This episode is with Dr. Polly van den Berg, an Infectious Disease physician in Philadelphia.We talk about:- Timing of having a child in the context of her husband's brain cancer diagnosis- Post-partum anxiety- and so much more!Connect with Moms of Medicine:- Instagram @moms_of_medicine- Momsofmedicine@gmail.com

This episode is with Dr. Laura Vater, a GI oncologist in Indiana who focuses her non-clinical time on humanism, writing and well-beingWe talk about:- Writing her first novel and working on getting it published- Having her daughter in medical school- Breastfeeding her daughter for 2.5 years while being an internal medicine resident- The inspiration and motivation behind creating the life support community to support people in medicine- Her family's decision to have her husband quit his job and be home full time- Her presence on social media and what it means to her- How she creates habits to incorporate wellbeing into her life- Choosing the buckets of what matters to you- Knowing when to say yes, no, or later- Prioritizing time with her family in the summer Connect with Laura Vater:- Life Support Community: patreon.com/DocLauraVater- Instagram @doclauravater Connect with Moms of Medicine:- Instagram @moms_of_medicine- Momsofmedicine@gmail.com

"I was super present with my kids when I was home. I didn't pull out phones, there weren't cell phones way back then that were so distracting. I would try not to be on the computer and making phone calls and things like that. I remember it that way of just being as present as possible. My kids still remember I was getting up at 6 in the morning and making them pancakes before they had to go to school and I had to go to work. So I really sacrificed sleep a lot because when they went to bed I would get the computer back out and do what needed to be done." This episode is with Dr. Marci Snodgrass, who did medicine as a second career, worked as a full time family medicine physician in Davis, CA , and now works part-time for an FQHC.- Going to medical school while in her 30s and her motivation behind doing so- Being 8 months pregnant while interviewing for medical school- Working as a family physician on call 24/7 for her OB patients- Her current part-time role where she covers inboxes for people who are away, and how this setup allows her to travel along with her daughter's job to help care for her granddaughter - What her one regret is- Her reflections on how she raised two successful kids while being dedicated to her job- Her adult kids' reflections on having a busy mom physician- Words of wisdom for how to be an amazing mom and exceptional physicianFollow Moms of Medicine:- InstagramContact:- Momsofmedicine@gmail.com

"After week 17 I think, I was worried about him. I knew that with my fibroids I would have pain. I was like it will be worse than what I had with my periods, but, well I can handle pain. I didn't factor in the emotional aspect of that. Like worrying about losing someone. So that to me was the hardest part."This episode is with Dr. Mwanasha Merril, a hematology and oncology fellow at Dana Farber Cancer InstituteWe talk about:- Having fibroids and how that impacted her pregnancy- The challenge of having significant pain in her pregnancy and how that impacted her personally as well as her fellowship training- Bringing her baby to meet her family in Malawi- What life looks like for her now as she finishes up fellowship with a 13 month old babyFollow Moms of Medicine:- InstagramContact:- Momsofmedicine@gmail.com

"Just before I turned 34 weeks I was doing my fellows clinic from my hospital room. I had a sign on the door like 'Do Not Disturb, I'm in clinic', and they were like we have to get your vitals at some point during this. So they came and took my blood pressure and it was like 170/100. The resident was pushing IV labetalol while I was precepting with my attending, and finally I was just like 'Ok, I think I'm done with clinic'. I had a few more patients left in the day and I was just like 'I'm done. I can't do this'."This episode is with Dr. Gila Hoffman, a gastroenterologist in St. Louis who specializes in inflammatory bowel disease.We talk about:- Finding out she was having twins- Doing telehealth fellows clinic from her hospital bed- Having a miscarriage in residency- Missing out on the beginning of GI fellowship on maternity leave and having to catch up- The differences between having a baby as a fellow vs an attendingFollow Moms of Medicine:- InstagramContact:- Momsofmedicine@gmail.com

"Within the span of an hour and a half our lives had gone from I'll be back in 90 minutes to go in and do my surgeries and move on, to we're having a girl let's celebrate, and then we're holding hands just with our hearts in our throat"This episode is with Dr. Liliana Camison, a plastic surgeon and craniofacial surgery fellow at NYUWe talk about:- Late pregnancy loss and deciding on termination- Having her rainbow baby- Fellowhsip interviews with an 8 week old baby and her mom in tow- She and her husband making the decision to do a year apart so that she could do fellowship- Living in NYC with her parents and her baby while her husband lives in Pittsburghand so much more!Follow Liliana:-instagram @lilianacamisonFollow Moms of Medicine:- InstagramContact:- Momsofmedicine@gmail.com

"Studying burnout has showed us that having control over your job, over your work life, is such an important component of being satisified, of not being burned out, that it makes me sad for women like you and women now giving birth and trying to find balance, in particular in primary care. I think there are just more and more barriers to it unfortunately."This episode is with Dr. Gila Kriegel, a primary care doctor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.We talk about:- Part-time work- The underground mother's club- Having a spouse in medicine- Having twinsand so much more!Follow Moms of Medicine:- Twitter- InstagramContact:- Momsofmedicine@gmail.comFollow Ali:- Twitter

