The Forensic Healer

Dr. Barinder Singh
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Medicine wasn’t built for women—but we are changing the narrative. Welcome to The Forensic Healer, the podcast dedicated to questioning the status quo, breaking down systemic barriers, and rewriting the rules for women in medicine. Hosted by Dr. Barinder Singh, this show takes a microscopic look at the unique challenges, untold stories, and institutional hurdles women face across healthcare fields. New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Step into the clinic with us—hit the + Follow button so you never miss a breakthrough, and join our community on Instagram at @theforensichealer.

Episodes

  1. Oct 6

    Ep. 7: The Currency of Care: Dr. Renee Fernandez on Systemic Blindspots, the Double Standard, and Gen Z’s Medical Reform

    Episode SummaryIn this episode of The Forensic Healer, host Dr. Barinder Singh sits down with Dr. Renee Fernandez to dissect the invisible operational and cultural frameworks holding back female physicians and their patients. Together, they pull back the curtain on the medical gender pay gap and confront the "second shift"—the exhausting compounding of extra professional duties and domestic caregiving that falls disproportionately on women. From exposing the stark leadership double standard facing women in medicine to investigating why modern medical schools leave a massive educational blindspot around menopause care, this conversation gets to the root of institutional inertia. Plus, they explore how Gen Z is completely rewriting the rules of engagement in healthcare, prioritizing boundaries, transparency, and purpose-driven leadership over outdated structures. This is a sober, high-stakes examination of what it truly costs to care—and how we fix a broken system. In This Episode, We Dive Into: The Double Standard in Medicine: Dismantling the cultural biases that praise assertive leadership in male physicians while penalizing the exact same traits in female leaders.The Intersectional Duty Load: Exposing the hidden structural tax of the "double load," where female clinicians navigate heavy emotional and administrative work both in the clinic and at home.Gen Z and the Future of Reform: How the youngest generation of medical professionals is pushing back against rigid industry norms, demanding transparency, and shifting the cultural baseline.The Menopause Care Gap: Confronting the deep institutional omission in medical school curricula that leaves frontline physicians under-trained on midlife women’s health, and how to fix this critical blindspot.The Primary Care Gender Pay Gap: The structural and contractual overhauls required to challenge historical frameworks and secure actual financial parity for comprehensive care. Connect with Our Guest: LinkedIn: Connect with Dr. Renee Fernandez on LinkedIn.Instagram: Follow her updates @drrfernandez. Connect with The Forensic Healer: Listen & Follow: Catch us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Community: Follow our journey on Instagram @theforensichealer.Support the Show: If this conversation resonated with you, please leave a 5-star rating and review to help us amplify these critical deep dives into healthcare equity!

  2. Sep 22

    Ep 6: Speaking Truth to the System: Navigating Bias and Personal Loss in Medicine with Dr. Anna Banerji

    Episode Summary:What does it truly cost to hold onto a global human rights mindset within a rigid medical establishment? In Episode 6 of The Forensic Healer, we host a deeply candid and profoundly moving conversation with Dr. Anna Banerji—an award-winning pediatrician, infectious disease specialist, and human rights advocate who has spent decades navigating the complex gates of modern medicine. From deciding to become a doctor at age 11 after witnessing a man die on a bridge in Calcutta, to fighting for equitable, life-saving RSV care for Inuit babies, Dr. Banerji’s career has been an uphill climb against institutional gatekeeping. In this raw reflection, she opens up about everything she has been through—including the co-opting of women's intellectual labor in academia and the systemic biases embedded in healthcare. Most devastatingly, she shares how the mental health system failed to recognize intergenerational trauma, leading to the tragic loss of her adopted Inuit son, Nathan. This episode is a profound masterclass in maintaining "unshakeable equanimity," surviving the "activism tax," and building a more compassionate, equitable future for the next generation of healers. 🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned Support the Mission: Empower the next generation of healers by contributing to the Nathan Banerji-Kearney Memorial Award for Indigenous Students at the University of Toronto.Advocacy & Impact: Read more about Dr. Banerji’s recognition and systemic battles through the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society.Connect with the Guest: Follow her continued public health advocacy on Dr. Anna Banerji’s X Profile.Connect with the Host: Join the community, share your thoughts on this episode, and access more deep-dives at @theforensichealer Enjoyed the show? Don't let the conversation stop here. Subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode on social media to help us build a better medical future!

