Welcome to Our Voices Our Future, the podcast
where we amplify the voices driving change and
equity within medicine and beyond. Brought to
you by the Gender Equity Task Force, a committee
of the American Medical Women's Association.
We're here to challenge norms, break barriers,
and ignite conversations that matter. I'm Megan
Nutsi, and in each episode, we'll bring you candid
discussions with leaders, change makers, and
advocates working to create a more inclusive
and just world. No more silence, no more waiting.
You're listening to our voices, our future. Let's
get into it. Today we are welcoming Kiana Wells,
a friend I have had the pleasure of meeting within
medical school. Kiana is a self -published author
and a dedicated future physician whose journey
reflects resilience, compassion, and purpose.
She studied pre -medical studies at Berea College,
and she continued her education in medical sciences
at Ponce Health Sciences University, and she
now studies doctor of medicine at St. George's
University. Kiana holds an independent neuroscience
bachelor's degree with a pre -med concentration
and a biology minor, blending her love for science
with a deep passion for patient care. Her work
as a courtesy clerk and her role in the Interventional
Radiology Center at UT Medical Center have strengthened
her community and empathy skills, allowing her
to help her patients feel comfortable and supported
before surgery. She's particularly interested
in the causality of effects of neurodiv... neurodegenerative
diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease, as
well as an understanding cognitive ability and
processing. Beyond her academic and clinical
achievements, Kiana is committed to empowering
patients of color to feel valued and informed
within healthcare settings. She's also learning
Spanish and sign language to communicate more
effectively and inclusively with all patients.
Thanks for being here today, Kiana. Yeah, of
course. Thank you for having me. So can you just
start a little bit about what has shaped your
journey into medicine? What's inspired you to
pursue this path and kind of how your experiences
have shaped your why? Yes, I love this question
because for me, I didn't always want to be a
doctor. So for me, there's no one singular thing
that draw me to medicine. But it's a combination
of things that happened in my life. In particular,
I was a I don't know if I was a preterm baby,
but I was a tiny baby. and so with that I had
a lot of uh ear infections and a lot of issues
so I was always at the doctor's office back when
they used paper uh for your medical forms and
so they would joke about carrying it around and
the doctor was just couldn't figure out like
how to help me and so another doctor said I want
to meet this kiana like everybody in this office
is talking about this girl I need to meet this
baby she met me was the only doctor that figured
out like how to get me they were like if she
likes butter put it in everything like they fattened
me up for real and so dr brazano shout out to
her she is she was my pediatrician and she is
the one person that i could say drew me to medicine
because she made me feel heard valued and understood
and she's just like an awesome woman that's awesome
so now you've made it all the way to third year
medical school Can you talk to us about what
moments so far during your clinical rotations
have most affirmed this decision that, yeah,
I've made the right decision. I really want to
be a doctor. That's real. It would be in particular
when I see Black patients in particular, because
I'm in Arizona where the population is kind of
low. So when they see me, some of them will be
like, what are you doing here? Are you the, and
I'm like, yeah, I'm one of the medical students.
They're like, oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're
here. and just seeing their face light up, even
if they don't say anything, and seeing little
girls, because I wear my hair in my puffs, I
wear my natural hair out because I want them
to see themselves to me, and seeing them like
whisper and be like, oh my gosh, you guys have
the same hair, like look, she has the same hair
as you, that. oh my gosh impede i was melting
on the floor i was like yeah i have the same
hair as you yeah and like they see themselves
to me and so that like really affirmed it for
me and then one patient in particular in surgery
told my surgery preceptor she was like honestly
she made me feel so comfortable and i loved it
because like he's colorectal so nobody wants
to go talk about what yeah she was like she made
me feel so comfortable i was like able to talk
to her and i never felt like i felt heard and
i was like yeah When patients say things like
that to me, it affirms and rotations that like,
I picked the right thing and I'm doing the right
thing. That's so cool. I think, yeah, we talk
a lot about like, it's so important to see people
that look like you in these positions, right?
And maybe for one of those little girls, you're
that person that the doctor was for you, right?
Like maybe that sparks something in them, which
is so cool to think about, like, we're going
to be talking about Keana the med student in
a podcast in 20 years, you know? I would love
that. So, how has your identity as a Black woman
influenced your experience that you've had in
medical school, both in the classroom and now
in the clinical environment? Because I always
grew up being the only black girl in a lot of
environments it didn't feel different being one
of the only black people and like having to find
my tribe and like uplift each other and be like
listen we got to be black in medicine like melanin
in medicine we got to uplift like we need more
because a lot of us never had doctors who looked
like us and so there's certain things that certain
doctors just don't understand cultural rise that
plays into our care so for me it does come with
its challenges but think more so like being a
woman I got a lot of like you don't want to be
a nurse what about when you have kids and you
know it's just the assumption one that I'm gonna
have kids and two just like always assuming I'm
like wanting to be something like love the nurses
shout out to them They always help me in the
hospital, but it's just the assumption that like
I can't be a doctor like if I'm gonna be a doctor
Then I can't be a mom and then on top of that.
