Shows
Building Bridges PodcastBonus Epeisode: The Friends You Make-Kennedy Lewis and Natalia Rangel BFF4ESometimes you meet someone, and you just know you're going to be friends. Mix in PA school and that friendship becomes something even more lasting. Host Adrian Banning interviews Butler University DMS Bridge Program alumnae Kennedy Lewis and Natalia Rangel about their close friendship formed during their Case Western PA school interview (anniversary = Nov. 11), daily support through a 15-month didactic year and clinical rotations, and navigating stressful life events like Kennedy’s car being stolen. They describe complementary study habits, shared resilience as first-generation professionals, and why they pursued the DMS Bridge Program after an info session, finding research mo...
2026-06-051h 04Building Bridges PodcastBreaking Barriers in PA Education: The Inspiring Road of Natalia RangelBreaking Barriers in PA Education: The Inspiring Road of Natalia RangelHosts Cody Sasek and Adrian Banning (Butler University’s Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program) interview Natalia Rangel, a first-generation PA originally from Cúcuta, Colombia, who moved to Florida, attended PA school at Case Western Reserve University, received her DMS degree from the Butler University Bridge Program and now lives and works as a neurosurgery PA-C in Arizona. Natalia describes applying to PA school late with little guidance, advises applicants to use mentorship organizations (including PAs for Latino Health, The PAC, NSBPA) and fee assistance, and...
2026-06-0530 minBuilding Bridges PodcastMore than Medicine: Leadership and Advocacy in Women's Health with Dr. Melissa RodriguezWhat does it truly mean to build bridges in healthcare—and who is willing to step forward and do the work when those bridges don’t yet exist?In this episode of Building Bridges, Bre Garbas sits down with Dr. Melissa Rodriguez, an OB/GYN physician associate, educator, and national leader in women’s health, for a conversation that moves far beyond the clinical space. Together, they explore what it looks like to practice at the top of one’s license, advocate for meaningful change, and redefine what is possible for physician associates in one of the most dyn...
2026-05-2229 minBuilding Bridges PodcastPA Education and Leadership: Dr. Pam VaydaIn this episode of Building Bridges from Butler University’s Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program, hosts Adrian Banning and Cody Sasek speak with PA educator Pam Vayda, interim program director at Mississippi State University. Pam shares her path from prior work in education (including teaching secondary school and college labs) to joining MSU’s inaugural PA cohort (graduating 2023), practicing in urgent care, earning her doctorate through Butler, and quickly transitioning into PA faculty roles. She discusses seeing PA programs from both student and faculty perspectives, the complexity of running a program, and the major work involved in achieving 10-yea...
2026-05-1131 minBuilding Bridges PodcastPAs in Leadership: Dr. Brooke SchweitzerFrom the OR to the C-Suite: Dr. Brooke Schweitzer on Advanced Practice Leadership in HealthcareOn this episode of the Building Bridges podcast, host Cody Sasek interviews Dr. Brooke Schweitzer, a plastic and reconstructive surgery physician assistant and Executive Director of Advanced Practice Providers at University of Chicago Medicine. She was appointed to this inaugural role amid rapid APP growth from about 200 pre-COVID to over 600 current. Schweitzer describes overseeing PAs, NPs, CNSs, CRNAs, and nurse midwives across multiple sites, and shares how she discovered the PA profession after shadowing in surgery. She recounts unexpectedly stepping i...
2026-04-2436 minBuilding Bridges PodcastA Servant's Heart: Dr. Olatunde Oshikoya on Leading with PassionWhat happens when you stop waiting for the “right path” and start building your own? In this episode of Building Bridges, Dr. Olatunde Oshikoya, PA-C, shares how an uncertain start as a new graduate evolved into a purpose-driven career spanning urgent care, mobile medicine, and telehealth in addiction and behavioral health. From launching a mobile clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic to embracing remote care as the future of medicine, his journey highlights the power of adaptability, innovation, and saying yes to opportunity—even when the outcome isn’t clear. This conversation explores how telehealth is reshaping access to care...
