Welcome to season three of Small Talk, Big Topics, our podcast for trainees and early career GIs! In this episode, hosts Drs. Matthew Whitson and Nina Nandy are joined by the 118th president of AGA, Dr. Barbara Jung, who is a researcher and physician.
Previously, Dr. Jung was president of the gastroenterology research group and division chief of gastroenterology at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is currently the chair of internal medicine at the University of Washington.
Dr. Jung was born in Oregon, but spent most of her life in Germany, where she did an early thesis in pH monitoring in infants. She moved to San Diego to complete post-doctoral fellowship, where she stayed for training, met her husband and had a daughter before moving to Chicago.
At this point in her career, Dr. Jung is now looking forward to training the next generation of practitioners and professionals and feels very fortunate to help steward some of the work at AGA, which really feels like home for her. Dr. Jung also shares how she manages her various professional roles, explaining that she is constantly teaching and being a leader. Part of administering patient care feels like research in which she is experiencing first hand how the hospital experience flows.
Dr. Jung reflects on both the amazing and poor mentorship she’s received over the course of her career. The poor mentorship has also been helpful by teaching her what she does not want to do as a mentor. Another important aspect of mentorship is that a mentor often serves as a role model, too. Dr. Jung shares that leadership can happen at any stage in a person’s life or career. The more visibility you have, the more you need to think about your actions and energy. In order to best manage her time, Dr. Jung makes an effort to find the balance between the things that fuel and drain her energy.
Dr. Jung spends time examining the ways the AGA has impacted her career as well. For her, the people involved in the AGA truly feel like a family that she can work, grow and collaborate with. She then shares that when she initially began to work with the ethics committee, she never expected to enjoy it as much as she did. She advises listeners not to be intimidated to join committees they feel inexperienced in. Rather, you should show up with curiosity and the excitement to learn. Her role as president of AGA is really about taking a community approach to stewarding the organization in the long term. Being part of a community means getting involved with people who hold similar interests and welcome problem-solving discussions.
Before wrapping up, the conversation shifts to discussing this year’s DDW. Dr. Jung advises people to make a schedule for their attendance in order not to become overwhelmed by everything there is to do. They should also not miss her panel discussion, which will focus on the future of the industry. Plus, Small Talks, Big Topics will be hosting another live recording at DDW! (Stay tuned for details on how to attend.)
To close out the episode, Dr. Jung answers a series of rapid-fire questions, including what’s the most fun thing to do in Seattle, how she likes her tea and her favorite memory at DDW.
Connect with this episode's guests:
Follow Dr. Barbara Jung on X.