It's like oh, but you're black So like it's like
well black people can be doctors too Like for
me this whole journey has basically just been
proving people wrong because in high school a
lot of people were like Oh, you're going out
of state. That's crazy. Oh, you want to be a
doctor? Mmm, that's crazy. So for me, it's just
like Proving them wrong because first of all,
it's my passion. I love it. I love medicine I
love the human body but also just the fact that
like there's gonna be so many naysayers and it's
just part of my testimony like I Can teach that
to other black little girls like so many people
gonna tell you you can't but you can Yeah, that's
so cool. Like I'll show you a crazy like look
at me now. Look at me. Yeah, I'm a girl way Elwood's
bag like So, being a first -generation student
adds another layer to this resilience and determination
that you have to have to get through this. How
has that part of your story kind of impacted
the way that you have navigated your education
up until now? It's been kind of hard because
I'm the first to get a bachelor's, first to get
a master's, and now first to get a doctorate,
so... some people have their parents they can
rely on for advice or being like this is how
you do it this is who you connect with this is
how this process is going to look but i don't
really have anybody like that so i had to seek
out mentors which can be a little challenging
to find the right one but being first gen just
means like you're gonna feel like a smooth chicken
breast brain baby but it adds an extra layer
of like grit because you're like no i had to
pull it out the mud like i sought out this mentor
i did this i did this and it it does suck sometimes
because i can't ask my family like what would
you do in this situation because they're going
to be like well i just wouldn't stress about
it and i would do this i'm like oh my god that's
not what i want to hear Like even when I was
getting my master's, they were like, and how
much longer do you have? And I was like, well,
four years in medical school and then depending
on residency, and then I'm definitely doing a
fellowship. And they're like, so you don't want
to like stop now. So they don't kind of understand
like the longevity and like why I'm like still
pushing. So just having to like push and like,
Berea College is big on teaching their students
resilience. Like they have a whole resilience
module they made us do in our health class. So
just teaching us to like keep pushing even if
like, you gotta like seek out advice. It taught
me how to be resourceful. I will say that like
looking out, looking for resources. That's why
I always had them little practice questions and
drives and people be looking for stuff. I have
it because I learned how to be resourceful because
I don't have anybody to teach me how to network
and how to find this and how to do that. You
really said, first generation, I'm going all
the way. You went straight for the doctorate.
I did, I did. That's impressive. That's so cool.
That's exciting. It is exciting. You made it.
Like, you're so close. I know. So you've kind
of hit on this a bit, but can you just speak
a little more on how mentorship and your community
have played a role in supporting you through
all these challenges, but also successes that
you've had along your journey? Yeah. My academic
advisor in college said, you got to see your
botany. Maybe you want to be a nurse or maybe
like a professor. I don't know if you want to
go to med school. And I was like, first of all,
this is botany. Second of all, that was crazy
work. And so I switched because I've always been
like, if somebody's going to tell me no, I'm
just going to find someone that's going to tell
me yes with love, of course, but it's still going
to tell me yes. So I created my own major. Neuroscience
is not a major at Berea College. I created it,
chose my advisors. He would uplift me. Of course,
they were both women. And that played a big part
because one of them was like, she's a neurologist.
And I said, I wanted to do this. I want to do
this. I want to do that. And it really helped,
like helped me navigate it because it was such
new territory. uh my family my husband of course
always big support for me having that familiar
people that I can like lean on and then just
this community because so many people back at
home will message me on Facebook or whatever
and be like I remember when you in high school
and you said that you wanted to be a doctor and
now I see you doing this and that and I'm so
proud of you I saw my guidance counselor because
my sister's still in high school I saw them and
they're like you're still doing what you said
you're gonna do like I remember when we told
you not to go out of state and you did it and
I'm actually so proud of you and I'm like It's
so good to, it just feels so good. And I also
got to go mentor myself back with the senior
transitioning classes in some high schools back
in my county. So that's, it's like pouring in
and then getting poured into is just so important
for me. And so it really helped me because without.
mentors without community. I don't think I would
have made it this far. My husband just listened
to me crash out on Facebook, on FaceTime, on
Messenger, on Discord. Shout out to him, me crying
in pillows all the time, because I don't think
I would have made it through without people being
like, yeah, it's hard now. Keep going. Or yeah,
this is what it looked like for me. Keep going.
