Second Opinion

Second Opinion

An examination of medical ethics and the practitioners who define them. Sign up to receive the Second Opinion topics in newsletter form at kcrw.com/newsletters .

Episodes

October 5, 2025 4 mins

Tuberculosis kills more people worldwide than AIDS or malaria, even though we've had a cure for 50 years. One doctor learned from village healers in Uganda that you can't cure TB unless you first understand poverty.

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The dramatic rise in autism diagnoses over the past 25 years is primarily a result of changes in the definition of the condition and increased screening, rather than the causes claimed by politicians like Trump and RFK Jr.

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September 21, 2025 4 mins

As healthcare prioritizes profits over people, doctors are organizing to reclaim their profession and protect patients

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Afghan medical refugees watch helplessly as their earthquake-devastated homeland suffers without adequate healthcare, while America wastes their desperately needed expertise due to credential barriers during our own provider shortage.

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Publishers profit billions by charging scientists to publish publicly-funded research that volunteers review for free.

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Too many medical treatment choices overwhelm both patients and doctors, leading to worse decisions and greater dissatisfaction.

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Despite COVID-19 mRNA vaccines being a Nobel Prize-winning breakthrough that saved millions of lives, political interference by RFK Jr. is now undermining this medical achievement just as COVID cases are rising again.

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Medical professionals have a unique responsibility to prevent nuclear war, the ultimate public health catastrophe.

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August 3, 2025 4 mins

Young people globally are having fewer babies and creating aging populations, while surprising shifts in gender preferences are beginning to favor daughters over sons.

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July 27, 2025 4 mins

Testosterone treatment, sought after as a “foundation of youth,” has become a lucrative industry, fueled by extensive marketing with limited medical evidence. 

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Nearly 700 years ago the plague wiped out half of Europe. The genetic impacts are still present today.

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What the White House failed to tell us

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We expect that FDA-approved drugs have been shown to be safe and effective.  But, that isn’t always the case.

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Should a state have the authority to override a woman’s wishes regarding her body—not for her benefit, but for someone else’s?

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It’s often hard to let go of traditions, but it's time to rethink the role of anatomy dissections.

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Unhoused people lack safe bathroom access—an issue of public health, safety, and basic dignity we can no longer ignore.

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For more than a century, there has been a nefarious fascination with engineering society in ways that disadvantage the most vulnerable.

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Evidence-based recommendations from groups like the US Preventive Services Task Force are only as effective as the screening tools currently available.

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Medical schools must address unprofessional behavior early, as student misconduct often predicts future disciplinary issues and patient harm.

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Digital communications are playing a larger role in health care, but transparency and equity are being forgotten.

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