health professions

We've been careful on Raise the Line to use the term psychedelic-assisted therapy because, as we've heard from previous guests, these compounds are best administered in the context of a therapeutic relationship in a safe, controlled setting. Today, we're going to focus on the therapy part of the equation with Dr. Mary “Bit” Yaden, an assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. Yaden contends that administering a two-to-three-month course of psychedelic-assisted therapy will be vastly different for professionals used to conventional mental health treatments that involve taking medications daily and which might or might not include long-term courses of talk therapy. “This is taking a pill twice, and participating in psychotherapy is integral to its success. This is not ‘maybe I feel better today taking an SSRI, but I'm not quite sure.’ This is deliberately taking a medicine that changes your mental state in a way that is not ordinary,” she tells host Shiv Gaglani. And while she’s encouraged by growing evidence that psilocybin and other compounds are showing therapeutic promise, she’s concerned about history repeating itself, as reflected in a 2021 article in JAMA Psychiatry she co-authored entitledPsychedelics and Psychiatry, Keeping the Renaissance from Going Off the Rails.  “I think a great tragedy could be if there is so much overblown hype that we become disenchanted too early or that we start allowing for practices that are not safe.” Don’t miss this highly engaging and instructive conversation on the full picture of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Mentioned in this episode: https://hopkinspsychedelic.org/

Dr. Meena Verma did not arrive in the United States from India with a background in medical education. However, equipped with the inspiration of her grandfather and a calling to improve the lives of others she took on the challenges that lead to becoming a nurse anesthetist and proud alumna of the VCU Nurse Anesthesia department. In this episode, she shares her story as a learner and how mentorship of new students plays an important role in her professional practice.

Featured Guests:
Meena Verma - DNAP, CRNA

In this episode, our guests include Nina Bouzamondo, Founder and CEO of Pre-Health Shadowing and a book debut with Ramsha Essa and Mirza Baig who are co-authoring a book with Pre-Health Shadowing called: Heroes Behind the Mask

Pre-Health Shadowing is an education innovation with a visionary leader, Nina Bouzamondo-Bernstein, the Founder and CEO of Pre-Health Shadowing. Nina recognized the pressing need for a solution as COVID-19 caused the cancellation of countless in-person shadowing and clinical opportunities. These experiences are pivotal for pre-health students, providing them with the essential academic and professional development required for successful health program applications. In response, she founded Pre-Health Shadowing, an innovative platform that caters to students pursuing careers in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, research, physical therapy, and beyond.

Pre-Health Shadowing is also supporting and sponsoring a new book by Co-Authors, Ramsha Essa and Mirza Baig called: Heroes Behind the Mask. This historical book is documenting the stories of our medical providers who put their lives on the line to respond to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Listen in to these young creative health leaders!

#pre-health shadowing

#healthcareers

#Heroes Behind the Mask

#healtheducation

#studentempowerment

#healthcareuntold@gmail.com

Our focus on the renaissance in research into psychedelics continues on this episode of Raise the Line, but instead of looking at their potential therapeutic applications, we're going to hear about using them as a tool for learning how the brain works. “We don't have a great idea about the neural basis of self-conception, and psychedelics make us question so many of our fundamental assumptions about the nature of reality,” says Dr. Michael Silver, director of the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. Dr. Silver, who is also a professor of Optometry, has the advantage of using the extensive knowledge we already have of how visual activity works in the brain as a predicate for his research. “We have the ability to do human neuroimaging and objectively define many areas in the visual cortex, while it’s still unclear how some higher order areas of the brain are defined,” he tells host Shiv Gaglani. The Center was established in 2020 in part to fill a need for credible information about psychedelics and its work is informed by a wide range of disciplines including molecular and cell biology, psychology, neuroscience and journalism. In fact, one of the Center’s founding members is journalist Michael Pollan, author of the bestselling books How to Change Your Mind and This is Your Mind on Plants. This is a truly fascinating conversation on the nature of visual perception, standards for training psychedelic facilitators and the possible recategorization of mental health disorders, among other implications of psychedelic research. 

