The Med Mindset Podcast: Recent Episodes
Robert Burns & Nana Agyeman
Join student doctors, mentors, and educators Nana and Robert as they uncover the steps, strategies, and mindset used by highly motivated medical students and residents. It features off-the-cuff interviews which illuminate the essence of their successes and how you can attain it. Subscribe now for more episodes.
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
Now find us on Instagram!
In this week’s episode, we present our amazing colleague Aniruddha Shekara. Ani’s episode was fascinating for many reasons. This interview has been long time coming , hence why we are so excited to share our conversation with Ani. Recently there has been an increased call to action for physicians that possess the wherewithal to translate research from the bench and leverage that in providing the best care to patients. This call has since been amplified due to the apparent need to enhance scientific communication proficiency in light of the kaleidoscope of opinions littered in the discourse surrounding COVID-19. We should worry not because Ani is on the MD/PhD path. We invite you this week to witness how incredible of a person Ani is and why the future of healthcare is bright simply because he endeavors to help change the world as we know it. He shares with us the thinking behind his decision-making on switching from a premed to becoming a physician-scientist. The additional experiences he sought to make himself a competitive applicant and more were discussed. For this and many more, enjoy this week's episode!
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- Why you should explore being an M.D./PhD
- Making the case to justify the funding for the M.S.T.P. program
- Bust the myth behind the M.D./Ph.D. process
- The importance of research in medicine
- How to seek out physician-scientist mentors
- How to start an independent research project as an undergrad
- Enriching your gap years with productive experiences
- Ani's love for music
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic
- Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
Now find us on Instagram!
In this week’s episode, we present our amazing colleague Josh Yem. Josh’s episode was fascinating for many reasons. Many a time, we all have significant setbacks on our journey to medicine, and Josh was no stranger to this said fact. After his first unsuccessful application, he took the initiative, made various changes, and sought experiences that made him the ideal candidate when he reapplied, rather than fall down the cycle of despair. Josh shares with the listeners what he did in his gap year and how he conveyed his maturity in that period in his application. He spoke at length about crafting a personal statement, especially given that he was informed, when he went back for feedback, that it wasn’t well crafted when he first applied. This may have impacted his application negatively. Did I also say he was a music major in the classics??? For this and more, tune in and join this episode!
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- How to structure your premed timeline as a double major
- Finding experience as a pharmacy technician after high school
- Music as an escape from medicine
- Dealing with a major for which doesn’t overlap with premed classes
- Dealing with getting rejections from medical school
- What experiences may be worth your while during a gap year
- How to conceptualize and approach crafting a personal statement
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- Unconventional Medicine: Join the Revolution to Reinvent Healthcare, Reverse Chronic Disease, and Create a Practice You Love
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
Now find us on Instagram!
In this week’s episode, we present our amazing colleague Ebun Falade. Ebun has been a great leader, and she's a phenomenal speaker and an excellent conversationalist, a fact that will become apparent when one listens to the episode. Ebun demonstrates to us the ability not to let her self-worth be defined by sets of numbers that may not determine who she is on the mere account of a bad semester. She made it a point to never dwell on her failures throughout her journey, for that sort of entrenchment in one's past defeat can lead to a crippling end. Every bad or good experience was a profound learning experience for her, which changed her perspectives and how she approached her future endeavors. She opines a bit on how to take advantage of social media to find academic connections; actually, she was able to secure a research position by sliding In the DMs. This episode is packed with tons of actionable advice through the reflections of her story. For this and more, tune in and join this episode!
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- How to be intentional in your approach to medicine
- Finding research internships in high school
- Obtaining paid research internships in college
- The value of networkingHow to implement a theme throughout your medical school application
- Using social media to find academic connections
- Bolstering your CV through by seeking various leadership experiences
- Getting back up after minor falls and failures in your journey as a pre-med
- Deciding on what graduate program to enroll in
- What to avoid on your application for medical school
- Free tips for Ghanian and Nigerian cuisine (a bonus!)
