UW School of Medicine Faculty Thrivecast

Hosted by University of Washington School of Medicine

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Latest episode

May 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Hosted by Trish Kritek, MD, EdM, University of Washington School of Medicine Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs. This podcast is for faculty and provides tips to help clinicians, educators, and researchers thrive professionally in their careers, covering topics from time management and organization to leadership and self-advocacy.

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60 recent

May 21, 2026Episode 7024 min

Telling Your Educator Story with the New Teaching Portfolio Guidelines

Dr. Somnath Mookherjee (Director, CLIME; Medicine) walks through the 2025 UW School of Medicine Teaching Portfolio Guidelines for faculty. Designed to showcase educational accomplishments in a scholarly, impactful way, these guidelines replace the former Executive Summary of Teaching. By condensing the format into a maximum of six pages (a title page and up to five 1-page Focused Contribution Summaries), the new guidelines simplify the process for both faculty and review committees. Dr. Mookherjee outlines the six distinct areas of contribution and explains how to use structured Focused Contribution Summaries to tell your unique story as an educator. No matter your specialty, these updated guidelines will help you effectively highlight your teaching accomplishments for your next promotion. Learn more about the guidelines here.Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/)

April 17, 2026Episode 6919 min

Thriving as an Introverted Leader

Dr. Janna Friedly (Chair, Rehabilitation Medicine) discusses her experience navigating leadership roles as an introvert. She shares research highlighting the unique strengths of introverted leaders, particularly when managing extroverted team members. Dr. Friedly encourages listeners to pursue leadership roles that align with their interests, even before they feel "ready," and emphasizes the importance of scheduled recharging after demanding interactions. Finally, she explains how building a foundation of trust through one-on-one interactions can significantly strengthen an introvert’s leadership presence. You may read the full transcript here.Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/)

March 23, 2026Episode 6831 min

Beyond Note Writing: The Evolving Role of AI in Medicine

Dr. Jake Doll (Medicine, Cardiology; UW Medicine Medical Director of Learning) discusses the role of AI in clinical work. In addition to note writing, AI can also be used to synthesize large amounts of clinical data. Dr. Doll emphasizes the importance of using secure AI tools, and describes how to trust but verify the results provided by the tool. He walks through both the benefits and concerns of AI's role as a trusted colleague in diagnostic strategy, and explains how to identify and mitigate AI hallucinations. Whether your use for AI includes knowledge synthesis or differential diagnosis, this episode will equip you with appropriate understanding of the various uses and risks of these tools to improve your clinical work experience.You can read the full transcript here.Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/)

February 20, 2026Episode 6720 min

Meet the UW School of Medicine Ombud

Diana Chiang Cooke (Associate University Ombud, UW School of Medicine) introduces herself and provides an overview of what the Office of the Ombud offers to faculty, staff, trainees, and students. They are thought-partners for anyone who feels unsure of next steps related to conflict with a colleague, work performance, team dynamics, and more. The Office of the Ombud helps with brainstorming ideas, setting goals, providing feedback, and planning action items. They also provide resources, trainings, and mediated conversations for both individuals and groups, and Diana walks through what those processes entail. For folks seeking a confidential, supportive space for any challenge or resilience skill-building at UW, consider setting up a consultation with the Office of the Ombud.Schedule an appointment with the Office of the Ombud here. Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/)

January 23, 2026Episode 6618 min

Industry Partnerships for Clinical Research

Dr. Chris Goss (Medicine, Pediatrics; Associate Dean for Clinical Research) discusses ways faculty can partner with industry to fund clinical research, serving their patients with cutting-edge science. Dr. Goss recommends working with your department and the UW Clinical Trials Office who can help with the entire study process including conversations with industry partners, IRB questions, and site-specific resources. He walks through the timeline and responsibilities involved with being a principal investigator in a clinical trial and provides tips for how to be successful amidst common bottlenecks and challenges. Clinical research at UW has grown significantly and may be an excellent pathway for faculty looking to diversify their research funding.Learn about the UW Clinical Trials Office here.Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/)

December 16, 2025Episode 6525 min

Recruitment: Best Practices for Applicant Assessment

Dr. Sahar Rooholamini (Pediatrics; Assistant Dean for Faculty Recruitment and Retention) continues her discussion on recruitment by diving into applicant assessments. Start with a rubric that uses clear, uniform criteria in a handful of domains agreed upon by the search committee. Dr. Rooholamini delineates the differences between policies at UW and emphasizes compliance with Executive Order 81 (EO81) in search practices when assessing applicants' potential contributions. Finally, she provides examples of prompts from the UW employment checklist to assess diversity statements from candidates. Important UW links mentioned in the episode are below:EO81Handbook of Best Practices for Faculty SearchesOnline Toolkit for Faculty SearchesEmployment Practices ChecklistMusic by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/)

November 19, 2025Episode 6428 min

Tips for Creating an Outstanding Workshop

Dr. Somnath Mookherjee (Medicine; Director, CLIME) and Melissa Deabler-Urben (Faculty Affairs Events and Education Specialist) combine their expertise to provide tips on how to create an excellent workshop. They recommend starting with your goals for the workshop, then dive into alternate approaches to creating learning objectives while keeping the needs of the learners paramount through the process. Finally, we learn about a variety of tools to engage learners and increase interactivity for both online and in-person events. Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/)

October 27, 2025Episode 6320 min

How We Get Paid in Healthcare

Matt Lund (Chief Contracting Officer, UW Medicine) walks us through the models behind how we get paid at UW Medicine. He delineates the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) methodologies for determining reimbursement amounts for different hospitals, clinics, and providers. Factors considered include the amount of medical education conducted, the amount of uncompensated care provided, complexity of procedures, and locality of the hospital among others. Matt explains the intricacies behind why we don't always get reimbursed at the amount for which we bill, adding examples of how providers can ensure we receive the best reimbursement for any care given. Finally, he considers fee-for-service and value-based care as we continuously move towards our financial and mission-driven goals. Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/)

September 19, 2025Episode 6217 min

How to Cultivate Connection and Combat Loneliness

Dr. Nancy Connolly (Medicine; Executive Director for Community Health and Well-Being, US Chamber of Connection) provides context around the current widespread issue of loneliness in the US and solutions to both prevent and alleviate it. A strong sense of belonging and social connectedness are the keys to immunization against chronic loneliness. Dr. Connolly walks us through the data-driven six points of connection and encourages us to evaluate our own opportunities for growth in any of these points. Finally, she recommends checking out and joining the US Chamber of Connection for local events, trainings, and ideas to increase our own connections. Click here to get involved with the US Chamber of Connection.Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/)

August 21, 2025Episode 6126 min

Removing Barriers to Mental Health Care for Health Workers

Dr. Stefanie Simmons (Emergency Medicine Physician; CMO, Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation) explains ways we can shift the mindset around licensing and support for mental health care. She commends UW Medicine for receiving the All In Credentialing Champions Challenge Award for removing stigmatizing language and adding support resources in credentialing applications related to mental health and substance use disorders. Dr. Simmons promotes expanding our definition of patient-centeredness to include self care and our holistic identities outside of our jobs. She walks through a color-coded framework for folks worrying about their own mental health or substance use and delineates resources available to anyone seeking support. Finally, she reminds us all that compassion without self-compassion is incomplete.A few resources mentioned in this episode can be accessed at the links below:WA EAP (Employee Assistance Program)UW Medicine Peer to Peer ProgramWPHP (Washington Physicians Health Program)UW Well-Being and Support ResourcesMusic by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/)