As people from diverse backgrounds in medicine,

one of the first labels we get is “underrepresented in medicine”, URM. Ironically a designation meant to carve a space for us, also makes us feel othered.

This podcast is designed to breathe life into the nuances that are flattened by data points med schools use on their websites. Nuances that add color, expanding on the journey we took to be here -

from failing the MCAT, to working three jobs, to passing with flying colors, to proving naysaying guidance counselors wrong, to finding your voice, to navigating mental illness, to having a baby, to losing a parent, to gender transitions, to failing the boards but passing them the second time tho, to surviving the wards, to crying a little (or a lot), to dancing a bachatica or dabbing with your patient, to holding down your fam, to secret head nods in the hallway acknowledging each other’s existence, to not matching… 

We keep these nuances close and we come from different walks of life, but this is where our paths collide. Our experiences enrich but go beyond medicine. (Thank goddess we are here!)

This podcast lives in our collective humanity; it is an ode to our thriving. 

A re-affirmation that yes URM, You Are Med, you belong here. 

This space is as much yours as it is mine, so I dedicate this to you - the past, present, and future generations of URM physicians - with the intention that you find pieces of yourself in the stories of others and that this makes you feel less alone, more inspired, and uplifted. 

With light and love,

- Gisel