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On this episode of the WISER Podcast, we continue Chief Insights, our mini-series highlighting the experiences of Emory’s female chief general surgery residents. Through these conversations, we explore their paths to surgery, the mentors who shaped them, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. For this installment, WISER co-presidents Julia Burns and Rachel Holstein sat down with Dr. Bernadette Peltier. Dr. Peltier attended UT Southwestern for medical school and completed her general surgery residency at Emory, where she is currently serving as a chief resident. She will be heading to the Cleveland Clinic next year to begin her thoracic surgery fellowship. In this conversation, Dr. Peltier shares her nontraditional path into surgery, from initially considering internal medicine to discovering her passion during trauma rotations. She reflects on how she ultimately found her fit in thoracic surgery, the role of mentorship and advocacy in a competitive match process, and how she approached residency without taking dedicated research years. She also offers thoughtful advice for medical students and interns, emphasizing the importance of mastering the fundamentals of patient care, building strong relationships, and growing into your role over time. We also discuss her experience as a woman in surgery, the transition into chief year, and how she has found balance and support throughout training. Editors: Julia Byrnes and Rachel Holstein Producers: Julia Byrnes, Rachel Holstein and Vienna WangHosts: Rachel Holstein and Julia ByrnesArtwork: Lily KamatMusic: Bluedot Sessions The post S7E5: Chief Insights: Dr. Bernadette Peltier first appeared on WISER Podcast.

On this episode of the WISER Podcast, we continue Chief Insights, our mini-series highlighting the experiences of Emory’s female chief general surgery residents. Through these conversations, we explore their paths to surgery, the mentors who shaped them, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. For this installment, WISER co-presidents Julia Byrnes and Rachel Holstein sat down with Dr. Aileen Johnson. Dr. Johnson attended MIT for undergraduate studies before earning her medical degree at Emory University School of Medicine and staying at Emory for general surgery residency. She is one of this year’s chief residents and will be pursuing a fellowship in abdominal transplant surgery at the University of Wisconsin next year. In this conversation, Dr. Johnson reflects on how her early experiences in EMS during college solidified her commitment to patient care, how mentorship shaped her journey into transplant surgery, and what she gained from taking three dedicated research years. She shares thoughtful advice on ownership in training, cultivating autonomy, and preparing for the responsibility of becoming “the surgeon.” We also discuss her experience as a woman in surgery, the culture of chief year, and the importance of showing up prepared, curious, and intentional at every stage of training. Editors: Rachel Holstein and Julia Byrnes Producers: Julia Byrnes, Rachel Holstein and Amelia Fogle Hosts: Rachel Holstein and Julia ByrnesArtwork: Lily KamatMusic: Bluedot Sessions The post S7E4: Chief Insights: Dr. Aileen Johnson first appeared on WISER Podcast.

On this episode of the WISER podcast, we’re excited to launch Chief Insights, a new mini-series featuring conversations with female chief general surgery residents at Emory. Through these interviews, we explore their unique journeys in surgery and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. For our first episode of Chief Insights, WISER co-president Julia Byrnes and vice president Harleen Kaur sat down with Dr. Olivia Keane. Dr. Keane went to the Medical University of South Carolina for medical school and came to Emory for general surgery residency. She is one of the chief general surgery residents this year and will be staying at Emory and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for pediatric surgery fellowship next year! Producers: Julia Byrnes and Rachel HolsteinHosts: Julia Byrnes and Harleen KaurEditors: Amelia Fogle, Julia Byrnes, Nicole Semaan, and Rachel Holstein Media: Lily KamatMusic: Bluedot Sessions Click here to listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! The post S7E2: Chief Insights: Dr. Olivia Keane first appeared on WISER Podcast.

Dr. Wendy Greene, the first African American female professor of surgery at Emory University, is a trailblazer in medicine and a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion. A founding member of the African American Women’s Collaborative, she has led national conversations on DEI, secured a Level I trauma designation at Howard University Hospital, mentored countless future surgeons, and was recently awarded the Emory Department of Surgery’s Faculty DEI Pioneer Award. Yet, titles alone cannot capture the true essence of Dr. Greene, because what truly defines her is how she leads- with grace, humility, and an unshakable sense of purpose. Guided by her mantra, “A bend in the road is not the end of the road, as long as you make the turn,” Dr. Greene exemplifies resilience, humility, and purpose. Please join us in celebrating this extraordinary leader! Editors: Rachel Holstein and Julia Byrnes Producers: Julia Byrnes, Rachel Holstein and Amelia Fogle Hosts: Rachel Holstein and Cynthia RamazaniArtwork: Lily KamatMusic: Bluedot Sessions Click here to listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! The post S7E1: Dr. Wendy Greene, on Inclusion, Equity, and Shaping the Future of Surgery first appeared on WISER Podcast.

