
The Podcast by KevinMD
Social media's leading physician voice, Kevin Pho, MD, shares the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from. 15 minutes a day. 7 days a week. Welcome to The Podcast by KevinMD.
Latest episodes

May 15, 2025 • 18min
Why great patient outcomes don't protect female doctors from burnout
Pediatrician and holistic wellness expert Noemi Adame discusses her article, "Having a female doctor is better for your health, but not for hers." She highlights research indicating patients often experience better outcomes—including lower mortality, readmission, and post-surgical complication rates—when treated by female physicians, potentially linked to factors like longer visits and stronger adherence to guidelines. However, Noemi contrasts this with the significant personal toll on female doctors, who face higher burnout rates, a greater burden of uncompensated tasks like EMR messages (receiving 25 percent more requests), and a concerning lack of the longevity advantage seen in the general female population. She critiques the corporate medical system for failing to adequately support or compensate female physicians for the qualitative differences in their care delivery and the associated emotional labor. Noemi strongly advises female colleagues to protect their own well-being by considering alternatives to corporate employment, such as Direct Primary Care (DPC), independent contracting, or building a personal brand, while also acknowledging the unique challenges women face in setting boundaries within these models. Actionable takeaways emphasize the critical need for female physicians to prioritize self-care, implement sustainable practice systems, and advocate for themselves, whether inside or outside traditional employment structures. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise—and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

May 14, 2025 • 16min
Precision and personalization: Charting the future of cancer care
Hematology-oncology physician Yousuf Zafar discusses his article, "The personalization of cancer care in 2025." He traces the evolution of cancer treatment over the past two decades, moving through waves of cytotoxic chemotherapy, biologic therapies, immunotherapies including groundbreaking CAR-T therapy, and now precision oncology, which targets treatments to the specific molecular profile of a patient's cancer. While these advancements have significantly improved survival and quality of life, Yousuf highlights the resulting increase in care complexity and the widening gap in outcomes between specialized centers (where only 20 percent of U.S. patients are treated) and community practices (where 80 percent of care occurs), particularly impacting rural areas where 66 percent of counties lack an oncologist. The conversation explores how digital health solutions, such as remote case reviews connecting community oncologists with subspecialists, can help bridge this divide and improve access. Importantly, Yousuf stresses that personalized care extends beyond treatment to encompass vital patient support for financial burdens, mental well-being, and survivorship. Actionable takeaways emphasize the need for collaboration, resources for community oncologists, investment in digital health tools, and a continued focus on patient-centered support throughout the cancer journey. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise—and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

May 13, 2025 • 22min
Rethinking patient payments: Why billing is the new frontline of patient care
Health care executive Blake Walker discusses his article, "From caregivers to collectors: Navigating the new landscape of patient payments." He describes a perfect storm impacting provider groups: the significant rise in patient financial responsibility due to high-deductible health plans, the growth of health care consumerism where patients demand better experiences (with up to 50 percent willing to switch providers over billing issues), and the overwhelming administrative burden placed on staff using outdated systems not designed for patient collections. Blake argues that traditional practice management systems, prioritizing insurance reimbursement, are ill-equipped for today's landscape, leading to lost revenue and patient frustration. The conversation emphasizes the need to unbundle patient billing from these systems and adopt modern, consumer-friendly solutions offering automation, transparency, clear communication (like omnichannel options recovering 70 percent of payments quickly), and multiple payment methods. Actionable takeaways include recognizing patient billing as a critical touchpoint, investing in technology that improves the patient financial experience, and automating routine tasks to free up staff and improve collections. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise—and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

May 12, 2025 • 19min
Why funding cuts to academic medical centers impact all of us
Orthopedic surgeon Adil S. Ahmed discusses his article, "Academic medical centers under threat: the impact of funding cuts." He outlines the essential, multifaceted roles of academic institutions in educating future doctors, conducting vital biomedical research, and providing complex care, often for underserved populations—functions distinct from private equity-driven health care models. The conversation highlights the critical dependence of these centers on funding, grants, and donations, particularly from government sources like the NIH, HHS, and CDC, to sustain their tripartite mission. Adil argues that recent government funding cuts, driven by political shortsightedness and a potentially misleading focus on "efficiency," pose a direct threat to medical training opportunities, scientific advancement, and the capacity to care for the most complex patients. Actionable takeaways focus on recognizing the long-term societal value of academic medical centers and the potential dangers of reducing their funding, urging support for policies that bolster science and education. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise—and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

May 11, 2025 • 20min
Navigating physician non-competes: a strategy for staying put
Cardiologist Stanley Liu discusses his article, "5 steps to ride out a non-compete without uprooting your family." He shares his personal experience of being bound by an 18-month, 20-mile non-compete clause after leaving an academic cardiology position and outlines the strategic steps he took to navigate this period without relocating his family. Key points include the critical importance of building a substantial worst-case scenario fund for financial security during negotiations or unemployment, defining clear personal and professional goals for the career transition to maintain focus, and exploring diverse income streams like locum tenens work or non-clinical roles that align with those goals. Stanley also emphasizes the necessity of creating contingency plans (Plan B and C) for potential setbacks and the importance of maintaining professional goodwill by managing the departure process gracefully. Actionable takeaways involve proactive financial planning, intentional career design focused on personal well-being, and strategic navigation of contractual limitations. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise—and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

May 10, 2025 • 22min
Mindful negotiation: practical strategies for physician self-advocacy
Pediatrician and certified coach Jessie Mahoney discusses her article, "Why physicians find negotiating challenging—and what they can do to negotiate better." She explores why negotiation often feels stressful for physicians, linking it to medical training that emphasizes service, self-sacrifice, and conflict avoidance over self-advocacy, particularly impacting women. Drawing from her own experiences and coaching work, Jessie shares eleven actionable strategies designed to help physicians negotiate more effectively and mindfully. These tips include using breathwork to stay calm, clearly asking for what you want, conducting thorough research, understanding your value and bottom line (including the willingness to walk away), framing requests as mutual solutions, leveraging patience and silence, managing emotions like resentment, and celebrating successful outcomes without guilt. The conversation reframes negotiation not just as a business necessity but as a vital skill for physician well-being, energy protection, and building a sustainable career. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise—and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

May 9, 2025 • 21min
Understanding therapy beyond crisis management
Anesthesiologist and psychotherapist Maire Daugharty discusses her article, "Why real therapy isn’t just about crisis." She challenges the common misconception that therapy is only necessary or effective during acute crises ("crisis-hopping"), explaining that this view can lead to premature termination—a "flight to health"—when underlying work remains. Maire emphasizes that periods of calm in therapy are essential for integrating positive changes, processing accomplishments, and solidifying shifts in perspective and self-structure. The conversation also explores the critical importance of respecting patient autonomy and boundaries in both therapeutic and medical settings, acknowledging that clinicians cannot fully know a patient's inner world. Furthermore, Maire clearly distinguishes the deep, exploratory work of psychotherapy, which often involves confronting difficult truths ("approaching the shattered mirror") and altering implicit assumptions, from the explicit skill-building and goal-oriented approach of coaching, which works with the existing self-structure. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise—and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

May 8, 2025 • 24min
Misconceptions about food allergy safety in the skies
Physical therapist and food allergy advocate Lianne Mandelbaum discusses her article, "Flying with food allergies: Combating misconceptions and advocating for safety." Sharing harrowing personal experiences with dismissive airline staff that ignited her advocacy work with No Nut Traveler, she highlights the pervasive fear and inadequate safety measures faced by food-allergic passengers globally. Lianne discusses concerning findings, such as a study showing 31 percent of passengers sometimes don't disclose allergies fearing penalties, over a third experiencing unprofessional staff behavior, 70 percent not receiving promised accommodations, and over 12 percent being removed or denied boarding. The conversation critiques misleading media coverage, the dismissal of non-fatal reactions, the alarming lack of required easy-to-use epinephrine (like auto-injectors or nasal sprays) in many airline medical kits as of 2025, and insufficient allergen labeling on U.S. flights. Lianne urges passengers to report incidents and calls upon airlines for better policies and training, and the medical community to counsel patients proactively and advocate strongly for systemic changes, including mandatory epinephrine stocking. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise—and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

May 7, 2025 • 17min
Navigating the path from physician burnout to career balance
Internal medicine physician Kara Pepper discusses her article, "From burnout to balance: 5 stages of career transformation." Drawing from her own journey away from burnout and her experience coaching hundreds of physicians, she outlines five predictable stages doctors often traverse when seeking more autonomy, purpose, and sustainability in their work. Kara describes the progression from Stage 1: Stuck, where burnout feels inescapable, through Stage 2: Noticing, acknowledging the need for change and identifying misalignments; Stage 3: Discovery, actively exploring alternatives and embracing self-compassion; Stage 4: Data Collection, analyzing options like job adjustments or starting a practice and addressing practicalities like finances; to Stage 5: Action, making concrete moves toward a new career path. Throughout the conversation, Kara offers actionable advice for each stage, such as seeking external support, identifying core values, researching possibilities, planning meticulously, and surrounding oneself with supportive peers, ultimately encouraging physicians to take manageable steps toward creating a career that aligns with their well-being. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise—and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

May 6, 2025 • 17min
Survival strategies for marginalized physicians
Family physician Atharva Joshi discusses his article, "How the system hunts physicians who refuse to kneel." He argues that the health care system often targets minority physicians not through overt actions but via subtle, bureaucratic processes—a form of systemic discrimination based on culture or perceived difference, which he terms a "hunt." Drawing from personal experience and observations, Atharva contends this marginalization is a widespread issue affecting many physicians deemed "Other." Rather than simply enduring, he advocates for strategic resistance, outlining five provocative tactics: the Chameleon Principle (becoming quietly indispensable), Weaponized Absence (allowing one's removal to create a disruptive void), Reputation Obfuscation (diversifying one's professional identity), Narrative Supremacy (controlling one's story proactively), and the Yamdoot Doctrine (strategically releasing documented evidence of injustice when cornered). The discussion centers on empowering targeted physicians to fight back deliberately against systemic bias. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise—and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended