138. Sandi DuBowski, Documentary Director/Producer of Sabbath Queen and Trembling Before G-d
The 92 Report
Sandi DuBowski discusses the one-year anniversary of his film Sabbath Queen, which he spent 21 years making. He reflects on the journey of the 21st-century radical rabbi and how it has shaped their life. He discusses the inspiration behind his film, Tomboychik, the concept of which was developed after conversations with his grandmother. The film is a living video memorial to her spirit; it won several awards, including the Golden Gate award at the San Francisco Film Festival and the Whitney Museum program, and launched Sandi into the film world. Documentary Films and Festivals ...
info_outline
137. Lili Barouch, Sports Cardiologist and Triathlete
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Lili Barouch, a cardiologist, went to medical school at Johns Hopkins. After moving to Baltimore, she became a cardiologist specializing in heart failure and transplant. She joined the faculty in 2003 and worked on basic science research, research lab, and inpatient and outpatient care for heart failure and transplant patients. Lili stayed in this role for about 10 years before transitioning to outpatient cardiology. She moved to Howard County, Maryland, where her children have grown up. Founding the Sports Cardiology Program Lili started becoming more athletic around 20...
info_outline
136. Tanya Selvaratnam, Multimedia Storyteller and Advocate
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Tanya Selvaratnam shares her journey from high school to present day. She moved to New York after graduating and worked at Columbia Law School’s Center for Chinese Legal Studies. She also assisted Anna Deavere Smith on her show “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” about the LA riots. Tanya went back to Harvard for graduate school, studying Chinese language and the history of law. An Adventure in Theatre After her father passed away, she returned to New York, where she was working on the Beijing Women's Conference. Wandering the streets one day, she came across The Performing...
info_outline
135. Bo Rutledge, The Transformative Power of Higher Ed
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Bo Rutledge, a professor and dean at the University of Georgia Law School, opens the conversation by talking about his parents, who made sacrifices to support their children's education, and how he felt called to serve and worked for the governor in California where he met many inspiring civil servants. A Graduate Degree and Long-Distance Relationship In Scotland, he obtained a graduate degree and met his wife Birgit, who is Austrian. They had a wonderful year together overseas and then spent three years in a long-distance relationship while Bo attended law school and...
info_outline
134. Dan Tabak, Litigation Partner and Treasurer at Harvard Hillel
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Dan Tabak, a lawyer and treasurer of Harvard Hillel, spent three years at Columbia Law School, he then worked as a litigator at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, but took a year off to clerk for a federal judge in Brooklyn. He went back to work at Simpson Thacher before moving on to his current firm, Cohen & Gresser which operates primarily in New York City but has offices in London, Paris, Dubai, and Washington, D.C. He currently lives in Scarsdale, New York with his wife and two kids. On the Board of Harvard Hillel Dan joined the board of Harvard Hillel during the...
info_outline
133. Kirsten Dirksen, From TV Producer to Unexpected YouTube Success
The 92 Report
Kirsten Dirksen, An Unexpected Career as a YouTube Home & Lifestyle Content Creator Show Notes: Kirsten Dirksen majored in economics and math, but found creative writing to be her passion. She decided to become a magazine writer and interned at the NBC affiliate in San Francisco, where she worked for free for about nine months. Working at NBC and Moving a Women's Network After her internship, she went to work with the NBC elite, which was the old chronicle enterprise. Kirsten became the music person, interviewing bands and creating unique stories for interviews. She eventually moved to New...
info_outline
132. Bonni (Grant) Theriault, Supporting 130K Adult Learners into Employment
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Bonni Theriault initially went to business school and worked as a business analyst at McKinsey for a few years, where she worked with consumer products for companies and marketing. After working at Pepperidge Farm for a couple of years, she decided to build her own company and joined forces with a woman who was the head of advertising at Campbell Soup, and together they launched a brand strategy company where they worked for companies like Cadbury Schweppes, Johnson and Johnson, and Stryker. From Marketing to Coaching to Global Emergency Care After 13 years at the company, Bonni...
info_outline
131. Gideon Yaffe, Brain Injury Survivor
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Gideon Yaffe and his then girlfriend-now wife, Sue Chan, drove across the country after graduation to San Francisco, where they had no jobs or prospects. Gideon had applied to graduate school in philosophy but didn't get in anywhere. They got married and his first job was at a pet store, Gideon worked there for a while, then at a computer magazine. Studying Philosophy at Stanford While hanging out in San Francisco, he started reading Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past, which he loved and found to be hugely rewarding. This inspired him to apply to grad school again and this...
info_outline
130. Steven Chao, Lucking into Building a Great Healthcare Consulting Firm
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Steven Chao, a US-born second-generation college student, shares his experiences growing up in South Carolina and feeling overwhelmed upon arriving at Harvard in 1988. He found solace in joining the Collegium Musicum, a classical musical singing group at Harvard, which helped him find his footing and connect with people from his class. From Biochem to Game Design to Consulting Steven majored in biochemistry, which expanded his social circle and helped him find happiness. Steven's parents were both PhDs and pushed him into the MD PhD program. However, he faced challenges in...