And so, yeah. And my surgery piece after actually
is like, I recall him, one of my mentors, he's
amazing he's a black man from zimbabwe and he
studied in the uk so he has like this like english
accent amazing he was like you need to have confidence
like you know what you're talking about you need
to have confidence and so having mentors be like
no you can't say i don't know no you can't say
you can't do this you need to like you can do
it just do it that's so important especially
in med school because people will beat it out
of you I can't tell you how many times when we
were on the island, I called home and I was complaining
to mom. I was like, mom, I want to come home.
And she was like, Megan, do you want to come
home as much as you want to be a doctor? And
I was like, mm -hmm. And I feel like just having
those people in your corner, like I feel like
your husband does that for you. Just having those
people to be like, all right, Kiana, like. No,
you're not serious like we're gonna get over
this hill and it's gonna be okay. It's so important
Because sometimes it feels like the end of the
world's like I was watching this tick -tock the
other day Where this girl is like, you know I
tell people that medical school is the best four
years of my life and it's not really for like
What you think it is, but it's because no time
ever Are you gonna be like, um, am I gonna take
this exam and passed or or am I gonna die? Am
I going to study tonight or am I going to die?
That weight that you feel is so big and it's
just so good to have those people to just like
take a deep breath and like, yes. Even if you
do fail this exam, like you're not gonna die.
That's gonna be okay, you know? Yeah, you were
one of those people for me because I'd be like
guys I'm dropping out. No, you're not. I'm that
student. I'm so sorry. I'm feeling I'm dropping
out y 'all. Sorry. It's been real and even now
I'll be like And for everybody listening she
didn't fail any of them Like she did it That's
actually crazy work. Yeah, like my husband would
be like failure is not a failure. It's just a
setback where you learn lessons. It's not a true
failure if you tried. So I was like, yeah, that's
logical. But my med student brain is like, no,
actually, it's going to be down. Like, I'm going
to crash out. In that moment, it's so hard. So
you need that perspective from other people.
For sure. So have there been times when you felt
like the need to like advocate for yourself or
for others that have these similar barriers?
I know you talked about like going back to high
school and and kind of giving back there, but
how have you kind of approached these moments
where you get to not only advocate for yourself,
but for other people? Oh, man. Honestly, I feel
like I faced the most times where I needed to
face that now in clinicals when I'm in like the
real world and I'm seeing patients from all walks
of life. And actually, I faced a lot of like
those challenges with nurses and a certain preceptor
actually had. And it was, I don't know, like
I, I'm shy, I know you're gonna laugh at that.
And a lot of people say I'm not shy. But in certain
settings, I do kind of like shut down. And so
because I'm like a med student, and we're kind
of like bottom of the totem pole and clinical
sometimes, it was really hard for me to navigate
when to speak up and when to not. I feel like
I mostly speak up when it comes to patients.
And I approach it with education. For example,
a patient had, she had some things on her head,
on her scalp, but she also had twist in. And
they're like, do you think it's from her hair?
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was like,
no, because that would look like this. So this
has to be something else. You can't just dismiss
it and think it's just because she has her hair
done. So that was one time. And in terms of me
were like, they'll totally ignore me when I'm
talking or act like I'm not there or kind of
be a little more condescending or like favor
students who don't look like me over me, or just
like kind of talk to me like I'm whatever. It
was really hard for me to navigate. I'm still
trying to find my voice in that. I'm really big
at teaching people to find their voice, but it's
really hard when it's in the moment. I'm like,
I don't know. I don't know what I'm supposed
to say right now. Unfortunately for me with the
doctor, I was removed from that situation. But
with the nurse, I kind of just like grinned and
bared it a little bit until I got out of that
rotation. But I think it's like finding the balance
of knowing when to hold them and knowing when
to hold them and fold them and knowing when to
say something, like just picking your battles
because sometimes some people don't want to learn.
Some people don't want to change. And so you're
kind of just wasting your breath in those moments.
I had an attending just not too long ago that
was giving me feedback, and I had a senior who
didn't really let me speak like a resident. She
would always just interrupt me after three words
out of my mouth. And that's something that he
noticed. And he's like, just know that I understand
that you may have been with residents who didn't
let you fully show what you're capable of. And
I was like, thank you for seeing that because
it's so hard. I told him, I was like, listen.
