Episodes

General surgeon Arthur Williams discusses his article "." He shares an account from his novel of an experience needing a pacemaker for a "janky heart" prone to atrial fibrillation and bradycardia (sick sinus node), complicated by a low ejection...

Internal medicine and infectious disease physician and author Joshua D. Hartzell discusses his article "." He addresses the crisis of burnout and attrition in health care, arguing that leaders often fail to extend the same level of care to their teams...

Surgeon and author Jeffrey A. Singer discusses his article "." He argues that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's requirement for prescriptions for certain safe medications, specifically hormonal contraceptives and the opioid antidote naloxone,...

Health care executive Gavin Magaha discusses his article "." He outlines how the 340B drug discount program, established over 30 years ago, has not evolved with modern health care delivery, leading to complexity, poorly defined standards, compliance...

Pediatrician and certified coach Jessie Mahoney discusses her article "." Drawing on nearly two decades of experience navigating institutional hurdles and five years designing wellness programs, she provides a practical roadmap for securing funding....

Health care executive Jeffry A. Peters discusses his article "," focusing on the systemic factors fueling widespread dissatisfaction among doctors. Jeffry outlines how declining reimbursement, increased patient volume, and reduced support staff have...

Child psychiatrist Ellen K. Feldman discusses her article "," highlighting the growing concerns about social media's impact on adolescents. She emphasizes the importance of monitoring social media usage, setting screen time limits, and teaching...

Medical student Christopher Nmai discusses his article, "." Christopher shares his deeply personal decision to forgo residency and explore non-clinical paths, highlighting the toll that chronic illness and burnout took during his training. He...

Anesthesiologist Colleen Naglee discusses her article, "." Colleen reflects on the rise of tipping culture in everyday services and questions why health care workers—who risk violence, burnout, and underpayment—are left out of these gestures of...

Family nurse practitioner Bettina Reed discusses her article, "." Drawing from four decades of experience across hospitals, private practices, FQHCs, hospice, and corporate medicine, Bettina shares a powerful account of how the health care system has...

Psychiatrist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article, "." Muhamad explores how the integration of genetic research, biomarkers, electrophysiology, and artificial intelligence is transforming psychiatry into a more precise and preventative field. He...

Physician executive Tim Wetherill discusses his article, "." Tim explores how deeply embedded incentives, inefficiencies, and subjectivity in the current claims adjudication process create opportunities for manipulation and inefficiency. He explains...

We have a special sponsored episode from Set for Life Insurance. Joining us today is Jamie Fleischner. She is the founder and president of Set for Life Insurance. With over 32 years of experience in the industry, Jamie has helped countless clients...

Gastroenterologist Mark Pimentel discusses his article, "." Mark explains how small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is frequently misdiagnosed or overlooked due to its symptom overlap with other GI conditions, particularly irritable bowel...

Physician coach Seema Pattni discusses her article, "." Seema reflects on a painful encounter with an eight-year-old Black patient who wished to be white, illustrating the devastating impact of systemic racism. She outlines the profound racial...

Health care executives Susan L. Montminy and Marlene Icenhower discuss their article, "." Susan and Marlene explore the complex, high-pressure nature of ED environments and the often-overlooked dangers of diagnostic error, which can result in severe...

Pediatric critical care physician Kyle Willsey discusses his article, "." He shares the high-stakes realities of transporting critically ill children, from his experience stabilizing a severely injured toddler during fellowship to his current role in...

Fertility specialist Oluyemisi Famuyiwa discusses her article, "." She explores how endometriosis, an inflammatory condition affecting 10 percent of reproductive-age women, disrupts fertility through pelvic adhesions, ovarian damage, and chronic...

Internist and psychiatrist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article, "." He explores the consequences of inaccurate data in health care, from billing errors and wrongful prosecutions to the broader impact on medical decision-making and patient care....

Psychotherapist and author Margo Lowy discusses her article, "Maternal ambivalence: the side of motherhood no one talks about." She explores the often unspoken emotional complexities of motherhood, where love and frustration coexist. Margo delves into...

Emergency physician W. Frank Peacock discusses his article, "" He explores the critical role of hand hygiene in preventing hospital-acquired infections while exposing a major gap in infection control: unwashed stethoscopes. Frank highlights how...

Family physician Pamela Buchanan discusses her article, "." Pamela shares powerful stories from her career, like adjusting a biracial child's treatment for a scalp infection and saving a Black woman with sickle cell disease from misdiagnosis, to...

Pediatrician Derek W. Moss discusses his article, "." Derek reflects on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which flooded his Hendersonville Pediatrics practice and devastated his North Carolina community, drawing parallels to the Los Angeles fires. He...

Pediatric neurologist Paige Kalika discusses her article, "." Paige compares mastering medicine to learning a language, from grasping basic vocabulary like anatomy to becoming conversational during clinical rotations and fluent in residency. She...