Knock Knock, Hi! with the Glaucomfleckens

"Knock Knock, Hi! with the Glaucomfleckens" dives into the highs, lows, and WTFs of healthcare. Whether you're in the medical field, live with a healthcare worker, or broke your arm once and are still paying off your medical bills, this is a must-listen. Join Will and Kristin Flanary (aka the Glaucomfleckens) for candid chats with leading healthcare voices like Dr. Mike and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Discover fun facts about eyeballs, hear relatable stories from medical training, and sneak a peek into the U.S. health insurance industry (spoiler alert: it's not great!). We'll share our own perspectives of being a patient or family member experiencing the healthcare system. And, of course, we explore the question on everyone's minds: "Why has Dr. Glaucomflecken never had his eyes dilated?" Combining science with humor and a dash of snark, we unpack the human side of healthcare.

Episodes

Knock Knock Eye: Should We Worry About Organ Procurement Organizations?

August 7, 2025 • 50 mins

I spent this week untangling one of the wildest New York Times stories in recent memory about organ donation. The article set off a firestorm online, and the clickbait headlines had everyone ready to rip “organ donor” off their driver’s license. But is it really that bad? I break down what’s true, what’s exaggerated, and what it means for a system that saves thousands of lives every year. Then I get fired up about neonatal conjunc...

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Will You Live to 120 with a Little Help from AI? with Dr. Eric Topol

August 5, 2025 • 60 mins

This week, Kristen and I go full sci-fi (but, like, the real kind) with the one and only Dr. Eric Topol—cardiologist, author, and guy who’s been yelling for years that the way we do medicine is… less than ideal. We talk about how AI could transform healthcare, whether doctors are finally ready to embrace empathy, and why the average hospital still runs on fax machines and vibes. Oh—and don’t worry, I made sure to ask him if AI is g...

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Knock Knock Eye: The Problem with “Alternative” Medicine

July 31, 2025 • 47 mins

It’s just me this week, and I’m cracking open the homeopathy bottle (spoiler: it’s mostly water). From viral pseudoscience to dry eye remedies that make me blink twice, I’m taking a solo stroll through the wild world of medical misinformation. We’ll also talk about the dangers of diluted science, why TikTok is not a medical degree, and the real risks behind popular “natural” treatments. No guests, no filter—just a Snape impression ...

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Glauc Talk: What Do All Those Hospital Codes Mean Anyway?

July 29, 2025 • 48 mins

This week, Kristin and I dig into the alphabet soup of hospital emergency codes, and I break down what those cryptic overhead announcements really mean. We also talk about the latest round of proposed Medicaid cuts and why they’re more than just numbers on a budget line. Expect the usual tangents too! Takeaways: Ever wonder what “Code Brown” actually means? We’ve got you. Medicaid is on the chopping block what could i...

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Knock Knock Eye: Why Did UnitedHealthcare Go After Dr. Elisabeth Potter?

July 24, 2025 • 50 mins

We’re marking 100 episodes by getting real about a moment that I've feared all my life. The moment where they asked if there was a doctor onboard this plane! Also: we talk about Dr. Elisabeth Potter, a breast cancer surgeon who stood up to UnitedHealthcare after they told her how to do her job—and then punished her for it. It’s infuriating. But it’s also revealing. Takeaways: There was a medical emergency onboard my latest...

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Glauc Talk: How Badly Did Intern Year Break Me?

July 22, 2025 • 48 mins

Intern year. It’s the chaotic rite of passage where sleep goes to die, mistakes get made in real time, and everyone’s faking confidence until they figure it out, or break. This week, I’m sharing the moments that defined mine: the terrifying first night on call, what it’s like to be handed a pager when you still don’t know where the bathrooms are, and how that year almost broke me… but also built me. Whether you're a med student bra...

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Knock Knock Eye: Should There Be a Loan Cap for Med School?

July 17, 2025 • 42 mins

It’s a wild week in healthcare policy and student debt. The so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" just passed, and I have thoughts. Spoiler: most of them involve eye twitching. From massive Medicaid cuts to a hard cap on federal loans for grad students, I’m unpacking what this means for future doctors, patients, and anyone who likes affordable healthcare (so… everyone?). I also take you through a retinal rollercoaster from my clinic and, ...

