ON Chart podcast

Sean Pirkle: Somewhere in Between

is an orthopedic surgeon and the author of Somewhere in Between: A Memoir, a book he first began writing as a medical student to capture the hidden world of modern medical training. In this episode, Sean reflects on navigating Crohn’s disease while in medical school, grappling with impostor syndrome, and learning to balance empathy with the emotional compartmentalization that caring for patients often requires. Le and Tremayne also explore how writing across four years—from cadaver lab to Step 1, first codes, and the pandemic—helped Sean process his experiences and what advice he would give his younger self about facing uncertainty, setbacks, and self-discovery on the path to becoming a doctor.

Hi, we’re the ON Chart team.

We’re three friends who love medicine, stories, and honest conversations about the human connection. As pre-medical students, we've grown captivated by the magic of medicine in clinical places where we saw healthcare providers in action with the tools and machines that help sustain and extend life, and witnessed the connections forged between patients and their caregivers. But, after each shadowing experience, we often found ourselves asking a fundamental question: what does it truly take to care for someone's wellbeing?

In the summer of 2023, we founded the ON Chart podcast as a way to explore this question. Our show brings voices from diverse healthcare providers who not only excel in their craft but also incorporate their avocations into patient care. Thanks for being here—we hope you’ll listen and stay in touch.

Want to collaborate, pitch a story, or just say hi? Reach out anytime on our contact page. We’d love to hear from you.

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Sean Pirkle: Somewhere in Between