WEBVTT 00:00:14.929 --> 00:00:17.250 Welcome to Our Voices Our Future, the podcast 00:00:17.250 --> 00:00:19.370 where we amplify the voices driving change and 00:00:19.370 --> 00:00:21.649 equity within medicine and beyond. Brought to 00:00:21.649 --> 00:00:23.730 you by the Gender Equity Task Force, a committee 00:00:23.730 --> 00:00:25.809 of the American Medical Women's Association. 00:00:26.390 --> 00:00:28.230 We're here to challenge norms, break barriers, 00:00:28.390 --> 00:00:30.870 and ignite conversations that matter. I'm Megan 00:00:30.870 --> 00:00:32.950 Nutsi, and in each episode, we'll bring you candid 00:00:32.950 --> 00:00:35.250 discussions with leaders, change makers, and 00:00:35.250 --> 00:00:37.210 advocates working to create a more inclusive 00:00:37.210 --> 00:00:40.009 and just world. No more silence, no more waiting. 00:00:40.170 --> 00:00:42.850 You're listening to our voices, our future. Let's 00:00:42.850 --> 00:00:45.759 get into it. Today we are welcoming Kiana Wells, 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.219 a friend I have had the pleasure of meeting within 00:00:48.219 --> 00:00:51.200 medical school. Kiana is a self -published author 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:53.679 and a dedicated future physician whose journey 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:56.420 reflects resilience, compassion, and purpose. 00:00:56.960 --> 00:00:59.359 She studied pre -medical studies at Berea College, 00:00:59.820 --> 00:01:02.060 and she continued her education in medical sciences 00:01:02.060 --> 00:01:05.099 at Ponce Health Sciences University, and she 00:01:05.099 --> 00:01:07.859 now studies doctor of medicine at St. George's 00:01:07.859 --> 00:01:11.000 University. Kiana holds an independent neuroscience 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:13.560 bachelor's degree with a pre -med concentration 00:01:13.560 --> 00:01:16.739 and a biology minor, blending her love for science 00:01:16.739 --> 00:01:20.019 with a deep passion for patient care. Her work 00:01:20.019 --> 00:01:22.560 as a courtesy clerk and her role in the Interventional 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:25.239 Radiology Center at UT Medical Center have strengthened 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:28.000 her community and empathy skills, allowing her 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:30.299 to help her patients feel comfortable and supported 00:01:30.299 --> 00:01:32.859 before surgery. She's particularly interested 00:01:32.859 --> 00:01:37.900 in the causality of effects of neurodiv... neurodegenerative 00:01:37.900 --> 00:01:41.040 diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease, as 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.599 well as an understanding cognitive ability and 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:45.900 processing. Beyond her academic and clinical 00:01:45.900 --> 00:01:47.959 achievements, Kiana is committed to empowering 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:50.500 patients of color to feel valued and informed 00:01:50.500 --> 00:01:53.239 within healthcare settings. She's also learning 00:01:53.239 --> 00:01:55.879 Spanish and sign language to communicate more 00:01:55.879 --> 00:01:57.719 effectively and inclusively with all patients. 00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:00.540 Thanks for being here today, Kiana. Yeah, of 00:02:00.540 --> 00:02:03.359 course. Thank you for having me. So can you just 00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:05.540 start a little bit about what has shaped your 00:02:05.540 --> 00:02:07.719 journey into medicine? What's inspired you to 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:10.460 pursue this path and kind of how your experiences 00:02:10.460 --> 00:02:13.979 have shaped your why? Yes, I love this question 00:02:13.979 --> 00:02:16.199 because for me, I didn't always want to be a 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:19.360 doctor. So for me, there's no one singular thing 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:22.520 that draw me to medicine. But it's a combination 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:25.080 of things that happened in my life. In particular, 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:27.840 I was a I don't know if I was a preterm baby, 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:30.879 but I was a tiny baby. and so with that I had 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:34.099 a lot of uh ear infections and a lot of issues 00:02:34.099 --> 00:02:36.120 so I was always at the doctor's office back when 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:38.719 they used paper uh for your medical forms and 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:41.020 so they would joke about carrying it around and 00:02:41.020 --> 00:02:43.319 the doctor was just couldn't figure out like 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:46.020 how to help me and so another doctor said I want 00:02:46.020 --> 00:02:48.039 to meet this kiana like everybody in this office 00:02:48.039 --> 00:02:49.900 is talking about this girl I need to meet this 00:02:49.900 --> 00:02:53.080 baby she met me was the only doctor that figured 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:55.680 out like how to get me they were like if she 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:57.460 likes butter put it in everything like they fattened 00:02:57.460 --> 00:03:00.259 me up for real and so dr brazano shout out to 00:03:00.259 --> 00:03:03.560 her she is she was my pediatrician and she is 00:03:03.560 --> 00:03:06.560 the one person that i could say drew me to medicine 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:09.340 because she made me feel heard valued and understood 00:03:09.340 --> 00:03:12.280 and she's just like an awesome woman that's awesome 00:03:12.280 --> 00:03:15.819 so now you've made it all the way to third year 00:03:15.819 --> 00:03:21.860 medical school Can you talk to us about what 00:03:21.860 --> 00:03:24.020 moments so far during your clinical rotations 00:03:24.020 --> 00:03:27.680 have most affirmed this decision that, yeah, 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:29.860 I've made the right decision. I really want to 00:03:29.860 --> 00:03:34.960 be a doctor. That's real. It would be in particular 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:37.460 when I see Black patients in particular, because 00:03:37.460 --> 00:03:39.439 I'm in Arizona where the population is kind of 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:42.340 low. So when they see me, some of them will be 00:03:42.340 --> 00:03:45.280 like, what are you doing here? Are you the, and 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:46.460 I'm like, yeah, I'm one of the medical students. 00:03:46.500 --> 00:03:48.979 They're like, oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're 00:03:48.979 --> 00:03:51.020 here. and just seeing their face light up, even 00:03:51.020 --> 00:03:53.139 if they don't say anything, and seeing little 00:03:53.139 --> 00:03:54.680 girls, because I wear my hair in my puffs, I 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:56.280 wear my natural hair out because I want them 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:58.439 to see themselves to me, and seeing them like 00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:00.039 whisper and be like, oh my gosh, you guys have 00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:01.939 the same hair, like look, she has the same hair 00:04:01.939 --> 00:04:04.689 as you, that. oh my gosh impede i was melting 00:04:04.689 --> 00:04:06.770 on the floor i was like yeah i have the same 00:04:06.770 --> 00:04:09.229 hair as you yeah and like they see themselves 00:04:09.229 --> 00:04:11.610 to me and so that like really affirmed it for 00:04:11.610 --> 00:04:15.189 me and then one patient in particular in surgery 00:04:15.189 --> 00:04:17.870 told my surgery preceptor she was like honestly 00:04:17.870 --> 00:04:20.029 she made me feel so comfortable and i loved it 00:04:20.029 --> 00:04:21.970 because like he's colorectal so nobody wants 00:04:21.970 --> 00:04:24.910 to go talk about what yeah she was like she made 00:04:24.910 --> 00:04:26.550 me feel so comfortable i was like able to talk 00:04:26.550 --> 00:04:29.269 to her and i never felt like i felt heard and 00:04:29.269 --> 00:04:32.430 i was like yeah When patients say things like 00:04:32.430 --> 00:04:34.829 that to me, it affirms and rotations that like, 00:04:34.970 --> 00:04:36.629 I picked the right thing and I'm doing the right 00:04:36.629 --> 00:04:40.170 thing. That's so cool. I think, yeah, we talk 00:04:40.170 --> 00:04:42.829 a lot about like, it's so important to see people 00:04:42.829 --> 00:04:44.529 that look like you in these positions, right? 00:04:44.910 --> 00:04:47.189 And maybe for one of those little girls, you're 00:04:47.189 --> 00:04:49.230 that person that the doctor was for you, right? 00:04:49.350 --> 00:04:51.310 Like maybe that sparks something in them, which 00:04:51.310 --> 00:04:53.870 is so cool to think about, like, we're going 00:04:53.870 --> 00:04:55.910 to be talking about Keana the med student in 00:04:55.910 --> 00:04:58.689 a podcast in 20 years, you know? I would love 00:04:58.689 --> 00:05:03.000 that. So, how has your identity as a Black woman 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:05.060 influenced your experience that you've had in 00:05:05.060 --> 00:05:08.459 medical school, both in the classroom and now 00:05:08.459 --> 00:05:12.629 in the clinical environment? Because I always 00:05:12.629 --> 00:05:14.790 grew up being the only black girl in a lot of 00:05:14.790 --> 00:05:17.689 environments it didn't feel different being one 00:05:17.689 --> 00:05:20.209 of the only black people and like having to find 00:05:20.209 --> 00:05:22.290 my tribe and like uplift each other and be like 00:05:22.290 --> 00:05:24.389 listen we got to be black in medicine like melanin 00:05:24.389 --> 00:05:26.730 in medicine we got to uplift like we need more 00:05:26.730 --> 00:05:28.990 because a lot of us never had doctors who looked 00:05:28.990 --> 00:05:31.970 like us and so there's certain things that certain 00:05:31.970 --> 00:05:34.670 doctors just don't understand cultural rise that 00:05:34.670 --> 00:05:38.050 plays into our care so for me it does come with 00:05:38.050 --> 00:05:42.220 its challenges but think more so like being a 00:05:42.220 --> 00:05:44.639 woman I got a lot of like you don't want to be 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:48.279 a nurse what about when you have kids and you 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:49.899 know it's just the assumption one that I'm gonna 00:05:49.899 --> 00:05:52.420 have kids and two just like always assuming I'm 00:05:52.420 --> 00:05:54.540 like wanting to be something like love the nurses 00:05:54.540 --> 00:05:56.670 shout out to them They always help me in the 00:05:56.670 --> 00:05:58.930 hospital, but it's just the assumption that like 00:05:58.930 --> 00:06:00.589 I can't be a doctor like if I'm gonna be a doctor 00:06:00.589 --> 00:06:02.990 Then I can't be a mom and then on top of that. 00:06:02.990 --> 00:06:05.810 It's like oh, but you're black So like it's like 00:06:05.810 --> 00:06:08.589 well black people can be doctors too Like for 00:06:08.589 --> 00:06:11.569 me this whole journey has basically just been 00:06:11.569 --> 00:06:13.550 proving people wrong because in high school a 00:06:13.550 --> 00:06:14.990 lot of people were like Oh, you're going out 00:06:14.990 --> 00:06:17.089 of state. That's crazy. Oh, you want to be a 00:06:17.089 --> 00:06:21.670 doctor? Mmm, that's crazy. So for me, it's just 00:06:21.670 --> 00:06:24.699 like Proving them wrong because first of all, 00:06:24.699 --> 00:06:26.980 it's my passion. I love it. I love medicine I 00:06:26.980 --> 00:06:29.259 love the human body but also just the fact that 00:06:29.259 --> 00:06:31.600 like there's gonna be so many naysayers and it's 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:34.360 just part of my testimony like I Can teach that 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:35.759 to other black little girls like so many people 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:38.959 gonna tell you you can't but you can Yeah, that's 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:41.540 so cool. Like I'll show you a crazy like look 00:06:41.540 --> 00:06:44.879 at me now. Look at me. Yeah, I'm a girl way Elwood's 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:51.199 bag like So, being a first -generation student 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:54.199 adds another layer to this resilience and determination 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:56.779 that you have to have to get through this. How 00:06:56.779 --> 00:06:58.660 has that part of your story kind of impacted 00:06:58.660 --> 00:07:01.079 the way that you have navigated your education 00:07:01.079 --> 00:07:04.759 up until now? It's been kind of hard because 00:07:04.759 --> 00:07:06.959 I'm the first to get a bachelor's, first to get 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:08.740 a master's, and now first to get a doctorate, 00:07:08.740 --> 00:07:11.100 so... some people have their parents they can 00:07:11.100 --> 00:07:12.819 rely on for advice or being like this is how 00:07:12.819 --> 00:07:15.000 you do it this is who you connect with this is 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:17.019 how this process is going to look but i don't 00:07:17.019 --> 00:07:19.300 really have anybody like that so i had to seek 00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:21.879 out mentors which can be a little challenging 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:25.620 to find the right one but being first gen just 00:07:25.620 --> 00:07:28.850 means like you're gonna feel like a smooth chicken 00:07:28.850 --> 00:07:31.709 breast brain baby but it adds an extra layer 00:07:31.709 --> 00:07:33.709 of like grit because you're like no i had to 00:07:33.709 --> 00:07:36.009 pull it out the mud like i sought out this mentor 00:07:36.009 --> 00:07:39.310 i did this i did this and it it does suck sometimes 00:07:39.310 --> 00:07:40.649 because i can't ask my family like what would 00:07:40.649 --> 00:07:42.189 you do in this situation because they're going 00:07:42.189 --> 00:07:44.209 to be like well i just wouldn't stress about 00:07:44.209 --> 00:07:47.889 it and i would do this i'm like oh my god that's 00:07:47.889 --> 00:07:50.529 not what i want to hear Like even when I was 00:07:50.529 --> 00:07:51.990 getting my master's, they were like, and how 00:07:51.990 --> 00:07:54.189 much longer do you have? And I was like, well, 00:07:54.310 --> 00:07:55.930 four years in medical school and then depending 00:07:55.930 --> 00:07:58.170 on residency, and then I'm definitely doing a 00:07:58.170 --> 00:07:59.750 fellowship. And they're like, so you don't want 00:07:59.750 --> 00:08:02.529 to like stop now. So they don't kind of understand 00:08:02.529 --> 00:08:05.350 like the longevity and like why I'm like still 00:08:05.350 --> 00:08:08.829 pushing. So just having to like push and like, 00:08:08.930 --> 00:08:10.250 Berea College is big on teaching their students 00:08:10.250 --> 00:08:11.910 resilience. Like they have a whole resilience 00:08:11.910 --> 00:08:14.470 module they made us do in our health class. So 00:08:14.470 --> 00:08:17.069 just teaching us to like keep pushing even if 00:08:17.069 --> 00:08:19.420 like, you gotta like seek out advice. It taught 00:08:19.420 --> 00:08:21.939 me how to be resourceful. I will say that like 00:08:21.939 --> 00:08:23.959 looking out, looking for resources. That's why 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:26.540 I always had them little practice questions and 00:08:26.540 --> 00:08:28.980 drives and people be looking for stuff. I have 00:08:28.980 --> 00:08:30.980 it because I learned how to be resourceful because 00:08:30.980 --> 00:08:33.600 I don't have anybody to teach me how to network 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:36.399 and how to find this and how to do that. You 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:38.460 really said, first generation, I'm going all 00:08:38.460 --> 00:08:40.559 the way. You went straight for the doctorate. 00:08:40.820 --> 00:08:42.820 I did, I did. That's impressive. That's so cool. 00:08:42.860 --> 00:08:45.519 That's exciting. It is exciting. You made it. 00:08:45.539 --> 00:08:49.059 Like, you're so close. I know. So you've kind 00:08:49.059 --> 00:08:51.259 of hit on this a bit, but can you just speak 00:08:51.259 --> 00:08:54.299 a little more on how mentorship and your community 00:08:54.299 --> 00:08:56.899 have played a role in supporting you through 00:08:56.899 --> 00:08:59.759 all these challenges, but also successes that 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:04.190 you've had along your journey? Yeah. My academic 00:09:04.190 --> 00:09:08.190 advisor in college said, you got to see your 00:09:08.190 --> 00:09:13.149 botany. Maybe you want to be a nurse or maybe 00:09:13.149 --> 00:09:15.370 like a professor. I don't know if you want to 00:09:15.370 --> 00:09:17.409 go to med school. And I was like, first of all, 00:09:17.490 --> 00:09:20.070 this is botany. Second of all, that was crazy 00:09:20.070 --> 00:09:22.889 work. And so I switched because I've always been 00:09:22.889 --> 00:09:24.470 like, if somebody's going to tell me no, I'm 00:09:24.470 --> 00:09:25.669 just going to find someone that's going to tell 00:09:25.669 --> 00:09:28.950 me yes with love, of course, but it's still going 00:09:28.950 --> 00:09:32.659 to tell me yes. So I created my own major. Neuroscience 00:09:32.659 --> 00:09:35.600 is not a major at Berea College. I created it, 00:09:35.820 --> 00:09:37.820 chose my advisors. He would uplift me. Of course, 00:09:37.899 --> 00:09:42.000 they were both women. And that played a big part 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:44.659 because one of them was like, she's a neurologist. 00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:46.679 And I said, I wanted to do this. I want to do 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:48.960 this. I want to do that. And it really helped, 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:51.720 like helped me navigate it because it was such 00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:55.019 new territory. uh my family my husband of course 00:09:55.019 --> 00:09:57.899 always big support for me having that familiar 00:09:57.899 --> 00:10:01.960 people that I can like lean on and then just 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:04.759 this community because so many people back at 00:10:04.759 --> 00:10:06.720 home will message me on Facebook or whatever 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:08.279 and be like I remember when you in high school 00:10:08.279 --> 00:10:10.259 and you said that you wanted to be a doctor and 00:10:10.259 --> 00:10:12.299 now I see you doing this and that and I'm so 00:10:12.299 --> 00:10:14.460 proud of you I saw my guidance counselor because 00:10:14.460 --> 00:10:15.919 my sister's still in high school I saw them and 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:17.320 they're like you're still doing what you said 00:10:17.320 --> 00:10:18.899 you're gonna do like I remember when we told 00:10:18.899 --> 00:10:20.980 you not to go out of state and you did it and 00:10:20.980 --> 00:10:24.200 I'm actually so proud of you and I'm like It's 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:26.360 so good to, it just feels so good. And I also 00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:28.980 got to go mentor myself back with the senior 00:10:28.980 --> 00:10:31.220 transitioning classes in some high schools back 00:10:31.220 --> 00:10:34.340 in my county. So that's, it's like pouring in 00:10:34.340 --> 00:10:37.360 and then getting poured into is just so important 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:40.139 for me. And so it really helped me because without. 00:10:40.900 --> 00:10:42.960 mentors without community. I don't think I would 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:45.080 have made it this far. My husband just listened 00:10:45.080 --> 00:10:48.320 to me crash out on Facebook, on FaceTime, on 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:51.320 Messenger, on Discord. Shout out to him, me crying 00:10:51.320 --> 00:10:54.620 in pillows all the time, because I don't think 00:10:54.620 --> 00:10:55.879 I would have made it through without people being 00:10:55.879 --> 00:10:59.500 like, yeah, it's hard now. Keep going. Or yeah, 00:10:59.500 --> 00:11:01.679 this is what it looked like for me. Keep going. 00:11:03.179 --> 00:11:05.080 And so, yeah. And my surgery piece after actually 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:07.840 is like, I recall him, one of my mentors, he's 00:11:07.850 --> 00:11:10.950 amazing he's a black man from zimbabwe and he 00:11:10.950 --> 00:11:13.110 studied in the uk so he has like this like english 00:11:13.110 --> 00:11:17.309 accent amazing he was like you need to have confidence 00:11:17.309 --> 00:11:18.850 like you know what you're talking about you need 00:11:18.850 --> 00:11:21.789 to have confidence and so having mentors be like 00:11:21.789 --> 00:11:23.889 no you can't say i don't know no you can't say 00:11:23.889 --> 00:11:26.029 you can't do this you need to like you can do 00:11:26.029 --> 00:11:28.470 it just do it that's so important especially 00:11:28.470 --> 00:11:30.409 in med school because people will beat it out 00:11:30.409 --> 00:11:34.049 of you I can't tell you how many times when we 00:11:34.049 --> 00:11:36.110 were on the island, I called home and I was complaining 00:11:36.110 --> 00:11:37.710 to mom. I was like, mom, I want to come home. 00:11:38.110 --> 00:11:40.309 And she was like, Megan, do you want to come 00:11:40.309 --> 00:11:42.570 home as much as you want to be a doctor? And 00:11:42.570 --> 00:11:45.350 I was like, mm -hmm. And I feel like just having 00:11:45.350 --> 00:11:46.929 those people in your corner, like I feel like 00:11:46.929 --> 00:11:48.970 your husband does that for you. Just having those 00:11:48.970 --> 00:11:52.990 people to be like, all right, Kiana, like. No, 00:11:52.990 --> 00:11:55.029 you're not serious like we're gonna get over 00:11:55.029 --> 00:11:57.950 this hill and it's gonna be okay. It's so important 00:11:57.950 --> 00:12:00.850 Because sometimes it feels like the end of the 00:12:00.850 --> 00:12:03.230 world's like I was watching this tick -tock the 00:12:03.230 --> 00:12:06.809 other day Where this girl is like, you know I 00:12:06.809 --> 00:12:08.990 tell people that medical school is the best four 00:12:08.990 --> 00:12:11.809 years of my life and it's not really for like 00:12:11.809 --> 00:12:15.610 What you think it is, but it's because no time 00:12:15.610 --> 00:12:18.490 ever Are you gonna be like, um, am I gonna take 00:12:18.490 --> 00:12:21.970 this exam and passed or or am I gonna die? Am 00:12:21.970 --> 00:12:24.250 I going to study tonight or am I going to die? 00:12:25.110 --> 00:12:28.409 That weight that you feel is so big and it's 00:12:28.409 --> 00:12:31.529 just so good to have those people to just like 00:12:31.529 --> 00:12:34.700 take a deep breath and like, yes. Even if you 00:12:34.700 --> 00:12:36.860 do fail this exam, like you're not gonna die. 00:12:36.860 --> 00:12:39.659 That's gonna be okay, you know? Yeah, you were 00:12:39.659 --> 00:12:41.779 one of those people for me because I'd be like 00:12:41.779 --> 00:12:45.600 guys I'm dropping out. No, you're not. I'm that 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.440 student. I'm so sorry. I'm feeling I'm dropping 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:50.259 out y 'all. Sorry. It's been real and even now 00:12:50.259 --> 00:12:53.320 I'll be like And for everybody listening she 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:58.480 didn't fail any of them Like she did it That's 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:01.259 actually crazy work. Yeah, like my husband would 00:13:01.259 --> 00:13:03.899 be like failure is not a failure. It's just a 00:13:03.899 --> 00:13:05.840 setback where you learn lessons. It's not a true 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:08.399 failure if you tried. So I was like, yeah, that's 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:10.500 logical. But my med student brain is like, no, 00:13:10.820 --> 00:13:13.360 actually, it's going to be down. Like, I'm going 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:16.360 to crash out. In that moment, it's so hard. So 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:18.799 you need that perspective from other people. 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:22.379 For sure. So have there been times when you felt 00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:26.059 like the need to like advocate for yourself or 00:13:26.059 --> 00:13:28.700 for others that have these similar barriers? 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:30.179 I know you talked about like going back to high 00:13:30.179 --> 00:13:33.039 school and and kind of giving back there, but 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:34.820 how have you kind of approached these moments 00:13:34.820 --> 00:13:37.340 where you get to not only advocate for yourself, 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:43.080 but for other people? Oh, man. Honestly, I feel 00:13:43.080 --> 00:13:45.740 like I faced the most times where I needed to 00:13:45.740 --> 00:13:48.519 face that now in clinicals when I'm in like the 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:50.720 real world and I'm seeing patients from all walks 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.759 of life. And actually, I faced a lot of like 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:57.940 those challenges with nurses and a certain preceptor 00:13:57.940 --> 00:14:01.240 actually had. And it was, I don't know, like 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:04.080 I, I'm shy, I know you're gonna laugh at that. 00:14:04.100 --> 00:14:06.600 And a lot of people say I'm not shy. But in certain 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:09.580 settings, I do kind of like shut down. And so 00:14:09.580 --> 00:14:11.799 because I'm like a med student, and we're kind 00:14:11.799 --> 00:14:13.899 of like bottom of the totem pole and clinical 00:14:13.899 --> 00:14:16.620 sometimes, it was really hard for me to navigate 00:14:16.620 --> 00:14:18.960 when to speak up and when to not. I feel like 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:20.679 I mostly speak up when it comes to patients. 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:24.159 And I approach it with education. For example, 00:14:24.259 --> 00:14:26.779 a patient had, she had some things on her head, 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:29.220 on her scalp, but she also had twist in. And 00:14:29.220 --> 00:14:30.440 they're like, do you think it's from her hair? 00:14:30.539 --> 00:14:32.340 Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:34.940 no, because that would look like this. So this 00:14:34.940 --> 00:14:36.840 has to be something else. You can't just dismiss 00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:38.580 it and think it's just because she has her hair 00:14:38.580 --> 00:14:45.220 done. So that was one time. And in terms of me 00:14:45.220 --> 00:14:47.759 were like, they'll totally ignore me when I'm 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:50.419 talking or act like I'm not there or kind of 00:14:50.419 --> 00:14:52.139 be a little more condescending or like favor 00:14:52.139 --> 00:14:54.460 students who don't look like me over me, or just 00:14:54.460 --> 00:14:57.000 like kind of talk to me like I'm whatever. It 00:14:57.000 --> 00:14:58.620 was really hard for me to navigate. I'm still 00:14:58.620 --> 00:15:01.320 trying to find my voice in that. I'm really big 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:03.340 at teaching people to find their voice, but it's 00:15:03.340 --> 00:15:04.840 really hard when it's in the moment. I'm like, 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:06.860 I don't know. I don't know what I'm supposed 00:15:06.860 --> 00:15:11.000 to say right now. Unfortunately for me with the 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:14.480 doctor, I was removed from that situation. But 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:18.500 with the nurse, I kind of just like grinned and 00:15:18.500 --> 00:15:20.539 bared it a little bit until I got out of that 00:15:20.539 --> 00:15:23.840 rotation. But I think it's like finding the balance 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:26.080 of knowing when to hold them and knowing when 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:27.440 to hold them and fold them and knowing when to 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:29.799 say something, like just picking your battles 00:15:29.799 --> 00:15:32.360 because sometimes some people don't want to learn. 00:15:32.440 --> 00:15:34.139 Some people don't want to change. And so you're 00:15:34.139 --> 00:15:36.639 kind of just wasting your breath in those moments. 00:15:37.199 --> 00:15:40.899 I had an attending just not too long ago that 00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:43.519 was giving me feedback, and I had a senior who 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:46.320 didn't really let me speak like a resident. She 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.919 would always just interrupt me after three words 00:15:48.919 --> 00:15:51.899 out of my mouth. And that's something that he 00:15:51.899 --> 00:15:55.200 noticed. And he's like, just know that I understand 00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:57.039 that you may have been with residents who didn't 00:15:57.039 --> 00:16:00.320 let you fully show what you're capable of. And 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:02.679 I was like, thank you for seeing that because 00:16:02.679 --> 00:16:05.080 it's so hard. I told him, I was like, listen. 