In this episode, Tanvi sits down with Dr. Avinash, a dentist practicing in Red Deer, Alberta, who shares his unique journey from graduating dental school in India in 2000 to re-credentialing and building a thriving practice in rural Canada. Dr. K discusses why he chose a smaller city over major metropolitan areas, prioritizing genuine patient connections over the "numbers game" of big cities, and reflects on his father's wisdom that patients remember bedside manner more than technical skill. He candidly compares dental education and standards between India and Canada, explaining the rigorous credentialing process international dentists face and why accountability matters in healthcare. Dr. K also addresses the financial barriers to dental care, sharing how he offers interest-free payment plans based on honor and volunteers at outreach clinics for homeless populations and underserved children. Through his story of persistence, community service, and the art of dentistry, Dr. K illustrates how international healthcare professionals can find fulfilling careers in Canada while maintaining work-life balance and giving back to their communities.

In this episode, Tanvi sits down with Dr. Shivani Ruben, an internal medicine physician specializing in geriatric primary care in Sacramento, California. Dr. Ruben shares her journey from UC Berkeley pre-med to choosing primary care for its focus on long-term patient relationships. She reflects on a powerful case from residency, a patient with diabetes who lost his vision and independence due to lack of access to screening, that shaped how she thinks about holistic, accessible care. Dr. Ruben discusses the realities of modern primary care, including the burden of patient messages through apps, the frustration of insurance denials, and the challenge of balancing 20-minute appointments with meaningful connections. She addresses how she navigates patients who come with Google diagnoses and AI-generated health questions, emphasizing the irreplaceable human element of medicine. Despite systemic challenges around access and the commercialization of healthcare, Dr. Ruben remains hopeful about technology augmenting (not replacing) the physician-patient relationship, and encourages aspiring doctors to always remember their "why" for entering medicine.

In this episode, Tanvi sits down with Dr. Aliya, an integrative medicine practitioner who combines Ayurvedic and Eastern medicine practices with Western medical training. Dr. Aliya shares her unconventional journey from nursing to medical school, where a pharmacology class on statin drugs sparked a crisis that nearly made her quit medicine entirely. Frustrated by the pharmaceutical-focused approach and her own declining health during training, she discovered lifestyle medicine and functional approaches that transformed both her wellbeing and her mother's autoimmune conditions. Dr. Aliya discusses the stark differences between rushed 10-minute conventional appointments and her two-hour integrative consultations, the challenges of accessing holistic care, and why she believes the healthcare system needs to empower patients to take ownership of their health rather than passively accept authority. Through her story of questioning, learning, and ultimately creating her own practice, Dr. Aliya illustrates how curiosity and cultural wisdom can reshape the way we approach healing.

In this episode, Dr. Jahnavi shares her unconventional journey from software engineering to internal medicine. She reflects on the risks of changing careers later in life, the realities of medical school and residency, and the emotional and practical sacrifices required along the way. Dr. Jahnavi also offers honest advice for students and professionals considering a nontraditional path into medicine.

In this episode, Abby sits down with Taryn Bilo, MPH, Medical Respite Manager at the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council. Taryn shares her unconventional path from undergraduate volunteer work to becoming a leader in homeless healthcare and public health policy.

Starting with volunteer work at a housing resource agency in Olympia, Washington, Taryn discusses how early experiences shaped her decade-long career in homeless services. She opens up about the realities of working in direct service—from helping launch one of the first low-barrier shelters in her community to starting a medical respite program—and why she eventually pursued a master's in public health to shift toward upstream thinking and systems-level change.

Taryn explains what medical respite care is and why it's critical for people experiencing homelessness who are discharged from hospitals with nowhere to recover. She discusses the importance of integrating behavioral health and substance use services, developing gender-affirming care practices, and addressing social determinants of health in meaningful ways. She also tackles the policy landscape, including concerns about Medicaid cuts and exciting innovations like Washington State piloting medical respite as a reimbursable service.

Whether you're considering a career in public health, homeless services, or healthcare policy, this conversation offers honest insights into the challenges of working with vulnerable populations, strategies for preventing burnout, and what gives Taryn hope for the future despite uncertain times.

In this episode, Tanvi sits down with Dr. Jean Anderson, Professor Emerita of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Johns Hopkins, to explore her groundbreaking career in HIV and women's health. Dr. Anderson shares her journey from medical school in the 1970s, when AIDS hadn't even been identified, to founding one of the first HIV Women's Health Programs in the nation. She discusses the evolution of HIV treatment from a uniformly fatal diagnosis to a manageable chronic condition, the importance of seeing patients as whole people rather than just diagnoses, and why healthcare should always remain centered on humanity. Through powerful patient stories, including her friendship with Rose, a peer counselor who has worked in her program for decades, Dr. Anderson illustrates how compassion combined with medical advances can transform lives.

Dr. Mathuram Santosham scored J3 on his qualifying exam—the second-worst grade possible. His headmaster said medical school was impossible. But one teacher fought for him, and that changed everything. From watching children die of dehydration in 1960s India to revolutionizing treatment on Apache reservations to eliminating meningitis globally, Dr. Santosham shares why dreaming big, embracing failure, and lifting others up are the keys to an impactful career in medicine.

In this episode, Tanvi sits down with Dr. Megan Weil Latshaw, faculty member at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and environmental health expert. Dr. Latshaw shares her unconventional journey from dreaming of curing cancer as a seventh grader to discovering her true calling in environmental health after realizing lab work wasn't her passion.

Inspired by her philosophy of being a "prepared opportunist," Dr. Latshaw discusses how environmental health examines the impact of our surroundings—air, water, food, and neighborhoods—on human health. She opens up about her impactful work on transit equity in Baltimore, where community collaboration and data analysis influenced real legislation and policy changes at both state and federal levels.

Dr. Latshaw also shares practical advice for aspiring public health professionals, emphasizing that strong graduate school applications focus on personal stories and resilience rather than just grades, and highlighting how 80% of career opportunities come through networking. She introduces listeners to the emerging field of planetary health, which connects human health to the health of our planet.

Whether you're interested in environmental health, public policy, or making community-level change, this conversation offers insights into building a career that combines science, advocacy, and real-world impact.