Docs with Disabilities: Psychological Disability in a Nephrology Fellowship

Docs with Disabilities Podcast

Interviewees: Justin Bullock, MD, MPH; Cary Payne, MD

In Episode 114, Dr. Lisa Meeks talks with Dr. Justin Bullock (nephrology fellow, University of Washington; living with bipolar disorder) and Dr. Cary Payne (Program Director, Nephrology Fellowship, University of Washington) about navigating fellowship with a psychiatric disability—and how trust, humility, and creative flexibility built a training experience defined by healing and growth.

Together, they retrace Justin’s decision to pursue fellowship after a traumatic residency, his choice to lead with authenticity during the match, and the risks and rewards of disclosure in GME. They unpack how structured accommodations provided protection, why early defensiveness softened into trust, and the profound impact of Cary’s disarming leadership approach: “It’s not your job to teach us.”