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Glauc Talk: What Is Private Equity? with Megan Greenwell

July 15, 2025 • 65 mins

Ever wonder what happens when people with zero medical training start buying up hospitals and clinics? This week, we're joined by journalist Megan Greenwell, who’s spent years investigating the chilling spread of private equity in healthcare. We talk about what it means when medicine becomes a business, the moments that made her jaw drop during reporting, and why she thinks doctors and patients are both trapped in a system that no ...

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Knock Knock Eye: The History of Cataract Surgery

July 10, 2025 • 46 mins

This week, I'm diving into the juiciest part of the eyeball—literally and historically. From ancient couching techniques that involved jabbing your eye with a sharp stick (yes, really) to modern lenses inspired by World War II cockpit glass, we’re going deep into cataract surgery's wild evolution. Also: a peek at what fireworks do to your eyeballs, my questionable thoughts on ASMR medicine, and why the human lens is the peanut M&M ...

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Glauc Talk: Is an Eye Transplant Actually Possible?

July 8, 2025 • 50 mins

This week, we dig into the surprising shift among voters who once supported private equity in healthcare—and may now be rethinking it. Kristin and I talk through what’s behind that change, plus a major headline about the first-ever eye transplant. And just when things start to feel a little too serious, we lighten it up with a chaotic game that puts our anatomy knowledge (and humility) to the test. Trust me, you’ll want to play alo...

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Knock Knock Eye: Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist: What’s the Real Difference?

July 3, 2025 • 46 mins

You ever have someone call you an optometrist when you're, say, very much not? Yeah… that happened again. So in this episode, I’m laying out the not-so-subtle (and sometimes very contentious) differences between optometrists and ophthalmologists—education, lasers, the whole thing. We also dive into the thin but mighty conjunctiva, the raging war against red eyes, and yes, my completely unsolicited but deeply held thoughts on AI in ...

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Glauc Talk: Is Your Doctor Secretly Hoping You Stay Sick?

July 1, 2025 • 51 mins

This week, Kristin and I tackle one of the most frustrating—and frankly absurd—things we’ve seen online in a while: the claim that doctors want people to stay sick just so we can make more money. Yup, that’s a real thing someone said, and it sparked a Twitter firestorm. We’re diving into the bizarre world of social media influencers who spread medical misinformation with the confidence of a med school dropout turned life coach. If ...

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Knock Knock Eye: Should the Renaissance Fair Host a Bloodletting Blood Drive?

June 26, 2025 • 50 mins

Step right up to the medieval ophthalmology booth where your chalazion gets cured with garlic, mustard seeds, and just a dash of cow bile. This week, I take you on a Renaissance Festival-style journey through the weirdest eye treatments in history and how some of those relics have been rebranded for the modern wellness crowd. There’s leech therapy, eye “massagers,” and influencers promising vision miracles with homeopathic potions ...

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Are You Ready For The Great Sphincter Showdown? | Dr. Kaveh Hoda

June 24, 2025 • 67 mins

This week, I’m solo, but not alone. I’m joined by Dr. Kaveh Hoda, a fellow medical satirist who brings the same energy I try to harness every time I put on a white coat and immediately start roasting the healthcare system. We talk shop about using humor to cope with burnout, the risks and rewards of medical satire, and why sometimes it’s more effective to joke than to rant. And yes, we draft sphincters. Real ones. The best ones. It...

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Knock Knock Eye: Is Oregon Leading the Fight Against Corporate Medicine?

June 19, 2025 • 49 mins

This one’s personal. I'm finally talking about the private equity takeover of medicine—and why Oregon might've just taken the first real step to stop it. We’re diving into the gray zone between burnout and buyouts, why docs sell their practices, and what that means for patients (spoiler: it’s not great). I also share some zingers for a classic surgeon roast and finally explain that weird thing your optic nerves do in the middle of ...

