In this episode of Fem MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd speaks with Marta Ravin—Emmy-nominated executive producer, showrunner, TEDx speaker, and creator of Personality Hire, a framework focused on the human skills AI can’t replace.

Marta shares her deeply personal journey with body image, weight, and identity, shaped by early childhood experiences, cultural pressures of the ’80s and ’90s, and decades in entertainment. She opens up about her recent life transitions, including an 80-pound weight loss using GLP-1 medications—exploring not just the physical changes, but the mental “peace” these drugs brought by quieting lifelong food noise.

Together, Marta and Dr. Umstattd unpack the long-term psychological impact of growing up in weight-focused environments, the realities of dieting culture, the promise and risks of GLP-1 medications, and how these drugs may reshape society, Hollywood, and expectations around thinness.

Marta Ravin is an Emmy-nominated executive producer, showrunner and writer who has redefined the landscape of television by seamlessly blending comedy, culture and unforgettable storytelling.

With roots as a stand-up comic featured on Comedy Central, Marta has been the creative force behind some of television’s most iconic moments, including MTV’s TRL, Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards, Love & Hip Hop reunions, and she created TLC’s Long Island Medium. She most recently served as Executive Producer of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Reunion, and is currently the Executive Producer of Fanatics Fest, continuing to push the boundaries of storytelling, brand partnerships and fandom.

Known for her collaborative leadership style, Marta builds and guides high-performing creative teams while mentoring emerging producers and talent across the entertainment landscape.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Marta Ravin

Connect with Marta:

@martaravin

https://www.martaravinproductions.com/

Presented by: @HippocraticCollective

In this powerful episode of FEM, MD, Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with ENT surgeon-turned-author Frances Mei Hardin to discuss her debut memoir and the hidden emotional cost of surgical training.

Frances Mei speaks candidly about the anger she carried out of residency and how writing became the vehicle that transformed it. From resident-on-resident hostility and weaponized reporting systems to the psychological toll of perfectionism, sleep deprivation, and hierarchy in the OR, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what many physicians experience but rarely say out loud.

They explore:

• The cultural legacy of The House of God — and why its themes still ring true

• How narrative nonfiction differs from anonymous venting and why accountability matters

• Neurodivergence as both vulnerability and superpower in medicine

• The role of hypnosis therapy in healing trauma and reclaiming focus

• Perfectionism, emotional intelligence, and the cost of brittle excellence

• Psychological safety in the operating room and how hierarchy without respect harms patient care

• Resident-on-resident toxicity and the bystander effect in surgical culture

Frances Mei shares what it means to “write through the anger." What began as revenge writing evolved into a reckoning with her own blind spots, emotional immaturity, and survival mechanisms. The result is a memoir that examines burnout, identity, agency, and reinvention inside academic medicine.

If you are a medical student, resident, attending physician, or simply someone navigating ambition in a high-pressure field — this episode will resonate.

📖 Surgeon on the Edge is available wherever books are sold.

🎟️ Book tour stops include NYC, Cleveland, Chicago, Philly and more.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Dr. Frances Mei Hardin

Connect with Frances Mei:

@francesmeimd

https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/frances-mei-hardin-md

Presented by: @HippocraticCollective

In this episode of Fem MD, host Dr. Lauren Umstattd sits down with Dr. Maheetha Bharadwaj, a urology resident, educator, and content creator.

Maheetha shares her journey into medicine, from her early love of science and the arts to choosing urology—a field that blends surgery, patient care, and navigating sensitive topics with empathy. She offers an inside look at the realities of surgical residency, including long hours, on-call challenges, and mentorship in a traditionally male-dominated specialty. Maheetha also discusses her work in gender-affirming care and how she uses social media to educate the public, demystify medicine, and connect authentically with a broad audience.

This episode highlights the dedication, creativity, and passion required to balance medicine, mentorship, and innovative outreach in today’s healthcare landscape.

Dr. Maheetha Bharadwaj, 4th year Urology Resident at the University of Washington, dancer, advocate, and social media creator. Her journey sits at the intersection of medicine, art, and advocacy. She studied Biology and Biomedical Informatics at Stanford, spent a year at Cambridge learning genomic medicine, and worked in bioinformatics at Memorial Sloan Kettering before heading to medical school. Beyond the lab and clinic, dance has been a constant for nearly 20 years. She has choreographed works exploring patient experiences, including an Indian Classical Dance narrative on the journey through a cancer diagnosis, later published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Her work has earned national recognition, including the Joseph Collins Foundation and Massachusetts Medical Society scholarships.

Now, as the 2025-2026 Artist-in-Residence with The Hippocratic Collective, she is creating a new dance project highlighting human connection and sexual dysfunction. Her path to urology was inspired by seeing women surgeons online. Seeing so many women have such different paths in surgery inspired Dr. Bharadwaj to gain the confidence to do the same. During residency, Dr. Bharadwaj has also built a powerful voice on social media. Through dancing skits, educational videos, and humorous creations like the “Medical Kardashian Skits,” she empowers, educates, and entertains, helping restore trust in medicine and inspire the next generation. Her videos have reached millions, sparking conversations about disparities, residency life, and women’s health research. Her goal is to use creativity, humor, and advocacy to build community and show future surgeons, especially women and those from underrepresented backgrounds, that there is a place for them in medicine. Outside the OR, you’ll find her choreographing, creating content, and building bridges between medicine and the arts, always reminding us that healing comes in many forms.

Host: Dr. Lauren Umstattd

Connect with Lauren: @lauren_umstattd_md

Guest: Dr. Maheetha Bharadwaj

Connect with Maheetha:

@dancing_uro_doc

https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/maheetha-bharadwaj-md

Presented by: @HippocraticCollective