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STFM Podcast September 2025 Episode

The September 2025 episode of the STFM Podcast is titled Infertility in Medicine: A Personal Journey and features Brintha Vasagar, MD, MPH. Listen on this page below or through a streaming platform.

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Infertility in Medicine: A Personal Journey with Brintha Vasagar, MD, MPH

Infertility affects physicians at nearly twice the rate of the general population, but often only gets discussed behind closed doors. This episode of The STFM Podcast brings one of those private conversations into the open as Brintha Vasagar, MD, MPH, shares what she has learned from her personal journey with infertility. She reflects on how being a patient has reshaped her approach to care, unpacks the hidden costs and emotional toll of building a family in medicine, and offers heartfelt advice for residents, trainees, and junior faculty navigating similar paths.Hosted by Omari A. Hodge, MD, and Jay-Sheree Allen Akambase, MDCopyright © Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, 2025Resources:

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Resources

American Medical Women's Association's (AMWA) Fertility Working Group
High Infertility Rates and Pregnancy Complications in Female Physicians Indicate a Need for Culture Change - Annals of Surgery
Physician Fertility: A Call to Action - Academic Medicine

Brintha Vasagar, MD, MPH

Brintha Vasagar MD, MPH, is a board-certified family medicine physician and the chief medical officer at Progressive Community Health Centers in Milwaukee, WI. A survivor of the 2004 tsunami that devastated South Asia, she has spoken before members of Congress and the United Nations about international health issues and disaster preparedness. Dr Vasagar continues to be passionate about health communication and has been featured on outlets such as NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox News, NewsNation, US News and Huffington Post. When she is not busy seeing patients or volunteering in the community, Dr Vasagar enjoys outdoor adventures with her family.

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STFM Podcast September 2025 Episode

Infertility in Medicine: A Personal Journey with Brintha Vasagar, MD, MPH

Listen to All Episodes

Resources

Brintha Vasagar, MD, MPH

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AI Chatbot Tips

Tips for Using STFM's AI Assistant

1. Avoid Ambiguous Language

Example:

2. Use Specific Terms

Example:

3. Don't Assume the AI Knows Everything

Example:

4. Reset if You Change Topics

5. Provide Enough Context

Example:

6. Ask One Question at a Time

Example:

Examples of Good vs. Bad Prompts

Bad Prompt

Good Prompt

Double Check Important Information

Technical Limitations

STFM AI Assistant