What happens when you follow every rule, secure the prestigious grant, build the academic career, only to have it all unravel?

In this powerful episode of Surgeon, Interrupted, I’m joined by Dr. Arghavan Salles, a bariatric surgeon and national leader in gender equity, physician well-being, and anti-bias reform in medicine. We talk about what it means to be a woman in a system that was never designed for us, and what it costs to try to change it from the inside.

Dr. Salles shares the personal impact of losing her NIH grant, the identity crisis that followed, and the painful reality of investing so much into a career that can feel so disposable. Together, we confront the systemic forces that push talented women out of medicine, the performative nature of many DEI efforts, and the urgent need for cultural transformation in healthcare.

This conversation is for anyone who’s ever wondered: What if doing everything “right” still isn’t enough? And what if it’s not you that’s broken, but the system?

Host: Frances Mei Hardin, MD

Guest: Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD

Connect with Dr. Salles:

https://www.instagram.com/arghavansallesmd/

https://drarghavansalles.com/

Presented by: The Hippocratic Collective

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