America Dissected
Incision Media LLC
Wellness isn’t just about mindfulness, exercise, or the right skin routine. Science, politics, media, culture, tech — everything around us — interact to shape our health. On America Dissected, Drs. Abdul El-Sayed and Katelyn Jetelina cuts into what really makes us sick — be it racism, corporate greed, or snake oil influencers — and what it'll take to heal it. From for-profit healthcare to ineffective sunscreens, America Dissected cuts deeper into the state of health in America. New episodes every Thursday. Want to know where to start? Here are some fan-favorite episodes to search: Cannabis Capitalism with David Jernigan; Weight Weight Don’t Tell me with Harriett Brown; Black Scientists Matter with Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 26, 2024 • 47min
A Bionic Breast
All of us live in bodies. But what happens when those bodies change in ways that rob us of critical life experiences? That’s the question that so many people face after mastectomy. Abdul reflects on the idea of embodiment and the role that healthcare plays in shaping it. Then he interviews Dr. Stacy Tessler Lindau, an obstetrician/gynecologist and scientist designing a bionic breast to help people who’ve lost their breast regain some of the critical functions that they too often lose.
Mar 19, 2024 • 51min
Talkin’ Nerdy about Gettin’ Dirty
For so many reasons — shame, privacy, social discomfort — we don’t talk enough about sex as a public health issue. But it's an important part of a healthy adult human life. So, we’re going to talk about sex. Abdul reflects on the forces that keep us from having a healthy, sex-positive perspective. Then he speaks with Emily Nagoski, New York Times Bestselling Author and Sex Educator about how to reframe and rebuild long term sexual relationships. If you’re interested in earning CME credit for listening to America Dissected, share more about your needs at AmericaDissectedCME.com.
Mar 12, 2024 • 49min
Cash as Medicine in Flint, Michigan.
For nearly a decade, Flint, Michigan has been synonymous with the lead and water crisis that put the city on the map. But Flint is resilient. Abdul reflects on the central role of poverty in all that Flint experienced. Then he speaks with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who uncovered the water crisis, and Prof. Luke Shaefer, an anti-poverty researcher, about their new “Rx Kids” program to provide cash to pregnant moms to solve poverty in Flint. If you’re interested in earning CME credit for listening to America Dissected, share more about your needs at AmericaDissectedCME.com.
Mar 5, 2024 • 45min
No, IVF Embryos Aren’t Kids.
A few weeks ago, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created in the IVF process had the same rights as children. The ruling was a warning of just how far the anti-abortion might go. Abdul reflects on the hypocrisy at the core of the ruling. Then he sits down with Elisabeth Smith, Director for State Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights to discuss the broader implications of the ruling and what it means for people in Alabama and beyond.
Feb 27, 2024 • 55min
The Invisible Kingdom of Chronic Illness
The podcast discusses the challenges of living with chronic illness and the systemic hurdles faced in healthcare. It highlights the importance of validation and empathy in patient care. The episode also touches on controversial rulings on frozen embryos, responses to measles outbreaks, and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Feb 20, 2024 • 57min
Defunding Public Health? One County Tried. It Didn’t Go Well.
Ottawa County, Michigan made national news last year after a MAGA take over of its County Commission. Their first major act? To try to defund their public health department. Abdul reflects on the impending risk of this across the country. Then he sits down with Adeline Hambley and Marcia Mansaray, the leaders of the Ottawa County Health Department to learn what happened — and what they did next.
Feb 13, 2024 • 46min
How Cars Got More Deadly
More pedestrians are dying in auto accidents. Abdul reflects on the public health challenges that cars pose in general. Then he sits down with Dr. Deborah Kuhls, a trauma surgeon who studies pedestrian fatalities to understand why and how to stop it.
Feb 6, 2024 • 57min
Sickle Cell and All the Diseases We Choose to Ignore
Sickle Cell Disease is a debilitating genetic disease that almost exclusively affects Black folks. While genetic breakthroughs have made a cure possible, the high price tag may keep them away from people who need them. Abdul reflects on the way that society shapes the scientific questions we ask — and whose diseases we take seriously. Then he interviews Dr. Titilope Fasipe, a pediatric hematologist who treats sickle cell disease — and has lived with the disease her whole life.
Jan 30, 2024 • 46min
A Public Health Catastrophe in Gaza
In less than four months, more than 25,000 people have been killed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of devastation. Abdul reflects on how the way we talk about this will shape how the international community values human life. Then he interviews Dr. Tanya Haj-Hasan, a pediatric intensive care doctor with Doctors without Borders and creator of the social medial channel “Gaza Medic Voices.”
Jan 23, 2024 • 59min
Has Public Health Lost Its Way? This Public Health Dean Thinks So.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a crucible for America’s public health institutions. It brought out their best — and worst. And many of us didn’t like what we saw. Abdul sits down with Prof. Sandro Galea, Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health to talk about his new book, Within Reason, in which Galea argues that the pandemic uncovered an “illiberal,” even, at times, authoritarian, strain within.
