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.

In this episode, Abby sits down with Jerrold F. Rosenbaum, M.D., Psychiatrist-in-Chief Emeritus at Massachusetts General Hospital, Director of the Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics, and Stanley Cobb Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rosenbaum shares his unique career journey that has taken him between clinical psychiatry, hospital administration, and groundbreaking research.

Inspired by his father's work as a general practitioner, Dr. Rosenbaum discusses how family influence shaped his path into medicine and his approach to patient care. He opens up about the challenges of balancing leadership roles with clinical work, the evolution of his career from administration to directing innovative psychiatric research, and what it's really like to pioneer psychedelic therapy in modern medicine.

Whether you're interested in psychiatry, healthcare leadership, or cutting-edge medical research, this conversation offers insights into how one doctor built a career that spans multiple areas of healthcare while staying true to his passion for helping patients.