Ditch The Labcoat

Ditch The Labcoat

Candid conversations between healthcare experts, every Wednesday at 5am EST on Labcoat.fm, your destination for evidence-based insights into the world of medicine, with no holds barred debate about hot topics in healthcare. This is for all the closet doctors, nurses, pharmacists and all others who are deeply fascinated about medicine but view the headlines with science-based skepticism.

Episodes

December 3, 2025 47 mins
In this deeply human episode, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with cardiac surgeon, scientist, and writer Dr. Paul Fedak for an honest look at the hidden cost of excellence in medicine. Dr. Fedak shares the story of the injury that forced him out of the operating room and into a profound reckoning with identity, purpose, and the culture of silence that surrounds clinician suffering.


Drawing from years as Professor at the Unive...

Mark as Played
Clinical psychologist Dr. Chloe Carmichael joins Dr. Mark Bonta for an important and timely conversation about free speech, emotional regulation, and the psychology of open dialogue. Drawing on her clinical work and her new book, Dr. Carmichael explains how suppressing opinions affects stress, anxiety, and even physical health. She describes her own experience with media self censorship, the impact of masking policies duri...

Mark as Played
In this powerful conversation, Matteo Esposito shares the story that shaped his mission to help others reclaim their lives from addiction and mental illness. Matteo is a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach and co-founder of Invisible Challenge, a movement focused on ending the stigma around invisible illnesses including bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, and suicidality.


Mark and Matteo explore the difficult real...

Mark as Played
November 12, 2025 38 mins
Your voice says more than you think.

In this episode, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Kang Hsu, Chief Medical Officer of Canary Speech, to explore how AI and vocal biomarkers could make the human voice the next vital sign in medicine.


They unpack the science behind this breakthrough, showing how subtle shifts in tone, rhythm, and cadence can reveal early signs of depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s, or cognitive decline l...

Mark as Played
Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat. This week, host Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Elliot Justin, emergency physician, innovator, and founder of FirmTech, for a conversation that’s equal parts fascinating, funny, and paradigm-shifting. Together, they explore a topic that most people find awkward to talk about—but everyone is curious about: male sexual health.


Dr. Justin shares how a personal injury and a deep curiosit...

Mark as Played
October 29, 2025 28 mins
Mark as Played
Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat. This week, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Filippo Ongaro. He is a physician, bestselling author, and former flight surgeon at the European Space Agency who joins Dr. Bonta in the studio to explore a topic that’s redefining how we think about aging: the pursuit of healthspan over lifespan.


In a world obsessed with biohacking, supplements, and quick fixes, Dr. Ongaro brings the conver...

Mark as Played
In this week’s episode of Ditch The Labcoat, host Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with gastroenterologist and podcast host Dr. Neil Parikh—known from The Gut Doctor Podcast—for a fascinating journey through one of the most complex and misunderstood systems in the human body: the gut.


Together, they unpack the modern obsession with “gut health,” the hype around the microbiome, and why everyone from wellness influencers to scien...

Mark as Played
This episode applies a clinical lens to the mindset first philosophy shared by Dr. Cassidy Preston in Part 1. 


In this insightful episode, Dr. Mark Bonta, Dr. Sebastian Mafeld, and Dr. Cassidy Preston delve into the intersection of mindset and medicine. They explore how principles from sports psychology can enhance medical practice, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, presence, and continuous learning. Through p...

Mark as Played
In this conversation, Dr. Mark Bonta and Cassidy Preston explore the critical role of mental resilience in high-stress environments, particularly in sports and medicine. They discuss Cassidy's journey from being an elite athlete to a coach focused on mental skills training, the evolution of mental coaching in various fields, and the importance of measuring success through mindset rather than just results. The discussion al...

Mark as Played

This week's episode will be with Dr. Bijaj Patel a nephrologist who has done amazing work developing transitional dialysis centers.

DISCLAMER >>>>>>    The Ditch Lab Coat podcast serves solely for general informational purposes and does not serve as a substitute for professional medical services such as medicine or nursing. It does not establish a doctor/patient relationship, and the use of information fro...

Mark as Played
Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat, where we break down the highs, lows, and real talk of life on the frontlines of medicine. In this episode, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Brian Ferguson—a former military special operator and founder of Arena Labs—to explore what it truly means to perform under pressure in today’s healthcare landscape.

Drawing on his unique experience in both military special operations and high performance...

Mark as Played
Welcome to this episode of Ditch the Lab Coat, hosted by Dr. Mark Bonta—a show where curiosity meets science and skepticism, all in the name of practical healthcare innovation.

This week, we tackle a problem plaguing healthcare systems across Canada (and beyond): the painfully long wait times to see a dermatologist, especially when it comes to skin cancer. Our guest is Mike Druhan, President of Dermatology Services at MedX ...

Mark as Played
Welcome back to Ditch the Lab Coat! In this episode, host Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. William Cherniak, an emergency physician, global health leader, and CEO of Rocket Doctor—a Canadian tech company on a mission to shake up how we access healthcare. As the world continues to grapple with the lessons learned from COVID-19, Dr. Cherniak and Dr. Bonta dive deep into the evolution of virtual care and its role in both epi...
Mark as Played
Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat. Today’s episode dives deep into a topic that’s been quietly reshaping lives and families across the globe: gambling addiction. Host Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Daniela Lobo, a leading expert in addiction psychiatry, to explore just how dramatically gambling—especially online and sports betting—has surged in prevalence, fueled by intensive marketing and made even more accessible by t...

Mark as Played
This week on Ditch the Labcoat, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Diana Driscoll, an optometrist, researcher, and internationally recognized authority on the autonomic nervous system—who also happens to be one of the rare non-MDs to join the show. 


After her own sudden and life-altering health collapse, Dr. Driscoll found herself deep in the world of dysautonomia—a group of disorders affecting the autonomic nervous syst...

Mark as Played
Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat with Dr. Mark Bonta! In this episode, we dive into the world of burnout—what it really looks like, how it creeps into even the most resilient among us, and, most importantly, what we can do to prevent it. Dr. Mark sits down with Dr. Judy Wright, a physician, performance strategist, burnout survivor, and the founder of JW Health Consulting. 


Dr. Wright brings a unique blend of medical ex...

Mark as Played
Welcome back to Ditch the Lab Coat with Dr. Mark Bonta—a podcast where we cut through health hype with evidence, curiosity, and a good dose of scientific skepticism. In this special solo episode, Dr. Bonta takes a step back to reflect on what he’s learned after recording over 70 episodes with experts across medicine, wellness, and psychology.

Instead of chasing the latest biohacks and trendy do’s, Dr. Bonta shares his take ...

Mark as Played
Welcome back to Ditch the Labcoat! In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Kali Dayton, nurse practitioner, international consultant, and the bold voice behind the Awake and Walking ICU movement. Together, they peel back the curtain on a common but rarely questioned practice in critical care: routine heavy sedation of patients on ventilators.

Kali shares her journey from a nurse in a pioneering ICU—...

Mark as Played
On this episode of Ditch the Lab Coat, Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. Georg Haymerle—once a top head and neck surgeon in Europe and Australia, now a dedicated advocate for culture change in medicine. Georg’s journey is anything but typical: after reaching the pinnacle of surgical mastery, he made the radical decision to walk away—not because of burnout or failure, but to confront the invisible crisis unraveling healthca...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Are You A Charlotte?

    In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.