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Faces of Medicine
Dr. Ellana Stinson
In this episode of Faces of Medicine, we hear the story of Dr. Ellana Stinson, an Emergency Physician, leader and entrepreneur who grew up in the deep south. Watching her father pursue his career as a military nurse and her mother work as a respiratory therapist, the idea of a career in healthcare came to her early in life. She thrived at Spelman College, but stumbled in the face of the MCAT, an extremely difficult exam that most future doctors dread. She made it through and eventually came to realize that getting through a painful exam might be the least of the challenges she faced in the pursuit of her dream of becoming a physician.
This podcast is part of Faces of Medicine, a donor-funded project to share the stories of Black women physicians to inspire the next generation and give everyone who listens a window into these remarkable journeys.
It all started with an independent documentary which is available to rent at kinema.
Host and Executive Producer: Dr. Khama Ennis
Senior Producer: Alex Smith
Project Manager & Associate Producer: Seth Lepore
Assistant Producers: Jenahye Johnson & Monty Ross
Theme music by DK the Punisher
Rent the Faces of Medicine documentary on Kinema
Visit our website: https://www.facesofmedicine.org
Screen the documentary: https://www.screenfaces.co
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1. Dr. Karla Williams
36:26||Season 2, Ep. 1On this episode, we hear from Dr. Karla Williams. She’s an internal medicine doctor and an associate professor at the University of Alabama Birmingham. She grew up in South Carolina, and was fascinated by medicine from an early age. She surrounded herself with like-minding high achievers and excelled in school. But some unfair treatment she endured during her training shook her confidence, and it took years for her to fully recover. Today, as an instructor herself, she helps students learn to recognize and fend off the crippling self-doubt known as imposter syndrome.
6. Dr. Kierstin Kennedy
43:11||Season 1, Ep. 6In this episode of Faces of Medicine, we hear the story of Dr. Kierstin Kennedy, the Chief Medical and Quality Officer of UAB Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama. She was drawn to a career in medicine after a family reunion brought her face-to-face with an uncle who was a surgeon. At that point, no one in her immediate family had graduated from college, so meeting him opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Her path to medicine included pushing against the conventional pre-med track to study what mattered to her, knowing that it was a better path to success.She found the courage to keep looking outside of the box to create a career that works for her and allows her to practice medicine as well as be the leader she was born to become. Listen to hear about all of that and so much more.This podcast is part of Faces of Medicine, a donor-funded project to share the stories of Black women physicians to inspire the next generation and give everyone who listens a window into these remarkable journeys. It all started with an independent documentary which is available to rent at kinema.
5. Dr. Rose Cesar
27:54||Season 1, Ep. 5In this episode of Faces of Medicine, we hear the story of Dr. Rose Cesar, a community gastroenterologist (GI doctor) in rural Western Massachusetts. Born in Haiti, she was inspired to enter medicine while helping her mother, whose work as a nurse sometimes brought her to underserved parts of the nation. Dr. Cesar’s family migrated to the Boston area when she was a teenager and she set about finding her way to a career as a physician despite those who thought she should, perhaps, consider a different way to work in healthcare. She persisted in her pursuit of becoming a doctor and succeeded, even when life threw a curveball her way during her first year of medical school. Listen to hear about all of that and so much more.If you like what you hear, follow, rate & share the podcast!This podcast is part of Faces of Medicine, a donor-funded project to share the stories of Black women physicians to inspire the next generation and give everyone who listens a window into these remarkable journeys. It all started with an independent documentary which is available to rent at kinema.
4. Dr. Valerie Stone
32:45||Season 1, Ep. 4In this episode of Faces of Medicine, we hear the story of Dr. Valerie Stone, an infectious disease specialist and pioneer in the care of people with HIV/AIDS. She is a nationally recognized expert in the field and is the Cynthia and John F. Fish Endowed Chair in Medical Education at Brigham and Women's Hospital.The accolades are wonderful, but they don't tell the whole story. She came from a loving and supportive family, but had to push back against some ideas of what kind of work she should pursue... as a woman. And that was after she had already overcome circumstances in school where some of her educators seemed unable to accept how academically gifted she truly was and envision what she could & would become. Listen to hear about all of that and so much more.This podcast is part of Faces of Medicine, a donor-funded project to share the stories of Black women physicians to inspire the next generation and give everyone who listens a window into these remarkable journeys. It all started with an independent documentary which is available to rent at kinema.
2. Dr. Lynnette Watkins
34:58||Season 1, Ep. 2In this episode of Faces of Medicine, we hear the story of Dr. Lynnette Watkins, a second generation physician with roots in the Midwest. Her clinical practice as an Ophthalmologist and Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon gave way to her passion for leadership in health care. She has shared her visionary approach to systems and quality in hospitals from Texas to Massachusetts. Most recently, she has been appointed as the Interim Regional Campus Associate Dean at Texas A& M University Naresh K. Vashinsht College of Medicine. The runaway train of her successful career in leadership didn’t always give her space to focus on herself. Listen as he shares thoughts on that challenge, and so much more.This podcast is part of Faces of Medicine, a donor-funded project to share the stories of Black women physicians to inspire the next generation and give everyone who listens a window into these remarkable journeys. It all started with an independent documentary which is available to rent at kinema.
1. Dr. Thea James
58:49||Season 1, Ep. 1Welcome to the Faces of Medicine podcast, hosted by Dr. Khama Ennis. In this episode, we hear the story of Dr. Thea James, an emergency physician, Vice President of Mission, and Associate Chief Medical Officer at Boston Medical Center. From living through school integration to her work as the executive director of the system’s Health Equity Accelerator, Dr. James has been navigating spaces where being underrepresented is a constant. Over the years she has challenged patterns of inequity that are often accepted as norms. She has channeled the energy of disruption to improve the care of patients and clear the path for future doctors This podcast is part of Faces of Medicine, a donor-funded project to share the stories of Black women physicians to inspire the next generation and give everyone who listens a window into these remarkable journeys. It all started with an independent documentary which is available to rent at kinema.This episode was made possible with the support of Mass Humanities, PRX, and New England Public Media.
Introducing Faces of Medicine
00:41|What does it take to become a Black female physician in America? In this trailer, Dr. Khama Ennis introduces Faces of Medicine—a podcast series that goes beyond the white coat to share the real, unfiltered stories of Black women doctors.With Black women representing only 2.8% of all US physicians, these voices have been historically underrepresented. Through in-depth conversations with doctors from the acclaimed documentary film and beyond, you'll hear about the mentors who championed them, the barriers they overcame, and the resilience that carried them forward.Whether you're an aspiring physician, healthcare professional, or simply curious about the doctors caring for our communities, these stories will inspire and transform how you see medicine.