"Knock Knock, Hi! with the Glaucomfleckens" dives into the highs, lows, and WTFs of healthcare. Whether you're in the medical field, live with a healthcare worker, or broke your arm once and are still paying off your medical bills, this is a must-listen. Join Will and Kristin Flanary (aka the Glaucomfleckens) for candid chats with leading healthcare voices like Dr. Mike and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Discover fun facts about eyeballs, hear relatable stories from medical training, and sneak a peek into the U.S. health insurance industry (spoiler alert: it's not great!). We'll share our own perspectives of being a patient or family member experiencing the healthcare system. And, of course, we explore the question on everyone's minds: "Why has Dr. Glaucomflecken never had his eyes dilated?" Combining science with humor and a dash of snark, we unpack the human side of healthcare.
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Glauc Talk: When AI Claims Credit for Human Research
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 • Duration 34:28
We did back-to-school night for our ninth grader and I came away wanting to re-enroll myself. The CS teacher (28 years in the classroom) convinced me that what computer programming really teaches is attention to detail, one misplaced space breaks the whole thing, and the Spanish teacher, who grew up under Franco with his left hand literally tied to his chair for writing right-handed, had a philosophy so good I almost asked if I could come on Monday. After the break, I get into the AI mathematics controversy. OpenAI announced their agents solved the Navier-Stokes equations using 10,000 agents over 88 hours on a problem humans have worked on for 60 years, but an NYU mathematician and an Anthropic researcher claim OpenAI trained on their ongoing unpublished work without attribution, which is a more acute version of the IP argument that's followed AI from the start, and it bugs me in a way I don't have a clean answer for.
Takeaways:
Computer programming teaches attention to detail above almost everything else
OpenAI's Navier-Stokes announcement is a sharper version of AI's ongoing IP problem
The AI regulation debate keeps hitting the same wall
Franco's Spain was still enforcing Catholic baptism within 72 hours of birth and banning left-handedness well into the 1970s
High school is wasted on teenagers
—
We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com
Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken
Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/
If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken
If you want more information on models I use:
Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15
As a proud FIGS Ambassador, visit https://WearFIGS.com and use code DrGFIRSTFIGS to shop, stay updated on new launches, and learn more about FIGS advocacy projects.
Check out FIGS on social platforms: @wearfigs
To learn more about Microsoft Dragon Copilot, visit:
http://aka.ms/knockknockhi
--
A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information.
Produced by Human Content
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Knock Knock Eye: Myopia Is Officially a Disease: What the AMA Reclassification Means
Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 33:26
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association put out a truly hilarious study complaining that AI tools drove nearly $1 billion in extra costs for their insurers over two years, blaming hospitals and doctors for using AI to code more accurately. This from the industry that pioneered using AI to deny claims. It's an arms race now, and the only people who actually lose are patients, premiums keep going up regardless of who wins.
Then two big eyeball wins. The AMA House of Delegates finally reclassified myopia as a disease, which should push pediatric progression treatments like Stellest lenses, ortho-K, and atropine drops onto medical insurance instead of cash pay. And Dr. Morgan Micheletti's team sent 135 intraocular lenses to the International Space Station for six months to see if cataract surgery could survive deep space travel, most held up remarkably well.
Takeaways:
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is complaining that AI tools have driven ~$1 billion in extra insurer costs, ignoring that insurance companies pioneered using AI to deny and downcode claims.
The healthcare AI arms race is a battle for a fixed pot of money, and patients always end up paying via higher premiums.
The AMA House of Delegates has adopted a resolution formally classifying myopia as a disease, opening the door for medical insurance coverage of progression treatments.
Stellest lenses, orthokeratology, and atropine eye drops are the current options for slowing pediatric myopia progression, with Stellest showing about 70% reduction over two years.
Dr. Morgan Micheletti's ISS study found that most acrylic intraocular lenses survived six months exposed to space, suggesting cataract surgery in space may eventually be feasible.
—
To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live
We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com
Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken
Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/
If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken
If you want more information on models I use:
Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15
As a proud FIGS Ambassador, visit https://WearFIGS.com and use code DrGFIRSTFIGS to shop, stay updated on new launches, and learn more about FIGS advocacy projects.
