Alissa Puzo is a Pediatric Resident Physician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — but her path to one of the nation’s top hospitals was shaped long before med school. In this conversation, we explore the defining experiences that helped shape her mindset, her leadership, and her ability to stay grounded through the emotional and physical challenges of medicine.

From a formative global health trip in rural Guatemala to her transition into pediatric residency, Alissa shares what it meant to lead under pressure, to confront loss, and to constantly shift roles in the face of real-world complexity. She opens up about what she's learned — not just about medicine, but about herself — and what kind of doctor she hopes to become as her story continues to unfold.