00:16:05.529 --> 00:16:08.289 I this is not a battle that I was willing to 00:16:08.289 --> 00:16:10.649 fight like I didn't like what do you do in that 00:16:10.649 --> 00:16:14.409 situation because the resident is like your boss 00:16:14.409 --> 00:16:16.710 you know and then it's the attending who's the 00:16:16.710 --> 00:16:19.009 residence boss and the residence actually at 00:16:19.009 --> 00:16:22.450 work you know like I'm at school and it's it's 00:16:22.450 --> 00:16:24.210 it's hard to navigate in those settings like 00:16:24.210 --> 00:16:27.309 I totally get it um I think last year during 00:16:27.309 --> 00:16:31.149 third year I spoke up more um but this year I'm 00:16:31.149 --> 00:16:34.149 just like I don't know just part of me is like 00:16:34.220 --> 00:16:37.139 I'm almost to the end of it. I don't think this 00:16:37.139 --> 00:16:40.740 is a battle worth fighting. I think I'll probably 00:16:40.740 --> 00:16:43.080 learn the same things and I can ask questions 00:16:43.080 --> 00:16:46.159 later if I still need. But yeah, it still sucks 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:52.120 that it's like that. It's so weird. For your 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:55.200 journey, how have you balanced maintaining your 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:58.940 authenticity and cultural identity while navigating 00:16:58.940 --> 00:17:01.980 spaces in medicine that are not always inclusive 00:17:01.980 --> 00:17:04.539 and representative? I know you speak a lot about 00:17:04.539 --> 00:17:06.559 code switching. We've talked about that a lot. 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:08.680 Let's talk about it. Because I was definitely 00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:12.539 about to talk about it. I was going to say like... 00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:14.559 For a long time I hid my southern accent and 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:16.140 it's still kind of hard for me to like tap back 00:17:16.140 --> 00:17:19.079 into it because people assume because like I'm 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:23.079 not only black and a woman I'm also Appalachian. 00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:26.200 I'm from the south you know and sometimes there's 00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:29.279 a little there's the redneck hillbilly associations 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:31.539 that go with that and people who would talk down 00:17:31.539 --> 00:17:34.700 on me and be like oh honey that's not and i'd 00:17:34.700 --> 00:17:37.000 be like first of all we're in the same masters 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:40.339 program so that's crazy um so i just stopped 00:17:40.339 --> 00:17:42.039 using my southern accent but i was like no i 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:45.410 like if they don't want me authentically me, 00:17:45.470 --> 00:17:47.269 then I'm not even supposed to be there. Even 00:17:47.269 --> 00:17:49.710 when I was like choosing pictures to apply to 00:17:49.710 --> 00:17:51.089 med schools, I was like, should I have my hair 00:17:51.089 --> 00:17:52.809 up? Should I have my hair down? Should I have 00:17:52.809 --> 00:17:54.250 my hair braided? Should I have my hair straight? 00:17:54.869 --> 00:17:56.009 And then I was like, you know, if they don't 00:17:56.009 --> 00:17:58.890 want me in my curly afro, then I'm not supposed 00:17:58.890 --> 00:18:01.049 to be there because that's my God given hair 00:18:01.049 --> 00:18:03.390 that grew out of my head. And so for me, it's 00:18:03.390 --> 00:18:06.190 like very important. Have my braids, have my 00:18:06.190 --> 00:18:09.049 curls, have my buns, have my bows, have my little 00:18:09.049 --> 00:18:12.569 clips. And also, I don't code switch as much 00:18:12.569 --> 00:18:16.130 anymore. you know, I will finger clap, I would 00:18:16.130 --> 00:18:18.650 be like, period. Or, you know, like, there's 00:18:18.650 --> 00:18:21.089 certain things where I'm like, there's a way 00:18:21.089 --> 00:18:22.970 to be professional and still maintain, like, 00:18:23.130 --> 00:18:25.569 using African American vernacular. There's a 00:18:25.569 --> 00:18:28.069 way to, like, do both of those. And I feel like 00:18:28.069 --> 00:18:29.769 that's why patients, a lot of them feel more 00:18:29.769 --> 00:18:31.490 comfortable with me because I come in and I'm 00:18:31.490 --> 00:18:34.130 not like, hello, how are you? What's going on? 00:18:34.170 --> 00:18:35.730 I'm like, girl, what is going on with you? I 00:18:35.730 --> 00:18:38.940 heard you hurt your knee. Like... Saw you last 00:18:38.940 --> 00:18:41.279 week and you're here again. Wait, what's the 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:44.759 tea? Like what's going on? And I feel like the 00:18:44.759 --> 00:18:46.720 more I'm authentically myself the more I connect 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:49.359 with my patients and the better I do and so I 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:51.019 think it's just important especially like seeing 00:18:51.019 --> 00:18:52.539 little girls see themselves because I have the 00:18:52.539 --> 00:18:57.480 same hair or people being like wow like She's 00:18:57.480 --> 00:18:59.440 got her like she's got a little slang going