  3. Sep 8

    Ep 5: Bacteriophages, Boundaries, & a Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit: The Resilience of Dr. Marisa Azad

    What happens when a groundbreaking female clinician-scientist refuses to let a rigid institutional environment minimize her work? In this episode of The Forensic Healer, host Dr. Barinder Singh sits down with the visionary Dr. Marisa Azad. While open legal constraints mean Dr. Azad cannot speak directly on mic about her active $2.3M civil lawsuit against her hospital, her career story speaks volumes about the heavy toll of institutional hostility and what it takes to fight back. Together, Dr. Singh and Dr. Azad dive deep into the micro-dynamics of workplace toxicity in medicine, the isolation women experience when disrupting traditional hierarchy with scientific innovation, and how she managed to protect her sanity, her patients, and her boundaries while standing up to systemic bullying. About the Guest: Dr. Marisa Azad, MD, PhD, is an Infectious Diseases clinician-scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa. A Mayo Clinic alumna, Dr. Azad made national headlines and medical history by successfully delivering Canada's first-ever Health Canada-approved bacteriophage (phage) therapy to cure a life-threatening, drug-resistant prosthetic joint infection. Alongside her leading clinical laboratory work, she is a passionate digital oil painter and founder of The ARTICU Project, a narrative medical humanities initiative designed to help families navigate grief and bereavement in the intensive care unit. Inside the Conversation: The Tax on Innovation: Analyzing the territorial pushback, professional isolation, and gendered biases that highly successful women face when breaking institutional molds.Holding the Line Under Pressure: Navigating toxic workplace structures while preserving your mental well-being, personal values, and patient-first mission.Healing the Healer Through Art: How Dr. Azad utilizes creative expression through The ARTICU Project to process clinical trauma and humanize intensive care settings.Advice to Next-Gen Physicians: Practical strategies for younger female doctors on identifying institutional "playbooks," finding safe professional allies, and maintaining integrity. Resources & Links Mentioned The Forensic Healer: Follow The Forensic Healer Podcast on Instagram and join the clinical community on The Forensic Healer LinkedIn Page.Dr. Azad’s Research: View her clinical breakthroughs and laboratory portfolio via her Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Profile and the ROADMAP Trial Team Page.The ARTICU Project: Explore the digital art gallery and narrative medicine updates at Marisa Azad's Official Website.In the News: To understand the context behind her legal advocacy, read the National Post Feature on Dr. Azad's Lawsuit.Connect with the Guest: Follow her medical and scientific milestones on Dr. Marisa Azad’s X Profile. Listen & SubscribeIf this episode empowered you, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to help amplify the voices of women rewriting the rules of healthcare! Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyWatch on YouTube DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational, informational, and advocacy purposes only. It does not constitute legal or medical advice. Please consult qualified professionals regarding specific health or legal matters.

  4. Aug 25

    Ep 4: Anesthetizing Bias: Dr. Saroo Sharda's Blueprint for Medical Equity

    Host: Dr. Barinder Singh Guest: Dr. Saroo Sharda (Anesthesiologist, Writer, and Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion) 📋 Episode Overview Host Dr. Barinder Singh sits down with Dr. Saroo Sharda to dissect the cultural, institutional, and regulatory frameworks governing modern medicine. This episode challenges the toxic myth of physician invulnerability, exposes biases within regulatory bodies, and builds a concrete blueprint for true, compassionate accountability in healthcare. 🧠 Key Discussion Points Part 1: The Anatomy of Identity & The "Iron Doc" Weaponized Professionalism: How the archetype of the invulnerable "Iron Doc" is used to silence struggling physicians, especially women and equity-deserving groups.The Psychological Cost: A trauma-informed look at how enforced stoicism causes moral injury and prevents healthcare workers from seeking justice. Part 2: Dismantling the Neutrality Myth in Regulation The Gatekeeper Paradigm: Evolving traditional regulatory bodies into vehicles for anti-oppression without compromising public safety.Institutional Discomfort: Strategies for navigating organizational friction and systemic defensiveness when challenging entrenched power structures. Part 3: The Blueprint for True Accountability Beyond the Checklist: Moving past performative, surface-level EDI boxes to actively guarantee the psychological safety of medical teams.Redefining Professionalism: What a practical, anti-racist, decolonial, and compassionate framework for medical accountability looks like in action. 🔗 Connect With the Guest LinkedIn: Connect with Dr. Saroo Sharda on LinkedIn.Academic Profile: Read about her initiatives on the McMaster University Faculty Profile. 🎙️ Connect With the Show Listen: Subscribe to The Forensic Healer on Spotify.Socials: Follow the community on Instagram @theforensichealer and the host's LinkedIn.