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- A Convo With Moe
- The Greater Podcast
- Daring Greatly
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
Now find us on Instagram!
In this week’s episode, we present our amazing colleague Isaiah Giordullo. Isaiah opens up and talks freely about his mental health. He advocates for the proliferation of welcoming, safe spaces for people to have conversations on how to be more cognizant of the various issues pertaining to the mind. Isaiah has a strong position of work-life balance or, simply put, he speaks about how one ought to find a way of integrating your passions, hobbies, and all things of sorts that make one happy into your life. He also kindly provides us with some of the personal choices he made in undergrad to get into Medical school, for this and more tune in. For this and more, tune in and join this episode!
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- Who applies to BS/MD or BS/DO program
- On the fuel and motivations to success in undergrad
- Struggling and overcoming mild depression
- What makes one pursue psychiatry
- Advocating for mental health
- All things work-life balance and integration
- Being a successful premed
- Do what makes you happy don't checkboxes
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- Meditations
Links from the Show
- Anki
- Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve
- Young Life Capernaum
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
Now find us on Instagram!
In this week’s episode, we present our amazing colleague Grace Zhang. Grace’s entire journey is littered with illustrations of advocacy. She identifies key moments in her life where a particular encounter or sets of them, I should say, enjoined her to be a factor in the solutions to problems afflicting her community. Her leadership skills are apparent. While in High school, Grace began a free street store in Indiana for homeless people to “shop with dignity,” she asserted. Furthermore, she became a bridge for many people to the healthcare system as a mandarin interpreter at a clinic frequented by Asian immigrants in the Cleveland area. For this and more, tune in and join this episode!
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- Tips on becoming an astute writer
- Issues pertaining to tackling her identity
- How to Start an organization in high school
- Becoming a successful pre med albeit beginning college with uncertainty to pursue medicine
- Thoughts on providing culturally competent medical care
- How to get involved in healthcare as a translator
- How to approach the application cycle
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- Milk and Honey
Links from the Show
- The Street Store
- Medical Translators
- Wheeler Mission
- Design for America
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
Now find us on Instagram!
In this week’s episode, we present our amazing colleague, Kevin Piczer. His path to medicine seemed very conventional, but after our discussion, probing into the details of his experiences, it appears he’s indeed not your average premed. Kevin provides earnest, intimate accounts of his time working at the suicide prevention hotline in Columbus, and many more. If you want to develop productive insights into the skills that lends one to work suicide prevention, become a co-founder of a non-profit, or learn the intricacies of Kevin’s journey to medical school, stay tuned and enjoy!
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- How to go beyond checking boxes for your pre-med experiences
- Experience as biochemistry major
- How to approach gaining research experiences
- Reflections and accounts of the suicide prevention hotline
- Confounding a nonprofit
- Kevin’s personal philosophy on how to find or create meaningful experiences for oneself
- Hobbies, or, aptly put, passion for making drinks as a bonus!
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic
- Is It Me or My Meds?: Living with Antidepressants
- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Links from the Show
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- MetroHealth Cleveland
- Cleveland Clinic
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
Now find us on Instagram!
In this week’s episode, we are blessed with the presence of fellow first year medical student Cameron Reinisch, Cam as he prefers to be called. Cam shares his journey of starting a non-profit organization dedicated to lowering the social isolation that patients with Alzheimer's face. While bringing this idea to life, Cam also took several younger premed students under his wing and successfully mentored them through medical school applications and onto acceptance into their desired programs. Enjoy!
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- How to go beyond checking boxes for your pre-med experiences
- Steps to starting a non-profit organization
- How having a strong team makes you achieve your goals
- Effectively conveying your story on a medical school application
- Entrepreneurship as a premed
- Why meaningful experiences make you shine on your medical school application
- Sharing his admissions secrets he uses to mentor premed students
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- The End of Alzheimer's: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline
Links from the Show
- A Caring Place
- Alzheimer's Association
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
Find us on Instagram!