on 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:01.319 and just like seeing themselves like not being 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:03.599 like even like even like people who aren't like 00:19:05.110 --> 00:19:07.390 black and don't use A -A -V -E, just like we're 00:19:07.390 --> 00:19:08.849 using my Southern accent and just being like, 00:19:09.109 --> 00:19:11.630 wow, like she's in here saying, hey y 'all, I 00:19:11.630 --> 00:19:13.509 will start an email with hey y 'all. Like, I 00:19:13.509 --> 00:19:14.970 don't know what to tell you, it's professional 00:19:14.970 --> 00:19:18.029 to me. And so them being like, wow, like she's 00:19:18.029 --> 00:19:19.930 doing it, I can do it, which is why it was important 00:19:19.930 --> 00:19:23.289 for me to go back and speak in my county to students 00:19:23.289 --> 00:19:25.009 who are transitioning to college and be like, 00:19:25.109 --> 00:19:30.220 listen, don't lose your Southern charm. it's 00:19:30.220 --> 00:19:32.700 like, that's part of you, that's home. Like I'm 00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:34.700 over here in Arizona, but like home is where 00:19:34.700 --> 00:19:36.720 the heart is and I will bring my Southern with 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:40.339 me, you know? And so I just think it's important 00:19:40.339 --> 00:19:42.099 to find that balance of like being professional, 00:19:42.099 --> 00:19:44.480 but also just being true to who you are because 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:46.839 if they didn't want me with my Southern accent 00:19:46.839 --> 00:19:50.279 and my, you know, code switching and my hair 00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:54.859 and I don't know, like my loud shoes and my flashy 00:19:54.859 --> 00:19:57.740 sneakers. I guess you don't want me for real. 00:19:57.799 --> 00:19:59.339 Like, I don't know. I don't know what to tell 00:19:59.339 --> 00:20:02.859 them. It's just so important to me. Yeah. So 00:20:02.859 --> 00:20:05.680 what advice could you give to other Black women 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:08.140 or first generation students who are just beginning 00:20:08.140 --> 00:20:11.940 their journey and need a little pick me up? I 00:20:11.940 --> 00:20:15.460 would say, don't let anyone tell you what you 00:20:15.460 --> 00:20:17.619 can and can't do. There's so many people in this 00:20:17.619 --> 00:20:19.819 journey that tell you what you can and can't 00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:23.299 do, and they're not you. And so it's like, it's 00:20:23.299 --> 00:20:25.170 not going to be easy. Right. And you're going 00:20:25.170 --> 00:20:26.670 to have to learn how to pick and choose your 00:20:26.670 --> 00:20:28.710 battles, but don't let someone tell you what 00:20:28.710 --> 00:20:32.430 you can and can't do. The path is very narrow 00:20:32.430 --> 00:20:35.470 and it's a little rocky, but it's so rewarding 00:20:35.470 --> 00:20:37.970 when you get to the end and you see a patient 00:20:37.970 --> 00:20:39.670 be like, oh my gosh, thank you. I'm so glad you're 00:20:39.670 --> 00:20:41.730 here. I'm so glad you're here. I'm so glad you 00:20:41.730 --> 00:20:44.470 did this for me. You saved my mom. You did this. 00:20:44.529 --> 00:20:46.930 You did that. Like it's so rewarding. And so 00:20:46.930 --> 00:20:48.690 it's just like, don't let people tell you what 00:20:48.690 --> 00:20:51.349 you can and can't do. It was for me I turned 00:20:51.349 --> 00:20:54.390 to the Lord and he's who he tells me who I am 00:20:54.390 --> 00:20:57.369 and not other people so it's like you can't tell 00:20:57.369 --> 00:20:59.109 me that I can't be a doctor and you can't tell 00:20:59.109 --> 00:21:02.210 me that I can't do this or that like and there's 00:21:02.210 --> 00:21:03.970 gonna be somebody at every stop listening to 00:21:03.970 --> 00:21:07.430 tell you that just turn your elbows on get your 00:21:07.430 --> 00:21:10.869 laptop out get your notebook out get it done 00:21:10.869 --> 00:21:14.529 because you can right yes well thanks for talking 00:21:14.529 --> 00:21:18.009 today this has been really fun yes actually time 00:21:18.009 --> 00:21:20.460 is flying I actually really enjoyed it Yeah, 00:21:20.819 --> 00:21:25.099 yeah, a nice little conversation. So that's a 00:21:25.099 --> 00:21:27.240 wrap on this episode of Our Voice is Our Future. 00:21:27.539 --> 00:21:29.960 We hope today's conversation inspired you, challenged 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:31.880 you, and reminded you of the power of raising 00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:34.339 your voice. The fight for equity doesn't stop 00:21:34.339 --> 00:21:36.819 here. Join us in the movement. Subscribe wherever 00:21:36.819 --> 00:21:39.200 you get your podcasts, and if you love this episode, 00:21:39.259 --> 00:21:41.539 share it with someone who needs to hear it. Until 00:21:41.539 --> 00:21:44.279 next time, stay bold, stay vocal, and keep the 00:21:44.279 --> 00:21:46.740 conversation going. This is Our Voice is Our 00:21:46.740 --> 00:21:47.099 Future.