There are untold volumes within each of us—stories of heartache and joy, triumph and failure, strength and vulnerability.
Chest medicine professionals are invited to share their personal stories each year at CHEST After Hours. During the nighttime event, storytellers and session attendees alike are invited to pause, listen, and connect through personal narratives—reminders that medicine is only one part of a clinician’s identity.
The event began at CHEST 2022, the first in-person annual meeting following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to restore a sense of connection that had been lost through time and distance, and also to offer a change of pace for meeting attendees after a packed day of educational sessions.
“I love hearing the stories that people have to tell, and I love seeing the reaction of the people in the room, crying and laughing,” said Teresa Rodriguez-Aviles, CHEST Senior Manager of Education Learning Events. “Last year there was a guy who was breakdancing—it was pure joy coming out of the room. It’s one of my favorite things that happens at the annual meeting, just to share in the experiences of everyone.”
This year’s event will take place at 6 pm on Monday, October 19, at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown, Pueblo Room. The doors open at 5:30 pm. Advance RSVP is required, but walk-ins will be admitted starting at 6 pm if space allows.
Past is prologue
Participants from previous After Hours events reflect on their storytelling experiences:
Rana L.A. Awdish, MD, MS, FCCP
After Hours storyteller, CHEST 2022
“After Hours allows us to return to the humanity beneath all of our other roles. There’s something quietly transformative about sitting in a room where people are willing to be vulnerable without asking for certainty or solutions. We’re reminded that our capacity to care isn’t sustained by knowing everything. It’s sustained by our willingness to witness each other with honesty and compassion.”
Lakshman Swamy, MD, FCCP
After Hours storyteller, CHEST 2024
“After Hours gave me a profound feeling of being seen and of seeing myself as well. Working with a coach helped me see some of the deeper threads in my own story. Bringing them out changed the story in dramatic ways and, I think, made it much more meaningful and relevant for my colleagues at CHEST. Hearing stories from the other storytellers had a similar effect.”
Erika MacIntyre, MD
After Hours storyteller, CHEST 2025
“The entire story was about the year that I took on an adventure. After Hours was like an extension of that adventure. I lived the experience—I sailed across an ocean. But with After Hours, I was able to be a type of observer, bringing the experience back to life from a different angle.”
Joey Gee, PA-C
After Hours storyteller, CHEST 2025
“The feeling that stands out to me the most was being so vulnerable and letting my guard down by telling my personal story, which is one not too many people have heard—not even my close colleagues or friends, despite my 11-year career.”
This year’s storytellers
Ian J. Barbash, MD
Colleen M. Farrell, MD
Andrew C. Nutting, DO
Matthew H. Smith, PA-C, CCAPP, FCCP
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