Check out FIGS on social platforms: @wearfigs
To learn more about Microsoft Dragon Copilot, visit:
http://aka.ms/knockknockhi
Cozy Earth almost never does 30% off, and they're doing it right now through the 11th. Go to cozyearth.com, use code KnockKnock, and get 30% off home and sleepwear. Cozyearth.com, code KnockKnock
--
A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information.
Produced by Human Content
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Neuroscience Behind Being "Too Sensitive" (with Dr. Sasha Hamdani)
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 • Duration 01:02:28
This week Kristin and I sat down with Dr. Sasha Hamdani, a board-certified psychiatrist, ADHD expert, and author of the new book Too Sensitive: Rejection, Resilience, and the Science of Feeling Deeply. Sasha breaks down the actual neuroscience behind why some of us feel emotions so intensely, and gave us some genuinely useful tools for dealing with it. We also got a proper medical explanation for hangxiety, which, as someone who has experienced it, I found extremely validating.
Sasha also walked us through rejection sensitive dysphoria, its connection to ADHD, and her own long and slightly chaotic road to getting diagnosed at 40. And look, I'll admit that by the end of this conversation I may have lost an ongoing argument with Kristin about whether or not I have anxiety.
Takeaways:
Emotional sensitivity has a neurological basis involving a hyper-responsive amygdala and an under-responsive prefrontal cortex.
Cyclic sighing, a specific breathing technique, can help calm the nervous system and re-engage logical thinking during moments of panic.
Rejection sensitive dysphoria is closely linked to ADHD and can be one of the most limiting aspects of the condition for many people.
"Hangxiety" occurs because alcohol interacts with GABA receptors similarly to anti-anxiety medications, leading to a rebound anxiety effect the next morning.
Delaying your response to conflict or bad news allows alarm chemicals to subside, leading to a calmer, more rational reaction.
—
Want more Sasha Hamdani, MD?
@thepsychdoctormd
To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live
We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com
Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken
Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/
If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken
If you want more information on models I use:
Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15
As a proud FIGS Ambassador, visit https://WearFIGS.com and use code DrGFIRSTFIGS to shop, stay updated on new launches, and learn more about FIGS advocacy projects.
Check out FIGS on social platforms: @wearfigs
To learn more about Microsoft Dragon Copilot, visit:
http://aka.ms/knockknockhi
Cozy Earth almost never does 30% off, and they're doing it right now through the 11th. Go to cozyearth.com, use code KnockKnock, and get 30% off home and sleepwear. Cozyearth.com, code KnockKnock
--
A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information.
Produced by Human Content
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Knock Knock Eye: The Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act: What the Bill Actually Does
Thursday, October 1, 2026 • Duration 44:24
I'm back in the corporate practice of medicine content cycle, this time on the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act, a new federal bill modeled on Oregon's landmark CPOM law. It closes the MSO / PC ""friendly physician"" loophole that corporations like Apollo MD use to get around existing laws in 34 states, and it kills non-competes and non-disparagement clauses so hospital-employed doctors can finally speak out. It's not perfect, nonprofit hospitals are exempt, but I support it. My answer to declining reimbursement isn't to sell to private equity, it's to work together: merge practices, form IPAs, unionize where employed. Physicians are terrible at group projects, and it's costing us.After the break, an update on GLP-1s and NAION now that the lawsuits are hitting mainstream media. The correlation is real, the causation isn't proven, and the comorbidities overlap heavily. Don't stop your GLP-1 based on a news story, talk to your doctor about your specific risk factors. But if you have sudden painless vision loss on the medication, see an eye doctor immediately.
Takeaways:
The Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act closes the MSO / PC "friendly physician" loophole that corporations use to circumvent existing corporate practice of medicine laws in 34 states.
The bill also eliminates non-competes and non-disparagement clauses, freeing hospital-employed physicians to speak out about harmful practices without fear of retribution.
The critique that killing private equity gives nonprofit hospitals free rein misses the point, hospitals and PE are aligned on profit motives, not competitors.
Will's answer to declining reimbursement isn't selling to PE, it's merging practices, forming independent physician associations, and unionizing where employed.
On GLP-1s and NAION, the current signal is correlation, not causation, don't stop the medication based on news coverage, but seek immediate care for sudden painless vision loss.
