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Episodes 102: Honoring Dr. Jack Ruddell: A Story of Joy, Compassion, and Mental Health in Medical Training

Release Date: 09/17/2024

Episode 124: Mapping the Landscape of Technical Standards: A Nationwide Review of Medical Schools

DocsWithDisabilities

Mapping the Landscape of Technical Standards: A Nationwide Review of Medical Schools Interviewees: Carol Haywood, PhD, OTR/L — Assistant Professor, Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chris Moreland, MD, MPH — Professor of Internal Medicine; Division Chief for Hospital Medicine; Interim Associate Chair for Faculty Affairs and Development, Dell Medical School (Comments made in ASL and voiced through interpreters) Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA — Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical...

Episode 123: Evaluating Disability-Inclusive Content on U.S. Medical Schools’ Websites: A National Study

DocsWithDisabilities

Episode 123: Evaluating Disability-Inclusive Content on U.S. Medical Schools’ Websites—A National Study Interviewees: Ifeoma Ikedionwu, MD — Psychiatry and Internal Medicine Dual Intern, UT Southwestern Dominique Cook — Fourth-Year Medical Student, University of South Florida Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA — Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education Description: In this episode of Stories Behind the Science, Dr. Lisa Meeks sits down with Dr. Ifeoma Ikedionwu and Dominique Cook, co-authors of the first national study...

Episode 122: Clinical Accommodations in Undergraduate Medical Education

DocsWithDisabilities

Interviewees: Matthew Sullivan, PhD, Assistant Director of Disability Resources, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Suchita “Suchi” Rastogi, PhD. MPH Candidate, University of Illinois Chicago; CEO, Disability in Medicine Mutual Mentorship Program Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education Description: In this episode of Stories Behind the Science, Dr. Lisa Meeks talks with Matt Sullivan (Washington University School of Medicine) and Suchita “Suchi” Rastogi (UIC; DM3P) about...

Episode 121: Promoting Disability Inclusion Through an Expanded Conceptual Framework of the Learning Environment

DocsWithDisabilities

Interviewee: Erick Hung, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Associate Dean for Students, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education Description: In this episode of Stories Behind the Science, Dr. Lisa Meeks talks with Dr. Erick Hung (UCSF) about his paper, “Promoting Disability Inclusion Through an Expanded Conceptual Framework of the Learning Environment,” part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME. Their...

Episode 120: The Intersection of Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Financial Background on Food Insecurity Among Medical Students

DocsWithDisabilities

Interviewee: Bassel Shanab, BS is a fourth-year medical student at the Yale School of Medicine. Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME. Description: This episode of Stories Behind the Science sits down with Bassel Shanab (Yale School of Medicine), co-first author of “The Intersection of Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Financial Background on Food Insecurity Among Medical Students,” part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME. We move beyond prevalence rates to the lived realities...

Episode 119: Disability in Undergraduate Medical Education in the United States: A Scoping Review

DocsWithDisabilities

Interviewees: Kirsten Brown, PhD Assistant Professor of Health Professions Education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; as a short disclaimer, Kirsten’s views do not represent the official policy or position of her employer. Dionna Bidny, MD, MMUS a first-year resident in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, currently completing her Transitional Year; and Abby Konoposky, PhD Senior Director of Medical Education Research in the Department of Psychiatry at Northwell Health. Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD,...

Episode 118: Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners with Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition

DocsWithDisabilities

Interviewees: Dr. Zoie Sheets, Resident Physician in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago; and Dr. Nalinda Charnsangavej, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Residency Program Director at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME. Description: Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners with Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition This episode of Stories Behind the Science brings you an...

Episode 114: ACGME/DWDI Disability Resource Hub Case Study: Psychological Disability in a Nephrology Fellowship

DocsWithDisabilities

Interviewees: Justin Bullock, MD, MPH; Cary Payne, MD Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA Description: In Episode 114, Dr. Lisa Meeks talks with Dr. Justin Bullock (nephrology fellow, University of Washington; living with bipolar disorder) and Dr. Cary Payne (Program Director, Nephrology Fellowship, University of Washington) about navigating fellowship with a psychiatric disability—and how trust, humility, and creative flexibility built a training experience defined by healing and growth. Together, they retrace Justin’s decision to pursue fellowship after a traumatic residency, his choice to...

Episode 113: ACGME/DWDI Disability Resource Hub Case Study: Learning Disability and ADHD in a Psychiatry Residency

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...

Episode 112: ACGME/DWDI Disability Resource Hub Case Study: A Learner with a Cognitive Disability in a Urology Residency

DocsWithDisabilities

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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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. Christine Moutier

Dr. Jessi Gold

Narrator

Dr. Joseph Murray

Description

In this deeply moving episode, host Lisa Meeks introduces a special series dedicated to exploring the mental health crisis among medical trainees, with a focus on the tragic story of Dr. Jack Ruddell. Joined by Jack's parents, John and Jennifer Ruddell, and his close friend Roja, we delve into Jack's life, his struggles with depression and anxiety, and the immense pressures faced by medical students.

