In this episode of Our Voices, Our Future, we sit down with Alexandra Destler, Founder and CEO of MySafetyNEST, an evidence-based platform dedicated to advancing environmental health literacy, prevention, and health equity by helping individuals and clinicians reduce exposure to toxic chemicals in the home. Her work focuses on translating complex environmental health science into accessible, actionable tools that can be integrated into clinical care and used by families to improve long-term health outcomes.

During this episode we talk about her journey into environmental health and what inspired her to create MySafetyNEST, as well as the importance of environmental exposures in shaping women’s health and chronic disease risk. We discuss common household exposures clinicians should be aware of, and how these factors disproportionately impact women and contribute to health inequities. Alexandra also explains how MySafetyNEST supports both clinicians and patients in turning environmental health science into practical prevention strategies, the barriers clinicians face when trying to incorporate environmental health into everyday practice, and her advice for individuals and healthcare professionals who want to begin reducing toxic exposures in meaningful and sustainable ways.

To learn more about Alexandra and her work, you can visit www.mysafetynest.com

You can also reach out to Alexandra via email: alexandra@mysafetynest.com

You can find more information about the work AMWA’s Advocacy Committee has done and how to join their efforts here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/

You can find more information about AMWA’s Gender Equity Task Force here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/

If you are interested in joining the group, reach out to getf@amwa-doc.org

If you are interested in learning more about the podcast or being featured on an upcoming episode, reach out to our team at getf@amwa-doc.org

If you are interested in joining the incredible network of women in medicine - join AMWA today at https://www.amwa-doc.org/

Thank you for tuning in to Our Voices, Our Future, we will see you next time!

In this episode of Our Voices, Our Future, we sit down with Kriti Saxena, a second-year medical student in the United States with a background in Neuroscience from New York University, who also shares her journey into medicine through social media by offering honest, relatable insights into medical school, lifestyle, and the pre-med experience.

During this episode we talk about her path into medicine and the experiences that first inspired her to pursue this field, as well as the role resilience has played throughout her journey. We discuss her preparation for the MCAT and how persistence shaped her approach during one of the most challenging stages of the pre-med path. Kriti also reflects on her time working as an ophthalmic technician and what that role taught her about perseverance and pursuing opportunities in healthcare. Finally, we explore how she continues to advocate for herself in medical school, the common lessons she has learned across each stage of her training, and her advice for students who may be struggling with setbacks or uncertainty about belonging in medicine.

To learn more about Kriti and her work, you can visit her social media: @krititomd

You can find more information about the work AMWA’s Advocacy Committee has done and how to join their efforts here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/

You can find more information about AMWA’s Gender Equity Task Force here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/

If you are interested in joining the group, reach out to getf@amwa-doc.org

If you are interested in learning more about the podcast or being featured on an upcoming episode, reach out to our team at getf@amwa-doc.org

If you are interested in joining the incredible network of women in medicine - join AMWA today at https://www.amwa-doc.org/

Thank you for tuning in to Our Voices, Our Future, we will see you next time!

In this episode of Our Voices, Our Future, we sit down with Dr. Laura Vater, a medical oncologist, writer, assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine, and Director of Compassionate Medical Education at the Hippocratic Collective, to explore how writing can serve as both reflection and advocacy within medicine.

During this episode we talk about how storytelling can be used as a powerful tool to address mental health stigma in the medical field, the process of finding one’s voice as a clinician-writer, and the ways Dr. Vater balances evidence-based medicine with personal narrative. We also discuss the response from the broader medical community to open conversations about humanism and mental health, and what advice she offers to trainees and clinicians who want to use writing as a form of advocacy but may feel hesitant to speak up.

To learn more about Dr. Laura Vater and her work, you can visit her website: Lauravater.com

You can also reach out to Dr. Laura Vater via email: doclauravater@gmail.com

You can find more information about the work AMWA’s Advocacy Committee has done and how to join their efforts here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/

You can find more information about AMWA’s Gender Equity Task Force here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/

If you are interested in joining the group, reach out to getf@amwa-doc.org

If you are interested in learning more about the podcast or being featured on an upcoming episode, reach out to our team at getf@amwa-doc.org

If you are interested in joining the incredible network of women in medicine - join AMWA today at https://www.amwa-doc.org/

Thank you for tuning in to Our Voices, Our Future, we will see you next time!