Lisa Doyle Howley, PhD, joins the Ripples: Physician Well-Being podcast to explore how intentional support, psychological safety and clear expectations can better prepare medical students for the transition from medical school to residency.

Season 5 of "Ripples" focuses on bringing your best self to residency training while avoiding common pitfalls.

ABOUT GUEST SPEAKER: Lisa Doyle Howley, PhD is an educational psychologist and a national leader in medical education. She serves as the Senior Director for Transforming Medical Education at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), where she drives advancements in competency-based medical education (CBME) and fosters innovation in teaching and learning.

With more than three decades of experience in academic medicine, Dr. Howley has held leadership roles at institutional, regional, and national levels. She currently leads a diverse portfolio and team dedicated to transforming models of teaching and learning across the continuum of medical education. Her work accelerates the adoption of CBME, reinforces the fundamental role of the arts and humanities, advances faculty development, and ensures that new and emerging areas of medicine are effectively integrated into curricula across AAMC’s member schools and teaching hospitals. Dr. Howley holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Earlier in her career, she was a member of the medical education faculty at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where she designed and implemented performance-based assessments and simulation-enhanced curricula. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Central Florida and both her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia. A frequent speaker and thought leader, she is dedicated to shaping the future of medical education through strategic collaboration, scholarship, and innovation.

In this episode of Ripples: Physician Well-Being, Ajeya P. Joshi, MD, orthopedic spine surgeon and lifestyle medicine specialist, shares a powerful perspective on navigating the constant currents of medicine and life. Drawing on the concept of salutogenesis, Dr. Joshi reframes well-being not as reaching a place of calm, but as learning to thrive within ongoing change—reminding us that we are always “in the river,” and the goal is to learn to swim better.

Through reflections on his parents’ legacy, his journey into lifestyle medicine, and his work with patients and trainees, Dr. Joshi explores how connection, self-care and purpose can anchor physicians during times of transition. He also offers a practical “pebble” for listeners: to define internal measures of success, give and receive grace, and approach each day with intention.

"Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects."

This past year, our "Ripples" podcast has focused on life beyond medicine, which helps our physicians to better themselves and, most importantly, take care of themselves. Each guest has left a pebble for the listener to cast into the water of their own lives, actions that can be taken to improve their wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around them. As a gift this holiday season, we've wrapped all of those pebbles into one episode; take these pebbles and cast ripples into your world.