DocsWithDisabilities
Interviewees: Emily Green, MD and Kelley Volpe, MD Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA Description: In Episode 113, Dr. Lisa Meeks talks with Dr. Emily Green (child psychiatrist, University of Chicago; recent fellow at UIC) and Dr. Kelley Volpe (training director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at UIC) about navigating fellowship with ADHD and a learning disability—and how openness, advocacy, and leadership support shaped a successful training experience. Together, they trace Emily’s decision-making during the match, the challenges of transitioning from residency to...
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Interviewees: Josh Schammel, MD; Brian Inouye, MD; and Becky Stetzer, MD Interviewer: Justin Bullock, MD, MPH Description: In this episode, Dr. Justin Bullock talks with Dr. Josh Schammel (chief urology resident at Albany Medical Center), Dr. Brian Inouye (associate program director of urology at Albany Med), and Dr. Becky Stetzer (assistant dean of competency development, Albany Med) about navigating remediation, cognitive disability support, and institutional change in residency training. Together, they trace Josh’s experience entering urology residency off-cycle, the social and...
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Interviewees: Tom Pisano, MD PhD and Laura Ashley Stein, MD, MS, Ed. Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA Description: In Episode 111, Dr. Lisa Meeks talks with Dr. Tom Pisano (former Penn neurology resident; now neuro-hospital medicine and neuro-immunology fellow) and Dr. Laura Stein (Adult Neurology Program Director at Penn) about building an accessible neurology residency for a physician who uses a wheelchair—and how trust, planning, and culture made it work. Together, they trace Tom’s match-day disclosure strategy and “find-your-people” approach, an accessibility walk-through...
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Interviewees: Uyen Troung, MD and Nalinda Charnsangavej, MD Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA Description: What does it take to create true accessibility in residency training? In this episode, Dr. Lisa Meeks is joined by Dr. Uyen Truong, Chief Resident at the UT-Austin Dell Medical School Pediatric Residency Program, and Dr. Nalinda Charnsangavej, the program’s Director, for a candid conversation about disability inclusion in graduate medical education. Together, they share the story behind Dr. Truong’s residency journey as a wheelchair user—from early planning and proactive...
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Interviewer: Jasmine Lopez Interviewees: Jennifer Biggers Language: English & Spanish | Bilingual transcript available Description: In this special bilingual episode—the first ever in Spanish on the Docs With Disabilities Podcast—we explore the intersection of disability, culture, and education through the lens of a powerful personal and professional journey. Jasmine Lopez sits down with Jennifer Biggers, M.Ed., a first-generation Latina Disability Resource Professional at the University of California, Riverside. With warmth, vulnerability, and insight, Jennifer shares how her...
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Interviewer: Dr. Lisa Meeks Interviewees: · Abbey MacLellan · Zachary Ford · Marihan Farid · RJ Roggeveen · Michael Quon · Lynn Ashdown Description: Episode 108: ICAM Panel – Facing Ableism: What’s Our Role in Building Inclusion 🎙️ Live from the International Congress on Academic Medicine (ICAM) Ableism in medicine isn’t always...
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Content Warning This episode addresses mental health issues, including research and personal narratives on suicide. Please take care while engaging with it and only proceed if you feel safe doing so. If you, or someone you love, is having thoughts of suicide, please contact 988. Help is available. Interviewer Dr. Lisa Meeks Interviewees John Ruddell Jennifer Ruddell Narrator Dr. Joseph Murray Transcript Keywords Suicide Prevention Medical Education Mental Health Postvention Grief and Healing Wellness in Medicine Advocacy Systemic Reform Burnout Depression Anxiety Disabilities in Medical...
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Content Warning: This content addresses mental health issues, including research and narratives on suicide. Please take care while engaging with it and only proceed if you feel safe doing so. If you, or someone you love, is having thoughts of suicide, please contact 988. Help is available. Interviewer Dr. Lisa Meeks Interviewees John Ruddell Jennifer Ruddell Roja (friend of Jack Ruddell) Dr. David Muller Dr. Christine Moutier Dr. Jessi Gold Narrator Dr. Joseph Murray Keywords: Suicide, Postvention, Prevention, Aftermath, Proactive, Support, Parents, Peers,...
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Content Warning: This content addresses mental health issues, including research and narratives on suicide. Please take care while engaging with it and only proceed if you feel safe doing so. If you, or someone you love, is having thoughts of suicide, please contact 988. Help is available. Interviewer: Lisa Meeks Interviewees John Ruddell Jennifer Ruddell Roja (friend of Jack Ruddell) Dr. Stuart Slavin Dr. Christine Moutier Dr. Srijan Sen Dr. David Muller Dr. Justin Bullock Dr. Jessi Gold Narrator Dr. Joseph Murray Keywords:...
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Content Warning: This content addresses mental health issues, including research and narratives on suicide. Please take care while engaging with it and only proceed if you feel safe doing so. If you, or someone you love, is having thoughts of suicide, please contact 988. Help is available. Episode 104: Silent Struggles – Mental Health and Medical Education Interviewer Lisa Meeks Interviewees John Ruddell Jennifer Ruddell Roja (friend of Jack Ruddell) Dr. David Muller Dr. Justin Bullock Dr. Jessi Gold Narrator Dr. Joseph Murray Keywords: Mental...
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Interviewee: Dr. Diana Cejas
Interviewer: Dr. Lisa Meeks
Description:
In this conversation, Diana Cejas, a pediatric neurologist, shares her experiences as a disabled Black woman in medicine. She discusses her journey as a cancer and stroke survivor and the challenges she faced in getting her concerns taken seriously by healthcare professionals. Diana also highlights the impact of race and ableism in medicine and the need for greater recognition and support for marginalized individuals. She shares her experiences of returning to residency after a stroke and the mixed responses she received from colleagues. The conversation also explores the concept of benevolent ableism and its impact on disabled individuals. In this conversation, Lisa Meeks and Diana Cejas discuss the importance of disrupting ableism and advocating for inclusion in medical education and practice. They highlight the need for individuals to use their power and privilege to create change and challenge ableist attitudes and practices. They also explore the healing power of writing and how it can be a tool for communication and education. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the importance of believing in oneself and finding a supportive community.
Bio:
Diana M. Cejas, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and faculty of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. Her clinical work, research, and advocacy focus upon understanding the effects of ableism on health and improving care delivery and outcomes for children and young adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Dr. Cejas has also devoted much of her career to patient advocacy and improving communication between healthcare providers and the disability community, particularly young disabled patients of color. Dr. Cejas shares her own story and other commentary on disability and health via essays and other nonfiction. She is a 2023 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship Finalist and a 2021 Pushcart Prize nominee. Her literary work has appeared in high impact medical journals, prestigious literary magazines, anthologies, and popular media.
Key Words: Abelism, Racism, Developmental Disabilities, Stroke, Cancer, Residency, Medical School, ICU, writing, narrative medicine.
Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_-ZwCZvxwfuSMLHvv0aDxhox35LvDkPM9pYGCZTjGTo/edit?usp=sharing
Produced by: Kadesha Treco, Jacob Feeman and Dr. Lisa Meeks.
Audio editor: Jacob Feeman
Digital Media: Katie Sullivan
Resources: