The Podcast by KevinMD

Triple board-certified physician in adult and geriatric psychiatry and addiction medicine, and the founder of The Aging Parent Coach Barbara Sparacino discusses her article "Why caring for a parent is hard for doctors." Barbara shares the personal struggle of navigating end-of-life care for her own parents despite her extensive professional training. She explains the "prophet in your own country" paradox where family members often dismiss medical advice from their own relatives. The conversation explores the heavy guilt and self-doubt that arise when the professional detachment of a doctor collides with the emotional vulnerability of a child. Barbara highlights the importance of setting boundaries to protect the parent-child relationship and offers advice on extending grace to oneself during this difficult season. Discover how stepping back from the physician role can actually be the greatest gift you give to your aging family. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Nationally recognized psychiatrist, internist, and addiction medicine specialist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article "How deprescribing in psychiatry offers a path to safer care." Muhamad explores the growing movement to reduce unnecessary medications in mental health care, a practice that has long been established in geriatrics but is now gaining traction in psychiatry. He describes the "prescribing cascade" where side effects are treated with more drugs, leading to patients feeling trapped in a cage of routine and chemical dependency. The conversation highlights the critical importance of having an exit plan for every prescription and distinguishing between withdrawal symptoms and relapse. Muhamad advocates for a culture shift where clinicians are empowered to stop interventions when harm outweighs benefit, ensuring that medicine remains a tool for healing rather than a permanent burden. Learn how a disciplined approach to deprescribing can restore patient agency and rebuild trust in the medical system. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Christie Mulholland, a palliative care physician and physician development coach, challenges blaming younger doctors and reframes boundary-setting as a response to a broken system. She discusses why wellness programs fail without funding or authority. Conversation covers generational shifts in medicine, coaching on calling versus job identities, and the need for institutional accountability when adopting new technologies.

Laura Sutton, physician, former health care executive and coach, explores why the 4 a.m. productivity myth does not fit everyone. She recounts forcing early mornings, the resulting fog, and how she shifted to rhythms that match her energy. The conversation covers social media pressure, workplace norms, testing your chronotype, and reframing schedules to protect sleep and boost creativity.

Muhamad Aly Rifai, an internist, psychiatrist, and addiction specialist who survived a federal healthcare fraud prosecution and wrote a memoir, walks through what happens when agents knock. He warns against answering questions, explains why mere silence can fail without a verbal rights invocation, and stresses calling specialized counsel and routing all communication through lawyers.

Fertility specialist and founder of Montgomery Fertility Center Oluyemisi (Yemi) Famuyiwa discusses her article "Infertility public health: the WHO's new global guideline." Oluyemisi examines the historic release of global guidelines that reframe infertility as a matter of social justice rather than a luxury concern. The conversation highlights the practical strengths of these recommendations for low-resource settings while acknowledging critical gaps regarding environmental toxins and cultural nuance. Oluyemisi argues that addressing the emotional toll of fertility struggles requires a shift in how health care systems prioritize reproductive rights. Listen to discover why this scientific milestone must become a moral mandate for equitable access worldwide. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Errol (Earl) Stewart Jr., an internal medicine physician and medical director of health equity, shares why pancreatic cancer disproportionately harms Black Americans. He recounts patterns he noticed, critiques current screening guidance, and outlines practical screening approaches and advocacy steps. Short, urgent, and focused on race-specific prevention and policy change.

Dennis Hirsch, a health care attorney who advises on physician contracts and wRVU-based pay. He breaks down risky wRVU thresholds, the need for realistic benchmarks and ramp-up guarantees, pitfalls like billing-date crediting and clawbacks, and key negotiation priorities to protect income.

Shiv K. Goel, an internal and functional medicine physician and writer, explains how emotions shape chronic illness. He discusses psychoneuroimmunology, a patient story of suppressed grief, and why symptom-focused care falls short. He outlines clinical listening, somatic therapies, meditation, and tools like AI to scale mind-body approaches.

Jason McKitrick, a healthcare consultant focused on office-based policy, and Saravanan Kasthuri, an interventional radiologist running a rural ambulatory practice, explain why Medicare cuts are crushing independent rural care. They discuss shrinking reimbursements, rising costs, consolidation into hospitals and private equity, and a proposed technical fee schedule as a fix. The conversation highlights threats to access for underserved patients.