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Resilience Under Fire: Lessons from War Correspondent Benjamin Hall

*Not Accredited for CME Credit*

Host Holly Wayment and war correspondent Benjamin Hall discuss his New York Times bestselling books, his near-fatal injury while reporting in Ukraine, and the long recovery that followed. He shares how family, community, and inner strength drove his rehabilitation and inspired his children’s book about bravery and standing up for others.

Hall also offers practical advice for clinicians and families on communication, resilience, and supporting loved ones through trauma, and emphasizes the importance of taking action, staying connected, and finding hope.

Season 5 Episode 2

Preparing for Residency Starts Earlier Than You Think with Lisa Doyle Howley, PhD

Lisa Doyle Howley, PhD
Lisa Doyle Howley, PhD

 

EPISODE OVERVIEW:
Lisa Doyle Howley, PhD, joins Ripples: Physician Well-Being podcast podcast to explore how intentional support, psychological safety and clear expectations can better prepare medical students for the transition from medical school to residency.

Season 5 of "Ripples" focuses on bringing your best self to residency training while avoiding common pitfalls.

ABOUT GUEST SPEAKER: 
Lisa Doyle Howley, PhD is an educational psychologist and a national leader in medical education. She serves as the Senior Director for Transforming Medical Education at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), where she drives advancements in competency-based medical education (CBME) and fosters innovation in teaching and learning. 

With more than three decades of experience in academic medicine, Dr. Howley has held leadership roles at institutional, regional, and national levels. She currently leads a diverse portfolio and team dedicated to transforming models of teaching and learning across the continuum of medical education. Her work accelerates the adoption of CBME, reinforces the fundamental role of the arts and humanities, advances faculty development, and ensures that new and emerging areas of medicine are effectively integrated into curricula across AAMC’s member schools and teaching hospitals. Dr. Howley holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. 

Earlier in her career, she was a member of the medical education faculty at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where she designed and implemented performance-based assessments and simulation-enhanced curricula. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Central Florida and both her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia. A frequent speaker and thought leader, she is dedicated to shaping the future of medical education through strategic collaboration, scholarship, and innovation.

Artemis II: From the Moon to Medicine — Inside NASA's AVATAR Experiment with Dr. Lisa Carnell!

Host Holly Wayment and Dr. Lisa Carnell of NASA discuss the Avatar bone marrow organ chips flown on Artemis II, personalized from astronaut blood to study radiation and deep-space effects on human tissues.

The episode explains how these microphysiological systems can protect astronauts, guide long-duration mission health strategies, and translate to improved, less invasive pediatric care and cancer treatments on Earth.

 

My Brain Feels Better

*Not Accredited for CME Credit*


This episode follows Lisa and Craig Wilkerson as they share their son Ryan’s sudden, severe decline from sudden-onset OCD-like symptoms to full disability caused by PANS/PANDAS, and the family’s multi-year struggle to get proper medical care.

They describe repeated misdiagnoses, traumatic hospital experiences, and even CPS involvement, until Dr. Anthony Infante used specialized testing and prescribed IVIG immunotherapy. The treatment gradually restored Ryan’s sleep, hygiene, social life, and independence.

Listeners and viewers will hear clinical pearls about listening to families, considering autoimmune causes for acute neuropsychiatric changes, and the role of multidisciplinary care and targeted immune testing and treatment.

From the Front Lines to Family Life: How to Build Resilience in Ourselves and Our Kids — with Benjamin Hall

Journalist Benjamin Hall joins Pediatrics Now to recount his 2022 injury in Ukraine, the rescue and medical care that followed, and the vital role his family played in his recovery. He reflects on resilience, teamwork, and the strength people find in crisis.

Hall also discusses turning his experience into a children’s book about courage, truth, and standing up for others, and shares practical messages for families and communities about supporting loved ones through hardship.

 

Silent Crisis: Pediatric Cancer Gaps in Latinos

FACULTY:
Adam De Smith, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at University of Southern California School of Medicine.

Jenny Ruiz, MD, is an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

OVERVIEW:
In this episode of Pediatrics Now, we bring a presentation by two experts from the Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations 2026 conference on why children—especially Hispanic and Latino youth—are being left behind in pediatric cancer care.

Adam De Smith, PhD, University of Southern California, reviews genetic and ancestral contributors to increased acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) risk in Latino populations, highlighting IKZF1 and polygenic risk patterns, ancient origins of risk alleles, and ongoing efforts to expand genomic studies across Latin America.

Jenny Ruiz, MD, University of Pittsburgh, examines how language access and communication gaps affect pediatric cancer experiences and outcomes, presenting qualitative interviews and quantitative analyses showing higher acuity and ICU needs for Spanish-preferred patients, and calling for better interpreter services and multifaceted interventions.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers

DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Adam De Smith, PhD and Jenny Ruiz, MD, have no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:
The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:
Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.

Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.

RELEASE DATE:
3/12/2026

EXPIRATION DATE:
8/31/2028

My Brain Feels Better

Parents Lisa and Craig recount their son Ryan’s sudden, devastating onset of PANS—extreme OCD, emotional contamination, refusal to leave home, or even the couch.

Immunologist Dr. Anthony Infante describes using targeted autoimmune testing (Cunningham panel) and IVIG antibody infusions, which gradually restored Ryan’s sleep, hygiene, and social life and ultimately returned him to a healthy, functioning young adult.

 

Season 5 Episode 1

Learning to Swim in the River with Ajeya P. Joshi, MD

Ajaya Joshi, MD
Ajeya Joshi, MD

 

EPISODE OVERVIEW:
Ajeya Joshi, MD, joins Ripples: Physician Well-Being podcast to explore how the principles of salutogenesis can help residents move beyond burnout and toward meaningful growth. He shares practical insights on cultivating resilience, purpose, and well-being during the challenges of medical training.

Season 5 of "Ripples" focuses on bringing your best self to residency training while avoiding common pitfalls.

ABOUT GUEST SPEAKER: 
Ajeya Joshi was born in Apeldoorn, Holland, as his parents, Padmakar Joshi and Dr. Neela Joshi, were emigrating Westward.  When he was 2, the family moved to Paris, France for a year, and when he was nearly 4, to greater Boston, Massachusetts. Ajeya graduated from Lexington (MA) High School in 1988, then attended Dartmouth College and graduated in 1992. 

Dr. Neela Joshi (left) Ajaya Joshi (middle) and Padmakar Joshi (right)His father, Padmakar, was a software engineer at Honeywell Systems, while his mother practiced as a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine first at Boston City Hospital, and then at the Fallon Clinic in Worcester Massachusetts. 

Inspired by his mother's journey in medicine including her exemplary work as a physician servant to her patients but also an academician and accomplished teacher of medical students and residents, Ajeya embarked on his own career pathway by attending Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1997, specializing in orthopedics, graduating from the Harvard Combined Orthopedic Residency Program in 2003, and then completing a fellowship in spinal surgery at Baylor College of medicine in 2004. 

Since 2004, he has been in practice in San Antonio, TX, taking care of the diverse spinal issues of patients of all ages.  His additional interests over time include lifestyle as medicine and leveraging self-care strategies to help with musculoskeletal patients, new or minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques, and outcomes research in the area of bone health. 

Ajeya is grateful for the support of his parents originally, as well as other inner circle pillars of support including his wife, Anjali, and their two children, Om and Seva.

Constipation and Abdominal Pain: What to Do and When to Worry

FACULTY:
Anandini Suri, MD, is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Pediatrics/Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology.

OVERVIEW:
This episode explains how to distinguish functional constipation from organic causes in children, outlines the key red flags that require further workup or referral, and reviews evidence-based management including clean-outs, maintenance with polyethylene glycol, dietary guidance, and when imaging or tests are appropriate.

Host Holly Wayment and Dr. Anandini Suri also discuss practical advice, toilet-training guidance, how to ensure medication adherence, and nonpharmacologic strategies like breathing and exercise for functional abdominal pain.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Increased awareness and education for pediatric providers

DISCLOSURE TO LEARNERS:
Speaker: Anandini Suri, MD, has no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The Pediatrics Now Podcast Planning Committee members: Steven Seidner, MD, and Holly Wayment have no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

The University of Texas at San Antonio and Steven Seidner, MD course director and content reviewer for the activity, have reviewed all financial disclosure information for all speakers, facilitators, and planning committee members; and determined and resolved all conflicts of interests.

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION STATEMENTS:
The University of Texas at San Antonio is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Texas at San Antonio designates this live activity up to a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE:
Healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance and are asked to consult with their licensing board for information on applicability and acceptance.

Credit may be obtained upon successful completion of the activity’s evaluation.

RELEASE DATE:
2/26/2026

EXPIRATION DATE:
8/31/2028

Toilet Training & Tummy Troubles: Constipation and Belly Pain

Host Holly Wayment talks to Pediatric GI specialist Dr. Anandini Suri who explains that constipation in children is common and often behavioral, frequently starting with rushed toilet training. She recommends patient toilet training, proper toilet posture with a stool under the feet, limiting screen time during bathroom visits, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, adequate fluids, and regular outdoor activity.

For belly pain, try simple breathing exercises (for example, inhale 6 seconds, hold 3, exhale 8) and seek medical care if pain is severe, sudden, or accompanied by blood. See a pediatrician if your child has fewer than three to four soft stools a week or if home measures don’t help. Probiotic or prebiotic drinks are generally safe but not proven to relieve constipation.

 

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