Episodes

July 31, 2025

35 years in the ER and the search for an honest life

Independent emergency physician Kenneth Ro discusses his article, "." He shares his deeply personal journey, from growing up as a bullied Korean American boy in Texas who used academic achievement as "armor," to a 35-year career on the front lines of...

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July 28, 2025

A dual citizen's choice between two imperfect systems

Certified coach Kathleen Muldoon discusses her article, "." As a dual U.S. and Canadian citizen and mother to a child with complex health care needs, she explores the profound tension of navigating two vastly different systems. Kathleen recounts the...

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July 24, 2025

Confronting the return of measles and vaccine misinformation

Infectious disease physician Janet A. Jokela discusses her article, "." Recounting her own experience diagnosing a case in the 1990s, Janet contrasts that contained incident with the current crisis in 2025, which has seen over 1000 cases and the first...

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July 21, 2025

How to break the cycle of judgment in medicine

Pediatrician and certified coach Jessie Mahoney discusses her article, "." She argues that the culture of medicine is steeped in judgment—from the language of "noncompliant" patients to the intense scrutiny of training—and that this culture is...

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July 17, 2025

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression

Nationally recognized psychiatrist, internist, and addiction medicine specialist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article, " How deep transcranial magnetic stimulation is transforming mental health care ." He shares his experi...

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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...

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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 hero...

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July 14, 2025

How Project ECHO is fighting physician isolation and transforming med…

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...

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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 f...

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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...

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July 9, 2025

Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in every emergency department tr…

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...

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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...

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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....

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July 3, 2025

From Founding Fathers to modern battles: physician activism in a poli…

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...

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July 2, 2025

Who will train the next generation of primary care clinicians without…

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 car...

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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,...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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June 26, 2025

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

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 m...

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June 25, 2025

Your only client is the truth: Navigating the space between medicine …

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."...

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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...

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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...

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