Silence isn't neutrality: Why medical students can't wait to find their voice

What happens when medical students witness dehumanization during clinical rotations but feel too powerless to speak up? Kathleen Muldoon, a certified coach and professor in medical education, joins the show to unpack why moral courage is a skill you can practice right now, not something to defer until you hold a title. Based on her KevinMD article "Moral courage in medical training: the power of the powerless," this conversation reveals how the hidden curriculum in medical training quietly normalizes harm through small, unreported moments. You will hear practical strategies for reclaiming power in clinical hierarchies, from stating your own name to recentering a patient in grand rounds with a single clarifying question. Muldoon explains why kicking moral concerns down the line fuels burnout and erodes professional identity formation, and how attendings can foster psychological safety by modeling vulnerability. If you are a medical student, resident, or physician who has ever felt the gap between what health care should be and what it is, this episode will remind you that middle power is still power.

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