Episodes

July 16, 2025

Eric Topol explores the science of super-agers and healthy aging

Cardiologist and author Eric Topol discusses his article, "," which is an excerpt from his new book, . He introduces the critical difference between lifespan (total years lived) and health span (years lived in optimal health). Eric shares the...
July 15, 2025

Why your most heroic act might be in a department meeting

Cardiologist Lauren Weber and critical care physician Jess Bunin, co-founders of All Levels Leadership, discuss their article, "Not all heroes wear capes: Sometimes they just speak up in meetings." They reframe medical heroism, arguing that the most courageous acts often happen not in a code blue, but in a conference room. Lauren and Jess define this as moral courage: the quiet bravery to question a dismissive attending, flag an unsafe policy, or challenge the status quo, even within the rigid h...
July 14, 2025

How Project ECHO is fighting physician isolation and transforming medical education

Pediatrician Daniel Johnson discusses his article, "." He reflects on the collaborative, case-based learning that makes medical training exciting and contrasts it with the professional isolation many physicians experience after graduation. To combat...
July 10, 2025

Beyond burnout: Understanding the triangle of exhaustion

Physician coach Nicole Perrotte and physician advocate and physical therapist Kim Downey discuss their article, "Love, empathy, and the triangle of exhaustion: Why humanity must come first." Nicole introduces her powerful framework, the Triangle of Exhaustion, which describes the profound fatigue experienced by caregivers, physicians, and parents of atypical children. This exhaustion is composed of three parts: the emotional fatigue from constant advocacy, the social isolation from feeling alone...
July 10, 2025

Why ADHD in women requires a new approach

Pediatrician Arti Lal discusses her article, "." She explores why new ADHD diagnoses nearly doubled for adult women from 2020 to 2022 and the unique barriers they face in getting proper care. Arti explains how historical gender biases have led to...
July 9, 2025

Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in every emergency department triage

Emergency physicians Resa E. Lewiss and Courtney M. Smalley discuss their article, "." Amid the crisis of overcrowded waiting rooms and long wait times, they argue for the immediate integration of a powerful, underutilized tool: point-of-care...
July 8, 2025

Why financial planning is a critical tool for physician well-being

Certified financial planner Brian Case discusses the article, "." They explore the often-overlooked link between financial stress and the crisis of physician burnout, turnover, and the alarming rate of physician suicide. Brian, Jerry, Jonathan, and...
July 7, 2025

Why the U.S. mental health care system is failing and how to fix it

Internal medicine physician and author Robert C. Smith discusses his article, ." He reveals the shocking disparity in care, where only 25 percent of patients with mental illness receive any treatment compared to 70 percent for physical conditions....
July 3, 2025

From Founding Fathers to modern battles: physician activism in a politicized era

Psychiatrist, internist, and addiction medicine specialist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article, "." Muhamad calls for a remembrance of the five physician-patriots—Dr. Benjamin Rush, Dr. Josiah Bartlett, Dr. Lyman Hall, Dr. Matthew Thornton, and...
July 2, 2025

Who will train the next generation of primary care clinicians without physician mentorship?

Founding director of the Doctor of Medical Science program at The College of St. Scholastica, Kenneth Botelho, discusses his article, "In the absence of physician mentorship, who will train the next generation of primary care clinicians?" Kenneth highlights the accelerating crisis caused by the erosion of physician mentorship, particularly impacting physician associates (PAs) in primary care who historically relied on close, hands-on guidance. He explains that with an aging physician workforce a...
July 1, 2025

A physician's reflection on love, loss, and finding meaning in grief

Hospitalist Jasminka Vukanovic-Criley discusses her article, "." Jasminka shares a deeply personal account of a Saturday morning where unexpected news of the passing of two friends, Natasa's mother Mirjana and her friend Thomas, both from cancer,...
June 30, 2025

Addressing U.S. vaccine inequities in vulnerable communities

Medical students Kaitlynn Esemaya, Anamaria Ancheta, and Annique McLune discuss their article, "." They highlight how social determinants of health drive pervasive inequities in vaccination rates among marginalized U.S. communities, exacerbated by the...
June 29, 2025

How organizational culture drives top talent away

Surgeon Suhaib J. S. Ahmad discusses his article, "." Suhaib explores the phenomenon of highly competent and once-passionate health care professionals disengaging and leaving their roles, often without overt complaint. He argues that this "silent...
June 28, 2025

Why are medical students turning away from primary care?

Medical students Vineeth Amba and Archita Goyal discuss their article, "" They share the widespread discouragement medical students encounter regarding primary care careers, despite initial aspirations to serve communities. Vineeth and Archita...
June 27, 2025

Combating physician burnout with a coaching leadership style

Family physician and certified executive leadership coach Lisa Herbert discusses her article, "." Lisa shares her personal journey with physician burnout, a crisis affecting 54 percent of physicians, and how discovering coaching revolutionized her...
June 26, 2025

I was trapped by fear of what others thought. This is what set me free.

Physician coach and marriage and family therapy graduate student Jillian Rigert discusses her article, "Fear of other people's opinions nearly killed me. Here's what freed me." Jillian shares her harrowing journey through medical discharge from the military and transitioning out of surgery residency, which plunged her into guilt, shame, and a near-fatal struggle with self-worth tied to her career and others' approval. She describes how isolating and starving herself, she reached a rock bottom wh...
June 25, 2025

Your only client is the truth: Navigating the space between medicine and law

Nephrologist Saad S. Alshohaib discusses his article, "." The conversation provides a profound reflection on his decade of experience serving as a medical expert witness, a role he describes as walking a "narrow bridge between medicine and the law."...
June 24, 2025

When credibility is your only asset: the cautionary tale of DrKoop.com

Historian and ethicist Nigel Cameron discusses his article, "." The conversation chronicles the dramatic history of the iconic dot-com era company, from its modest beginnings as a personal medical record system to its meteoric rise as the world's top...
June 23, 2025

How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness

Pediatrician and certified coach Jessie Mahoney discusses her article, "." The conversation focuses on why physicians must shift their advocacy for well-being from a reactive, moral argument to a strategic one that aligns with institutional...
June 22, 2025

How Gen Z is transforming mental health care

Entrepreneur, AI enthusiast, and wellness advocate Vaishali Jha discusses her article, "" The conversation explores the vital need for new perspectives in health care, arguing that the system often overlooks the voices of young people. Vaishali...
June 21, 2025

Why the fear of being forgotten is stronger than the fear of death

Retired surgeon, psychotherapist, and author Patrick Hudson discusses his article, "." The conversation explores the profound difference between the biological act of dying and the existential fear of vanishing from the story of the world. Patrick...
June 20, 2025

How home-based AI can reduce health inequities in underserved communities

Physician executive Sreeram Mullankandy discusses his article, "." The conversation highlights that while the future of health care delivery is moving into patients' homes, this shift risks leaving the most vulnerable populations behind. Sreeram...
June 19, 2025

When your dream job becomes a nightmare

Pediatrician Sarah Webber discusses her article, "." The conversation is a vulnerable look into her personal experience with burnout just nine months into what she thought was her dream job as a pediatric hospitalist. Sarah shares her journey of...
June 18, 2025

Why physician voices matter in the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation

LGBTQ+ journalist BJ Ferguson discusses the article, "." The conversation serves as a call to action for medical professionals, arguing that their duty to protect patient health now extends beyond the clinic and into the legislative arena. BJ outlines...