Medical education is known for its demanding structure, but the toll it takes on students and physicians is rarely addressed with the same intensity. Nearly 30% of medical students experience depression, and rates of suicidal ideation are alarmingly high—three times greater than their same-age peers. Residents and attending physicians face similar challenges, often without access to the care and support they need. Dr. Jenny Wei and third-year medical student Sanila Math join the conversation with Austen to explore the culture of rigidity in medicine—from its historical roots to its present-day consequences—across every stage of training. Together, they reflect on the weight of burnout and the importance of questioning systems that no longer serve doctors' well-being.

Despite Latine individuals making up nearly 20% of the U.S. population, they remain vastly underrepresented in medicine. With the Latine community projected to reach 111.2 million by 2060, the lack of diversity in health care raises concerns about access, language concordance, and culturally competent care. Vida Sandoval and Marisol Solis from La Comunidad en Medicina join Hạ for a conversation to discuss the challenges and triumphs of being Latine in medicine. They explore how representation impacts patient outcomes, the importance of building a supportive community in the medical field, and the steps needed to create a more inclusive and equitable health care system.

Grief is an inevitable part of life, but for physicians, it often exists in tension with the expectation to keep moving forward. While they provide care and comfort to others, how do they make space for their own losses? Medical student Kate Tyler joins Lilly for a raw conversation about the emotional weight of grieving in medicine and the challenges of balancing personal and professional loss. They explore how grief shapes difficult conversations, influences goals of care, and highlights the importance of truly being present with patients and their families at the end of life. This episode is dedicated to Alia Kanishka, Jane Tyler, and all those lost to devastating illnesses like terminal cancer.