"I think I put that pressure on myself kind of to begin with that I just wanted to prove to everyone that I could be a pregnant resident and still function like a normal non-pregnant resident... I was taking primary call every third day up until 36 weeks so that was definitely challening as time went on. Like doing reductions with a big pregnant belly is not the easiest thing in the world. And everyone in the room is like "you're going to reduce my hip?" And you're like "Yes, I am going to reduce your hip".This episode is with Dr. Eileen Colliton, an orthopedic surgeon completing her hand fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterWe talk about:- Not wanting to have kids and changing her mind- Having a 5 week maternity leave as an OBGYN chief resident- Parenting through the pandemic with a husband who is also a physician- Choosing to go part-timeand so much more!Follow Moms of Medicine:- Twitter- InstagramContact:- Momsofmedicine@gmail.comFollow Ali:- Twitter

"I had a lot of ambivalence around being a mother and I think looking back on why it was all justified, and part of it is that particularly as working women we are expecetd to work as though we don't have children and parent as though we don't have jobs, and I just felt like I don't know if i want to do this. I dont know if i can be the type of mom I want to be but also be the type of physician I want to be and I still have those doubts in my mind"This episode is with Dr. Huma Farid, an OBGYN at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.We talk about:- Not wanting to have kids and changing her mind- Having a 5 week maternity leave as an OBGYN chief resident- Parenting through the pandemic with a husband who is also a physician- Choosing to go part-time and so much more!Follow Moms of Medicine:- Twitter- InstagramContact:- Momsofmedicine@gmail.comFollow Ali:- Twitter

"I remember so distinctly we were in Rwanda, I came back from a run, and my husband was like sitting on the chair looking shell shocked, and he said 'uhh you need to read this email'. And it was an email that said 159 children have been released from The Congo and yours is one of them. Please come get him"This episode's conversation is with Dr. Beth Riviello, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.We talk about:- The decision to adopt- International and domestic adoption experiences- How different her two adoptions were- Having a career in globale health- The moment she met her sons and felt like their mom- The ongoing bonding process- Advocating for fair leave for adoptive and non-birth parents- Having a quarterly check-in with herself- Making time to pray and runAnd so much more!Follow Moms of Medicine:- Twitter- InstagramContact:- Momsofmedicine@gmail.comFollow Ali:- Twitter

"Our lives are different than men in medicine in so many ways, and it has to do with being female and all of the reproductive burden that is put on us because of that."We talk about:- Having a baby as the only female physician in a private practice- Feeling ostracized- The challenges of treating pregnant women while pregnant- Her husband choosing to stay home to raise the kids- Having adult children go through illnessFollow Moms of Medicine:- Twitter- InstagramContact:- Momsofmedicine@gmail.comFollow Ali:- Twitter

"I just felt like, in that moment, I can't move forward in being a physician. Because you know to be honest I was fixated on her mortality, and I really thought I can't exist in my old life, you know, after this."On this week's episode I talk with Dr. Kashi Goyal, a pulmonary and critical care fellow at Ohio State University, about her experience having her daughter Anika who was born with a congenital rhabdomyosarcoma. We talk about wanting to quit medicine, her decision to go back, what it was like being a trainee having a daughter at home who was going through chemotherapy, how the COVID19 pandemic made things even more challenging and complicated, and how today she and her family are thriving and profoundly happy.

"What do you want to do with your life, you know? I mean what are you really happy doing and is it worth doing something that you don't love every single morning."On this week's episode I talk with Dr. Angie Frank about how she decided she didn't want to do research anymore and what it looked like to make that change, discovering that it is possible to be an academic clinician, how she feels about promotion, and having the freedom to do what you want to do,Follow Moms of Medicine:- Twitter- InstagramFollow Ali:- Twitter Email:momsofmedicine@gmail.com

This week I'm joined by Dr. Ritika Parris who is a primary care physician and head of GME wellness at BIDMC in Boston. We cover so much in this coversation from having her two babies prematurely, navigating roles and jobs with her partner who is also a physician, the mentors she had looking out for her along the way, and what she had to do when she was working an overnight in a community hospital without a maternity ward and she forgot her pump supples.Follow Ritika:- TwitterFollow Moms of Medicine:- Twitter- InstagramFollow Ali:- Twitter

"It has been just the absolute joy and privilege of my life to see how institutions can change and how we can change the institutions that we love...that we are not just here to put the stethoscope on the chest of a patient. We are here to change the future of medicine"In this conversation with Dr. Daniele Olveczky we talk:- C-sections and complications- Going back to work 6 weeks after her baby was born- Why she chooses to be a nocturnist- What it means to be in charge of your own mosaic- What drives her to stay in academic medicineFollow Daniele:- Twitter- InstagramFollow Moms of Medicine:- Twitter- InstagramFollow Ali:- Twitter

