The Sett

Episode 15: Chancellor Rebecca “Becky” Blank

Rebecca “Becky” Blank has been the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2013. It only takes a glance at her Curriculum Vitae to understand that her journey to the position is one of great impact and innovation. Before becoming the chancellor at UW-Madison, Blank was the deputy secretary and acting Secretary of Commerce under President Obama, a member of the Council of ...

Episode 14: Dr. Allan Kirk

Dr. Allan Kirk of Duke University is the David C. Sabiston, Jr. Professor of Surgery, chairman of the department of surgery, a professor of immunology and pediatrics, among many other accomplishments (including his former career as a tuba player). He joins Dr. Mezrich to discuss his history in transplant surgery, the first time he met his wife in sixth grade, how innovation itself has changed over time, a...

Episode 13: Dr. Rana Awdish

At the end of her medical training, Dr. Rana Awdish suffered a sudden critical illness that nearly killed her. From this experience as a dying patient, Dr. Awdish’s perspective shifted and translated to her practice in crucial ways. She learned the importance of acknowledging the humanity of patients, of nuance in how doctors discuss pain, of relinquishing the pressure to be a “good patient,” and much mo...

Episode 12: Dr. Layton “Bing” Rikkers

Dr. Bing Rikkers was born in a small town in Wisconsin, attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his undergraduate career, and now holds a special place in the University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery’s history as a prominent past chairman. Dr. Rikkers shares how he overcame his fear of blood, the pioneering days of heart transplant, his lengthy experience as a chairman, his insecu...

A Tribute to Dr. John Daly

Dr. John Daly, the dean of Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine, passed away on Friday, March 26, 2021 at the age of 73. Dr. Daly touched the lives of so many in and out of the world of surgery. In this tribute, Dr. Mezrich provides a window into his life through an interview he had with Dr. Daly a couple of years ago, as well as his own experiences with him. Our hearts go out to Dr. Daly’s f...

Episode 11: Dr. Gretchen Schwarze

Dr. Gretchen Schwarze is a vascular surgeon and medical ethicist here at the University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery. Dr. Schwarze has a deep background and interest in how surgeons communicate treatment decisions and recommendations to patients. Dr. Schwarze has made it her mission to better equip surgeons in their disclosure of treatment so that it most aligns with the values, preferences, ...

Episode 10: Dr. Jeff Matthews

Dr. Jeff Matthews is the chairman of surgery at the University of Chicago, and serves as a leader in many organizations in the surgical world. He joins Dr. Mezrich on the podcast to discuss how to set up a research lab, the progress of surgical training, the direction of surgical science, truth and truthiness regarding evidence-based practice, and his experience in making music! Dr. Matthews provides i...

Episode 9: Dr. Bruce Gewertz

Dr. Bruce Gewertz is the Chair of the Department of Surgery, Surgeon-in-Chief, Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs, and Vice-president for Interventional Services at Cedars-Sinai Health System. In realizing the value of emotional intelligence, Dr. Gewertz has made it his mission to share the impact emotional intelligence can have in the hospital. However, Dr. Mezrich knows Dr. Gewertz best as an inspiring an...

Episode 8: Dr. Robert Montgomery

It is difficult to choose an accolade that best describes Dr. Robert Montgomery. Some might say he is the director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute. Some might point to his many awards, including being in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most kidney transplants performed in one day. Today, however, he sits down with Dr. Mezrich to discuss his own heart transplant, and his resilience...

Episode 7: John Gadau

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the feeling of sitting in a booth with your loved ones to enjoy a meal and share a laugh has become borderline nostalgic. Despite the obstacles, many in the restaurant industry have found ways to successfully overcome and adapt, while others have been forced to close their doors for good. John Gadau is a master of his craft. He is the owner of three restaurants in the Madi...

Episode 6: Angela Saini

Angela Saini is an award-winning British science journalist, broadcaster, and author who most recently wrote Superior: The Return of Race Science in 2019. Superior traces the history of race science and uncovers how, to the detriment of people of color, it has stood the test of time. In this episode, Josh and Angela explore these themes, and discuss how using race as a biological factor in medical science is...

Episode 5: Dr. Ben Marcus

Dr. Ben Marcus went into medicine because he feared wasting his life. After navigating this field that he had stumbled into, he is now the director of facial plastic surgery at the University of Wisconsin, as well as a professor for the department of surgery. But, his story is far more complicated than that. Ben was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2016. As he faced what he thought could be the last mont...

Episode 4: Dr. John Alverdy

Dr. John Alverdy is a highly-acclaimed surgical scientist who currently serves as the executive vice chair for the University of Chicago Department of Surgery. His research in life-threatening infections after trauma and surgery is greatly improving preoperative testing. As Josh would argue, his most momentous achievement has been mentoring the host of this very funny and impressive podcast. John reminis...

Episode 3: Garet Hil

One of the most notable names in transplant innovation is Garet Hil. After his daughter lost her kidney function, Garet was faced with a tough, turbulent journey in finding her a new one. With a background in entrepreneurship, Garet mobilized to create the National Kidney Registry to facilitate the pairing of those in need of a kidney and matching donors. In this episode, he joins Dr. Mezrich to discuss his pat...

Episode 2: Dr. Michael Englesbe

The United States of America is the only wealthy country on Earth that has a declining life expectancy. There are many contributing factors, such as a lack of focus preventative care and addiction, as well as the economics of our healthcare system. Dr. Michael Englesbe is incredibly sensitive to these issues, and is constantly finding ways to help negate the consequences of this system, from within t...

Grab a drink, find a nice leather booth to slide into, and get ready to laugh with Dr. Mezrich in his first set! If you want to know more about the man behind The Sett, then you’re in the right place. In this first set, Dr. Mezrich shares why it’s important to always correct your own name, how not correcting your name can lead to borderline identity theft, and how to perform social gymnastics when you’ve been called “Joel” for a mo...

Episode 1: Ben Mezrich

In this first episode of The Sett, Dr. Mezrich invites his brother Ben Mezrich on. Ben is an author who wrote the books behind the critically acclaimed films The Social Network and 21. He shares his journey to becoming an author (with live commentary by Josh), Bitcoin, the story behind The Accidental Billionaires, UFOs, and how to realistically achieve your goals in life...we may have jumped the shark.

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Welcome to The Sett with Josh Mezrich!

What ended with The Surgery Sett begins anew with a slightly different focus, and a totally different host: Dr. Josh Mezrich, author, occasional stand-up comedian, and...oh yeah, transplant surgeon. Whether you're new here, or you've been listening to The Surgery Sett since day one, we hope you'll stay with us on this journey in storytelling that stitches together the threads of humor, human n...