DiscoverADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy OtsukaEP. 357: Seeing Is Freeing: Dr. Kalaki Clarke on ADHD Without Shame
EP. 357: Seeing Is Freeing: Dr. Kalaki Clarke on ADHD Without Shame

EP. 357: Seeing Is Freeing: Dr. Kalaki Clarke on ADHD Without Shame

Update: 2025-11-05
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Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

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A 10-year-old boy sat across from Dr. Kalaki Clarke, MD during her psychiatry rotation, and she saw herself. Smart, charming, good grades but couldn't get it together. That's when she knew she had ADHD too.

Dr. Clarke was in her first year of residency at UC Irvine, working 80-hour weeks in a system designed to test you constantly. She'd been the good kid, the high achiever, the one who always kept it together. But in residency, surrounded by neurotypical colleagues, sleep-deprived, and constantly performing, the mask finally came off. Her 2015 diagnosis became a turning point, launching her into advocacy for physicians with ADHD. She helped craft equity guidelines for neurodivergent resident physicians, spoke at the International Conference on ADHD, and delivered a TEDx talk called "Seeing is Freeing: How Observation Releases ADHD Potential."

Now, as a board-certified family physician and Associate Professor of Medical Education at USC's Keck School of Medicine, Dr. Clarke spends her time providing care for underserved communities in Los Angeles while shaping the next generation of doctors.

In this conversation, Dr. Clarke and Tracy talk about what it's like to have ADHD in a profession that demands perfection and how "seeing is freeing" applies to both patients and physicians. Dr. Clarke introduces her CAT method (Capture, Analyze, Transform), a framework for turning struggles into strategies. She also talks about leading by example, why she came out publicly about her ADHD at work, and what it means to create space for others to be seen when you've spent so long feeling invisible yourself.


Resources:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmclarkemd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/this_md_kalaki/
TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKmRyxlas3I

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If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift

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Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

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EP. 357: Seeing Is Freeing: Dr. Kalaki Clarke on ADHD Without Shame

EP. 357: Seeing Is Freeing: Dr. Kalaki Clarke on ADHD Without Shame

Tracy Otsuka