"The big bottom line, ok, this is the big bottom line - young moms and women in general we are so self critcal and we are so down on ourselves, and I could practically cry just thinking about this because it's so unneeeded. We're as smart as the guys, we're as committed as they are, we probably work harder in certain ways. Women do a lot of unpaid work. And so we have no reason to feel bad about ourselves, but I know when I was a young mom, you're so insecure. What happens though, I think when you get around 35 or 40, you're just like "who cares what people think". You can't even worry about that. As long as you're comfortable, your partner, your conscience, your family, that's what matters."In this episode Dr. Deborah Gomez Kwolek shares her experience with:- Having a baby during her intern year in 1987 and how she barely survived that year- Having to take time away from residency training when she had her 2 first kids- Sharing a residency spot with another woman who had a baby in residency (she needed to heavily advocate for herself to make this happen)- Going on to have 7 children- Taking several years away from medicine midway through her career, and then coming back- Supporting young moms now that she is more seniorJoin the SGIM Women and Medicine Commission's workgroup on parenting"Pregnancy and Residency- Overdue for Equity" published in NEJM March 11, 2023Follow Moms of Medicine:- Twitter - InstagramFollow Ali:- Twitter

"You end up finding yourself in this bubble of work, and childcare and survival mode, and I think a lot of us tend to feel alone when our focus is so narrow and our focus is on the work and on our child and it can feel very isolating, and it can feel like we're the only one going through the situation, not recognizing that it is so common and all new moms feel this way."Today's conversation is with Dr. Lika Targan, a primary care physician and medical educator at BIDMC. We talk about:- Balancing work and home life- Going through a divorce- Being a single mom- Egg freezing - logistics and the emotional and physical toll- Being forgiving of yourself when you can't give 110%

"We have this whole other life outside of the hospital where we may or may not identify as being a physician, and either way I think that's ok. Some people feel like medicine is their calling and they're a doctor at home and a doctor at work. And there are other people who are like I love being a physician and I'm a physician at work but I'm a mom at home and I'm a friend and I'm another person. Maybe we just focus on the physician part, and we have been forced to confront mental healh=th but we really haven't had to confront this idea of having a family in residency in the same way."In this episode we talk about:-Having kids in medical school-Taking leave from medical school after her first child and having to describe how she spent this time while on residency interviews-The perception that taking time off means you aren't dedicated or it will set you back-The isolation of being a parent-Figuring out how to make pumping work when she was told that previously residents hadn't been successful at pumping-Seeking out advice from various sources-Being helped out by her colleagues and paying it forwardFollow Laura:- TwitterFollow Ali:- Twitter (personal account)- Twitter (podcast account)

"I spent too long thinking that because the system was a certain way, that that was the right way for it to be, and I think it took me a really long time to have the perspective to look and see how diseased our entire system really is, and to think of it in terms of how if we were to design a system by which to train physicians today…for training a group of competent, kind, compassionate, knowledgeable, diverse physicians, we would never design the system that’s been designed""Yes, everyone should get negotiation skills training, but wouldn’t it be really unique if we just created systems that treated everybody fairly to begin with and we didn’t make people fight for resources and equitable compensation?""Not only are parental leave policies abysmally short and inappropriate for the birth parent…but they are also woefully inadequate for the non-birth parent as well…it creates this dynamic right from the time of a child’s birth that you are basically saying, culture, society, is saying that there is one parent that is more important in the care of a child than another parent, and in some ways we never recover from that.”Follow Wendy Stead:- Twitter Links to some of Wendy's work:- "Wondering If I’d Get There Quicker If I Was a Man: Factors Contributing to Delayed Academic Advancement of Women in Infectious Diseases" - "One Person" - JAMA A Piece of My Mind- "It's Not Your Fault" - JAMA A Piece of My Mind- "An Essential Worker's List of Pandemic Chores for the Kids"Follow Ali: - Twitter (personal account)- Twitter (podcast account)

"Culture change is really hard, but changing the culture in medicine and other industries to make it sort of normalized for the non-birth partner to take just as much time to sort of set the stage for a 50/50 partnership when it comes to the logistics of raising a child, which are substantial"In our first episode I got to sit down and talk with my friend Dr. Susan McIlvaine who had her daughter when she was in her second year of cardiology fellow. Susan got pregnant during our chief year together at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center so I knew some of her story, but learned so much more when we recorded this interview. So join me in hearing all about Susan's:- Perfect plans for how and when to get pregnant (spoiler alert - that didn't work)- Miscarriage while at work- Challenges coming back from parental leave- Thoughts on what we can (and should) do betterFollow Susan:- https://twitter.com/McilvaineSusanFollow Ali:- https://twitter.com/Ali_Trainor- https://twitter.com/MomsOfMedicine