In can be confusing and even demoralizing for a medical student or resident to understand what’s expected of them... more

To commemorate the start of our fifth season, we revisit a conversation we had almost two years ago about the... more

The two doctors charged for their roles in the events leading up to actor Matthew Perry’s death were both involved... more

The term “Narrative Medicine” (NM) refers to a range of activities, including close reading and reflective writing about literature, designed... more

There is an idealized version of physician-patient communication that is taught in medical schools, reinforced with acronyms like PEARLS, SPIKES,... more

The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines addiction as a “chronic disease” occurring in the brain – Many believe this... more

In his book, The Present Illness, American Health Care and Its Afflictions, physician and historian Martin Shapiro, MD, PhD, MPH... more

A recent NEJM article and accompanying podcast episode (“Tough Love”) authored and hosted by the Journal’s national correspondent sound... more

“Sonny’s Blues” is a 1956 story by the author, James Baldwin, about a “sensible” and pragmatic algebra teacher and his... more

In a 2021 episode that we reran last month, “About me being racist: a conversation that follows an apology,” Saul... more

We are re-running this episode from 2021 because we’re releasing a sequel next month in which Saul reflects on his... more

For years, when physicians order tests to assess lung function, or blood work to determine kidney function, or look up... more

The practice of urine drug testing during pregnancy and then often reporting positive results to Child Protective Services triggers a... more

Direct, covert observation of health care is a novel and underutilized tool to assess health care trainees and clinicians. In... more

In the prior episode we learned that there is no evidence that time-limited testing improves test validity and that, in... more

There is a widely held perception that being able to complete a test quickly is an indication of mastery when... more

Stefan interviews co-host Saul about his experiences becoming a doctor with a learning disability.  This episode, first run in 2020,... more

A recent New York Times article, titled "When Doctors Use a Chatbot to Improve Their Bedside Manner," should raise questions... more

The narrative that getting patients with chronic pain off opioids makes them safer was reinforced by a recent paper... more

We might assume that a patient who is chained to their hospital bed must be restrained for good reason, but... more

In this second of a two-episode series on medical student mistreatment, we discuss its impact on burnout with a colleague... more

How is it that a healing profession -- medicine -- has such a deeply ingrained culture of harming its own? ... more

Simon Auster, MD, was a family physician, psychiatrist, and medical educator who had extraordinary insight about practicing medicine but absolutely... more

Medical training and practice habituates physicians to a culture that narrows the possibilities we see for finding joy and meaning... more

In October, the New York Times published the first of several articles about an eminent professor at NYU who was... more

Today, Stefan talks with Saul about his favorite topic (and life's work), contextualizing care. We're re-releasing this conversation (from January... more

Recent articles in mainstream media about "medical gaslighting" have struck a nerve with thousands of comments on social media platforms.... more

Urine drug screening (UDS) is used in the care of patients with opioid use disorder, and for patients receiving opioids for chronic pain.... more

Making it into and through medical school is tough even for those who have all the advantages: excellent schools starting... more

Medical students may be subject to professionalism review by committees, most commonly for “unreliability” such as not responding to emails,... more

Many residents are not doing well, psychologically, and sometimes physically -- and with good reason. High levels of mistreatment and... more

The opioid crisis was precipitated by physicians overprescribing opioid pain medication, egged on by the pharmaceutical industry, contributing to suffering... more

On January 1st, the New York Times ran a story about prenatal genetic tests that are "usually wrong" -- but... more

There are two qualities we may experience in others who comfort and ground us when we feel vulnerable and lost. ... more

Lately we've been hearing about bad behavior on airplanes. Here we discuss an incident in which a passenger unselfconsiously stepped... more

Our guest, a physician a few years out of residency, describes an experience from her training when an attending yelled... more

Our guest, a resident physician, describes her reaction and what followed, when she discovered a symbol of hate tattooed on... more

Saul reached out to a former colleague whom he worked with closely so that he could apologize for something he... more

In a widely reported incident, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine accused, suspended and expelled medical students for cheating based on... more

A primary care doctor in solo practice in a small mid-west city who is deeply trusted by his patients talks... more

We feel safe and can open up in conversations when there is full and open engagement combined with a clear,... more

Physicians are neither judges nor God, and yet we seem prone to judge our patients...and ourselves. Saul and Stefan discuss. 

Saul and his research team have listened to and analyzed thousands of audio recordings of medical encounters for clinician attention... more

In Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Bhalla, hear what makes for a good fit for a long term... more

A physician describes what attracted her to international medicine where she’s worked for Doctors Without Borders in many challenging places.... more

Stefan interviews Saul about his experiences becoming a doctor with a learning disability, leading to questions such as: Does struggling... more

What should a doctor do when  a patient behaves in a way that doesn't seem to make sense?  Saul and... more

In Part 2 of our interview with Dr. John Scala, hear how an experienced primary care physician in solo practice... more

A primary care physician describes why he's loved being a solo doctor, mostly avoiding corporate medicine.  His patients love him... more

Dr. Conway responds to violence and hopelessness in her community, traumatized by systemic racism, by establishing the I Am Abel... more

Dr. LaMenta Conway shares what she experienced and learned growing up in an economically and socially marginalized community in Chicago,... more

A middle aged man had been on a high but stable dose of opioids for years for chronic pain.  His... more

What's a better way to pick a student for medical school: High MCAT scores or seeing them help a vulnerable... more

A very bright physician scares a patient from a marginalized community out of the ER with a nasty prank --... more

A patient got labelled as "difficult" who really wasn't so difficult, and it cost him his life.  Where did things... more

Introducing a new podcast that takes a critical look at medical training and the culture of medicine. Explores how interpersonal... more