Deacon Dialogues

One University, One Mission: A Conversation with President Wente on Medicine, Education and Community

In this episode, Rohan sits down with President Wente of Wake Forest University for a genuinely eye-opening conversation about how a university and a medical school grow together — and why that relationship matters so much for the future of medicine and medical education. Whether you're a student, educator or just curious about how these institutions work, you'll take something away from this one.   Want to Participate? Whether you have an episode idea or want to be featured, we want to hear from you! Email deacondialogues@wakehealth.edu and send us your pitch.    Connect with us on Instagram: @wakeforestmed [https://www.instagram.com/wakeforestmed/]

Where Skill Meets Skull: Picking the Brain of a Neurosurgeon

In this episode, Caila chats with Dr. Stacey Quintero Wolfe, MD, FAANS Associate Professor and Director of Neurointerventional Surgery at Wake Forest School of Medicine.  The two discussed her path to medicine which included serving in the military as surgeon, to what her day-to-day looks like now as the chair and how she leads the departments clinical, research and education missions, all while advancing neurosurgery at Wake Forest and across the nation. Want to Participate? Whether you have an episode idea or want to be featured, we want to hear from you! Email deacondialogues@wakehealth.edu and send us your pitch.    Connect with us on Instagram: @wakeforestmed [https://www.instagram.com/wakeforestmed/]

The Face Behind the Curtain: Logistics of the Pre-Clerkship Education

In this episode, Rohan talks with Parker Bryant and Meghan Wiater, two key figures whose work supports pre-clerkship education.   The episode explores behind-the-scenes efforts, from Canvas pages to coordinating more than 100 lecturers over 18 months. Their work begins years in advance and, when done well, is almost invisible. Tune in for a look under the hood of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Want to Participate? Whether you have an episode idea or want to be featured, we want to hear from you! Email deacondialogues@wakehealth.edu and send us your pitch.    Connect with us on Instagram: @wakeforestmed [https://www.instagram.com/wakeforestmed/]

Project SEE: Vision for a Better Future

In this episode, Jaelen King is back at the mic and chatting with Avery Kerwin, MS4 about Project SEE. Closing gaps in care, one screening at a time. Tune in to learn how Project SEE is bringing free vision services to Winston-Salem — and why access to sight is about so much more than just eyesight. Learn more here: Seeing Our Community More Clearly: Project SEE in Partnership with Northwest AHEC [https://go.northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/blog/projectsee] Daily Dose: Clearer Vision, Safer Lives: A Student-Led Effort Expands Access to Eye Care [https://atriumhealth.org/dailydose/2026/04/09/a-student-led-effort-expands-access-to-eye-care] Want to Participate? Whether you have an episode idea or want to be featured, we want to hear from you! Email deacondialogues@wakehealth.edu and send us your pitch.    Connect with us on Instagram: @wakeforestmed [https://www.instagram.com/wakeforestmed/]

Scrubbing In and Stirring Up: Nutrition Education in Medical Training

In this episode, Caila sits down with Dr. Joey Skelton, MD, MS to talk about WFUSM's unique nutrition education which includes Doctors In the Kitchen, Culinary Scholars Medicine Program and Culinary Medicine 4th-year elective. Tune in to learn the important role nutrition and cooking plays in the patient-provider relationship.    Dr. Skelton’s new book Your Child Is Not Their Weight explores ways parents can approach their child's health and create a healthier lifestyle without hurting their self-esteem and happiness. His book is now available now on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Your-Child-Their-Weight-Size-Obsessed/dp/1610028546] and the American Academy of Pediatrics website [https://www.aap.org/Your-Child-Is-Not-Their-Weight-Parenting-in-a-Size-Obsessed-World-Paperback?srsltid=AfmBOooD0b4n3Zu1gzVB4cvJmkX0W2bLch7ajmVUqGZDYtnl6bFnoEm-]  Want to Participate? Whether you have an episode idea or want to be featured, we want to hear from you! Email deacondialogues@wakehealth.edu and send us your pitch.    Connect with us on Instagram: @wakeforestmed [https://www.instagram.com/wakeforestmed/]