

The Curbsiders Internal Medicine Podcast
The Curbsiders Internal Medicine Podcast
Supercharge your learning and enhance your practice with this Internal Medicine Podcast featuring board certified Internists as they interview the experts to bring you clinical pearls, practice-changing knowledge, and bad puns. Doctors Matthew Watto, Paul Williams, and friends (a national network of students, residents, and clinician-educators) deliver a little knowledge food for your brain hole. Yummy! No boring lectures here, just high-value content and a healthy dose of humor. Fantastic for Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Primary Care, and Hospital Medicine.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 15, 2021 • 1h 4min
#256 Sarcoidosis
This grand overview of granulomas will leave you comfortable tackling an often breathtaking disease, sarcoidosis. Listen as our esteemed guests Dr. Mary Beth Scholand (University of Utah) and Dr. Jonathan Boltax (University of Utah) rheum-inate on sarcoidosis. We discuss the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease, role of the primary care clinician and why sarcoidosis in the chart reminds Paul of Shakespeare.
Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | Swag! | Top Picks | Mailing List | thecurbsiders@gmail.com | Free CME!
Credits
Producer: Cyrus Askin MD and Deborah Gorth
Writer: Deborah Gorth
Infographic and Cover art: Edison Jyang
Hosts: Stuart Brigham MD; Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP
Editor: Cyrus Askin MD (written materials); Clair Morgan of nodderly.com
Guest: Drs. Mary Beth Scholand & Jonathan Boltax
Sponsor: ACP’s MKSAP
MKSAP® is the most trusted resource for lifelong learning and Board prep for internal medicine physicians and residents. Learn more at acponline.org/mksap19 and use promo code CURB2021 at checkout.
Sponsor: birch by Helix
Visit birchliving.com/curb
CME Partner: VCU Health CE
The Curbsiders are partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE continuing education credits for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Visit curbsiders.vcuhealth.org.
Time Stamps
00:00 Intro, disclaimer, guest bio, Awful(ly good?) Pun
03:42 Guest one-liners
06:28 Sponsor - ACP’s MKSAP19
07:40 Case from Kashlak
08:40 Explaining sarcoidosis
12:19 Possible drivers of sarcoidosis
13:30 Taking a sarcoidosis history
17:26 Suggestions for catching sarcoidosis
21:44 Sponsor - birchliving.com/curb
23:52 Sarcoidosis physical exam, Diagnosis
33:00 Lofgren’s and Heerfordt’s syndromes; Imaging for sarcoidosis
40:44 Initiating therapy for sarcoidosis; Prognosis; the Treatment team
51:23 Primary care considerations for sarcoidosis
54:55 Diagnosing and treating a sarcoidosis exacerbation
61:20 Take home points and outro

Feb 8, 2021 • 48min
#255 Hotcakes: Colchicine for CAD, and Gout flares, PT versus Steroids for Knee OA
Fresh hotcakes! Practice changing articles that you need to know: low dose colchicine for stable CAD; colchicine vs naproxen for acute gout flares; and physical therapy vs glucocorticoid injection for chronic Knee osteoarthritis. We’re joined by Michael Sternberg (Chief resident, VCU Internal Medicine Residency) and our fearless leader of critical appraisal, internist/epidemiologist, Rahul Ganatra MD, MPH, @rbganatra (VA Boston).
Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | Swag! | Top Picks | Mailing List | thecurbsiders@gmail.com | Free CME!
Credits
Written and Produced by: Matthew Watto MD, FACP
Cover Art: Matthew Watto MD, FACP
Hosts: Rahul Ganatra MD, MPH; Michael Sternberg MD; Stuart Brigham MD; Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP
Editor: Matthew Watto MD (written materials); Clair Morgan of nodderly.com
Sponsor: ACP’s MKSAP18
MKSAP® is the most trusted resource for lifelong learning and Board prep for internal medicine physicians and residents. Learn more at www.acponline.org/curb2021.
CME Partner: VCU Health CE
The Curbsiders are partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE continuing education credits for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Visit curbsiders.vcuhealth.org .
Time Stamps
Intro, disclaimer
01:45 Fun animal fact; Picks of the Week*
06:33 PT vs steroid injection for chronic knee OA
21:00 Colchicine for stable CAD
33:00 Low dose colchicine vs naproxen for acute gout flares

Feb 1, 2021 • 57min
#254 Hypertension Update with Dr. Wanpen Vongpatanasin
Listen as our esteemed guest Dr. Wanpen Vongpatanasin, @DrWanpen (UT Southwestern) discusses the nitty-gritty of blood pressure monitoring and hypertension treatment. We review the thresholds for HTN diagnosis and how to accurately measure blood pressure levels at home and in the office. Dr Vongpatanasin shares the latest guideline recommendations for first line pharmaceutical therapies as well as her pearls about how to treat special populations.
Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | Swag! | Top Picks | Mailing List | thecurbsiders@gmail.com | Free CME!
Credits
Produced by: Deborah Gorth and Isabel Valdez, PA
Written by: Deborah Gorth
Infographic and Cover Art: Edison Jyang
Hosts: Stuart Brigham, MD; Matthew Watto, MD, FACP; Paul Williams, MD, FACP
Editor: Molly Heublein, MD (written materials); Clair Morgan of nodderly.com
Guest: Wanpen Vongpatanasin, MD
Sponsor: ACP’s MKSAP18
MKSAP® is the most trusted resource for lifelong learning and Board prep for internal medicine physicians and residents. Learn more at www.acponline.org/curb2021.
Sponsor: Provider Solutions and Development
Provider Solutions & Development is a community of experts dedicated to offering guidance and career coaching to physicians and clinicians throughout their entire career journey. With exclusive access to hundreds of opportunities across the nation, reach out today to begin the search for your perfect practice: www.psdrecruit.org/curbsiders.
CME Partner: VCU Health CE
The Curbsiders are partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE continuing education credits for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Visit curbsiders.vcuhealth.org.
Time Stamps
00:00 Sponsors, Intro, disclaimer, guest bio
03:20 Guest one-liner
05:50 Sponsor - ACP’s MKSAP 18
07:05 Case from Kashlak; Defining hypertension and treatment thresholds
10:43 Measuring blood pressure (at home, in the office, validatebp.org)
16:46 Wrist BP cuff
19:50 Home monitoring and ambulatory BP monitoring; What time to take BP medication
31:23 Sponsor - Provider Solutions and Development
32:10 Approach to treatment; Combo pills; How to titrate meds
42:20 Treating resistant hypertension; hyperaldosteronism; Isolated systolic hypertension
52:04 Take home points and Outro

Jan 27, 2021 • 1h 5min
#253 COVID-19 Vaccines with Dr Monica Gandhi
Answer all your burning questions (and your patients’ burning questions) about the different COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized in the US. Infectious diseases / HIV expert, Dr Monica Gandhi @MonicaGandhi9 (UCSF) joins us to cover: the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna novel mRNA vaccine mechanisms, trial data, and practicalities of who should receive them. We discuss data around the Oxford-AstraZeneca adenovirus vaccine, which is authorized in the UK and India, and may be available in the US later this year. Feel confident recommending COVID-19 vaccines to your patients!
Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | Swag! | Top Picks | Mailing List | thecurbsiders@gmail.com | Free CME!
Credits
Written and Produced by: Molly Heublein, MD
Cover Art: Chris Chiu, MD, FACP, FAAP
Infographic: Tima Karginov
Hosts: Chris Chiu, MD, FACP, FAAP; Molly Heublein, MD; Paul Williams, MD, FACP
Editor: Emi Okamoto MD (written materials); Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com (audio)
Guest: Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH
Sponsor: Panacea Financial
This episode is supported by Panacea Financial, digital banking built for doctors, by doctors. At Panacea Financial you can have your own free personal banker and a support team that works around the clock- just like you do. Open your free checking account today at panaceafinancial.com
Panacea Financial, a Division of Sonabank, Member FDIC
Sponsor: VCU Health CE
The Curbsiders are partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE continuing education credits for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Visit curbsiders.vcuhealth.org.
Time Stamps
Intro, disclaimer, guest bio - 00:00
Guest one-liner, book recommendation - 3:40
Authorized vaccines in the US - 8:30
AstraZeneca vaccine mechanism- 9:26
mRNA vaccine mechanism - 10:30
Vaccine distribution issues (cold chain) - 16:05
mRNA safety - 18:24
mRNA vaccine efficacy/data from phase 3 trials - 19:40
How did we get this so quickly - 23:40
Vaccine impact on asymptomatic infection - 26:18
AstraZeneca trials - 28:20
Pregnancy - 35:10
Anaphylaxis - 37:10
Prior COVID-19 infection - 39:07
Side effects - 42:05
Pediatric patients - 45:12
Phases of role outs in the US -46:50
Herd immunity - 48:16
Thoughts of how to make this happen - 52:45
Preexisting conditions - 53:40
How long will immunity last - 57:15
Mutant strains - 58:25
Future of mRNA vaccines - 1:00:30
Take home points and Outro - 1:02:12