Mentioned in this episode:
UC Berkeley Center for the Study of Psychedelics

UC Berkeley Online Course: Psychedelics and the Mind

Sam Harris Podcast

“I'm betting it's going to be more good than bad, but I have some big concerns about where things are headed,” warns Dr. Matthew Johnson of Johns Hopkins University when prognosticating about what impact the use of psychedelics in mental health treatment will have on society at large. As he tells host Shiv Gaglani, once these compounds are more widely available, there is real potential for unscrupulous actors to take advantage of people and cults to form. “One of the critiques is about this “new religion” component. I've been really concerned about that because I see even within the deepest layers of science, it’s very difficult to trust people with the magnitude of effect psychedelics have in people.” It's perhaps surprising for one of the scientists responsible for the renaissance in psychedelic research to articulate those concerns, but Dr. Johnson notes there is a long history, going back centuries, of psychedelics waxing and waning due to social and political factors. For now, he is focused on the efficacy of psychedelics in combating nicotine addiction, an area he pioneered starting a decade ago. Preliminary results of a study building on his early work indicate psychedelic-assisted therapy may be twice as effective as the leading nicotine replacement therapy. Up next is a multi-site trial on nicotine, plus studies on using LSD to treat chronic pain and psylocibin to deal with opioid addiction and PTSD. Don’t miss this thoughtful, nuanced and super informative discussion on one of the most interesting areas in medical science today. 

“I think we're doing something really special here to change the way healthcare is delivered in South Florida, so keep an eye on us,” says Dr. Julie Pilitsis, dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Florida Atlantic University. For one thing, class sizes in the medical and nursing programs are both increasing to tackle less than ideal access to health services. “If you get diagnosed with a lump on your breast in Florida, it takes you thirty days on average to see a doctor, while the national average is three to five days,” she notes. And just as FAU’s educational and clinical programs are supporting the communities they serve, Pilitsis tells host Shiv Gaglani that they need support in return.  “I think academic medicine and academic hospitals are essential. Everybody wants good healthcare, but I think sometimes they don't understand the economic impact that good healthcare brings to the area.” Shiv and Dr. Pilitsis also explore advancements in functional neurosurgery, the role of artificial intelligence in reducing burnout and her landmark career as the first female neurosurgeon to become a dean in this enlightening episode.

Mentioned in this episode: https://www.fau.edu/medicine/

VCU’s U:CREATE internship provides collaboration and clinical research opportunities for undergraduate students.

Featured Guests:
Nada Youssef - VCU Physical Therapy Student
Deema Ballout - VCU Physical Therapy Student

In this episode of Raise the Line, we dive into the fascinating story of a very old technology, EEGs, being mined for data using a very new technology, AI, that's changing the way treatments are being developed for disorders of the brain. Joining host Michael Carrese to explain is Dr. Jake Donoghue, co-founder and CEO of Beacon Biosignals, a startup that’s using AI to unlock precision medicine for various neurological, psychiatric and sleep disorders. “We utilize our AI tools to bring quantitative endpoints into clinical trials to see if the drugs are impacting brain activity,” Donoghue explains.  AI’s ability to quickly recognize subtle changes in electrical activity that might otherwise go unnoticed can accelerate the trial process and hopefully, approval of new therapies. Donoghue is also interested in the area of sleep medicine because of its connection to a wide variety of issues including depression, PTSD, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. “We think there's a lot of opportunity to bring quantitative insights to this fundamental state that all humans go through and map some of these really robust features of brain activity to increase understanding of disease and health.”

Mentioned in this episode:  https://beacon.bio/

“It is my deepest wish for all of my students to find me as a mentor and a coach,” says Beth Hendricks, RN, MSN and assistant professor at New Mexico State University School of Nursing. That can be traced back in part to a nursing educator early in her career who took that approach and built her confidence. Being devoted to paying that forward is one reason Hendricks is the winner of the 2022 Osmosis Raise The Line Faculty Awards in the RN-Nurse Practitioner category. Her student nominators describe her as both empathetic and driven to see them succeed, which is a deliberate balance Hendricks tries to strike. “Having their backs but also challenging them is the best method for connecting with students,” she tells host Michael Carrese. Check out this insightful conversation on how to motivate students to fight through “imposter syndrome,” the importance of learning to think like a nurse, and why she encourages students to find their unique learning style among many other tips for educators. 