2026-04-1029 min2026-03-2731 minBuilding Bridges PodcastButter, Epidemiology, and Great Teaching: Rod Jackson Part 2Rod Jackson on Heart-Healthy Living, Teaching Epidemiology, and the GATE FrameAdrian interviews Dr. Rod Jackson on the Building Bridges Podcast (Butler University Dr. Medical Science Bridge Program), focusing on cardiovascular prevention and his teaching approach. Jackson argues coronary heart disease is driven primarily by dietary saturated fat, largely from meat and dairy, and urges reducing saturated fat first, then avoiding smoking, eating largely unprocessed foods low in salt and refined sugar, and exercising (which he ranks lower than diet). He recommends regular cardiovascular risk assessment, especially for older adults, and notes safe, cheap blood-pressure and lipid-lowering...
2026-03-1319 minBuilding Bridges PodcastResearch That Changes the World: Rod Jackson Part 1From Hypertension to Cardiovascular Risk: Rod Jackson’s Big-Data Impact in New ZealandAdrian, a Butler University Medical Science Bridge Program faculty member, interviews Dr. Rod Jackson, an epidemiologist at the University of Auckland, on the Building Bridges podcast. Jackson describes growing up in rural New Zealand, choosing medicine, and shifting from clinical practice to public health after working with cardiovascular epidemiologist Robert Beaglehole, focusing on prevention such as smoking reduction. He explains how conflicting hypertension definitions led him in the late 1980s to advocate replacing single risk-factor thresholds with multivariable cardiovascular risk assessment, influencing New Zealand gu...
2026-03-1324 minBuilding Bridges PodcastSay Yes: Dr. Chileatha Wynn on Embracing OpportunitiesThis episode will introduce you to Dr. Chileatha Wynn, who demonstrates the power of saying "yes" whenever possible and the benefits it has had on her life as a PA, a leader, and the value of advocacy.
2026-02-1322 minBuilding Bridges PodcastA Champion's Journey: Dr. Andre Dos Santos on Resilience and EducationIn this episode of Building Bridges, a podcast by the Butler University Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program, co-hosts Dr. Adrian Banning and Dr. Cody Sasek welcome their guest, Dr. Andre Dos Santos. Dr. Dos Santos shares his remarkable story of immigrating from Brazil, his diverse career as an MMA fighter and Hollywood stunt performer, and his journey to becoming a PA educator at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. The conversation highlights his dedication to addressing social justice through education, his extensive commitment to his students, and the impactful difference his work is making in...
2026-01-1338 minBuilding Bridges PodcastBuilding Bridges Episode 1: Meet the Bridge Podcast TeamIn our first full episode, you'll have the opportunity to meet the Building Bridges podcast team.Adrian Banning, DHSc, PA-CBreann Garbas, DHSc, PA-CCody Sasek, PhD, PA-CWe'll take a casual and lighthearted look at the journeys that led each of the cohosts to Butler and to the seat in front of the microphone.
2026-01-0617 minBuilding Bridges PodcastEpisode 1: Meet the Bridge Podcast TeamIn our first full episode, you'll have the opportunity to meet the Building Bridges podcast team.Adrian Banning, DHSc, PA-CBreann Garbas, DHSc, PA-CCody Sasek, PhD, PA-CWe'll take a casual and lighthearted look at the journeys that led each of the cohosts to Butler and to the seat in front of the microphone.
2026-01-0615 minBuilding Bridges PodcastWelcome to Building Bridges: An IntroductionWelcome to the Building Bridges Podcast. In this episode, Cody Sasek, program director of Butler University's Doctor of Medical Science Bridge Program introduces listeners to the podcast and what to expect -- from interesting conversations to learning from thought leaders, the podcast is intended to inform, entertain, and engage the audience in thinking about what's next...and what's possible.
2026-01-0600 min