Dr. Joseph Murray, a psychiatrist at Weill Cornell Medical College, provides expert insights into the high rates of burnout, depression, and suicide in the medical field. We also hear from Dr. Christine Moutier, Chief Medical Officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Dr. Jessie Gold, a respected psychiatrist and author, who discuss the unique challenges and cultural issues within medical training that contribute to mental health struggles.

This episode aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, encourage medical learners to seek help, and advocate for systemic changes in medical education to foster a more supportive and compassionate environment.

Description of Series

DWDI Special Series: Suicidality in Medical Training dives into the critical conversations around mental health, well-being, support systems, and the intense pressures faced during medical training. Through the power of storytelling, the series intertwines these broader themes with the deeply personal story of Dr. Jack Ruddell, a promising medical student who died by suicide. Jack’s journey—his strengths, struggles, and the complexities leading to his untimely death—forms the emotional core of this five-part series, giving voice to the loved ones often excluded from these conversations.

Alongside Jack’s story, the series incorporates expert insights and data from the literature, offering a human perspective on burnout, depression, and suicide among medical trainees. With a commitment to improving mental health awareness and reducing the stigma around seeking help, the series presents a novel approach by centering personal narratives alongside expert analysis. It also explores actionable strategies for improving medical training environments and highlights the importance of institutional responses after a loss by suicide.

Our mission is to reduce shame, encourage help-seeking among medical students struggling with depression, and ensure that every medical school is aware of the postvention resources offered by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

Experts for the Series

Christine Moutier, MD – Chief Medical Officer, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Jessi Gold, MD – Chief Wellness Officer, University of Tennessee System; Author of How Do You Feel?
David Muller, MD – Director, Institute for Equity and Justice in Health Sciences Education; Dean Emeritus, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai; Author of the NEJM essay, Kathryn
Srijan Sen, MD, PhD – Director, Eisenberg Family Depression Center; PI of the Intern Health Study
Justin Bullock, MD, MPH – Fellow, University of Washington; Author of the NEJM article, Suicide, Rewriting My Story
Stuart Slavin, MD, MEd – Vice President for Well-Being, ACGME

Executive Producers:

Lisa Meeks
Rylee Betchkal
John Ruddell
Jennifer Ruddell

Sound production:

Jacob Feeman
Mark Koha
Next Day Podcast

Consult Psychiatrist

Joseph Murray, MD

Episode Release Schedule:

September 17: Episode 102 – Honoring Dr. Jack Ruddell: A Story of Joy, Compassion, and Mental Health in Medical Training.
September 17: Episode 103 – Suicide and Suicidality in Medical Training: Understanding the Crisis and its Causes.
September 24: Episode 104 – Silent Struggles: Mental Health and Medical Education.
September 26: Episode 105 – Repairing the System: How Do We Create Safe Environments?
September 30: Episode 106 – Responding to Loss: Postvention and Support After a Suicide.

Transcript

Keywords: Suicide, Death, Mental health, Jack Ruddell, Medical training, Depression, Suicidality, Burnout, Anxiety, Medical trainees, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Tourette's, Disabilities, Medical education, Medical school, Discrimination, Academic pressure, Clinical practice, Imposter syndrome, Perfectionism, Shame, Mental disability, Learning challenges, Accommodations, High-stakes testing, Inclusivity, Stigma

Resources:

24/7 Suicide & Crisis Hotline, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

How are you? By Jessi Gold

National Office for Suicide Prevention: Language and suicide

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

References

Johnson KM, Slavin SJ, Takahashi TA. Excellent vs Excessive: Helping Trainees Balance Performance and Perfectionism. J Grad Med Educ. 2023 Aug;15(4):424-427. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-23-00003.1. PMID: 37637342; PMCID: PMC10449346.

Bynum WE 4th, W Teunissen P, Varpio L. In the "Shadow of Shame": A Phenomenological Exploration of the Nature of Shame Experiences in Medical Students. Acad Med. 2021 Nov 1;96(11S):S23-S30. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000004261. PMID: 34348391.

Jain, Neera R. PhD, MS1; Stergiopoulos, Erene MD, MA2; Addams, Amy3; Moreland, Christopher J. MD, MPH4; Meeks, Lisa M. PhD, MA5. “We Need a Seismic Shift”: Disabled Student Perspectives on Disability Inclusion in U.S. Medical Education. Academic Medicine ():10.1097/ACM.0000000000005842, August 8, 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000005842

Meeks LM, Jain NR. Accessibility, Inclusion, and Action in Medical Education: Lived Experiences of Learners and Physicians with Disabilities. Washington, DC: Association of American Medical Colleges; 2018. Retrieved on September 14, 2024 from: https://store.aamc.org/accessibility-inclusion-and-action-in-medical-education-lived-experiences-of-learners-and-physicians-with-disabilities.html.

Meeks, L. M., Pereira‐Lima, K., Plegue, M., Jain, N. R., Stergiopoulos, E., Stauffer, C., ... & Moreland, C. J. (2023). Disability, program access, empathy and burnout in US medical students: A national study. Medical education, 57(6), 523-534.

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