In this week’s episode, we are blessed with the presence of our colleague Brianna Bangert, Bri as she prefers to be called. Bri comes from a humble upbringing and has defied the odds in all aspects of life. She provides the listeners with deep intimate accounts of her journey through high school and college. She delves into the highs and the lows, the ups and downs, and the value of being persistent and taking care of your mental health through it all. Bri openly shares her struggles on the MCAT and, despite her low MCAT score, how she developed a stand-out application. Enjoy!
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- Pearls of wisdom on succeeding in school, with insurmountable amounts of responsibilities
- How to overcome a low MCAT score on your application
- Working 6 jobs without losing her sanity
- Strategies to overcome procrastination
- Highlighting the values Bri learned during her upbringing, being intimate with the juxtaposition between wealth and poverty
- What makes a ballerina fall in love with medicine
- The power of mental health and therapy to avoid burnout
- Women-centered organizations providing research opportunities to high school and college students
- How to overcome a low MCAT score on your application
- The approach one ought to adopt when searching for a research position
- How shadowing impacted her application
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- The Silent Patient
Links from the Show
- Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
- Center of Excellence for Women & Technology
- Cancer Summer Research Program
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
Now find us on Instagram!
In this week’s episode, we are blessed with the presence of a frontline Covid ICU nurse turned medical student. Carter Glenn brings to the forefront a unique perspective stemming from his experiences as a nurse and the moments that prompted him to switch to a career in medicine. He elegantly showcases an innate ability to introspect and draw unique values from his experiences in a manner that makes it a learning experience for all listeners.
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- How to arrive at ‘why medicine’ as a nurse
- Working as an ICU nurse during the Covid 19 pandemic
- The power of mindset
- Importance of familiarizing oneself with the day to day functionalities of a healthcare setting
- Defining one’s future career from lessons of the past
- Circumventing the perils of working full time as a student
- Selecting college based on earning a spot as a college athlete
- Pearls of wisdom on succeeding in school and defying the odds
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
- The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
Now find us on Instagram!
In this week’s episode, we are blessed with the presence of the amazing Maddie Henwood. She shares her journey to medicine with a focused view of how she’s managed to be a phenomenal student despite the challenges of living with Anorectal/Cloacal Malformation: a congenital fusion of the urinary, reproductive, and digestive tracts.
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- Deciding when to enroll in a post-baccalaureate (post-bac) program
- The power of resiliency
- Surmounting the burden of living with a chronic illness
- Taking on ‘weed-out’ pre-med classes and moving forward after failure
- The significance of great mentors and their invaluable role in the life of a pre-med
- Pearls of wisdom from Maddie’s blog
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- When Breath Becomes Air
Links from the Show
- Read about Maddie’s Journey on Her Blog!
- Alberto Peña, M.D.
Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
On this week’s episode we had the singular privilege of interviewing the amazing Nicole Jordan. In this episode we will share the journey Nicole took, from setting aside the sewing machine for a stethoscope.
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- The challenges of changing careers and going back to school after a long absence
- How Nicole’s sought and obtained experiences in public health and research
- A brief overview of applying to medical school during the pandemic
- General advice on staying on task and getting good grades in college
- The financial considerations one ought to consider as a premed
- The importance of support systems
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Today we’re excited to announce the launch of the brand new Med Mindset Podcast. Each week, we will be bringing you incredible tips, strategies and interviews with phenomenal medical students and residents. You can listen online (below), download it to listen later, on your smartphone: all for free.
In this episode we will share the journey, our Co-Host, Nana Agyeman took, from immigrating to the United States at 16 years old, to working in a factory and eventually shifting his path to successfully pursue medicine.
In This Week’s Podcast, We’ll Explore
- How to navigate working full time and being a successful premed
- The DON’TS of CARS
- Applying to medical school and undergrad as an immigrant
- Using one’s passion and motivation outside of medicine as a fuel for pursuing medicine
- How to enjoy your time when having slim to none of it
Books Mentioned in the Podcast
- Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future
