If you ask most medical students why they decided to go to medical school, there’s a good chance that they will say it was, at least in part, to help an underserved population. While every patient population has its own unique features and challenges, one demographic that is often overlooked is prison inmates. In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Chad Zawitz (Assistant Professor at Rush University Medical Center, and Director of Infectious Diseases at Cook County Jail) to discuss the fascinating world of correctional medicine. He shares his insights from his 15 years of experience working at Cook County Jail, which happens to be the largest single-site jail in the US, housing approximately 6500 detainees at one time. In this interview, Dr. Zawitz explains how healthcare in the prison system works, the differences in how he approaches medicine in the jail setting (including many of the challenges that he faces), and the barriers his patients face after rehabilitation.
Throughout our interview, Dr. Zawitz shares impactful stories where he recalls some of his most formative patient encounters. Some of the stories you will hear are graphic, yet educational. For a humbling learning experience, take a listen to this correctional medicine episode!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/medicus/messageEp135 | Dual Applying to Residency with Stephanie Moss, MD
Ep134 | Empowering Doctors: The Rise of Medical Residency Unionization with Dr. Josh Neff
Ep133 | When the Placenta Attacks: A Birth Story
Ep132 | MS4 Perspectives: Urology with Farah Rahman
Ep 131 | From Loans to Liberation with Dr. Christina Benedict
Ep 130 | Curriculum Chronicles: Demystifying the Preclinical Curriculum with Dr. Gregory Gruener
Ep129 | Medical School Detours: Stephanie Moss, MS4
Ep128 | A Summer at NASA: Med Student Edition
Ep127 | Bioethics in Medical Education
Ep126 | Extra! Extra! The Third Medicus Reading List
Ep125 | Exploring the International Medical Graduate Experience of Practicing Medicine in the United States with Dr. Ivan Cuesta
Ep124 | Medical School Detours: Nick Sasso, MAT
Ep123 | Medical School Detours: David Mata, MD
Ep121 | Tackling Racial Disparities in Alzheimer’s Disease Research
Ep122 | Mira Krivoshey: A Decade of Advocating for Survivors of Sexual Violence
Ep120 | Surrogacy and Fertility Law: A Conversation with a Collaborative Reproduction Attorney
Ep119 | Careers in Healthcare: Audiologist
Ep118 | Careers in Healthcare: Physical Therapist
Ep117 | Climate Action in the Medical Field: Sustainability and Impact with Dr. Katie Lichter, MD MPH
Ep116 | Careers in Healthcare: Medical Dosimetrist
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