I this is not a battle that I was willing to
fight like I didn't like what do you do in that
situation because the resident is like your boss
you know and then it's the attending who's the
residence boss and the residence actually at
work you know like I'm at school and it's it's
it's hard to navigate in those settings like
I totally get it um I think last year during
third year I spoke up more um but this year I'm
just like I don't know just part of me is like
I'm almost to the end of it. I don't think this
is a battle worth fighting. I think I'll probably
learn the same things and I can ask questions
later if I still need. But yeah, it still sucks
that it's like that. It's so weird. For your
journey, how have you balanced maintaining your
authenticity and cultural identity while navigating
spaces in medicine that are not always inclusive
and representative? I know you speak a lot about
code switching. We've talked about that a lot.
Let's talk about it. Because I was definitely
about to talk about it. I was going to say like...
For a long time I hid my southern accent and
it's still kind of hard for me to like tap back
into it because people assume because like I'm
not only black and a woman I'm also Appalachian.
I'm from the south you know and sometimes there's
a little there's the redneck hillbilly associations
that go with that and people who would talk down
on me and be like oh honey that's not and i'd
be like first of all we're in the same masters
program so that's crazy um so i just stopped
using my southern accent but i was like no i
like if they don't want me authentically me,
then I'm not even supposed to be there. Even
when I was like choosing pictures to apply to
med schools, I was like, should I have my hair
up? Should I have my hair down? Should I have
my hair braided? Should I have my hair straight?
And then I was like, you know, if they don't
want me in my curly afro, then I'm not supposed
to be there because that's my God given hair
that grew out of my head. And so for me, it's
like very important. Have my braids, have my
curls, have my buns, have my bows, have my little
clips. And also, I don't code switch as much
anymore. you know, I will finger clap, I would
be like, period. Or, you know, like, there's
certain things where I'm like, there's a way
to be professional and still maintain, like,
using African American vernacular. There's a
way to, like, do both of those. And I feel like
that's why patients, a lot of them feel more
comfortable with me because I come in and I'm
not like, hello, how are you? What's going on?
I'm like, girl, what is going on with you? I
heard you hurt your knee. Like... Saw you last
week and you're here again. Wait, what's the
tea? Like what's going on? And I feel like the
more I'm authentically myself the more I connect
with my patients and the better I do and so I
think it's just important especially like seeing
little girls see themselves because I have the
same hair or people being like wow like She's
got her like she's got a little slang going on
and just like seeing themselves like not being
like even like even like people who aren't like
black and don't use A -A -V -E, just like we're
using my Southern accent and just being like,
wow, like she's in here saying, hey y 'all, I
will start an email with hey y 'all. Like, I
don't know what to tell you, it's professional
to me. And so them being like, wow, like she's
doing it, I can do it, which is why it was important
for me to go back and speak in my county to students
who are transitioning to college and be like,
listen, don't lose your Southern charm. it's
like, that's part of you, that's home. Like I'm
over here in Arizona, but like home is where
the heart is and I will bring my Southern with
me, you know? And so I just think it's important
to find that balance of like being professional,
but also just being true to who you are because
if they didn't want me with my Southern accent
and my, you know, code switching and my hair
and I don't know, like my loud shoes and my flashy
sneakers. I guess you don't want me for real.
Like, I don't know. I don't know what to tell
them. It's just so important to me. Yeah. So
what advice could you give to other Black women
or first generation students who are just beginning
their journey and need a little pick me up? I
would say, don't let anyone tell you what you
can and can't do. There's so many people in this
journey that tell you what you can and can't
do, and they're not you. And so it's like, it's
not going to be easy. Right. And you're going
to have to learn how to pick and choose your
battles, but don't let someone tell you what
you can and can't do. The path is very narrow
and it's a little rocky, but it's so rewarding
when you get to the end and you see a patient
be like, oh my gosh, thank you. I'm so glad you're
here. I'm so glad you're here. I'm so glad you
did this for me. You saved my mom. You did this.
You did that. Like it's so rewarding. And so
it's just like, don't let people tell you what
you can and can't do. It was for me I turned
to the Lord and he's who he tells me who I am
and not other people so it's like you can't tell
me that I can't be a doctor and you can't tell
me that I can't do this or that like and there's
gonna be somebody at every stop listening to
tell you that just turn your elbows on get your
laptop out get your notebook out get it done
because you can right yes well thanks for talking
today this has been really fun yes actually time
is flying I actually really enjoyed it Yeah,
yeah, a nice little conversation. So that's a
wrap on this episode of Our Voice is Our Future.
We hope today's conversation inspired you, challenged
you, and reminded you of the power of raising
your voice. The fight for equity doesn't stop
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Future.