Nicole C. Schmitt, MD, FACS, is an associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Emory University School of Medicine. A board-certified otolaryngologist, Dr. Schmitt’s clinical and research work is focused on head and neck surgical oncology and novel therapeutic combinations. Dr. Schmitt obtained her Medical Degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. She completed her general surgery internship, a research fellowship and her residency in otolaryngology at University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. She also completed a fellowship in head and neck surgery and tumor biology at University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Schmitt’s research interest is in characterizing immune effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy and designing optimal combinations of chemotherapy and immunotherapy for head and neck cancer. Hosts: Megan Wasson and Amelia FogleEditors: Megan WassonProducers: Shannon Su and Megan WassonArtwork: Harleen KaurMusic: Bluedot Sessions Click here to listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider donating to our GoFundMe. This will help us pay for the editing software necessary to run this podcast. Thank you for your generosity! Hosts: Megan Wasson and Amelia FogleEditors: Megan WassonProducers: Shannon Su and Megan WassonArtwork: Harleen KaurMusic: Bluedot Sessions The post Moms in Medicine: Having perspective, with Dr. Schmitt first appeared on WISER Podcast.

Dr. Emily Lagergren, MD, RPVI is a board-certified vascular surgeon with Vascular Surgical Associates. She joined VSA in 2018. Dr. Lagergren graduated magna cum laude from Florida State University, in Tallahassee, Florida, with a degree in biology. She obtained her general surgery training at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her interest to remain in the Southeast brought her to Emory School of Medicine, in Atlanta, Georgia, where she completed her two-year fellowship in Vascular and Endovascular surgery. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and finding the perfect work-life balance.  Hosts: Shannon Su and Julia ByrnesEditors: Megan WassonProducers: Shannon Su and Megan WassonArtwork: Harleen KaurMusic: Bluedot Sessions Click here to listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider donating to our GoFundMe. This will help us pay for the editing software necessary to run this podcast. Thank you for your generosity! Hosts: Shannon Su and Julia ByrnesEditors: Megan WassonProducers: Shannon Su and Megan WassonArtwork: Harleen KaurMusic: Bluedot Sessions Stay tuned for our final episode of season 6, coming soon! The post Moms in Medicine: Dr. Lagergren’s Journey with IVF first appeared on WISER Podcast.

Hi everyone! Welcome back to the third segment of our Moms in Medicine series. This week, we are talking with Dr. Gabriela García Nores. Dr. García is an esteemed plastic surgery faculty at Emory (and a huge advocate and sponsor of her mentees). Dr. Gabriela Garcia Nores received her MD degree from the Universidad San Martin de Porres, Facultad de Medicina Humana, Lima, Peru, in 2009. She completed general surgery residency at NYU Medical Center, during which she did a two-year research fellowship in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Her plastic surgery residency was done at the Emory and followed by a fellowship in microvascular reconstruction at the University of Pennsylvania. Hosts: Shannon Su and Megan WassonEditors: Megan WassonProducers: Shannon Su and Megan WassonArtwork: Shannon SuMusic: Bluedot Sessions Click here to listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider donating to our GoFundMe. This will help us pay for the editing software necessary to run this podcast. Thank you for your generosity! Hosts: Shannon Su and Megan WassonEditors: Megan WassonProducers: Shannon Su and Megan WassonArtwork: Shannon SuMusic: Bluedot Sessions Stay tuned for the next part of our series! The post Moms in Medicine: Residency and Pregnancy with Dr. Garcia Nores first appeared on WISER Podcast.