  5. Aug 11

    Ep 3: Dismantling the Leadership Double Standard in Medicine with Ena Chadha

    In this powerful episode, host Dr. Barinder Singh sits down with renowned human rights lawyer, mediator, and investigator Ena Chadha. Ena dissects the landmark Cybulsky v. Hamilton Health Sciences legal case to explore a pervasive issue: why assertive male leaders are praised while assertive female leaders are penalized. Using her brilliant legal mind, Ena breaks down how the system weaponized leadership styles against women and how this historic Human Rights Tribunal victory sets a monumental precedent for healthcare institutions nationwide. Key Takeaways The "Double Standard" in Action: Understanding how words like "bully," "micromanager," or instructions to be "fluffier" are covertly used to police female leaders.The Historic Legal Precedent: How Dr. Irene Cybulsky’s legal fight fundamentally shifts accountability onto medical institutions to monitor systemic, unconscious gender bias. Dismantling the Medical Status Quo: Practical steps healthcare systems must take right now to allow future generations of women in surgery to lead authentically. Medicine Prides Itself on Evidence-Based Practice: Why it is time our hospital leadership models reflect that same rigorous standard of objective equity. Featured Guest: Ena Chadha, LL.B., LL.M., LSM. Ena Chadha is an experienced Canadian human rights lawyer, educator, and institutional investigator. Throughout her distinguished career, she has dedicated herself to exposing systemic inequities, challenging structural discrimination, and spearheading major conflict resolution initiatives in high-profile legal sectors. Case Spotlight: Cybulsky v. Hamilton Health Sciences Dr. Irene Cybulsky was a true trailblazer—the very first woman to ever head a cardiac surgery division in Canada. When she led her predominantly male team with the same absolute decisiveness and directness expected of any male surgeon, she faced swift organizational pushback, a targeted workplace review, and eventual removal from her position. Rather than walking away, she took on the medical establishment and won a historic victory at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, proving that covert gender stereotyping is illegal discrimination. Connect With Us Listen to More Episodes: Follow us on SpotifyJoin the Community: Connect with us on Instagram at @theforensichealerLearn More About Our Guest: Visit the official Ena Chadha Website: https://www.enachadha.com/

  6. Jul 28

    Ep. 2: Dissecting the System: Dr. Lesley Barron on Medicine’s Broken Blueprint

    Welcome to episode two of The Forensic Healer Podcast. In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Lesley Barron. Dr. Lesley Barron is a general surgeon who is currently the Medical Director of Surgical Services at John Hunter Hospital in NSW.  She has worked in Canada, Australia and the UK as a general surgeon and served on the board of the Ontario Medical Association as well as running in the Canadian federal election in 2019.  She has interests in gender equity in healthcare, evidence based healthcare policy and active transport.  She lives in Newcastle, Australia with her partner and 3 children.  Follow our guest on Dr. Lesley Barron's LinkedIn Profile.Tune in to more cases on the Forensic Healer Podcast

  7. Jul 21

    Ep. 1: Challenging the Medical Status Quo with Dr. Ramneek Dosanjh

    Why are women in medicine still battling a system not originally built for them? In this episode of The Forensic Healer, we sit down with healthcare visionary, advocate, and leader Dr. Ramneek Dosanjh to dissect, challenge, and question the current medical status quo. Dr. Dosanjh openly shares her profound leadership journey—from a young South Asian girl navigating systemic barriers to representing thousands of female physicians on the global stage. Together, we confront the culture of perfectionism and stoicism in healthcare, discussing why it is time to lead with authentic vulnerability, equity, and compassion. In this episode, we discuss: Breaking the Mold: How to confidently challenge outdated norms that limit female physicians.The Power of Vulnerability: Overcoming the pressure of stoicism to foster deeper human connection and better patient care.Systemic Changes: Why the representation of women matters at the highest policy-making tables.Mentorship & Legacy: Navigating your medical path by seeking role models who "walk the walk". Connect with our Guest: Website: Dr. Ramneek Dosanjh Support The Forensic Healer: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify!Follow us on Instagram: @theforensichealer

  8. Jul 8

    Ep 0: Medicine Wasn't Built For Us (Here's Why I Started This Podcast)

    Why are so many women in medicine feeling burnt out, boxed in, and passed over? In this very first solo episode of The Forensic Healer, The traditional medical system wasn’t designed with women in mind—so it’s time we start questioning the status quo and rewriting the rules. In this episode, I dive into: The Mission: What it actually means to look at medicine through a "forensic" lens.The Roadmap: What you can expect from future episodes, guest speakers, and deep dives. This is a rallying cry for every woman who has ever felt like she had to compromise her well-being for her white coat. You are not alone, and it’s time to reclaim your power. Connect with the show: Enjoyed the episode? Please rate and review the show on Spotify—it helps other women in medicine find us!Follow the journey on Instagram: @theforensichealerGot a story to share or a status quo to question? Email us at: theforensichealer@gmail.com

  • 8 Episodes

About

Medicine wasn’t built for women—but we are changing the narrative. Welcome to The Forensic Healer, the podcast dedicated to questioning the status quo, breaking down systemic barriers, and rewriting the rules for women in medicine. Hosted by Dr. Barinder Singh, this show takes a microscopic look at the unique challenges, untold stories, and institutional hurdles women face across healthcare fields. New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Step into the clinic with us—hit the + Follow button so you never miss a breakthrough, and join our community on Instagram at @theforensichealer.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Barinder Singh
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dr. Barinder Singh
  • Show Website
    The Forensic Healer