The Human Doctor

Singing is Swinging and Writing is Fighting

In this episode, Ashley reflects on an experience where she found the courage to speak up and gained an important lesson in dealing with disagreements.

Anger will pass. Kindness lasts.

Kimberly is back on the mic this week to reflect on a brief moment in the past that could have changed her life in a major way.

Always Be Learning

Lessons come to us in all sorts of ways, especially in the places we least expect. Today, Ashley shares a story about being open to new things, especially when we think we have nothing to learn. 

A change gon' come

Change is inevitable. It can be hard at times, but change can also be an opportunity embrace a new way of being and seeing ourselves in the world. This episode, Kimberly shares a story about a significant change she went through in the past and what she learned from that experience.

Topics Discussed:

• Formerly Incarcerated People's Performance Project
• Adolescence on Netflix 
• Masters of the American College of Physicians - 2024/2025
• Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025

 

Gut Feelings

Have you ever had an instance where you made up your mind to do something, but your body said "no"? This episode, Ashley shares an experience that highlights how our bodies sometimes alert us to deeper truths that we'd rather avoid thinking about. 

Topics Discussed:

• Colorectal Cancer Screening - Guidance from the CDC
• Transgender Day of Visibility - 3/31
• Black Liturgies - by Cole Arthur Riley 
• Quote from The Kite Runner - by Khaled Hosseini
• Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025

Innocent until proven...innocent

While reflecting on two pivotal experiences as a mom and as an educator, Kimberly gives a masterclass in the value of pausing to ask questions before assuming the worst. 

 

Topics Discussed:

• March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month 
• "Racial Disparities and early-onset colorectal cancer: A call to action" - by Andrew Chan, MD, MPH
• Their Eyes Were Watching God - by Zora Neale Hurston, audiobook narrated by Ruby Dee
• The Color Purple - by Alice Walker
• Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025

What is we gon' do?

When things feel uncertain and you have no idea what to do, every once in a while, the answer you need is right there in front of you. This week, Ashley reflects on a beautiful connection that was made during a time of doubt. 

"And it was still hot"

When we find ourselves in certain situations that seem like way more than we bargained for, sometimes we do have to ask the question, "if not me, then who?" Recently, Kimberly was thrust into one of these circumstances and in this episode, she shares her experience of how things unfolded. 

Get Proximate

Often, it's only through proximity to different lived experiences and that issues become personal enough for us to change our thoughts and behaviors. This week, Ashley reflects on some key moments that opened her awareness to issues she hadn't previously contended with. 

Topics Discussed:

• UCSF Black Caucus Gala 
• Oakland Black Joy Parade
• How Can Black People Write About Flowers at a Time Like This - poem written and read by Hanif Abdurraqib
• Quiet - book by Susan Cain
• Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez (@DoctoraEdith)
• Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025

Shrink to Fit

The stories we often tell ourselves, about ourselves, later become self-fulfilling prophesies that can either help us reach our potential or keep us constricted. Sometimes we need to pump the breaks long enough to ask, what story am I telling and is it true? Sometimes we need others to help us do it. This week Kimberly shares a pivotal moment that invited her to reshape her narrative and learn to aim higher. 

Topics Discussed: 

• Becoming Wise - by Krista Tippett
• On Being - Podcast 
• Jesus and the Disinherited - by Howard Thurman
• The Fire Next Time - James Baldwin 
• Look out for Dr. McMullen and Dr. Manning at the SGIM National Meeting - May 2025