Today's episode is a good one, ya'll! My guest, Shala Thomas, is a medical communication specialist, so she knows a thing or two about reliable sources. In this episode, we discuss everything from how to advocate for yourself with your doctor to the vaccine trials and how to determine an online source's credibility. Shala had some really good insight on how the trials went down and the safeguards put in place to help protect the general public, so I'm especially excited for you to listen. FULL SHOWNOTES HERE

We actually taped this episode earlier this year, but a lot of the topics (vaccine hesitancy & the Black community's mistrust for doctors in general) are still incredibly relevant today. I originally wanted to do what I could to share reliable information and help people advocate for themselves with their doctors and I think, even today, our chat will go a long way in doing that. Anyway, take a listen, and as always, come find me on Instagram to share your thoughts!

• Shala's receipts (her background in oncology research and her journey to becoming a medical communication specialist)
• Shala's commitment to mentoring current students in the medical writing field
• Black community: working through our distrust for the medical community as a whole
• How to advocate for yourself with your doctor (what to research, what questions to ask, etc.)
• Shala's thoughts on Tuskegee and how today's clinical trials differ from that experience
• Reliable sources: how to find them and how to determine the credibility of an online source
• Shala's upcoming Clinical Blueprint project to help regular people understand scientific terms and make informed healthcare decisions

****************************************

Shala Thomas is a medical communications specialist with a PhD in Oncology. We go into the details of what that actually means, but, in a nutshell, Shala helps write up the articles and reports you see in esteemed medical journals like the New England Journal of Medicine. As one of the few Black women in her chosen field, Shala's definitely the person to speak with about reliable medical sources, and of course, the kind of tricky relationship some Black folks have with healthcare professionals. Shala shared a lot of thoughtful insight in this episode, so it's a good one to listen to and share with anyone who wants to know more about advocating for themselves with their doctors.

****************************************

Instagram @curating.stories

www.CuratingStories.com

****************************************

All things lifestyle & family, plus tons of Black owned business features and round-ups! www.AllDayBritney.com

Instagram: