Katie is a first year medical student at PNWU who struggled academically and emotionally during her first semester. She found herself thousands of miles away from her family and boyfriend. She found it difficult to find a balance of studying and healthy coping mechanisms. Katie described her experience as "typical first year med student burnout." Katie opens up about how she handled this situation. She talks about using the counselors provided by our school, and how tuning into this podcast help...
Mar 06, 2019•41 min
Dr. Michael Lawler is Pacific Northwest University's new president, and started his career as a social worker. We dive into his journey starting as therapist, moving onto academics, and eventually administration. Dr. Lawler is an expert in child psychology, and has participated in over 80 publications. We discuss his most interesting findings, and how we can apply these lessons to PNWU. Dr. Lawler talks about his emphasis on mental health, and welcomes suggestions on how to improve student life....
Feb 28, 2019•1 hr 10 min
Sarah is a RN and is incredibly open about her experiences in a hospital. Often times, she posts about bringing awareness to her own mental health, as well as the struggles she sees in patients. She finds balance in life by using humor to handle the immense stressors of nursing. She creates hilarious memes about student life, night shifts, and other healthcare related jokes. Sarah is open about her experiences using a therapist, and how she has adjusted to working nights as an RN. Check out her ...
Feb 20, 2019•45 min
Julia is a Bipolar Disorder Mental Health Advocate, currently working in the fashion industry in Seattle. Julia shares her experiences with manic episodes and depression, and her journey towards wellness. She talks about why she decided to live openly about her mental health challenges, and how she tries to reduce stigma around her. Julia writes some amazing pieces on her blog: julialivesbipolar.com and I highly suggest you check her Instagram and writings!
Feb 13, 2019•1 hr 24 min
@Hungry2Thrive - Joy Yamamoto Braiotta - Clinical Psychologist and Food Psychology Coach in San Diego, CA. Joy explains the power of exercise, and how to best handle moments when we eat to suppress our emotions. Joy talks about she used to be an emotional eater, but learned techniques in her psychology master's degree on how to cope. She strongly believes that being healthy isn't about counting calories, or forcing yourself to eat a bland diet to lose weight. She encourages her clients to "disco...
Feb 06, 2019•49 min
Mark Donne, best man at my wedding and friend since age 5, significantly impacted my attitude towards my bipolar disorder. Mental illness is chronic in nature, and patients don't truly achieve a "cure," but rather, a reduction in symptoms. Mark was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart condition that has required him to undergo multiple open heart surgeries. Despite these constant visits to doctors, I never heard Mark complain. His attitude towards his condition is inspiring, because...
Jan 31, 2019•1 hr 3 min
MORE POLICE OFFICERS DIE BY SUICIDE THAN IN THE LINE OF DUTY - Officer Ben Hittle works as head of security at PNWU medical school, and has decades of experience as a police officer. He dealt with high stress environments as a hostage negotiator with SWAT, and led many crisis decompression meetings with fellow officers. Ben and I discuss the mental health challenges police officers and first responders face. Ben elaborates why he thinks the rates of depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and suicide a...
Jan 23, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Diane Mintz wrote "In Sickness and in Mental Health: Living with and Loving Someone with Mental Illness," currently available on Amazon. Diane is also President of the National Alliance of Mental Illness, Sacramento Chapter, and a strong advocate for bipolar disorder. I met Diane when I first started public speaking. Diane and I had a fantastic conversation about our experiences and hopes for mental healthcare. We discuss treating mental illness and addiction, and how we think these approaches s...
Jan 17, 2019•1 hr 9 min
Chris Walker is a first year med student at PNWU, and experiences unique challenges. He lives with ADHD, and discusses how the benefits and harms of his ADHD medication. Additionally, Chris also prioritizes being a great father and role model to his two young children. Chris gives an open, honest perspective of the challenges and triumphs of medical school, and lessons he's learned along the way.
Jan 09, 2019•1 hr
Jamie Katuna, @SpeakOutMedicine, is a medical student who is a strong advocate for improving the medical system. She writes thought provoking articles, and challenges the status quo. Many of her pieces have been featured on KevinMD.com. In addition, she produces videos, and has appeared on numerous podcasts. Jamie has a passion for improving diabetes and obesity management, and commits to improving how physicians handle these challenges.