5 snips
Jan 25, 2021 • 1h 7min
#252 Smoking Cessation Unfiltered
Get all the details on varenicline, nicotine replacement therapy, and integrating psychosocial interventions into a comprehensive smoking cessation treatment plan! Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Listen as our esteemed guest Dr. Steve Baldassarri (Yale) provides us expert pearls to help our patients quit smoking.
Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | Swag! | Top Picks | Mailing List | thecurbsiders@gmail.com | Free CME!
Credits
Written and produced by: Carolyn Chan, MD
Infographic: Edison Jyang
Cover Art: Kate Grant
Hosts: Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP
Editor: Cyrus Askin, MD (written materials); Clair Morgan of nodderly.com
Guest: Steve Baldassarri MD MHS
Sponsor: The American College of Physicians
Join us for ACP Internal Medicine Meeting 2021: Virtual Experience for 3 days of interactive, livestreaming education and events April 29 through May 1—plus on-demand post-meeting access to CME credit for up to 3 years.
“Early Bird” members get an additional $80 registration discount on top of their member discount. Visit annualmeeting.acponline.org. (Prices shown online at registration pages reflect Discounted Rates.)
Register now—Early Bird savings end January 31st!
Sponsor: VCU Health CE
The Curbsiders are partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE continuing education credits for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Visit curbsiders.vcuhealth.org.
Time Stamps*
*Note: Time Stamps refer to ad free version.
03:02 Intro, disclaimer, guest bio
04:35 Guest one-liner
09:50 Tobacco Use Disorder - Chronic Disease
11:08 Case from Kashlak
11:56 Obtaining a history
13:39 Motivations for Smoking Cessation
15:29 Factors associated with challenges in smoking cessation:
21:40 Gradual Tapers vs Cold Turkey
25:18 Nicotine Replacement 32:40
28:57 Pharmacotherapy - “Controller” Medications
31:05 Pharmacotherapy - Short Acting Medications
33:20 Dosing Medications
38:35 Varenicline
39:00 Nicotine gum dosing
44:40 Duration of therapy
48:08 Bupropion
49:05 Behavioral Interventions
55:24 Vaping and electronic cigarettes
57:03 Vaping for smoking cessation
01:02:35 EVALI
01:05:49 Outro

Jan 18, 2021 • 1h 5min
#251 What the USPSTF? Preventive Medicine Updates with Dr. Amber-Nicole Bird
What the USPSTF?! It’s time for some preventive medicine updates on: screening for unhealthy drug use, cervical cancer, hepatitis C and draft recs for colorectal cancer; plus how to interpret USPSTF screening recs. Dr. Amber-Nicole Bird @ABirdMD (Penn Medicine) refreshes our love for preventive medicine, with updates on the newest recommendations. She reviews how to appropriately interpret and adopt guidelines for our patients, being cognizant of the source. We shine light on the mechanism of USPSTF, including how their guidelines differ from others, so we can understand the value and context when utilizing the guidance in the clinic.
Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | Swag! | Top Picks | Mailing List | thecurbsiders@gmail.com | Free CME!
Credits
Produced and Written by: David Madick MD; Peter Wikoff MD; Paul Williams MD, FACP
Infographic: Beth Garbitelli
Cover Art: Chris Chiu MD
Hosts: Stuart Brigham MD; Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP
Editor: Emi Okamoto, MD (Show notes); Clair Morgan of nodderly.com
Guest: Amber-Nicole Bird, MD
Sponsor: The American College of Physicians
Join us for ACP Internal Medicine Meeting 2021: Virtual Experience for 3 days of interactive, livestreaming education and events April 29 through May 1—plus on-demand post-meeting access to CME credit for up to 3 years. “Early Bird” members get an additional $80 registration discount on top of their member discount. Visit annualmeeting.acponline.org and use the code IM21CURB. Register now—Early Bird savings end January 31st!
Sponsor: VCU Health CE
The Curbsiders are partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE continuing education credits for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Visit curbsiders.vcuhealth.org.

