Developing a Global Brand in Medicine through Podcasting
Dr. Rizul Naithani, DO
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Duke Eye Center, Durham, NC
Master of Public Health 2022-2023
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
‘Open Globe Talk’ chats with Dr. Rizul Naithani, DO who is currently a postdoctoral glaucoma research fellow at Duke University and pursuing a Master of Public Health degree from the acclaimed Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. She is also a current applicant for the US Ophthalmology Residency Match Cycle. In this blog, we get to learn about how to develop a global brand out of podcasting!
What made you interested in ophthalmology?
Ophthalmology struck the best balance between practicing medicine and surgery. Its applicability to the global health setting gave me endless possibilities to incorporate my skillset and expertise at the population-level.
Entering medical school, I kept an open mind about specialties, especially being the first in my family to become a physician. I loved writing, forming long-term relations, and conducting surgical procedures that had significant impact on quality-of-life. Ophthalmology as a field filled me with immense satisfaction when I experienced the diverse practice settings and detail-driven surgeries. The generally positive outcomes, especially from cataract surgeries, had me feeling incredibly inspired. I still remember one of the chief residents conducting a surgery in an underserved setting on a man who had lost everything due to vision issues for close to a decade. The first words that came out of his mouth prior to removing his patch was asking to see the primary surgeon as the first person in his field of vision. The reaction of gratitude made me appreciate the years of training that went towards obtaining a patient response like that.
Can you share a bit about why you started ‘Open Globe Talk’?
I had always left unsatisfied with the one-sided conversations that occurred pre-covid revolving around global health. It mostly included individuals from one country (mostly a developed country), rather than also talented staff from low- middle-income countries (LMICs). Moreover, global ophthalmology, let alone ophthalmology, has always felt closed off to those who did not have ophthalmic exposure prior to medical school or even early in medical training. During the pandemic, we saw these international collaborations and exposures become more transparent when virtual webinars were readily available for global participation. Through one of these webinars, I came to learn about global ophthalmology as a subspecialty.
As a medical student, I wanted to learn the basic aspects of the field and that was where podcasting really stuck. In the past, I had conducted multiple informational interviews, but it was exhilarating to build something that could benefit more than just myself. I am glad that I had to think bigger because it afforded me to see past the present (which at the time concerned about just getting into a specialty) and into the future (which focused more on who I imagine myself becoming and how I plan to give back).
How did you approach podcasting?
I knew that recording and publishing audio clips was not going to be enough. People, especially medical students, want more information about how they can further their global training in programs that emphasize it. Moreover, I wanted resources to build off as introductory material and transition into more complex discussions about global health. While training information during fellowship was readily available, the same could not be said for residency programs. So, I actually decided to design a website and work on collecting information for those interested in getting involved early in training. This took me roughly two months, along with recording my first podcast episode for a complete package. I certainly am a perfectionist, and I wanted speakers to feel like I valued their time and effort in being part of the initiative. I studied the websites of other colleagues and got advice from these early mentors about website platforms, building content, and advertising. I cannot be more thankful for their kindness and generosity in sharing their experiences.
I’m a philosopher at heart, and here is a line I followed: Don’t go a journey alone that could be made more significant by the collective perspectives of a group.
Making connections
Making connections is very much about engagement with multiple resources and keeping your eyes wide open. When attending webinars, I made note of all individuals who practiced global ophthalmology. I read several articles to gather names and people who had contributed to the field significantly. Moreover, I asked global ophthalmologists during casual conversation about people who would be great to reach out to. This is a niche field after all, and the approach was well received.
One of the best pieces of advice I received was: reach out to folks who are innovating internationally. I got to learn how incredible other countries outside the US were with respect to sustainability, management of costs, and reaching underserved communities. Trying to make connections with anyone, let alone an international attending, can seem daunting at first. But I would say, don’t get bogged down with the what ifs. Stay persistent and have a portfolio ready to give people a chance to see what you are capable of producing!
As a medical student, how do you build a global brand?
In the era of social media, your net worth is your network. I didn’t have a network in ophthalmology, but I realized social media to be my guiding force for the development and growth of ‘Open Globe Talk’. So, the question stands: how do you approach building a brand?
Firstly, a logo that can be uniformly used throughout your content is very important. The logo should be large enough for people to make out what it is, and it should capture the essence of what the organization does. In the case of ‘Open Globe Talk’, the logo contains eyeglasses reenacting the title: the scalpel cutting into a globe with an adjacent microphone. Once you have an identifying logo, creating repeatable thumbnails for the podcast is also equally important. It is how people will condition themselves to identify where the content is coming from. Lastly, for the podcast segment itself, having an introductory and ending music that suits the theme can be iconic. As you can imagine, I am a strong believer in working really hard at the beginning to produce original content so as not to regret or change any aspects later. It is certainly alright to tweak things later on but not so drastically that the product looks nothing like the original.
On a final note, there is no one way to approaching this. Podcasting is not the only way to developing your global presence.
Associating oneself to a global brand earlier rather than later
Establishing or declaring your specialty interests early in medical training can be quiet the dilemma. As medical students, we are forming our identity as clinicians and in the case of selective sub-specialties the competition can be riddled with what-ifs which can stunt personal development and true introspection about who we truly aspire to be. Why can’t medical students own up to their career aspirations earlier, no matter the outcome? In my case, I approached global branding as an opportunity to immerse myself in ophthalmology and incorporate my perspectives as an immigrant. What I offer through OGT is an inclusive environment for education in global ophthalmology. Moreover, the subspecialty isn’t limited to surgery but rather relies heavily on a lot of supportive disciplines such as public health. Prevention, awareness, and education are key components to avoiding and decreasing eye-related diseases and complications. If we look at it from this lens, we as early trainees have massive potential to contribute to this field! Once you keep doing something long enough, you eventually develop a strong set of skills that people recognize you for. The collaborations that come with that are immeasurable.
If there is anything I have learned: don’t wait too long for the right opportunities to come by. It’s possible that the right opportunities are already presenting themselves! Looking back, I wouldn’t change anything because the journey I have been afforded through podcasting has allowed me to appreciate personal ingenuity and discovery.
Lastly, outside of medicine, what is it that you enjoy doing?
From a young age, I have enjoyed writing. Poetry has always been a worthwhile activity that lets me express my conceptual thoughts in a creative manner. One of my favorite poems I published was based on the autobiography of a supporting actor I deeply cherished seeing on the screen. Juxtaposed to this is my love for sports. I grew up playing every sport imaginable, from soccer to golf to skating and even archery. Each activity had me practicing precision and accuracy in a way that I later identified in the operating room.