Jan 02, 2019•1 hr
Rob Harpin explains his experience with cancer, and how his outlook on life has changed. I've been great friends with Rob since third grade, and vividly remember visiting Rob in Yale Hospital. We review how Rob was diagnosed and treated, but also highlight the emotional experience of it all. Rob explains how he rejected feeling like victimized, and how complaining about his diagnosis wouldn't help improve his situation. Rob inspired all of us through his battle with diffuse, large B-cell lymphom...
Dec 26, 2018•46 min
Richard Arroyo, 2nd year medical student and great friend hops on to discuss the interesting emotional state of mind after finishing our 3rd semester of medical school. On one hand, we're ecstatic on this accomplishment. On the other, we are absolutely terrified on impending doom of BOARD TESTS ahead. In roughly 6 months, we take an 8-hour long exam, arguably the most important of our academic career. We discuss how we want to manage this beast, and how we plan to remain sane through it.
Dec 19, 2018•46 min
This quick episode is for any student during FINALS WEEK. Exams can be incredibly stressful and exhausted. We all tend to let both our physical and mental health go during these taxing times. Take a listen to 7 quick suggestions on how to improve your mental health during finals week!
Dec 06, 2018•20 min
I talk with Will Taylor, my great friend and mentor since 2012. I met Will at a bipolar support group in Roseville, CA. Will led a mental health speaker's bureau in Placer County, CA underneath Mental Health America. He trained me on ways to present my story, and helped ignite my passion for helping the mental health community. We discuss his journey with bipolar disorder, and how homosexuality impacts mental health. We also dive into men's mental health in honor of the final MOVEMBER episode.
Nov 28, 2018•1 hr 16 min
27 - I talk with my great friend and medical school classmate, Kyle Moehlin, about his thoughts on men's healthcare. We dive into men's mental health, and screening for testicular and prostate cancer. We discuss how using exercise can drastically help with mental health, and suggestions on the easiest way to get started. We talk about body dysmorphia within the male population, and how this challenge is different for men compared to women.
Nov 21, 2018•1 hr 33 min
David Woods Bartley is a professional mental health speaker, who has delivered more than 300 speeches over the past 7 years. Most notably, he presented at TedxLosGatos. David is a firm believer in the power of connection and creating hope. David is a member of the Placer County Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Advisory Board (MHADAB) and sits on the Board of Directors for a local chapter of Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). David changed his life after coming close to committing suicide,...
Nov 14, 2018•1 hr 52 min
First MO-vember themed episode is with my great friend and classmate, Nic Lalanne. We discuss the mental health differences of premed vs medical students. While my mental health was more taxed as a premed, Nic has experienced more stress while in medical school. We talk about the importance of discussing mental health, regardless of whether someone is diagnosed with any psychiatric condition. This episode was a blast, and Nic will absolutely return to the show in the future.
Nov 07, 2018•1 hr 42 min
I bring back my first guest ever, my classmate and friend, Megan Haughton. In Ep. 2, we talk about her experiences with OCD. On this episode, we discuss Megan's new diagnosis of ADHD, and what steps she's taken to improve academically and emotionally in medical school. We discuss how she uses medication, friendship, and therapy to help manage both ADHD and OCD as a medical student. Megan is a second year medical student, and Executive Secretary of PNWU Student Government.
Oct 31, 2018•48 min
I talk with Ruben Aragon, who has followed my content since posting on YouTube in 2013. Ruben shares his story of bipolar disorder, and why he wants to publicly disclose his story after 24 years. We discuss the importance of exercise and diet on managing bipolar disorder, and what to expect after sharing your story of mental illness on social media.
Oct 24, 2018•41 min
Dr. Edward Bilsky is Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Pacific Northwest University. He received a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy in 1996, with a concentration in opioid pharmacology, pain and addiction. We talk about diagnosing and treating pain, and the epidemic of opiate addiction. We discuss the various treatment options of addiction, and the harm reduction model. We conclude our conversation by talking about the poss...
