“No man is a failure who has friends.”

These are the memorable last words the angel Clarence has for George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life. Frank Capra’s movie classic comes to my mind this time of year, but I also thought about the line during my conversation with Dr. Amrita Sethi, an award-winning and pioneering endoscopist, as well as an Amherst College classmate. Not only has she figured out how absolutely essential it is to have close friends and allies. She has built support systems that extend these benefits to aspiring doctors, helping them increase access to the profession, as well as learn and bounce back following a mistake.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• Amrita’s embrace of breadth and focused depth, and how that has fueled her creativity and ability to innovate
• The critical importance of deep friendships and professional allyship, including people who will help you overcome self doubt
• The value of The Empathy Project and other initiatives that help patients and doctors develop the trust and openness they need to achieve better outcomes
• Her theory behind why so many members of the Amherst Class of 1994 share common traits and worldviews
• Why we think James Cameron exemplifies the benefits of a liberal arts education
• The members of the Amherst Class of 1994 she wants me to talk to next