Health Careers With Dr. Marn – Details, episodes & analysis

Many people think of a social worker only as part of the child protection program. However, their duties are more complex than that. Joining Richard Marn, MD is social worker Catherine Moore to share her life that transcends beyond children services and into mental health, jail services, domestic work, and even social injustices. She also delves into the toxic work-life balance of people in her line of work, emphasizing how dangerous it is for their wellbeing to set aside mental breaks. Catherine even opens up about her most memorable and inspiring experiences as a social worker, touching the lives of people from their infancy all the way to the deathbed.

With the unfortunate rise of lung-related conditions brought on partially by the pandemic, the need for respiratory therapists has never been more rampant. In this episode of Health Careers, Dr. Richard Marn is joined by Registered Respiratory Therapist Aimee Eaton. Aimee found her calling only after pursuing a different path, but she’s never looked back since! Join in on the conversation to find out how Aimee discovered her purpose and why respiratory therapy might be the career for you too! Plus, she explains how COVID exponentially increased the need for RRTs now and in the future. Stay tuned!

Veterinary medicine is truly a colorful world. They cater to cats and dogs every day, even the occasional snakes and reptiles. But beyond the cuteness is the challenging daily grind of every veterinarian. Joining Richard Marn, MD is award-winning veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward to share a glimpse of his life treating all kinds of animals on a daily basis. He explains how his farming background and a horrifying childhood memory with his dogs pushed him to pursue his current profession. Dr. Ernie explains how this jolly and hopeful environment can sometimes become emotionally taxing at times, especially when dealing with terminally ill pets and administering euthanasia.

It is always said that prevention is better than cure. Of course, the same goes when taking care of your teeth, which calls for proper dental hygiene. Discussing how to maintain excellent oral health and avoid diseases with Richard Marn, MD is dental hygienist Sarah Liebkemann RDH, BSDH. She explains how her profession differs from dentists as well as the most common misconceptions and challenges surrounding this field. She also talks about how being a dental hygienist can transcend to helping patients boost their self-confidence. Sarah even shares her passion for educating people about dental hygiene, which she expresses through her artworks and upcoming children's book.

One of the most flexible professions in healthcare is a genetic counselor since they can jump from one expertise to another should they deem it necessary. Kira Dineen found her purpose in healthcare as a prenatal genetic counselor. She joins Richard Marn, MD to provide a glimpse of her life in private practice, unraveling the best and most challenging aspects of her work. She looks back on why she decided to pursue such a profession, the misconceptions surrounding her expertise, and her podcast show about genetics that she started way back in high school. Kira also discusses why aspiring medical practitioners inclined to communication and Biology make the most effective genetic counselors.

When people think of careers in mental health, they usually think of psychologists or psychiatrists. But did you know that you can get the best of both worlds without having to undergo a residency by being a nurse practitioner? Yes, a nurse practitioner can specialize in mental health and Dr. Richard Marn as got one to humor you in this episode. Dr. Kojo Sarfo, DNP is a board-certified mental health nurse practitioner who also happens to have a 700,000-strong following on TikTok, where he posts short videos about mental health awareness. In this conversation, he shares how one gets a career as a mental health nurse practitioner, what his typical day looks like in a forensic psychiatry institution, and what qualities make for good candidates in this little-known career that is gradually making itself seen on social media.

If you’re looking for a profession that offers visible results, literally, then becoming an optometrist may be the one for you! Taking us into the wealth of opportunities this profession can give to its practitioners and professionals is Dr. Harbir Sian, Optometrist and owner of Clarity Eyecare. In this episode, he joins Dr. Richard Marn to share with us the important facts and insights into becoming an optometrist. He talks about the 3 O’s—optician, optometrist, and ophthalmologist—and how they differ from each other. He then discusses the things a career in optometry entails, bringing with him his vast experience and moving us across what a typical day of an optometrist looks like. 

One of the fascinating things about being a massage therapist is that it's a health career with so many diverse avenues you can get into. Today's guest is Whitney Lowe, Director at Academy of Clinical Massage, who has been a massage therapist for over 33 years. In this episode, Whitney discusses with Richard Marn, MD, what it's like to have massage therapy as a profession. There'll be discussions regarding the certification and licensing processes and the many misconceptions due to the media's inaccurate portrayal of massage therapists. Join in the conversation and learn how you can educate yourself as a massage therapist, how licensing varies across states, and why massage therapists don't want to be referred to as a masseuse.

Seeing children who are only a few months old having difficulty when eating and swallowing is truly heartbreaking. For Michelle Dawson, treating these children as a pediatric speech language pathologist is more of a meaningful service than a mere job. Joining Dr. Richard Marn, Michelle explains how she helps babies heal from oropharyngeal dysphagia both in her professional and personal practices. She also breaks down the most common misconceptions about her profession and the feeling of fulfillment of seeing young ones experience many firsts. Moreover, Michelle shares about her life of overcoming domestic abuse, her advocacy for further diversity in the medical field, and her advice on what it really takes to become a pathologist of her expertise.

Even in this day and age of information, so many people still interchange psychologists and psychiatrists. It is time to get things straight once and for all as Richard Marn, MD sits down with private practice psychologist, Sara Sadek. While letting us in on her career journey and why she chose her profession, Sara also shares the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist and why she found herself hesitant at first to go into the former. She talks about her least favorite part of the profession, the common misconceptions surrounding it and what she calls aggressive empathy. What is more, Sara then lets us in on her life pre- and post-COVID, how she is navigating this turbulent time, and how students thinking of becoming a psychologist could thrive in the profession.