

The Nocturnists
Our mission is to humanize healthcare and foster joy, wonder, and curiosity among clinicians and patients alike.
The Nocturnists is an award-winning medical storytelling podcast, hosted by physician Emily Silverman. We feature personal stories from frontline clinicians, conversations with healthcare-related authors and art-makers, and special podcast documentary series such as "Uncertainty in Medicine" , “Post-Roe America", and others. thenocturnists.substack.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 1, 2021 • 1min
Trailer: Stories from a Pandemic: Part II
The Nocturnists is proud to announce the second installment of Stories from a Pandemic, which explores what the murky, middle part of the pandemic has been like for healthcare workers. Tune in Tuesday, June 8, 2021 for the first of eight episodes, “The Space Between”. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenocturnists.substack.com

May 4, 2021 • 43min
A Woman's Life in Medicine with Suzanne Koven, MD
Emily talks to Dr. Suzanne Koven, author of Letter to a Young Female Physician: Notes from a Medical Life. Dr. Koven graduated from medical school in the 80s at a time when there were so few women in her residency program that she had to write up her own maternity leave policy. Her memoir is a testament to how, while some things have changed for the better for women in medical education, much of the culture remains the same. Dr. Suzanne Koven is a primary care physician and the inaugural Writer in Residence at Massachusetts General Hospital. Hosted by Emily Silverman. Produced by Emily Silverman and Adelaide Papazoglou. Edited and mixed by Jon Oliver. Recorded in San Francisco by audio engineer Jon Oliver and at Ugly Duck Studios in Brighton by Ian Bouslough. Original Theme by Yosef Munro. Other music by Blue Dot Sessions. This episode of The Nocturnists is sponsored by Fabled. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenocturnists.substack.com

Apr 27, 2021 • 43min
Sex, Science, and STDs with Ina Park, MD
As much as our culture delights in talking about sex, we do not relish discussing the sexually transmitted diseases which sometimes follow. But STDs are not just a fact of life, they are a subject that has been shrouded in mystery and moralizing throughout the history of medicine. In this episode, Emily speaks with Dr. Ina Park, a family medicine doctor, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, and the author of Strange Bedfellows: Adventures in the Science, History, and Surprising Secrets of STDs. Hosted by Emily Silverman. Produced by Emily Silverman and Adelaide Papazoglou. Edited and mixed by Jon Oliver. Original Theme by Yosef Munro. Other music by Blue Dot Sessions. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenocturnists.substack.com

Apr 20, 2021 • 46min
The Art and Science of Easing Pain with Abdul-Ghaaliq Lalkhen, MD
All of us have experienced physical pain at some point in our lives. Yet many of us are unaware of how essential context is to the pain experience. Even today, there is much about pain that remains poorly understood. How is it that something so core to being human can remain such a mystery? Joining me to unravel some of these complexities is Dr. Abdul-Ghaaliq Lalkhen, an anesthesiologist and author of An Anatomy of Pain: How the Body and the Mind Experience and Endure Physical Suffering. Hosted by Emily Silverman. Produced by Emily Silverman and Adelaide Papazoglou. Edited and mixed by Jon Oliver. Original theme by Yosef Munro. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenocturnists.substack.com

Apr 13, 2021 • 37min
Love and the Playful Farewell with Kirsten Johnson
Many of us have had to imagine dreaded scenarios for the death of a loved one with dementia. But few have done so with as much cinematic ingenuity and depth of affection as our next guest. In this episode, Emily talks to Kirsten Johnson, the veteran cinematographer and award-winning documentary filmmaker of the film Dick Johnson is Dead, which centers around her father's experience with dementia. Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenocturnists.substack.com

Feb 9, 2021 • 43min
The Growing Caregiving Crisis with Jessica Zitter, MD
More and more Americans are choosing to die at home in the care of a loved one. But who takes care of the caregiver? In today's episode, Emily talks to Dr. Jessica Zitter, a critical care and palliative care specialist, about her award-winning directorial debut film, Caregiver: A Love Story. Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenocturnists.substack.com

Feb 2, 2021 • 40min
The Transformative Power of Diagnosis with Danielle Spencer
Emily sits down with Danielle Spencer to discuss her book Metagnosis: Revelatory Narratives of Health and Identity which, in identifying and naming the concept of "metagnosis," brings the study of healthcare into conversation with the discourse on identity. In doing so, this extraordinary new work in narrative medicine underscores the importance of narrative in healthcare in relation to concepts of self. Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenocturnists.substack.com

Jan 26, 2021 • 45min
Breath and Beyond with Michael Stephen, MD
Our lungs connect us to our innermost selves, the outside world, and each other. In this episode, Emily talks to pulmonologist Dr. Michael Stephen, author of Breath Taking: What Our Lungs Teach Us About Our Origins, Ourselves, and Our Future. Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenocturnists.substack.com

Jan 19, 2021 • 39min
The Untold Story of America's First Female Doctors with Janice Nimura
Emily talks to biographer Janice Nimura about her new book, The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women—and Women to Medicine, which examines the complicated and exceptional lives of Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell, the first and third female physicians in the United States, two women who profoundly influenced the medical profession. Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenocturnists.substack.com

Dec 22, 2020 • 43min
2020 Holiday Special, Act II
The Nocturnists Holiday Special looks back on a year like no other and celebrates the holiday season with creative contributions from healthcare workers. Contributors include: Alex Raines, Alina Kung, Brad Hunter, Brian Bobby Chiong, Catherine Forest, Dan Merriott , Dawn Marie Wadle, Elsa Alaswad, Emmeline Sun, Greta Peng, Theodore Peng, Jacqueline Flores, Jessica Briggs, John Danyi, Kathy Lin, Katie Brooks, Kimberly Manning, Lily Stern and brothers, Lori Edwards, Mariam Nawas, Marshall Fleurant, Mike Reid, Natasha Spottiswoode, Nick Iverson, Patrick McMurray, Raphaela Posner, Resa Lewiss, Syed Hoda , Teja Kompala, Tina Munjal, Tseganesh Selameab, and other healthcare workers who chose to remain anonymous. Hosted by Emily Silverman. Producers: Emily Silverman, Adelaide Papazoglou, Raphae Posner Illustrations by Lindsay Mound. Original theme music by Janaé E. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenocturnists.substack.com