When the American Head & Neck Society Women’s Group was discussing what could be improved and further addressed, Jessica H. Maxwell, MD, MPH, FACS, Associate Professor and Residency Program Director for the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, suggested a podcast. At the time, Amanda Bastien, MD, was a Chief Resident in Head & Neck Surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Now she is completing a fellowship in Advanced Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Drs. Maxwell and Bastien connected and started thinking about what conversations should be had, particularly centered around women in surgery.
Thus, “The Sustainable Surgeon: What I Wish I Knew” podcast was born. It is described as “a podcast for surgeons by surgeons.”
All six episodes are hosted by Dr. Bastien, with Dr. Maxwell the co-host of two. Each episode features a guest speaker; the length ranges from 30-60 minutes. Dr. Bastien found the guest speakers through women in surgery circles and social media, where many have a large presence and all are leaders in their field.
For example, Andrea Tooley, MD, an oculoplastic surgeon and proud mom of three, is the guest speaker on the first episode, “Cut & Cuddle: Operating, Pregnancy, and Motherhood.” She is an ad hoc national media spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and passionate about education and advocacy.
Another episode focuses on what it means to be a woman surgeon and go through perimenopause and menopause. Hence, Episode 4, “Menopause and Metzenbaums: Incisions and Transitions,” featuring Sadaf Lodhi, Do, FACOOG, MSCP, IF, board certified ob-gyn, life coach, and sexual counselor in New York with over 20 years of experience. Her work centers on educating and empowering women, particularly in the areas of sexual and menopausal health.
Since being a surgeon means standing for long periods of time, one episode focuses on podiatry. Another, on vision. Surgical education and mindfulness round out the other two topics.
The first episode required a lot of trial and error, as Dr. Bastien had never participated in or made a podcast before. She said Dr. Maxwell was a great mentor. “It was fun,” she said. “I felt really supported and thought the podcasts were really interesting, so that motivated me to figure it out.”
Now the issue is making sure they have an audience. But people have been approaching Drs. Bastien and Maxwell at national courses and conferences to tell them they listen to the podcast, having found it on social media and through the Head & Neck Society.
Drs. Bastien and Maxwell would love to continue with the podcast but currently have no bandwidth to do so. They plan to engage their Women’s Group along with graduating fellows to see if there is any interest in embarking on a Part 2.
The first episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0vnMipcJ976dkqsCK8euY5?si=2950b524b62e4713
AHNS website with episodes: https://www.ahns.info/meetings/young-members-corner-podcast/
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