6 snips
Jan 11, 2021 • 1h 16min
#250 Nephrotic Syndrome vs. Glomerulonephritis with Kidney Boy, Dr. Joel Topf
Kashlak’s esteemed Chief of Nephrology, Dr Joel Topf @kidney_boy walks us through the evaluation and differentiation of nephrotic syndrome and glomerulonephritis. Embrace the kidney again as we sort the different diagnostics, managements, and prognosis for these two pathologies.
Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | Swag! | Top Picks | Mailing List | thecurbsiders@gmail.com | Free CME!
Credits
Producer, writer, infographic, cover art: Elena Gibson MD
Hosts: Elena Gibson MD, Stuart Brigham MD; Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP
Editor: Emi Okamoto MD (written); Clair Morgan of nodderly.com (audio)
Guest: Joel Topf MD
Time Stamps*
*Note: Time Stamps refer to ad free version
Intro, disclaimer, guest bio – 00:00
Picks of the Week – 3:10
Case from Kashlak – 6:30
Nephrotic syndrome definition- 12:30
Proteinuria evaluation – 15:04
Additional lab testing – 27:08; 40:09
Types of Nephrotic syndrome – 30:15
Mechanism of nephrotic syndrome edema – 33:08
Management of nephrotic syndrome – 44:07
Second Kashlak Case- Glomerulonephritis – 55:05
Treatment of glomerulonephritis – 65:05
Outro and post-credits scene – 73:20
Sponsor: The American College of Physicians
Join us for ACP Internal Medicine Meeting 2021: Virtual Experience for 3 days of interactive, livestreaming education and events April 29 through May 1—plus on-demand post-meeting access to CME credit for up to 3 years.
“Early Bird” members get an additional $80 registration discount on top of their member discount. Visit annualmeeting.acponline.org and use the code IM21CURB.
Register now—Early Bird savings end January 31st!
Sponsor: VCU Health CE
The Curbsiders are partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE continuing education credits for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Visit curbsiders.vcuhealth.org and search for this episode to claim credit.

Jan 4, 2021 • 18min
#249 Cellulitis, Bites, Vulvovaginitis, MGUS, SPEP (TFTC #1)
Recap the top pearls from recent shows on vulvovaginitis, cellulitis and bites, MGUS and the SPEP. Tales from the Curbside (TFTC) is pilot project providing a rapid review of recent Curbsiders episodes. Note: There is no CME for this mini-episode but visit curbsiders.vcuhealth.org to claim credit for #244, #246 and #247.
Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | Swag! | Top Picks | Mailing List | thecurbsiders@gmail.com | Free CME!
Credits
Written, Produced and Hosted by: Stuart Brigham MD; Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP
Infographics by: Kate Grant MBChb, MRCGP, Beth Garbitelli and Nora Taranto MD
Cover Art: Matthew Watto
Editor: Matthew Watto MD (written materials); Clair Morgan of nodderly.com
Sponsor: The American College of Physicians
Join us for ACP Internal Medicine Meeting 2021: Virtual Experience for 3 days of interactive, livestreaming education and events April 29 through May 1—plus on-demand post-meeting access to CME credit for up to 3 years.
“Early Bird” members get an additional $80 registration discount on top of their member discount. Visit annualmeeting.acponline.org and use the code IM21CURB.
Register now—Early Bird savings end January 31st!
Time Stamps*
*Note: Time Stamps refer to ad free versions.
00:00 Intro, disclaimer, guest bio
02:35 Vulvovaginitis
05:35 Cellulitis and Bites
09:45 SPEP it Up
15:15 Outro

Dec 28, 2020 • 1h 4min
#248 Top Pearls of 2020: Curbsiders' Recap Extravaganza
Our team shares the top pearls of 2020 in our annual recap extravaganza featuring guest host, Chris “The Chiu Man” Chiu @cjchiu. Check out the video version at YouTube. Topics: hypothyroidism, women in medicine, hypothermia, diuretics, heart failure, AKI, lipids, post-op fever, refugee health, SGLT2 inhibitors, euglycemic DKA, UTIs, bat bites, rabies, ILD, statins in NAFLD, framework for hair loss, and more! Plus: Our picks of the year and the Curbsiders gift guide! Note: This episode is not available for CME but #208 through #247 are available for CME/MOC at curbsiders.vcuhealth.org for free!
Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | Swag! | Top Picks | Mailing List | thecurbsiders@gmail.com | Free CME!
Credits
Producer: Chris Chiu MD, FACP, FAAP
Written by: The Curbsiders Team
Show Notes: Matthew Watto MD, FACP
Cover Art: Chris Chiu MD, FACP, FAAP
Hosts: Chris Chiu MD, FACP, FAAP, Stuart Brigham MD; Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP
Editor: Matthew Watto MD (written materials); Clair Morgan of nodderly.com
Sponsor: Panacea Financial
This episode is supported by Panacea Financial, digital banking built for doctors, by doctors. At Panacea Financial you can have your own free personal banker and a support team that works around the clock- just like you do. Open your free checking account today at panaceafinancial.com
Panacea Financial, a Division of Sonabank, Member FDIC

Dec 21, 2020 • 1h 5min
#247 SPEP It Up: MGUS, Myeloma, and Immunology, Oh My!
Dr. Jorge Castillo from Harvard and Dana Farber joins the hosts to discuss topics such as immunology basics, limitations of the SPEP, when to suspect MGUS and myeloma, and how to talk to patients about these conditions. They also touch on Waldenstrom's and amyloidosis, providing valuable clinical insights and diagnostic frameworks. Tune in to learn more about these fascinating topics in internal medicine.