A Conversational Walk with a Cardiologist

Akshay Pendyal, MD, earned his undergraduate degree in English literature, with a concentration in creative prose, from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an internal medicine residency at the University of Colorado. He completed his cardiology fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University and served as Chief Fellow. Dr. Pendyal has an interest in racial & economic inequity, specifically housing instability and health. In this episode, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Pendyal discuss how living in New York City when Trayvon Martin was killed started his DEI journey. From there, Dr. Pendyal talks about housing instability’s effects on health and how understanding those who have experienced homelessness has shaped his approach to providing care and philosophy of medicine. Additional Resources: Articles and Poems by Dr. Pendyal Nudging toward Bethlehem: https://brooklynrail.org/2023/06/field-notes/Nudging-toward-Bethlehem The Class Structure That Decides Who Stays at Home and Who Dies from Covid: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/2021/09/14/the-class-structure-that-decides-who-stays-at-home-and-who-dies-from-covid/ Importance of Simplifying Medication Regimens for Patients Experiencing Homelessness: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37590843/ The Price of Metaphor: Seeking Conceptual Clarity in Racial Disparities Discourse: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35716394/ On the Perils of Conducting Observational Research on Racial Health Disparities: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36326049/ Why Physicians Should Care About Structural Racism: https://www.kevinmd.com/2018/06/why-physicians-should-care-about-structural-racism.html Triptych: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2737685 Health & Healing: https://blogs.ohsu.edu/library/files/2016/05/poetry-contest_health-healing_pendyal.pdf