This special episode of Unfiltered departs from its usual cadence and lineup as cardiologist Jonathan Fisher is joined this week by his wife, oncologist Dr. Julie Fisher.

Together with hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl, the group embarks on a candid, unscripted conversation that begins with a literal and metaphorical climb. Julie and Jonathan recount their joint ascent of Mount Everest (Julie’s idea, not Jonathan’s) and then quickly moves into deeper terrain: the persistence of sexism in medicine.

In this important conversation, Julie opens up about her experiences as a woman in a field where hierarchy and status remain firmly entrenched. She offers a nuanced yet unflinching account of the barriers she’s faced, from inappropriate comments and dismissiveness to more insidious forms of bias in academic and clinical settings. She describes the pressure to be more nurturing, friendly, likeable and even more accessible to patients than male colleagues. And yet, when it came time to seek a promotion, Julie was told these skills – which were both encouraged and expected – weren’t valued as much as significantly as other skills (namely, getting published in academic medical journals).

To this day, these unequal pressures undermine a woman’s ability to lead with authority, to express frustration or to achieve equal footing in the medical profession.

Though born from a partnership between husband and wife, this Unfiltered episode invites a broader reckoning in medicine. It is a chance to look closely and honestly at questions of power, perception and equality in American healthcare.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

Breast cancer diagnoses rising fastest among young women (Charlotte Talks interview with Julie Fisher)
‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #195: Dr. Julie Fisher on medicine, marriage & misogyny appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

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