This podcast from McGill’s Institute of Health Sciences Education invites renowned health sciences researchers to share insights, guidance and pearls of wisdom on building successful careers in academia and scholarship. Access to mentorship is becoming a scarce resource. The goal of Ask 5 is to try to democratize access to this insider knowledge, asking questions like: What important and unexpected skills do I need to be a researcher? What should I look for in a mentor? How do I handle – and overcome – rejection? Alongside host Monica Molinaro, PhD, guests tackle these questions and more.
Join our host Monica Molinaro and PhD student co-host, Jennifer Fitzpatrick, for Season 3’s fifth episode of Ask 5! In this episode, Jennifer asks: "How do you ask for a graceful exit?"
Interested in asking our 5?
Get in touch with us at: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
Also check out this and other episodes on McGill's YouTube Channel:
5 Mar 2026
How do you navigate authorship on academic outputs?
Join our host Monica Molinaro and PhD student co-host, Suchismita Sarkar, for Season 3’s fourth episode of Ask 5! In this episode, Suchismita asks: "How do you navigate authorship on academic outputs?"
Interested in asking our 5?
Get in touch with us at: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
Also check out this and other episodes on McGill's YouTube Channel:
5 Feb 2026
How do you prepare to go to your 1st conference?
Join our host Monica Molinaro and PhD student co-host, Nancy Forget, for Season 3’s third episode of Ask 5! In this episode, Nancy asks: "How do you prepare to go to your 1st conference?"
Interested in asking our 5?
Get in touch with us at: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
Also check out this and other episodes on McGill's YouTube Channel
5 Dec 2025
When do you know that you’re done with a project, dissertation or a line of work?
Join our host Monica Molinaro and PhD student co-host, Carol Wissa, for Season 3’s second episode of Ask 5! In this episode, Carol asks: "When do you know that you’re done with a project, dissertation or a line of work?”
Interested in asking our 5?
Get in touch with us at: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
Also check out this and other episodes on McGill's YouTube Channel:
5 Nov 2025
In your opinion, which is better - a narrow versus a broad program of research?
Join our host Monica Molinaro and PhD student co-host, Maia Siedlikowski, for Season 3’s first episode of Ask 5! In this episode, Maia asks: In your opinion, which is better - a narrow versus a broad program of research?
Interested in asking our 5?
Get in touch with us at: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
Also check out this and other episodes on McGill's YouTube Channel:
5 Oct 2025
What do you think has been the secret sauce of your success?
Join our host Monica Molinaro and PhD student and co-host Dr. Khoa Duong for the first episode of the third season of “Ask 5”. This special edition episode was recorded live at this year’s Richard and Sylvia Cruess Symposium on Scholarship in Health Sciences Education. Guests who were interviewed included Dr. Don Boudreau, Dr. Richard Cruess, Dr. Mette Coleman, Professor Norma Ponzoni and Professor Peter Nugus.
In this episode, Monica asks: "What do you think has been the secret sauce of your success?"
Monica explores this question with five brilliant guests: Dr. Richard Cruess, Dr. Don Boudreau, Dr. Mette Coleman, Professor Peter Nugus and Professor Norma Ponzoni.
For the video versions of all the Ask 5 podcast episodes, with fun bonus footage, find us here:
Ask 5 Videos
Interested in asking our 5? Get in touch with us at: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
5 Jul 2025
How do you find work life balance?
PhD student Allison Chrestensen asks host Monica Molinaro how to achieve work-life balance, exploring strategies for managing professional and personal responsibilities in this interview episode.
5 Jun 2025
How do I Become a Better Writer?
Host Monica Molinaro and co-host Elizabeth Hornyak-Bell discuss how to improve one's writing skills, offering practical advice for aspiring writers in this interview episode.
5 May 2025
How do you speak to different audiences about your research ideas?
Join our host Monica Molinaro and PhD student co-host, Karen Gwen Moniz, for Season 2’s third episode of Ask 5! For the video versions of all the Ask 5 podcast episodes, with fun bonus footage, find us here:
Ask 5 Videos
Interested in asking our 5? Get in touch with us at: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
5 Apr 2025
"How do I understand the different roles on a research team and how do I know which one I fill?"
Host: Monica Molinaro, PhD, Assistant Professor, Institute of Health Sciences Education, McGill University
Co-host: Pamela Lamb, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Health Sciences Education, McGill University
Ask 5 is produced by the Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE) and the Office of Ed-TECH (Education Technology and E-learning Collaboration for Health), within McGill’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Ask 5 is on a mission to:
Unravel the mysteries of what it means to be a researcher
Shine a spotlight on the essential skills, knowledge and lessons that every great researcher needs
Make this treasure trove of insights accessible to grad students, clinicians and anyone eager to dive into the world of research
Want to get in touch? Reach out to: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
5 Mar 2025
How do I work with people who think differently than I do?
Join our host Monica Molinaro and PhD student co-host, Ethan Bazos, for Season 2’s first episode of Ask 5!
For the video versions of all the Ask 5 podcast episodes, with fun bonus footage, find us here:
Ask 5 Videos
Interested in asking our 5? Get in touch with us at: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
5 Jan 2025
What are the things to avoid when just starting out in the Health Sciences Education research space
Join our host Monica Molinaro and PhD student and co-host Antoine Przybylak Brouillard for the fifth episode of Ask 5! In this episode, Antoine asks: "What are the things to avoid when just starting out in the Health Sciences Education research space?"
Interested in asking our 5? Get in touch with us at: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
5 Dec 2024
What are the important and maybe unexpected skills to have or develop as a researcher?
Researcher Terkuma Chia and host Monica Molinaro explore the essential skills and knowledge required for success, including communication, writing, and marketing expertise.
5 Nov 2024
What does it mean to join a team or be a good collaborator?
Join our host Monica Molinaro and co-host post-doctoral fellow, Louis-Pierre Auger, for the third episode of Ask 5! In this episode, Louis-Pierre asks: "What does it mean to join a team or be a good collaborator?" From exploring how to build a team to what makes for a 'fair' contribution to a research team/group/collaboration our guests share their golden nuggets of knowledge.
7 Oct 2024
How do I find a supervisor or mentor? What do I look for and how do I know they’re the right one?
Join our host Monica Molinaro and co-host Niki Soilis for the second episode of Ask 5! In this episode, Niki asks: "How do I find a supervisor or mentor? What do I look for and how do I know they’re the right one?" From guiding the student to navigating policies and procedures to maintaining healthy mentorship relationship, our guests provide insight into supervisors and mentors who can best match a student's needs.
4 Sept 2024
If I want to get started in research, where do I begin?
Season 1, Episode 1Join our host Monica Molinaro and co-host Anita Slominska for the very first episode of Ask 5! In this episode, Anita asks: "If I want to get started in research, where do I begin?" From mindsets to sending cold emails, our participants share their insights on how to take that important first step into the research world.
For a video version of this episode, with fun bonus footage, find us here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wvXdxqsrnI
Interested in asking our 5? Get in touch with us at: ihse.outreach@mcgill.ca
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5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 8 / 100
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Quality
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YouTube
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Engagement
32
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