ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

EP. 357: Seeing Is Freeing: Dr. Kalaki Clarke on ADHD Without Shame

14 snips

Nov 5, 2025

Dr. Kalaki Clarke, a board-certified family physician and TEDx speaker, shares her journey with ADHD, sparked by recognizing herself in a young patient. She discusses the high-pressure medical residency environment that exacerbated mental health issues. Kalaki introduces her CAT method—Capture, Analyze, Transform—as a valuable framework for neurodivergent learners to develop tailored strategies. The conversation emphasizes the importance of acknowledging ADHD without shame to enhance personal and professional growth.

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ANECDOTE

Diagnosis Moment In Residency

Dr. Kalaki Clarke realized her ADHD during a psychiatry rotation when a 10-year-old boy mirrored her life: smart, charming, but unable to get it together.
That moment triggered self-reflection and eventual formal diagnosis at age 35 after longstanding masking.

ANECDOTE

Residency Unmasked Masking

During residency Dr. Clarke lost items, froze when asked questions, and stayed late to work because she functioned better in quiet.
Sleep deprivation and constant testing unmasked struggles she had hidden through masking in earlier schooling.

INSIGHT

Acceptance Reduces Shame

Acceptance that ADHD is neurobiological helps foster self-forgiveness and actionable support-seeking.
Realizing "it's not your fault" shifts focus from shame to practical management.

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A 10-year-old boy sat across from Dr. Kalaki Clarke, MD during her psychiatry rotation, and she saw herself. Smart, charming, good grades but couldn't get it together. That's when she knew she had ADHD too.

Dr. Clarke was in her first year of residency at UC Irvine, working 80-hour weeks in a system designed to test you constantly. She'd been the good kid, the high achiever, the one who always kept it together. But in residency, surrounded by neurotypical colleagues, sleep-deprived, and constantly performing, the mask finally came off. Her 2015 diagnosis became a turning point, launching her into advocacy for physicians with ADHD. She helped craft equity guidelines for neurodivergent resident physicians, spoke at the International Conference on ADHD, and delivered a TEDx talk called "Seeing is Freeing: How Observation Releases ADHD Potential."

Now, as a board-certified family physician and Associate Professor of Medical Education at USC's Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Clarke spends her time providing care for underserved communities in Los Angeles while shaping the next generation of doctors.

In this conversation, Dr. Clarke and Tracy talk about what it's like to have ADHD in a profession that demands perfection and how "seeing is freeing" applies to both patients and physicians. Dr. Clarke introduces her CAT method (Capture, Analyze, Transform), a framework for turning struggles into strategies. She also talks about leading by example, why she came out publicly about her ADHD at work, and what it means to create space for others to be seen when you've spent so long feeling invisible yourself.

Resources:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmclarkemd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/this_md_kalaki/
TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKmRyxlas3I

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