Oct 17, 2018•1 hr 38 min
Ep. 20 - Severe Migraines Exacerbate Depression & Anxiety - I talk with my classmate, Katie, about her experiences with significant, and frequent migraines. These migraines can be absolutely debilitating at times. Katie discusses how she copes with this chronic pain, and also how her mental health is often impacted. Katie talks about how her pain, depression, and anxiety interrelate.
Oct 10, 2018•59 min
I talk with my great friend, Jeremy, who dealt with severe test induced anxiety and insomnia during his first year of medical school. Jeremy shared his earlier mental health challenge of PTSD in Ep. 6, and today, he's back to share his experience of medical school. We talk about how we deal with the stress of tests, managing insomnia, and how to adjust your approach to medical school. CHEERS!
Oct 03, 2018•40 min
Richard Arroyo has one of the most unique roads to medicine in our class. Richard completed his law degree, and then embarked on adventure, taking him from Texas, to Minnesota, Thailand, and Alaska. Richard is one of my best friends in medical school, and we both possess a passion for mental health and well being. In this episode, we discuss Richard's interest and experience with mental illness, and how managing the stress of medical school. I had a great time recording this episode, and I will ...
Sep 27, 2018•58 min
I talk with Matt about his experiences dealing with addiction to opiates and other substances, and how that shaped his life. Matt grew up in Maine, and dealt with social anxiety from a young age. He grew an affinity to substances, which lead him to eventually become addicted to opiates. Matt found himself in jail, but eventually turned his life around to pursue becoming a physician. This story is inspiring, and I guarantee you will enjoy it.
Sep 19, 2018•1 hr 51 min
I rapidly interview any medical student that visited my Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Club booth at Pacific Northwest University club fair. As president of this club, I have the opportunity to interact with many students interested in psychiatry. I ask them how they gauge their own mental health, and how they mitigate against mental challenges. I was able to interview a wide variety of 1st and 2nd year medical students.
Sep 12, 2018•20 min
I talk with Zach, (@zachandsofie) who decided to leave medical school to pursue a career that better aligned with his passions. Zach was capable of success in medical school, and passed all of his courses. However, he found himself frustrated with the inefficiencies of medicine, and desired for a different path. Zach explains the process of leaving medicine, what life has been like as an entrepreneur, and managing to pay back his debt from the first two years of medical school.
Aug 29, 2018•50 min
Dr. Vania Manipod (@freudandfashion) was the first physician I encountered that was open about her experience with social anxiety. Her attitude inspired me to publicly disclose my bipolar disorder on my medical school applications. We discuss why she feels it is healthier to live openly about mental health, the proper use of social media, and how to combat student and physician burnout. We talk about the philosophy of osteopathic medicine, and how osteopathic manipulative medicine can be used in...
Aug 22, 2018•43 min
Rudy Caseres, my inspiration for starting my podcast, comes on to discuss forced mental health treatment. We talk about the shortcomings and negative outcomes of forced psychiatric care, and solutions we think are possible. We also discuss the notion of "bipolar as a superpower." Rudy is an incredible mental health advocate, and a blast to have on the show. I am sure Rudy will come on again!
Aug 15, 2018•52 min
I talk with PNWU anatomy scholar, Kyle Stumetz, about how to tackle your first year of medical school. We discuss mental health tips, dealing with failure, and how to efficiently study. We share our different approaches to studying, and how it's totally normal to have your own particular method. Burnout is incredibly prevalent in medical students, and it is so important to start setting a routine early to best tackle the immense challenges of medical school.
Aug 09, 2018•47 min
1 in 7 woman deal with Postpartum Depression, yet it is an experience we rarely hear about. My classmate, Elizabeth, was the first person I've ever talked to about this mental health challenge. We discuss her depression, and how it was possibly exacerbated by her pregnancy. Most importantly, Elizabeth helps to normalize postpartum depression, and encourage other mothers to seek out support and help. Elizabeth was absolutely hilarious, inspirational, and educational.
Aug 01, 2018•1 hr 21 min