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Glauc Talk: Honoring the Legacy of First Descents Founder Ryan O’Donoghue

June 17, 2025 • 52 mins

We thought we were just going kayaking with a group of young adults facing cancer and chronic illness. What we didn’t expect was how much First Descents—and its late CEO Ryan O’Donoghue—would completely reshape the way we think about healing, connection, and purpose. This week, we’re reflecting on that powerful experience and the legacy Ryan left behind. Also: I get dragged into a dating game scenario, and we talk about how being o...

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Knock Knock Eye: Consulting Ophthalmology: A Survival Guide

June 12, 2025 • 46 mins

Let’s get one thing out of the way: I’m not mad you called me at 2 a.m. about an eye. Really, I’m not. But also… were they just missing their glasses? This week, I’m tackling everything that drives ophthalmologists crazy—and how to avoid becoming that story we tell over drinks. From wild consults and missing visual acuity checks to what actually makes an emergency worth a call, I’m handing you the crash course med school never gave...

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Glauc Talk: A New Color Just Dropped

June 10, 2025 • 54 mins

In this episode, Kristin shares what it felt like to take the stage for a major speaking event—and all the nerves, insights, and surprising audience connections that came with it. We also dive into some brain-bending eye science about tetrachromacy (a potential new color?!) and, of course, take a moment to roast the absolute rollercoaster of comments we get on YouTube. Spoiler: some are heartfelt, some are hilarious, and some defi...

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Knock Knock Eye: Would You Risk Blindness for Blue Eyes?

June 5, 2025 • 46 mins

I just wanted to talk about the iris today. A chill, colorful muscle donut that controls how much light hits your retina and makes you look good doing it. But no. UnitedHealthcare had to show up first—again—with a story so dark it makes retinal necrosis look like a fairy tale. We're talking Do Not Resuscitate orders getting denied by algorithms and patients dying because no human was watching. Then we finally pivot to the iris: ho...

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Glauc Talk: Checking In On Kristin's ARFID Journey

June 3, 2025 • 51 mins

There’s vulnerable… and then there’s telling thousands of listeners about the time you almost pooped your pants at a conference. In this episode, we’re going there. We’re talking about digestive drama, poop shame, and why gut issues are so much more than a punchline. Kristin and I also dive into ARFID—Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder—and how it often starts with childhood trauma around food and bathrooms. We unpack how ea...

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Knock Knock, Hi! with the Glaucomfleckens

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Knock Knock Eye: Should We Worry About Organ Procurement Organizations?

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Will You Live to 120 with a Little Help from AI? with Dr. Eric Topol

Knock Knock Eye: The Problem with “Alternative” Medicine

Glauc Talk: What Do All Those Hospital Codes Mean Anyway?

Knock Knock Eye: Why Did UnitedHealthcare Go After Dr. Elisabeth Potter?

Glauc Talk: How Badly Did Intern Year Break Me?

Knock Knock Eye: Should There Be a Loan Cap for Med School?

Glauc Talk: What Is Private Equity? with Megan Greenwell

Knock Knock Eye: The History of Cataract Surgery

Glauc Talk: Is an Eye Transplant Actually Possible?

Knock Knock Eye: Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist: What’s the Real Difference?

Glauc Talk: Is Your Doctor Secretly Hoping You Stay Sick?

Knock Knock Eye: Should the Renaissance Fair Host a Bloodletting Blood Drive?

Are You Ready For The Great Sphincter Showdown? | Dr. Kaveh Hoda

Knock Knock Eye: Is Oregon Leading the Fight Against Corporate Medicine?

Glauc Talk: Honoring the Legacy of First Descents Founder Ryan O’Donoghue

Knock Knock Eye: Consulting Ophthalmology: A Survival Guide

Glauc Talk: A New Color Just Dropped

Knock Knock Eye: Would You Risk Blindness for Blue Eyes?

Glauc Talk: Checking In On Kristin's ARFID Journey

Popular Podcasts

Knock Knock Eye: Should We Worry About Organ Procurement Organizations?

Will You Live to 120 with a Little Help from AI? with Dr. Eric Topol