EP 45: Dr Alin Gragossian's Journey, Physician, Heart Transplant Recipient

EP 45: The Journey of Dr Alin Gragossian, Physician, Heart Transplant Recipient & Advocate

Average (ratings)

No ratings

•

Your rating

Two and a half weeks before her urgent orthotopic transplantation, Alin led the life of a busy emergency medicine resident. The warning signs of her dilated cardiomyopathy were drowned out by the demands of a 24-hour shift at her critical care unit. She recalls being confused while she was transferred to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and was signed up for the organ transplant list.
After the heart transplant, while coming to terms with her condition, she decided not to let this “inconvenient life event” bring her down and take over her thoughts, and wrote the first post on her blog “a change of heart”. The blog is a space for raising awareness of organ donation, research and charities.

Dr Ankur Kalra’s guest is Dr Alin Gragossian, a critical care fellow, heart transplant recipient and advocate. In this episode, Alin talks about her journey as a patient, the psychological aspects of her recovery and her advocacy work. Ankur asks Alin about the mindset behind her sense of purpose and her dedication to help raise awareness of organ donation and young heart failure patients.

How did Dr Gragossian receive her diagnosis? How does she feel about her new reality? What drives her? What is her message to our listeners?

Read more about Dr Alin Gragossian's journey here: www.achangeofhe.art/blog

Questions and comments can be sent to “podcast@radciffe-group.com” and may be answered by Ankur in the next episode. Guest @AG_EM33, hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.

Read MoreRead Less

Episodes

Up Next

EP 46 Dr Eric Adler on Mission, Mentorship & Synergy Between Research & Patient Care

EP46 • Apr 19, 2021 • 1h 6s

According to Dr Eric Adler, at the core of all impactful research is a powerful narrative that makes us reflect on the human condition. In 2006, when the ground-breaking discovery was made that specialized cells can be turned into stem cells, Dr Eric Adler was thinking about how he could create a synergy between his passion for clinical work and his determination to ask compelling questions in research.

Parallax’s guest this week is Dr Eric David Adler, Medical director of heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support at UC San Diego Health.

All Episodes

01: Conduction Abnormalities After TAVR/TAVI With Chad Kliger

EP01 • Apr 23, 2020 • 27m 44s

In our first episode, Ankur explains his vision for and inspiration to start ‘Parallax’, and speaks with Chad Kliger from Lenox Hill Hospital in New York about conduction abnormalities after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR/TAVI), a review article published in US Cardiology Review 13.1 Ankur and Chad look at conduction abnormalities after TAVR/TAVI with a focus on basic conduction system anatomy in relation to the aortic valve, the mechanism, incidence, predisposing factors for occurrence, impact on mortality and finally, proposed treatment algorithms for management. Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology.

... 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

... 11 12 13

Ep 91: Beyond Metrics: Reimagining Success in Academic Medicine with Dr Anavekar

EP91 • May 02, 2023 • 45m 23s

In this stimulating and thought-provoking episode, Dr. Kalra and Dr. Anavekar delve into the topic of measuring success in medicine. Dr. Anavekar puts forward the argument that the ambiguous definition of academic achievement often results in damaging biases that have long-term repercussions on the medical field. As a program director, Dr. Anavekar believes that the number of published articles should not be the only or most crucial criterion for evaluating early-career faculty. He argues that it's important to also consider the "distance travelled" by candidates. Dr. Kalra raises pertinent questions about the practical implications of this approach, and Dr. Anavekar provides candid insights into his responsibilities.

Ep 90: Academic Bullying Unmasked: Enablers, Effects & Solutions with Dr Täuber & Dr Mahmoudi

EP90 • Apr 24, 2023 • 41m 31s

Dr Mahmoudi and Dr Täuber teamed up to explore bullying in academic settings. Together with Dr Kalra they discuss why bullies thrive in such environments and the ways institutions enable such behaviour. Dr Täuber offers solutions and a critical overview of institutional narratives, while Dr Mahmoudi highlights the long-term effects on academic work and medicine. They call for action against toxic behaviour and for stakeholders to eliminate incentives for universities to support perpetrators.

Ep 89: Contemplative Self-Exploration & Outcome-Focused Cardiology with Dr Nandan Anavekar

EP89 • Apr 05, 2023 • 44m 54s

In 2018, the loss of a friend to suicide compelled Dr Anavekar to embark on a profound journey of contemplative self-exploration. Now, he uses his experience to encourage and guide trainees to pose thought-provoking questions that challenge the status quo of the materialistic approach to medicine, ultimately leading to a more outcome-focused perspective.
What is the Global Cardiology University project? How does Dr Anavekar encourage trainees to re-examine their role in patient care? What is his advice to our listeners?

Ep 88: Leadership, Advocacy & Involvement in Your Local ACC Chapter with Dr Vijay Rao

EP88 • Mar 21, 2023 • 44m 19s

In the latest episode of Parallax, Dr. Ankur Kalra invites Dr Vijay Rao, the Governor of the Indiana Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, to share his experience and insights with the audience.
As Dr Kalra asks Dr Rao about the ways in which early career faculty members can get involved with the organization at a state level. Dr Rao shares his insider tips and highlights key events where individuals can further their participation.
How can you get involved with your local ACC chapter? How can you improve your leadership skills? What is Dr Rao’s advice for our listeners?

EP 87: Gut Microbiome and Heart Health: The 3 Compounds You Need to Know About with Dr Vuyisich

EP87 • Feb 27, 2023 • 45m 50s

Dr Vuyisich shares his personal journey with rheumatoid arthritis and how it led him to explore the intersection of nutrition and the gut microbiome function.
He explains how the complexity of nutrition and the compounds generated by the gut microbiome can impact our health. We learn more about three compounds produced by our gut microbiome that have a strong connection with heart disease.
Through this conversation, Dr Vuyisich invites us to reframe our approach to nutrition and prevention as a question of food education and data-driven science.

... 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...

... 6 7 8 ...