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of WISER. We hope you enjoyed the first part of our series, Moms in Medicine. This week, we bring you Dr. Jacqueline Lee. Dr. Lee received her medical degree from the UNC School of Medicine where she continued on to complete an OB/GYN residency at Northwestern University. Following residency, Dr. Lee completed her Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Emory Reproductive Center. Jacqueline Lee, a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist at Emory Reproductive Center. This week, we speak with Dr. Lee about her experience with pregnancy and parenthood during her fellowship years, and navigating job negotiations with a family and family planning in mind. Click here to listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Hosts: Shannon Su and Megan WassonEditors: Megan WassonProducers: Shannon Su and Megan WassonArtwork: Shannon SuMusic: Bluedot Sessions If you enjoyed this episode, please consider donating to our GoFundMe. This will help us pay for the editing software necessary to run this podcast. Thank you for your generosity! Hosts: Megan Wasson and Shannon SuEditors: Megan WassonProducers: Shannon Su and Megan WassonArtwork: Shannon SuMusic: Bluedot Sessions The post Moms in Medicine: Balance with Dr. Lee first appeared on WISER Podcast.

Hi everyone! Welcome back to The WISER Podcast after our mid-season break. We are super excited to start this new series, called Moms in Medicine, to share with you the stories from our wonderful guests about residency, motherhood, and family as busy surgeons. Our first guest is Dr. Melika Zarei Deaton. Dr. Deaton attended medical school at the Virginia Tech Carillon School of Medicine and has been at Emory for plastic surgery residency. She is currently a PGY5 and shares with us stories about her first pregnancy during residency, navigating a surgical residency as a mother, and her tips and tricks for others who may be in her shoes soon. P.S. Listen to the very end for a surprise! Congrats, Dr. Deaton, and thank you for sharing this exciting news with us. Hosts: Shannon Su and Megan WassonEditors: Megan WassonProducers: Shannon Su and Megan WassonArtwork: Shannon SuMusic: Bluedot Sessions Click here to listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider donating to our GoFundMe. This will help us pay for the editing software necessary to run this podcast. Thank you for your generosity! Hosts: Shannon Su and Megan WassonEditors: Megan WassonProducers: Shannon Su and Megan WassonArtwork: Shannon SuMusic: Bluedot Sessions Stay tuned for the rest of the series! The post Moms in Medicine: Kicking it off with Dr. Deaton first appeared on WISER Podcast.

In this episode, we are honored to have Dr. Jennifer Kawwass with us on the podcast. Dr. Kawwass is joined by President and OBGYN hopeful Megan Wasson and Vice-President Rachel Holstein. Dr. Kawwass speaks with our team about the field of REI, the influence of social media on her patients, and her work in advocating […] The post On Family Building & Wearing Hats with Dr. Kawwass first appeared on WISER Podcast.

On this episode, president Shannon Su and president emeritus Elizabeth Rieger are honored to host Dr. Betsy Grunch on the WISER podcast. Dr. Grunch is a neurosurgeon, mom, and “medfluencer” who speaks with us about her insane balancing act of being a mom and a physician, working social media, and what it’s like to be […] The post S6E4: @ladyspinedoc on The WISER Podcast! first appeared on WISER Podcast.

Welcome to episode 3 of season 6! In this episode, presidents Shannon and Megan speak with Dr. Jennifer Gross about her journey to becoming a head and neck surgeon and the intrigue of head and neck surgery. Dr. Jennifer Gross is an Assistant Professor in Otolaryngology in the division of Head and Neck Surgery at […] The post S6E3:On Head & Neck Surgery and Work-Life Balance with Dr. Jennifer Gross first appeared on WISER Podcast.

In this episode, our chief editor extraordinaire, Grace, hosts Dr. McKenzie Hollon on the WISER podcast. After many seasons of speaking with surgeons at the table, we figured it was about time to go beyond the drape, and there is no better person than Dr. Hollon to do that with us. She provides a peek […] The post S6E2: Behind the Drape with Dr. Hollon first appeared on WISER Podcast.

Welcome to season 6! In this episode, newly minted presidents Shannon Su and Megan Wasson interview Dr. Angela Cheng, a Plastic and Reconstructive Microsurgeon at Emory. Dr. Cheng provides insight into her experience as a woman in largely male-dominated fields, the significance of mentorship, and the importance of standing up for yourself and asking for […] The post S6E1: Dr. Angela Cheng, on Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (and Asking for What You Deserve) first appeared on WISER Podcast.

In this episode, WISER president Lara Schwieger, and co-host Helen O’Leary interview Dr. Kirsten Freeman, a cardiovascular surgeon at the University of Florida. Dr. Freeman discusses her experiences training in hospitals around the country, touches on the pros and cons of integrated vs traditional residency pathways to CT surgery, and describes the transition from surgical […] The post S5E8: Dr. Kirsten Freeman, on Cardiovascular Surgery first appeared on WISER Podcast.