The Clinical Etymologist
The Clinical Etymologist is a podcast devoted to curiosity, lifelong learning, and the quiet joy of medicine. Hosted by Dr. Kim—a general internist and self-appointed Clinical Etymologist—each episode explores the words we use in medicine to diagnose, to heal, and to make sense of the human condition. With a blend of language, history, clinical insight, and his unique sense of humor, Dr. Kim uncovers the hidden roots of medical terms—from the eponyms we invoke to the metaphors we overlook. This is a space for curious souls who still believe learning can be meaningful and fun.
Episodes
A returning traveller with fever reminds us that malaria prophylaxis reduces risk—but never eliminates it. We explore why low platelets can signal malaria even when hemoglobin remains normal. “Thick finds, thin defines”—and tiny “headphones” inside a red blood cell offer a memorable diagnostic clue.
Discover why malaria means “bad air,” and how our ancestors blamed ...
What do a Bolivian schoolboy, a few bitter green leaves, and a patient having a seizure have in common? More than you might think. Forty years ago, while attending middle school in Buenos Aires, my friend Pablo offered me my very first coca leaves. At the time, I had no idea that this ancient Andean plant would one day reappear at the bedside of a critically ill patient. In this episode, we'll trace the remarkable j...
What do a Pacific bluefin tuna and clinical hematology have in common? More than you might think. In this episode, our beloved Clinical Etymologist, Dr. Simon Kim, takes his hardworking medical students to a Japanese sushi restaurant, where an ordinary lunch unexpectedly becomes a masterclass in transfusion medicine. As one magnificent tuna is transformed into increasingly selective sushi dishes, fresh frozen plasma...
In this special bulletin episode of The Clinical Etymologist™ , Dr. Kim traces the haunting story of hantavirus from the battlefields of the Korean War to a childhood summer camp by the Hantan River. Through memory, etymology, and pathophysiology, he explores how a tiny rodent-borne virus came to shape global medical history. Along the way, listeners discover the origins of Hanta and Sin Nombre viruses, the mystery ...
In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist™, Dr. Kim returns to the mystery of hyponatremia through the lens of soda, sodium, and the kidney’s inner logic. From the ancient chemistry of soda water to the modern lab value of serum sodium, Jennifer the Padawan learns that hyponatremia is usually less about salt and more about water. Together, they review how ADH explains urine osmolality, while aldosterone and ...
A quiet weekend on call begins with the retirement of Dr. Flow, a urologist who made the difficult look simple. A search for the perfect farewell wine—Pee No More—is abruptly interrupted by a sodium of 122. At the bedside, memorized algorithms begin to unravel under real clinical pressure. Through conversation, we explore ADH, aquaporins, and the physiology behind hyponatremia.
Why does...
In medicine, we often order tests reflexively, trusting that numbers will guide us toward truth. But what happens when a test is elevated — or completely normal — and the patient remains a mystery? In this episode, we explore C-reactive protein, a familiar marker that is often misunderstood. Through one challenging patient, we uncover what CRP truly measures — and what it does not. And in doing so,...
In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, we explore a common clinical paradox—anemia in the presence of abundant iron. Through a real bedside conversation, we move beyond memorized lab patterns and uncover the physiology that explains them. What does it mean when ferritin is high, yet the patient remains anemic? Why does the body hide iron during inflammation, and what role does hepcidin play in this proce...
Some time ago in a teaching hospital far, far away,
a Marvel supervillain interrupted a lesson in hematology.
What happens when all the iron in your body suddenly disappears?
Do red blood cells simply fade… or do they shrink in quiet protest?
Tonight, we explore iron deficiency, microcytosis, and the elegant physics of erythropoiesis.
In today’s episode, we explore how an overlooked organ can reveal a neurologic emergency.
We question whether every “mechanical fall” is truly mechanical.
We trace the hierarchy of micturition — from pons to sacrum.
And we see how careful listening at the bedside leads to diagnosis.
In today’s episode, we explore one of the most common — and most misunderstood — diagnoses in medicine: urinary tract infection.
Why does foul-smelling urine trigger antibiotics?
What truly defines a UTI — bacteria, inflammation, or symptoms?
And how often are we treating colonization instead of infection?
Let’s return to the bedside, where a simple urine odor almost...
Some time ago in a teaching hospital far, far away, a familiar IV bag sparked an unfamiliar question. Why does a fluid that contains lactate not worsen lactic acidosis? Why is it safe in septic shock — and even preferred? And why do its electrolytes matter more than most of us were ever taught?
In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, we follow an emergency department encounter to unpack the physiolog...
Welcome to Season 2
0.9% “Normal” Saline is one of the most commonly prescribed intravenous fluids in medicine, yet its name is one of the great misnomers of clinical practice.
In this episode, The Clinical Etymologist traces the laboratory origins of 0.9% sodium chloride and explains why it was never designed to replicate human plasma.
Through bedside teaching and clinical physiology, we explore how excess...
Some time ago in a teaching hospital far, far away… A new call shift had just been announced, and our clinical etymologist found himself preparing for another unpredictable day.
It felt fitting—almost poetic—that it was November 19th, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.
Little did the Clinical Etymologist know that this call would bring together etymology, Greek legend, and the ph...
On a routine day call, two eager pre-clerks join the Clinical Etymologist in the ER, hoping to witness internal medicine in action.
What we get instead is a cramped cast room, a patient with right-sided weakness, and a half full urinal that almost fell. Not an ideal setting for teaching or learning.
This episode isn’t about rare diagnoses — it’s about staying steady when the answers aren’...
A group of soon-to-be clerks join Dr. Kim in a high-stakes simulation to unravel the physiology, history, and bedside reasoning behind acute myocardial infarction.
Through dialogue, humor, and hypothesis-driven examination, they explore chest pain differentials, inferior STEMI nuances, vagal physiology, and the careful use of nitroglycerin.
The episode highlights rapid therapies—from aspirin’s ...
Mr. Alexander Kole presents with alcohol intoxication. Odd lab value is noted that
hides more than it reveals. In this episode, Dr. Kim and his Padawan Layla explore
the clinical mystery of the osmolar gap — when numbers deceive and time
unmasks the truth.
Through humor, teaching, and reflection, this case shows how physiology, not
formulas, saves the day.
Infectious mononucleosis reminds us that medicine often lives in the space between certainty and curiosity.
The tests help, but the story — the pattern of fatigue, fever, and swollen nodes — still matters most.
Every patient teaches us that diagnosis is not a checkbox, but a dialogue between cells, science, and clinical sense.
And sometimes, the most contagious thing in the room is curiosi...
In this episode, Dr. Kim and his Padawan, Nina, rediscover the forgotten art of the respiratory exam—from tactile fremitus to percussion, from the German for 99 to toy boat.
Through etymology, history, and bedside humor, they explore how sound and touch connect anatomy, pathophysiology, and the human story behind every breath.
Three days of call. Three dozen consults. Three cups of coffee barely holding the Clinical Etymologist together.
This is the story of what happens when exhaustion meets imagination — and a lactate lesson hidden inside a Matrix dream.
In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, we blur the lines between reality and dream, weaving medicine, etymology, and a touch of cinema into one teaching pearl.&nbs...
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