You can be surrounded by people and still feel deeply alone. Laurel, Hạ, and Austen unpack how loneliness shows up in medical training and practice—not as physical isolation, but as emotional and social disconnection. They reflect on when loneliness hits hardest, when it eases, and what helps them feel seen in high-pressure environments. The conversation also explores how disconnection among clinicians shapes the care we give and the relationships we build with patients.
You can be surrounded by people and still feel deeply alone. Laurel, Hạ, and Austen unpack how loneliness shows up in medical training and practice—not as physical isolation, but as emotional and social disconnection. They reflect on when loneliness hits hardest, when it eases, and what helps them feel seen in high-pressure environments. The conversation also explores how disconnection among clinicians shapes the care we give and the relationships we build with patients.
Walking into medical school without a roadmap hits differently when you are the first in your family to do it. No insider language, no built-in mentors, no one who can explain the difference between Step exams, clerkships, and the hidden curriculum everyone else seems to know. Kirsten Myers, PGY-3 in neurology, joins Lilly to talk about navigating medicine as a first-gen trainee—what it feels like, what it demands, and what it teaches you. They dig into the confusion, the pressure, and the unexpected strengths that come from forging your own path.