Our Voices, Our Future

About Our Voices, Our Future

Our Future, Our Voices is the podcast where we amplify the changemakers shaping a more equitable future in medicine and beyond. Presented by the Gender Equity Task Force of the American Medical Women’s Association, this series challenges outdated norms, breaks down barriers, and sparks critical conversations on inclusion and justice. Hosted by Meghan Etsey, Meenu Immaneni, Laura Uricoechea and Rhea Manohar, each episode features candid discussions with leaders, advocates, and trailblazers who are pushing the boundaries of equity. No more silence. No more waiting. It’s time to reclaim our future—one voice at a time. Subscribe now and be part of the movement!

Publisher

Meghan Etsey, Rhea Manohar, Meenu Immaneni, and Laura Uricoechea

Category

education · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Apr 2025

Latest episode

23 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 85 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   23 Oct 2026

   Student Doctor and Failure Unapologist

   In this episode of Our Voices, Our Future, host Rhea Manohar sits down with Alexandra Palacios, a non-traditional medical student and HPSP scholar who was accepted to medical school in 2023 after seven years of growth, persistence, and redefining her path. Before medicine, Alexandra worked as a lead pharmacy technician throughout COVID-19, served as a medical assistant for a DO physician, and earned her Master’s in Medical Physiology from Case Western Reserve University. During this episode we talk about her journey into medicine and the many hats she wears, what first inspired her to pursue medicine and how her “why” has evolved, what it feels like when things don’t go according to plan for high achievers who aren’t used to failing, the moments of doubt and what helped her keep moving forward, being intentional about sharing the less glamorous side of medical training online, how vulnerability about setbacks has shaped the way her audience connects with her, and the conversations she wishes happened more often on medical social media. To learn more about Alexandra and her journey, follow her on social media @Doctorptobe You can find more information about the work AMWA’s Advocacy Committee has done and how to join their efforts here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/ (https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/) You can find more information about AMWA’s Gender Equity Task Force here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/ (https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/) If you are interested in joining the group, reach out to getf@amwa-doc.org (mailto:getf@amwa-doc.org) If you are interested in learning more about the podcast or being featured on an upcoming episode, reach out to our team at getf@amwa-doc.org (mailto:getf@amwa-doc.org) If you are interested in joining the incredible network of women in medicine - join AMWA today at https://www.amwa-doc.org/ (https://www.amwa-doc.org/) Thank you for tuning in to Our Voices, Our Future, we will see you next time! Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any institution or organization with which the guest is affiliated.

2. 

   16 Oct 2026

   System Strategist

   In this episode of Our Voices, Our Future, host Rhea sits down with Ayushi Aggarwal, a healthcare strategy consultant with a background in medicine and public health. Ayushi shares how her path, from a public health project in rural India and an MPH at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, to medical school and then a role at McKinsey, shaped how she understands healthcare as a system and not just a profession. During this episode we talk about what it felt like to step away from medical school while navigating a parent’s cancer diagnosis and a demanding curriculum, and why medical training offers plenty of support for continuing on the path but far less for those whose paths change. Ayushi reflects on the question “Who is this system actually designed for?” and on how rigid assumptions about continuity leave little room for health challenges, family responsibilities, financial pressure, and burnout. She also shares three places she sees similar misalignment in healthcare today: clinical workflow tools that struggle with adoption when they add friction, misaligned incentives in access to therapies like GLP-1s, and the “last mile” problem faced by digital therapeutics. Finally, she offers advice for anyone who feels “off track,” including using institutional resources early, leaning on mentors and communities like AMWA, and normalizing that struggling with or even failing an exam like Step 1 is not the end of the road. To learn more about Ayushi’s work and perspective, reach out to her directly. You can find more information about the work AMWA’s Advocacy Committee has done and how to join their efforts here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/ (https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/) You can find more information about AMWA’s Gender Equity Task Force here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/ (https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/) If you are interested in joining the group, reach out to getf@amwa-doc.org (mailto:getf@amwa-doc.org) If you are interested in learning more about the podcast or being featured on an upcoming episode, reach out to our team at getf@amwa-doc.org (mailto:getf@amwa-doc.org) If you are interested in joining the incredible network of women in medicine - join AMWA today at https://www.amwa-doc.org/ (https://www.amwa-doc.org/) Thank you for tuning in to Our Voices, Our Future, we will see you next time!

3. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Doctor and Birth Outcomes Advocate

   In this episode of Our Voices, Our Future, host Rhea Manohar sits down with Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, a board-certified OB/GYN and OB Hospitalist in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Lincoln is an author, media contributor, past President of the Society of OB/GYN Hospitalists, and a leading voice in women’s health education and advocacy on social media. She received her undergraduate degree from Washington College, her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine, and completed her residency at Oregon Health and Science University. During this episode we talk about the current state of maternal care in the U.S. and why outcomes remain so challenging. We explore the roles of access, trust, and systems-level barriers. Dr. Lincoln shares the three changes she would make tomorrow to improve birth experiences and maternal outcomes. We discuss why physicians today are expanding their roles beyond the clinic into education, media, and advocacy. We also look at what social media gets right and wrong about health communication, and how to navigate misinformation without burning out. We dig into where to draw the line between being a clinician and an advocate, and whether advocacy is optional in women’s health. Dr. Lincoln offers advice for medical students and early-career physicians who want to start engaging in advocacy and public education, even before residency. We talk about what rebuilding trust between patients and the healthcare system really looks like, including the role of communication and transparency. Finally, Dr. Lincoln shares what gives her hope for the future of birth and women’s healthcare, and what she hopes the next generation of women physicians does differently. To learn more about Dr. Lincoln and her work, visit DrJenniferLincoln.com (http://DrJenniferLincoln.com). Her second book, The Birth Book: An OB-GYN’s Guide to Demystifying Labor and Delivery, was published in March 2026 and is available for order on her website or wherever you get your books. You can find more information about the work AMWA’s Advocacy Committee has done and how to join their efforts here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/ (https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/advocacy/) You can find more information about AMWA’s Gender Equity Task Force here: https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/ (https://www.amwa-doc.org/our-work/initiatives/gender-equity-task-force/) If you are interested in joining the group, reach out to getf@amwa-doc.org (mailto:getf@amwa-doc.org) If you are interested in learning more about the podcast or being featured on an upcoming episode, reach out to our team at getf@amwa-doc.org (mailto:getf@amwa-doc.org) If you are interested in joining the incredible network of women in medicine - join AMWA today at https://www.amwa-doc.org/ (https://www.amwa-doc.org/) Thank you for tuning in to Our Voices, Our Future, we will see you next time!

Inside a recent episode

Doctor and Telemedicine Innovator

Published 26 Dec 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Or like I have a South Asian friend who, Couldn't visit her in-laws because if she were to visit her in-laws in India, they would force her to stay in the kitchen for three days while she's having her period and not go out anywhere. And had she known about periods optional, at least the option to move her period around, she could move it before she visits. So she wouldn't be confined when she is visiting her in-laws. And now she's in menopause so she can go. But before, if she'd known, we could have changed her relationship with her in-laws. So like so much could be better. And then there's a whole bunch of work on period poverty. […]

Who has been a guest on Our Voices, Our Future

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Kristine Wilson
• Dr Kate
• Sophia Yen
• Dr Diane Ukwuoma
• Dr Dayna Ukwuoma

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 17 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

20

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32