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Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. Whether as a doctor, a physician assistant, a therapist or nurse, here Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and understand your place in medicine.  

Kristin takes us deep into the world of pediatric autoimmune disease, where conditions like juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus, and dermatomyositis affect multiple body systems and require tremendous coordination across specialties. With striking clarity, she describes the challenges of working with patients who've often spent years searching for answers before receiving life-altering diagnoses.

Our conversation reveals the remarkable complexity behind treating these conditions: from reviewing extensive labs and specialist reports before appointments to crafting treatment plans that families can actually implement at home. Kristin shares the emotional weight of fighting insurance battles for necessary medications and supporting families through the ups and downs of chronic illness management.

Perhaps most fascinating is Kristin's parallel life as a professional cellist and how she sees profound connections between music and medicine. "It's not a race, it's a marathon," she explains, drawing parallels between perfecting a difficult musical piece and the patience required when treating chronic conditions. Both demand focus on long-term goals without immediate gratification, a perspective that serves her patients well.

Subscribe to Shadow Me Next for more conversations that take you behind the scenes of the medical world, providing deeper understanding of the human side of healthcare through the stories of those who live it every day.

Support the show

Please connect and say hello >>> Email me!              

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Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. Whether as a doctor, a physician assistant, a therapist or nurse, here Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and understand your place in medicine.  

When a hospice nurse with thirty years of experience speaks about what matters most at the end of life, it's a story worth listening to. Jenny Lytle's journey into nursing began with an unlikely inspiration, a childhood fascination with thermometers during her own hospital stays, but has evolved into a profound calling that's taught her what true care really means.

"It's such a privilege to be with people in their hardest times, in their most vulnerable comments," Jenny shares, describing her nearly two decades in hospice nursing. While many assume hospice work must be relentlessly depressing, Jenny reveals a different reality: one where unexpected joy, meaningful connections, and even humor exist alongside grief. She dispels common misconceptions, like hospice means "giving up" or that patients no longer receive medication, and explains instead how the focus shifts to quality of life defined by each individual's unique priorities.

The conversation takes a deeply personal turn when Jenny describes helping finding her mother, also a nurse, receive hospice care in her final hours after a brain aneurysm. This devastating experience solidified what Jenny had observed throughout her career: healthcare providers excel at caring for others while neglecting their own needs. The realization sparked her mission to help caregivers develop sustainable self-care practices, culminating in her book "Self-Care Isn't Selfish" and the development of personalized approaches that don't feel like additional burdens.

For anyone considering a healthcare career, particularly in emotionally demanding fields like hospice, Jenny offers reassuring wisdom: it's not about caring less or becoming hardened, but about establishing boundaries and self-care practices that allow you to remain present and compassionate without burning out. Whether you're a pre-health student, a seasoned provider, or simply curious about the human side of medicine, this conversation will transform how you think about care, both for others and yourself.

Ready to explore more stories from healthcare professionals? Subscribe to Shadow Me Next and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @ShadowMeNext for highlights and previews of upcoming guests.

And check out more of what Jenny has to offer at her website: jennylytle.com

Support the show

Please connect and say hello >>> Email me!              

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Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. Whether as a doctor, a physician assistant, a therapist or nurse, here Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and understand your place in medicine.  

Pete Breitinger's journey to respected PA educator spans more than three decades and reveals the profound human connections at the heart of healthcare. What begins as a candid reflection on his unexpected path into medicine transforms into a masterclass on resilience, advocacy, and equity in patient care.

When Pete shares stories from his years in pediatric cardiology, his voice brightens with genuine affection for the families he's followed, some from infancy through adulthood. "These kids are resilient," he says, "you talk about a definition of resilience? Go to Peds Cardiology." This perspective on patient strength becomes a thread woven throughout our conversation, reappearing as he describes the qualities that make successful PA students and practitioners.

The most powerful moment comes when Pete redefines his profession's very acronym. "What does PA stand for?" he asks his students each year. Beyond the official "Physician Assistant," Pete insists it means "Patient Advocate," a conviction forged while navigating the healthcare system with his wife during her cancer diagnosis. Seeing patients struggle without guidance crystallized his belief that advocacy isn't just political action but happens in every exam room, with every prescription, with every referral.

