The Podcast by KevinMD

Renowned fertility specialist Oluyemisi (Yemi) Famuyiwa discusses her article, "When bleeding disorders meet IVF: Navigating von Willebrand disease in fertility treatment." She explains that von Willebrand disease (VWD), the most common inherited bleeding disorder, affects up to 1 percent of the population and poses unique challenges for women undergoing fertility treatments. Because many women normalize symptoms like heavy menstru...

Physician executive Steven Lane discusses his article, "Why interoperability is key to achieving the quintuple aim in health care." He explains that true interoperability is not just about technology but about aligning people, processes, and IT systems to allow patient information to flow seamlessly across all members of a care team. Steven argues that interoperability is one of the few factors in health care that can positively in...

Pediatrician and certified coach Jessie Mahoney discusses her article, "Why the future of medicine depends on leading from the heart." Drawing from her experience leading a workshop for women cardiologists, she explores the sacred irony of physicians who are experts in the heart yet rarely tend to their own. Jessie explains how medical culture, especially for women leaders, rewards overwork and expects self-sacrifice, leaving no ro...

Physician executive Laura Kohlhagen discusses her article, "Here's what providers really need in a modern EHR." She argues that since electronic health records were originally designed for billing and compliance, they have created disjointed workflows, cognitive fatigue, and clinician burnout. Laura explains how modern AI technologies are finally transforming EHRs into the clinical tools...

Academic physician executive William Wertheim discusses his article, "America, our health care workforce training isn't evolving alongside our needs." He argues that the U.S. medical system is training professionals who will not meet the needs of the country's rapidly aging population. With the number of Americans over 65 expected to reach 82 million by 2050, specialties like geriatrics are in decline, with only 42 percent of fello...

Psychiatrist Sabooh S. Mubbashar discusses his article, "Why 'do no harm' might be harming modern medicine." He reveals that the principle "First, do no harm," or Primum non nocere, is not part of the original Hippocratic Oath but a later, misattributed addition that has become a dangerously oversimplified slogan. Sabooh argues that a literal interpretation makes medicine impossible, as every intervention, from surgery to medicatio...

Health care marketing strategist Sara Meyer discusses her article, "First impressions happen online—not in your exam room." She explains why a physician's online presence is often the deciding factor for potential patients and highlights the common gap between high-quality clinical care and an outdated digital brand. In an increasingly competitive market, patients are comparison-shopping online, making snap judgments based on searc...

Nationally recognized psychiatrist, internist, and addiction medicine specialist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article, "How President Biden's cognitive health shapes political and legal trust." While carefully observing the ethical constraints of the Goldwater Rule, he analyzes the public discourse surrounding the cognitive health of former President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. from a medico-legal standpoint. Muhamad explains how...

Gastroenterologist Anuj Vikrant Sharma discusses his article, "Fatty liver disease is no longer reserved for older adults." He warns of a quiet epidemic of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a serious liver condition now increasingly appearing in people in their 20s and 30s who may not appear outwardly unhealthy. Anuj explains that a primary, and often overlooked, driver is the gut-liver axis. The modern Weste...

Health law attorney Dennis Hursh discusses his article, "Why hospitals are quietly capping top doctors' pay." For nearly 40 years, he has reviewed physician employment agreements and reveals a shocking recent trend: hospitals are increasingly capping physician salaries, often at the 90th or even 75th percentile of national benchmarks. Dennis explains that hospitals often justify this practice with the ludicrous claim that it preven...

Adjunct professor of psychiatry Arthur Lazarus discusses his article, "How inspiration and family stories shape our most meaningful moments," which presents a moving fictional story excerpted from his book. The narrative centers on Thad, a retired physician and aspiring writer, and his two daughters, one of whom is a new doctor herself. Arthur uses their dinner-table debate over creative license versus factual accuracy in Thad's wr...

Pediatrician and certified coach Jessie Mahoney discusses her article, "From burnout to balance: a neurosurgeon's bold career redesign." She shares the powerful story of a female neurosurgeon who, on the verge of leaving medicine for interior design, instead chose to completely redesign her career. Jessie explains how, through coaching and courage, the surgeon created a non-traditional model of working one week on and one week off,...

Independent emergency physician Kenneth Ro discusses his article, "From survival to sovereignty: What 35 years in the ER taught me about identity, mortality, and redemption." 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 the ER. Kenneth explains how the unprocessed trauma from his work—bookended by ...

Certified coach Kathleen Muldoon discusses her article, "Choosing between care and country: a dual citizen's Independence Day reflection." 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 painful, personal decision to turn down a job in her native Canada after discovering its universal system,...

Infectious disease physician Janet A. Jokela discusses her article, "Measles is back: Why vaccination is more vital than ever." 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 pediatric deaths in the U.S. in 22 years. The conversation covers the critical 95 percent vaccination rate required for herd im...

Pediatrician and certified coach Jessie Mahoney discusses her article, "Why judgment is hurting doctors—and how mindfulness can heal." 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 crippling physicians. Jessie explains that while judgment is often disguised as a tool for maintaining high standards, it actually ...

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 experience with deep TMS (dTMS), a non-invasive neuromodulation therapy that offers rapid relief for patients with severe depression, OCD, and other conditions that have resisted conventional treatment. Muhamad explain...

Cardiologist and author Eric Topol discusses his article, "What super agers can teach us about longevity and health span," which is an excerpt from his new book, Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity. He introduces the critical difference between lifespan (total years lived) and health span (years lived in optimal health). Eric shares the surprising results of his "Wellderly" study, which sequenced the genomes of ove...

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 heroism, arguing that the most courageous acts often happen not in a code blue, but in a conference room. Lauren and Jess define this as moral courage: the quiet bravery to question a dismissive attending, flag an un...