Mentioned in this episode: www.osmosis.org/faculty-awards

What if your vibrator not only brought you pleasure but also provided valuable health data? That's precisely what Anna Lee, co-founder of Lioness, is striving to achieve. In this episode of Raise the Line, our host Shiv Gaglani sits down with Anna to discuss her journey from being an engineer at Amazon to starting a company focused on women's sexual pleasure and health. Despite the stigma around female pleasure, Lioness is dedicated to serving an underserved community, and the data they've collected is shedding light on the importance of sexual wellness. As Anna puts it, "Orgasms are the canary in the coal mine for healthcare implications and overall health." Join us to hear Anna's inspiring story and learn about the challenges of creating a smart vibrator in a male-dominated industry.

Mentioned in this episode: https://lioness.io/

Even for those with experience in the healthcare system, dealing with health insurance can be confusing and complicated. And for millions of Americans, they have the additional challenge of navigating this complexity in something other than their native language, which is a real barrier to access. Knocking down those barriers is where today’s Raise the Line guest enters the picture. Myong Lee is co-founder and CEO of Clever Care Health Plan, a culturally sensitive Medicare Advantage plan that's tailored to the customs, values and linguistic needs of the diverse communities it serves. The company was sparked by Lee's experience watching his Korean American parents struggle with a system that wasn't designed for them. The mission goes beyond just providing customer service in different languages to including different health customs as well. “My parents certainly have never been to a gym. We saw the opportunity to be able to allow seniors to be able to practice healthcare the way they want to with access to herbal medicine and Tai Chi classes.” Join host Michael Carrese for an exploration of incorporating Eastern and Western medical traditions, assisting seniors in accessing the care they need and deserve and launching a company during a pandemic.

Mentioned in this episode: https://clevercarehealthplan.com/

Join us on this special episode as we continue a series of conversations with the winners of the Osmosis from Elsevier 2022 Raise the Line Faculty Awards which recognize the inspirational educators who are responsible for training future generations of healthcare professionals. Winners were chosen fromover 1,000 nominations received from 377 institutions around the world. The interviews feature testimonials from the students and peers who nominated the eventual winners focusing on how they embody the six Osmosis core values. On today’s episode, hostLindsey Smith speaks with Dr. Joanne Baxter, the first female dean of Dunedin School of Medicine at the University of Ōtākou in 148 years. As a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Baxter discusses the importance of DEI in both the medical field and society at large. Drawing from her Māori heritage, she emphasizes the significance of collaborating with marginalized communities to ensure equitable healthcare access. Through her conversation with Lindsey, she explains the importance of understanding the roots of inequality and highlights how the younger generations are leading the way. “This next generation really embraces and engages with conversations about equity and diversity in a way that is much more open and progressive.” 

Mentioned in this episode: www.osmosis.org/faculty-awards

“Burnout to me is about losing control, not overwork. It's about being unable to solve problems, and problems beginning to stack up with no end in sight.” Today’s Raise the Line guest Justin Welsh earned that insight the hard way after a demanding corporate job led to a panic attack so severe it prompted a 911 call. Five years later, after founding a one-man business called “The Saturday Solopreneur,” he’s gained full control of his work life and has the number one rated course on LinkedIn which helps more than 10,000 people identify, share and monetize the knowledge they already possess.  Listen in to this enlightening episode with host Shiv Gaglani as Justin shares his journey from successful digital health executive to self-employment and what he’s learned along the way about himself and what really matters to him. He details how he gained such a large following in short order, and offers advice for healthcare workers and digital health entrepreneurs on advancing their careers and preventing burnout. And stay tuned for an insightful take on the impact of AI that should reassure those with real world knowledge and experience, and the wisdom that can come from both. “Try not to look for ways to cut the line in place of real learning. Do the work, make the mistakes, analyze the mistakes, iterate, repeat.”