His work with UF's Mobile Outreach Clinic brings this philosophy to life, providing care to underserved communities from a converted bus. "If you want to be a true patient advocate, go work in underserved areas," Pete advises, noting how this experience forces practitioners to find creative solutions without "all the bells and whistles" of well-equipped facilities. The geographical distribution of healthcare resources, with standalone ERs concentrated in affluent areas, becomes a stark visual reminder of persistent inequities.

Through three decades of evolution in healthcare education, Pete has witnessed growing awareness of these systemic issues. Today's students arrive more community-aware and ready to address social determinants of health, giving him hope for medicine's future. His parting wisdom? Simply "be kind," a reminder that seeing patients as complete human beings rather than medical cases is perhaps the most fundamental form of advocacy.

Join us for this illuminating conversation about what it truly means to care for patients in all their complexity. Subscribe now and follow @shadowmenext on social media for more insights into the human side of medicine.

Support the show

Please connect and say hello >>> Email me!              

Support shadow me next >>> Thank you!

Want to be a guest? >>>  Click here!

Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. Whether as a doctor, a physician assistant, a therapist or nurse, here Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and understand your place in medicine.  

The medical world often focuses on protocols and procedures, but what happens when a patient's quality of life conflicts with the "safest" option? Catherine Moore, a licensed clinical social worker and creator of the top-performing Social Workers, Rise! podcast, who's worked in settings from hospice to ICUs, joins us to explore this crucial intersection of healthcare and humanity.

Catherine reveals how social workers serve as the essential bridge between medical teams and patients, especially when communication breaks down. Through powerful stories like the hospice patient who knew living at home was more important than following medical recommendations, she illustrates how social workers advocate for patients while helping clinical teams understand the deeper human narratives behind "non-compliance."

We dive into the versatile career paths available to social workers, from veterinary and sports social work to roles in schools, homeless services, and private practice. Catherine's creation of the RISE Directory, connecting social work associates with clinical supervisors, addresses a critical gap in the profession and highlights her commitment to mentorship and accessibility.

For pre-health students considering their career options, Catherine offers invaluable guidance on aligning natural gifts with professional choices. If you're the person friends call after a breakup or strangers randomly share their stories with, social work might be your calling. Her current telehealth practice focuses on women struggling with anxiety, providing them space to process emotions in a supportive environment.

Support the show

Please connect and say hello >>> Email me!              

Support shadow me next >>> Thank you!

Want to be a guest? >>>  Click here!

Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. Whether as a doctor, a physician assistant, a therapist or nurse, here Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and understand your place in medicine.  

What happens when a physician notices something seemingly small but deeply meaningful missing from patient care? Dr. Nekaiya Jacobs Pratt, a pediatric critical care physician, transformed hospital culture by addressing a gap that affected her patients with textured hair.

During the isolating days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kay found herself questioning her place in medicine. The emotional weight of caring for critically ill children had always been balanced by the joy of seeing them recover, but something was missing. When she noticed hospitalized children with textured hair weren't receiving appropriate hair care products, she took matters into her own hands, literally. She began bringing products from home and braiding patients' hair on her days off.

This personal mission evolved into something remarkable: a hospital-wide initiative providing culturally appropriate hair care products across six states and a children's book called "The Magic Bonnet" that serves as her "love letter" to this work. The impact runs deeper than appearance; it fundamentally changes how patients experience care and how providers see their patients.

"When patients feel seen and they feel like you are not just the lab result or the CT scan...they participate in their own healing," Dr. Kay explains. Through education involving mannequin heads with various hair textures, she's transformed a hushed subject into an opportunity for connection. Healthcare providers who once avoided conversations about different hair types now confidently advocate for their patients' hair care needs.

Dr. Kay's message resonates beyond pediatrics: "Bring your whole self to work." By embracing our unique perspectives and lived experiences, we address healthcare disparities and provide care that honors patients as whole people. Her story reminds us that meaningful change often begins with noticing what others have overlooked and being brave enough to do something about it.