info_outline
129. Rebecca Hollander-Blumoff, Law Professor and Adventurous Baker
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Rebecca Hollander-Blumoff shares her journey from college to law school. After deferring her law school for a year, she spent a year in Spain to gain language and cultural experience. She then went to law school in Cambridge and clerked for a federal judge in New York before going into practice. Rebecca was initially interested in becoming a federal prosecutor but realized she first had to go into practice. She worked for a small boutique litigation firm that did about 60% white collar criminal defense and about 40% civil litigation. While she loved being a counselor to her...
info_outlineMichael S. Chen graduated with a degree in investment banking. He worked at Hambrecht Quest, a smaller investment bank focusing on high tech and healthcare companies in New York City. After two years in investment banking, he decided to pursue medicine, inspired by his father's career as a cardiologist. He then went on to study internal medicine at UCSF, Cleveland Clinic, and then joined cardiac associates in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He has been with the practice for 18 years and is now the Chair of Cardiology at Shady Grove Medical Center, and Medical Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at White Oak Medical Center.
Challenges Faced by Cardiac Catheterization Labs
Michael discusses the challenges faced by cardiac catheterization labs in meeting performance measures and ensuring proper procedures. He highlights the need to balance equipment requests with limited budgets and prioritize patient care. He talks about the importance of cardiologist performance in heart attack patients, focusing on door to balloon time and other metrics like aspirin and blood thinners. He mentions the importance of assessing the overall performance of the hospital as a whole, focusing on reducing time spent on administrative tasks and ensuring patients are on the right medications.The conversation turns to steps patients can take to ensure they are prescribed the right medication.
Interventional Cardiology Explained
Michael goes on to explain what interventional cardiology is, what the new trends are, and he addresses common misconceptions. He discusses the learning process for new techniques and tools, such as fellowships and medical device reps. Michael notes that fellowships are the most effective method for learning new techniques, but it's important to stay updated and stay updated with medical device reps. Other methods include working with other doctors, attending training sessions, or learning online through YouTube videos. There are various ways to learn and improve in this field.
Physicians and The Business of Healthcare
Michael discusses the business of healthcare and the factors driving physicians to work with larger healthcare companies. He explains that larger practices have more bargaining power and can offer lower rates and financial security. However, there are drawbacks, such as the need to balance autonomy with financial security. Michael talks about the increasing trend of private equity investing in physician groups, such as anesthesia and cardiology. Private equity is seen as a way to ensure return on investment, which can sometimes be more expensive than providing the best care possible. Stressors for cardiologists include cash flow, meeting payroll, and meeting electronic medical records and government regulations. However, overall, the fit has been good and cardiologists have been happy with the situation.
Participating in the National Senior Games
The conversation turns to fitness and sports. Michael keeps active in terms of exercise, running and working out. He recalls running a 5k five years ago and receiving a gift certificate from Panera for winning first place in his age division. He then qualified for the National Senior Games, (open to anybody 50 years and older) which features various events such as a 5k 10k, pickle ball, tennis, track and field, ping pong, basketball, and softball. Michael has competed in the National Senior Games in Fort Lauderdale and Pittsburgh. His mom competed in the 5K powerwalk and Michael competed in the 5K and 10 K road race. Michael came in 2nd in the 10K (and won a silver medal!) and 4th in the 5K in Pittsburgh in 2023, His mother placed 8th in the 5K Power walk in Fort Lauderdale in 2022. Michale mentions that he has a 5k coming up on Labor Day week, with his son running it with friends, and the National Senior Games.
Influential Harvard Professors and Courses
Michael mentions Richard Taylor and TA Tom Roberts, and studying bipeds and quadruped to compare the energetics and mechanics. Part of the study included placing turkeys and chickens on a treadmill. They found that turkeys were quite stubborn and not smart, as they were not smart enough to run on a treadmill. They learned that turkeys were efficient at running and that their locomotion mechanics were efficient. They were fortunate to receive a Hoops Prize for their work, which ends up in the Lamont library. This experience was memorable, as the researchers' thesis is on display at the library.
Timestamps:
02:13: Transition to Medicine and Leadership Roles
07:56: Administrative Responsibilities and Performance Metrics
13:08 Advancements in Interventional Cardiology
20:56: Running a Medical Practice and Personal Interests
36:27: Connecting with Harvard Alumni and Future Plans
Links:
Email: [email protected]
Featured Non-profit:
The featured non-profit of this episode is Cave Canem, recommended by Eisa Davis who reports:
“Hi. I'm Eisa Davis, class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is Cave Canem. Cave Canem is an organization committed to the artistic and professional growth of black poets. And I have been a fellow and active member of the organization since 1999 Cave Canem is still going strong and has truly created the landscape in which poetry lives in the United States. You can learn more about their [email protected] that's spelled C, A, V, E, C, A, N, E, M, P, o, e, t, s.org, and now here is Will Bachmann with this week's episode.
To learn more about their work visit: https://cavecanempoets.org/