Mentioned in this episode: linkedin.com/in/justinwelsh

A singing guest!  A poetic chat bot! This special episode of Raise the Line features those unusual artistic highpoints along with the substantive and interesting conversation you always get with host Shiv Gaglani. Our guest, Dr. Mark Korson, is a metabolic geneticist and Director of Education and Physician Support Services at VMP Genetics who believes patients have a crucial role to play in the education of both learners and practicing clinicians, especially when dealing with rare diseases. “Patients teach about disease a whole lot better than I do because they tell stories and storytelling is so incredibly powerful as a teaching tool.” Tune in as Korson talks about career opportunities in genetics and metabolic disease, the ways he integrates patient voices into his teaching, and the biggest opportunities and challenges in treating genetic and metabolic diseases and biochemical disorders. Plus, he shares his advice for learners about pursuing a career in the increasingly complex and demanding healthcare field. “You have to protect your personal life and protect it greedily because if you don't do that, at some point it's going to impact how you like your career.”

Mentioned in this episode: https://www.vmpgenetics.com/

“In medical school, you don't learn about leadership. You don't learn about what skills are required to make large-scale strategic decisions that can impact your patients,” says Nita Gombakomba, who will complete her medical degree later this year at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.  As national president of the Student National Medical Association -- which has been fighting for equity and diversity in the medical field for sixty years – Nita has cultivated a broad perspective on medical education and the practice of medicine as she contemplates the future she and her classmates are facing. As she explains to host Michael Carrese, adding leadership training to medical school curricula is particularly important for students from underrepresented communities who see few role models in the ranks of healthcare leadership. As president of SNMA, she’s made leadership opportunities for members a focus, as well as community service initiatives and addressing health disparities. “We've really been pushing the focus on how housing instability also doubles as healthcare instability and the other health disparities that are related to that.” Tune in for a thoughtful perspective from the trenches of medical education and learn why it was important for Nita to take a break from med school to earn an MBA. 

https://snma.org/Mentioned in this episode: 

“I know it's hard for people to think about holding on if they're in despair, but there's the possibility of healing coming ahead. Don’t give up hope,” says Dr. Rick Doblin, who has devoted his career to getting MDMA and other psychedelics approved by the FDA.  As you’ll hear in this episode of Raise the Line, he could be on the verge of seeing his decades-long dream come true.  On the day host Shiv Gaglani spoke to Doblin (January 5, 2023) successful results from a Phase 3 clinical trial of MDMA to treat PTSD were released by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies – an organization Doblin founded thirty-six years ago. This sets in motion a process that could result in FDA approval of MDMA for this use in 2024. That’s very good news for the millions of Americans with PTSD – and hundreds of millions worldwide – whose disease is resistant to other treatments. One of the next big steps is training therapists to incorporate these drugs into their work, something MAPS and other organizations are moving quickly to accomplish. Tune into this fascinating conversation about the political and social factors that have held up legalization of psychedelics for decades, other promising applications of MDMA, what fuels Doblin’s passion for normalizing the use of these promising medications, and the largest ever conference on psychedelics coming to Denver, Colorado in June.  

Mentioned in this episode:
https://maps.org/

https://psychedelicscience.org/

Dr. Jared Schultz hosts this episode in which, Dr. Christine Reid and her graduate students Sonia Meyer and Fran Singson discuss a model of marginal identity development they have developed. They have been exploring the ramifications of when individuals belong to more than one identity group, but are not fully developed in any one group. 

Science As a Force for Social Good: Dr. Richard Horton, Editor in Chief of The Lancet

The first scientific paper on the clinical features of patients infected with what came to be known as COVID-19 was published in The Lancet, launching that famed journal's prominent role in COVID research, which it has maintained throughout the pandemic. But being an influential force in science and medicine is nothing new to this nearly 200-year-old publication, which is published by Osmosis' parent company, Elsevier.  We explore that role on this episode of Raise the Line with The Lancet’s Editor in Chief, Dr. Richard Horton. A physician by training, Dr. Horton himself has often been described as a global force in science and medicine, partially for his work in greatly expanding the content offerings and global reach of The Lancet’s family of publications, but also for his outspokenness on politically charged issues. “I don't apologize for not being impartial. I would say it's the only way you can be. You have to look at the world, diagnose the world view you have, and then we use our journal to try and achieve certain objectives. It's what science was all about originally,” he tells host Shiv Gaglani.  Insights abound in this penetrating and lively look at the intersection of science and society, what lessons we should learn from COVID and the prospects for humans solving the existential threats we’ve created. “Our role at The Lancet is to draw attention to the dangers that face the human species, but also, to the solutions that are available to us.”

Mentioned in this episode: https://www.thelancet.com