Join us for this inspiring conversation about finding purpose in medicine, the power of cultural competence, and how small acts of dignity can transform healthcare from the inside out.

For more about Dr. Kay

> please visit her at www.heyitskaymd.com

> and check out her book The Magic Bonnet

Support the show

Please connect and say hello >>> Email me!              

Support shadow me next >>> Thank you!

Want to be a guest? >>>  Click here!

Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. Whether as a doctor, a physician assistant, a therapist or nurse, here Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and understand your place in medicine.  

What happens when a physician practices medicine across three different continents? Dr. Gregory Adaka's remarkable journey from Nigeria to the UK to the United States reveals surprising truths about global healthcare that every medical professional should consider.

Born in Manchester and raised in Nigeria, Dr. Adaka's path to emergency medicine began with an unexpected source of inspiration: the American TV show "ER." His story weaves through vastly different healthcare systems, highlighting both technological advancement and accessibility challenges that shape patient care worldwide.

A powerful moment comes when Dr. Adaka shares his shock at encountering cost barriers in American healthcare that reminded him of practicing in Nigeria. "I've not practiced medicine like that since I left Nigeria," he recalls telling a nurse after a patient couldn't afford a prescription, a jarring reality in the world's wealthiest nation. This perspective challenges us to reconsider what truly constitutes an advanced healthcare system.

Beyond comparing healthcare models, Dr. Adaka offers thoughtful insights on artificial intelligence in medicine, predicting it will augment rather than replace clinicians in the near term. His discussion on reconciling scientific practice with religious faith provides a nuanced view of how these seemingly opposing worldviews can harmoniously coexist, drawing inspiration from scientists like Dr. Francis Collins who bridge this perceived divide.

For pre-health students and practicing clinicians alike, Dr. Adaka's global perspective demonstrates how understanding different approaches to healthcare delivery enhances our ability to improve medicine at home. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes we need to look beyond our borders to solve problems within them.

Support the show

Please connect and say hello >>> Email me!              

Support shadow me next >>> Thank you!

Want to be a guest? >>>  Click here!

Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. Whether as a doctor, a physician assistant, a therapist or nurse, here Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and understand your place in medicine.  

What happens when medicine loses its humanity? Dr. Kipp's powerful new book "Heartbeats and Handshakes" offers a rare and intimate look at what it truly means to be a physician - from the terrifying first code blue as a medical student to the wisdom gained through 30 years of clinical practice.

Dr. Kipp takes us behind closed doors to reveal the profound challenge doctors face: maintaining genuine compassion while rapidly moving between patients in crisis. His journey from conventional medicine to questioning the system began when his father received an Alzheimer's diagnosis from a physician who typed notes without making eye contact. "We're like - you don't even care. We're just the Alzheimer's patient in room four," he recalls with still-palpable disappointment.

Through rich storytelling that spans decades, Dr. Kipp tracks his evolution through multiple specialties - family medicine, radiology, interventional procedures, pain management, and regenerative medicine. He witnessed healthcare's technological revolution firsthand, from the early days of CT scanning to today's instantaneous imaging. Yet despite these advances, he worries about medicine's future: "AI could replace doctors so fast. It can't replace the proceduralist, but it could replace the diagnostician."

What can never be replaced, Dr. Kipp argues, is the healing power of human connection - the handshake, the reassuring touch, the shared vulnerability between provider and patient. "When you write, you don't know if anyone's going to get what you're trying to say," he reflects on his book's impact. But when his own son identified exactly the message he hoped to convey, Dr. Kipp knew he'd succeeded in capturing medicine's essence: "That's what's so exciting - communicating these hard concepts is best done by storytelling."

Ready to rediscover the heart of healthcare? Listen now and remember why medicine will always need the human touch that no algorithm can replicate.

Check out his book: Heartbeats and Handshakes

Support the show

Please connect and say hello >>> Email me!              

Support shadow me next >>> Thank you!

Want to be a guest? >>>  Click here!

Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. Whether as a doctor, a physician assistant, a therapist or nurse, here Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and understand your place in medicine.  

What began as a pre-med journey toward orthopedic surgery took an unexpected turn when Sally Hoang, CAA discovered the immediate impact and work-life balance offered by a career in anesthesia care.

With remarkable candor, Sally Hoang walks us through her typical 16-hour shift—from arriving at 6:30 AM to set up medications and equipment, to meeting patients in pre-op, to the collaborative dance of putting patients to sleep alongside attending anesthesiologists. Her descriptions paint a vivid picture of a profession that combines technical precision with human connection during patients' most vulnerable moments.

The conversation reveals surprising aspects of the CAA profession that make it uniquely appealing: the ability to work across all surgical specialties, from vascular to neurosurgery; the introvert-friendly environment where you can choose your level of social interaction; and the luxury of actually leaving work at work—something increasingly rare in healthcare. Sally shares breathtaking moments from her career, including an emergency case where her team administered an astounding 87 units of blood to save a patient's life during an abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

For pre-health students considering their options, Sally offers thoughtful perspective on why she chose the CAA path over becoming an anesthesiologist or CRNA. The 2.5-year master's program offered a faster route to practice high-level medicine with immediate impact, without sacrificing personal interests and balanced living. Through her social media channels, she's now helping others discover this rewarding career path that combines autonomy, teamwork, and meaningful patient care.

Whether you're exploring healthcare careers or simply curious about what happens while you're under anesthesia, this episode provides rare insight into the professionals keeping watch over your vital signs and ensuring your safety when you're at your most vulnerable. Join us for this eye-opening conversation about finding fulfillment in medicine without sacrificing yourself in the process.

Follow @anesthesiasal across all social platforms and visit her YouTube page for more!

Support the show

Please connect and say hello >>> Email me!              

Support shadow me next >>> Thank you!

Want to be a guest? >>>  Click here!

Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. Whether as a doctor, a physician assistant, a therapist or nurse, here Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and understand your place in medicine.  

Dr. Michael Broukhim shatters psychiatric norms with remarkable results, proudly owning his identity as the "anti-psychiatrist psychiatrist." Our conversation reveals why this integrative practitioner achieves what many consider impossible: helping patients recover completely from conditions typically labeled as chronic.

The heart of Dr. Broukhim's revolutionary approach lies in his expansive understanding of faith not as religious doctrine, but as "a belief that there is value in connecting with other beings." This inclusive definition becomes a powerful prognostic factor for recovery. Patients recognizing the importance of connection with humans, animals, or plants demonstrate dramatically improved outcomes compared to those remaining isolated.

We explore the fascinating science behind storytelling as medicine. Did you know 80–90% of your brain cells are actually immune cells? Dr. Broukkim explains how negative thoughts trigger inflammatory responses that can lead to autoimmune conditions, while positive narratives promote healing—the biology behind placebo and "nocebo" effects. This understanding transforms mental healthcare from symptom management to genuine healing.

Originally destined for internal medicine, Dr. Broukhim found his calling in psychiatry through the profound human connection it offered. "I've never had a boring day of psychiatry," he shares. "If a patient's being open and authentic, every person is very interesting." This passion for authentic human connection has expanded beyond his clinical practice to iexperiencelife.com, his consulting company, and soon into rabbinical studies, all pathways to help people navigate crises of meaning before clinical conditions develop.

The most powerful medicine might be reconnecting with others and transforming the stories we tell ourselves. Whether you're struggling with mental health challenges, supporting someone who is, or simply curious about innovative approaches to wellbeing, this conversation offers genuine hope and practical wisdom for true healing.

Learn more at iexperience.life!

Support the show

Please connect and say hello >>> Email me!              

Support shadow me next >>> Thank you!

Want to be a guest? >>>  Click here!

Virtual shadowing is an important tool to use when planning your medical career. Whether as a doctor, a physician assistant, a therapist or nurse, here Shadow Me Next! we want to provide you with the resources you need to find your role in healthcare and understand your place in medicine.