We are excited to welcome you to the first episode of our season 8 WISER podcast: Older, Better, WISER! This season we are bringing back WISER alumni to chat about their adventures after graduating and give some advice to budding surgeons! In this episode we are joined by Dr. Clara Farley to heat her chat about breast surgical Oncology, DCIS de-escalation, and wellness.
Our hosts Franny Esposito and Isabella Le will chat with Dr. Farley about how her microbiology background and early exposure to medicine shaped her path, why she pursued research years during general surgery residency to strengthen her fellowship application, and what drew her to breast surgery and long-term patient relationships.
She discusses balancing clinical work, research, and personal life; her role as Emory’s site PI for the RECAST trial studying active surveillance for select low-risk DCIS patients; and co-founding Winship’s Young Women with Breast Cancer program to address fertility, finances, and tailored support. She also highlights her resident and faculty wellness work and offers candid advice for trainees, especially women considering surgery.
Time Stamps:
00:25 Meet Dr Clara Farley
01:06 Finding Surgery Early
02:26 Research Years Explained
05:01 Why Breast Surgery
06:57 Balancing Clinic Research Life
08:39 RECAST Trial And DCIS
11:17 Young Women Program
15:28 Resident And Faculty Wellness
17:58 Rapid Fire Advice
20:13 Women In Surgery
21:28 Why Breast Surgery Rocks
22:51 Advice For Future Surgeons
Editors: Frannie Esposito
Hosts: Frannie Esposito & Isabelle Le
Artwork: Neha Marapudi & Harleen Kaur
Music: Bluedot Sessions
The post S8E1: Older, Better, WISER: Dr. Clara Farley (https://wiserpodcast.com/2026/09/16/s8e1-older-better-wiser-dr-clara-farley/) first appeared on WISER Podcast (https://wiserpodcast.com).
8 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT
S7E5: Chief Insights: Dr. Bernadette Peltier
On this episode of the WISER Podcast, we continue Chief Insights, our mini-series highlighting the experiences of Emory’s female chief general surgery residents. Through these conversations, we explore their paths to surgery, the mentors who shaped them, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
For this installment, WISER co-presidents Julia Burns and Rachel Holstein sat down with Dr. Bernadette Peltier. Dr. Peltier attended UT Southwestern for medical school and completed her general surgery residency at Emory, where she is currently serving as a chief resident. She will be heading to the Cleveland Clinic next year to begin her thoracic surgery fellowship.
In this conversation, Dr. Peltier shares her nontraditional path into surgery, from initially considering internal medicine to discovering her passion during trauma rotations. She reflects on how she ultimately found her fit in thoracic surgery, the role of mentorship and advocacy in a competitive match process, and how she approached residency without taking dedicated research years. She also offers thoughtful advice for medical students and interns, emphasizing the importance of mastering the fundamentals of patient care, building strong relationships, and growing into your role over time. We also discuss her experience as a woman in surgery, the transition into chief year, and how she has found balance and support throughout training.
Editors: Julia Byrnes and Rachel Holstein
Producers: Julia Byrnes, Rachel Holstein and Vienna Wang
Hosts: Rachel Holstein and Julia Byrnes
Artwork: Lily Kamat
Music: Bluedot Sessions
The post S7E5: Chief Insights: Dr. Bernadette Peltier (https://wiserpodcast.com/2026/04/08/s7e5-chief-insights-dr-bernadette-peltier/) first appeared on WISER Podcast (https://wiserpodcast.com).
12 Feb 2026
S7E4: Chief Insights: Dr. Aileen Johnson
On this episode of the WISER Podcast, we continue Chief Insights, our mini-series highlighting the experiences of Emory’s female chief general surgery residents. Through these conversations, we explore their paths to surgery, the mentors who shaped them, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
For this installment, WISER co-presidents Julia Byrnes and Rachel Holstein sat down with Dr. Aileen Johnson. Dr. Johnson attended MIT for undergraduate studies before earning her medical degree at Emory University School of Medicine and staying at Emory for general surgery residency. She is one of this year’s chief residents and will be pursuing a fellowship in abdominal transplant surgery at the University of Wisconsin next year.
In this conversation, Dr. Johnson reflects on how her early experiences in EMS during college solidified her commitment to patient care, how mentorship shaped her journey into transplant surgery, and what she gained from taking three dedicated research years. She shares thoughtful advice on ownership in training, cultivating autonomy, and preparing for the responsibility of becoming “the surgeon.” We also discuss her experience as a woman in surgery, the culture of chief year, and the importance of showing up prepared, curious, and intentional at every stage of training.
Editors: Rachel Holstein and Julia Byrnes
Producers: Julia Byrnes, Rachel Holstein and Amelia Fogle
Hosts: Rachel Holstein and Julia Byrnes
Artwork: Lily Kamat
Music: Bluedot Sessions
The post S7E4: Chief Insights: Dr. Aileen Johnson (https://wiserpodcast.com/2026/02/11/s7e4-chief-insights-dr-aileen-johnson/) first appeared on WISER Podcast (https://wiserpodcast.com).
Inside a recent episode
S7E5: Chief Insights: Dr. Bernadette Peltier
Published 8 Apr 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] That's what the goal should be. I wish somebody had set expectations for me when I was an intern because I was obsessed all of residency. I was obsessed with becoming a surgeon. Like when I was an intern, all I could think about was going to the OR and doing surgery. That's all I wanted to do. […]
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