Dr. Victoria Teodorescu (Dr. T) grew up in New Jersey, but really claims Nebraska as her home. Her summers as a child in Nebraska were spent chasing after cows, swimming in the irrigation ditches, and finding snakes in the backyard. Dr. T’s road to medicine definitely wasn’t straight. She knew she loved science and math, but Dr. T remembers that “the girls in my high school hadn’t been expected to do much of anything and even if you really want to do something with your life, there is no...

This is the final episode of our mini-series on Ohio State University’s 4th Annual Women in Surgery Symposium! We hope you have enjoyed this series as much as we have – if so, we encourage you to join in person for their 5th Annual Symposium this fall. Dr. Kevin Pei, Director of Surgical Critical Care (Texas A&M), talks about bullying and microaggressions, and asks some difficult questions to a panel of women surgeons about their experiences: * Dr. Mary Dillhoff, Associate...

This is episode 4 of 5 featuring the Ohio State University’s 4th Annual Women in Surgery Symposium, #HeforShe and #SheforShe: Redefining Surgical Culture. This panel, led by Dr. Anghela Paredes, a PGY2 general surgery resident, addresses obstacles in career transitions, from medical school to residency, to fellowship, and to your first job as junior faculty.  Our panelists sharing stories are: * Dr. Lisa Cunningham, Assistant Professor (OSU, colorectal surgery)* Dr....

This is episode 3 of 5 featuring the Ohio State University’s 4th Annual Women in Surgery Symposium, #HeforShe and #SheforShe: Redefining Surgical Culture. Dr. Andrew Bernard, Chief of Trauma and Acute Surgery at University of Kentucky, speaks about equity, diversity, and inclusion in surgery. Do we still need this? Listen in to hear him give a fantastic summary of current literature, and then pose example cases about equity and diversity to a panel of trainees and...

This is episode 2 of 5 in our mini-series on Ohio State University’s 4th Annual Women in Surgery Symposium, #HeforShe and #SheforShe: Redefining Surgical Culture. Led by Dr. Chelsea Horwood, a PGY4 general surgery resident at OSU, this episode features panelists who are surgical leaders in their fields: * Dr. Gail Besner, Chief of Pediatric Surgery (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)* Dr. Ginny Bumgardner, Director of Surgery Research Training (OSU, transplant)* Dr. Geri Hewitt,...

This episode is part 1 of 5 in a special mini-series featuring the Ohio State University’s 4th Annual Women in Surgery Symposium! Held in the fall of 2019, Dr. Sabrena Noria (OSU), the founder and director of the symposium, chose the theme of “#HeforShe and #SheforShe: Redefining Surgical Culture.” This episode is an overview of the symposium, with highlights from fantastic talks: * “HerStory in the Making,” keynote: Dr. Julie Freischlag, CEO (Wake Forest)* Chair’s...

Rachel Medbery, MD, and her husband Duane McLain, RN, share their story about flipping gender norms not only in their careers, but also within their marriage. The couple also discusses working relationships between nurses and doctors, and gives insight on how they respond to stereotypes and implicit biases from patients and coworkers. Dr. Medbery is a recent Emory cardiothoracic surgery graduate and is now working in Austin, TX as a thoracic surgeon in a large group of 16...

Tune into this episode of the WISER podcast to hear Dr. Amy Chen, otolaryngologist at Emory University, share her journey into medicine and how she juggles being a leader and innovator of the field of ENT while also being a mentor and supporter both inside and outside of the hospital. Residency Match: The 7 most competitive medical specialties: https://www.ama-assn.org/residents-students/specialty-profiles/residency-match-7-most-competitive-medical-specialties The...

Dr. Gabriele Miotto (IG: @drgabrielemiotto) shares her journey through plastic surgery, including an intercontinental move, a masters in education, and a humbling yet rewarding recertification process. She also shares budget-conscious beauty and skin care tips and products–this is an episode that you won’t want to miss!

Listen in to hear the self-dubbed “Trauma Mama” Dr. Randi Smith discuss the psychiatric impact of retained bullets, how trauma surgeons are at the frontlines of gun violence, and even a love story from Grady’s Trauma Bay One.

For our first episode of Season 2, we are excited to have our first guest from outside of the Emory network, Dr. Rebecca Minter. She is the current Chair of the Dept. of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin and and is renowned in the worlds of HPB surgery and surgical education. We interviewed Dr. Minter when she visited Emory in April 2019 to deliver a Grand Rounds called, “‘Why do I trust you to be my surgeon?’“. Dr. Priya Rajdev, a founding member of WISER and the creative genius...

Listen in to hear Dr. Beth Willingham discuss her novel otolaryngology hospitalist service at Emory University Hospital, her transition from private practice back to academics, and a reflection on some of her most memorable patients thus far. Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and is available by Creative Commons licensing.

The gender gap in urology is one of the most staggering in all of medicine: only 8% of practicing urologists are women. On top of this, a 2017 study in the journal Urology showed that women are also disproportionately underrepresented in both educational and administrative leadership positions within urology–only 3% of department chairs, 8% of […]

Dr. Virginia Shaffer is a colorectal surgeon at Emory and the scientific director of the Emory Crohn’s and Colitis Center. Listen in to hear Dr. Shaffer discuss the role of managing expectations when fighting burnout, the importance of self-nomination within academic medicine, and her perspective on the future of IBD research. Select quotes below: “[Regarding […]

In Episode 7, we continue our conversation with Dr. Diane Payne, an Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine and the Director of Hand Trauma at Grady Memorial Hospital, as we discuss gun violence in Atlanta. After completing her surgical training in Hawaii, where she treated one gun shot wound after […]

Dr. Payne first joined the world of medicine as a physical therapist. After practicing for 5 years, with the support of her family and a constant desire for the next challenge, she decided to return to medical school. With a strong background in rehab medicine and orthopedics she attempted to maintain an open mind but […]

Dr. Jahnavi Srinivasan grew up in El Paso, Texas, an arid climate reminiscent of her family’s roots in South India. While her father was an accomplished mathematician, she had no medical influences in her family growing up. She attended Northwestern University for a combined undergraduate/medical degree program, after which she spent two years in as […]

At the age of six, Dr. Mara Schenker began training in the Korean martial art of taekwondo. She continued studying and competing in taekwondo through college, reaching impressive milestones such as becoming a black belt as well as a world champion in the sport, before being sidelined by orthopedic injuries, ultimately requiring three separate hip […]

Dr. Carla Haack finished high school at 15, college at 19, and medical school at 23 years old. At an age when most students are just beginning med school, Dr. Haack moved from her home in Puerto Rico to Atlanta, Georgia to begin general surgery residency at Emory University. “My mom is the one who never […]

The daughter of a general surgeon in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Styblo was no stranger to the world of surgery during childhood. While her father was logging long hours at the hospital, she matched his commitment as an aspiring dancer, practicing classical ballet throughout her youth and young adulthood. However, she turned down […]

Dr. Barbara Pettitt was the third woman ever to have been accepted as a surgical intern at LA County General Hospital. The first female to join the program was a Catholic nun in the 1940s, who eventually dropped out of residency mid-way and returned to her convent. The second woman was a current senior resident … Continue reading Episode 1: Dr. Pettitt, Beloved Educator