—
To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live
We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com
Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken
Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/
If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken
If you want more information on models I use:
Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15
As a proud FIGS Ambassador, visit https://WearFIGS.com and use code DrGFIRSTFIGS to shop, stay updated on new launches, and learn more about FIGS advocacy projects.
Check out FIGS on social platforms: @wearfigs
To learn more about Microsoft Dragon Copilot, visit:
http://aka.ms/knockknockhi
--
A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information.
Produced by Human Content
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Glauc Talk: Is It Too Late To Start Med School At 40?
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 • Duration 45:47
This episode kicks off with a listener email from someone facing a conundrum: she finds out about getting tenure within a few weeks of turning 40, all while wondering if she should ditch academia and go to medical school instead. Kristin and I dig into what it would actually take to start med school at 40: the family logistics, the physical toll of taking overnight call as you get older, the financial reality of avoiding debt at that age, and whether it's even possible to "test drive" medicine before committing.
From there, we get into an update on the health systems behaving badly that I've been calling out, including why I keep getting cease and desist letters from hospital systems but never from insurance companies, and what's really going on when hospitals fire independent doctors and replace them with more expensive locums. We wrap up with a couple extra questions: whether it's weird for a doctor to use their iPhone flashlight during an exam, and a genuinely tough one about whether you'd want to get tested for a fatal genetic disease like Huntington's if it ran in your family.
Takeaways:
A listener asked whether it's worth pursuing medical school at 40 instead of pursuing tenure, prompting a discussion of the financial, physical, and family challenges of a late-career switch to medicine.
Independent medical practices are increasingly being pushed out by hospital systems in favor of contracts with private equity-backed groups, sometimes at a higher cost.
Corporate Practice of Medicine (CPOM) laws, like Oregon's, are gaining momentum in more states as a way to limit corporate control over medical practices.
Will has received cease and desist letters from hospital systems for his content but has never received one from a health insurance company.
Will and Kristin discuss whether they'd want to get genetic testing for a fatal disease like Huntington's if it ran in their family.
—
We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com
Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken
Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/
If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken
If you want more information on models I use:
Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15
As a proud FIGS Ambassador, visit https://WearFIGS.com and use code DrGFIRSTFIGS to shop, stay updated on new launches, and learn more about FIGS advocacy projects.
Check out FIGS on social platforms: @wearfigs
To learn more about Microsoft Dragon Copilot, visit:
http://aka.ms/knockknockhi
--
A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information.
Head to http://www.cozyearth.com and use my code KNOCKKNOCK for an exclusive 20% off.
Produced by Human Content
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Knock Knock Eye: ACGME Wants to Cut Resident Rest Hours
Thursday, September 24, 2026 • Duration 27:17
Coming to you from a hotel patio in Lebanon, New Hampshire, this week I dig into the ACGME's newly released revisions to resident work-hour restrictions. We walk through what's actually being proposed: eliminating the mandatory 8-hour rest period between ordinary shifts, cutting required rest after a 24-hour call from 14 hours down to 12, and loosening call frequency from every third night to every second night. Despite some pushback that current restrictions have made residents "soft," I think these changes go too far and put both patients and physicians at risk.
Then it's back to more familiar territory: eyeballs. After getting my own eyes irritated in the indoor hotel pool, I break down the actual science behind why your eyes turn red around chlorine. Spoiler: it's not (directly) pee, it's a gas called chloramine that forms when chlorine reacts with body oils, sweat, and other impurities, stripping the protective oil layer off your tear film.
Takeaways:
The ACGME has proposed eliminating the 8-hour rest period between ordinary scheduled shifts for residents, with a public comment period open until October 22nd.
The proposal would also reduce required rest after a 24-hour in-house call from 14 hours to 12, and change call frequency from every third night to every second night.
I oppose the proposed changes, arguing that sleep-deprived residents make more medical errors and that the current 80-hour work restrictions strike a reasonable balance.
Red, irritated eyes after swimming aren't caused by direct contact with urine, but by chloramine gas, formed when chlorine reacts with sweat, body oils, and other impurities in the water.
Chloramine gas strips the protective oil layer off the eye's tear film, causing redness, burning, and dryness.
—
To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live
We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com
Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken
Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/
If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken
If you want more information on models I use:
Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15
As a proud FIGS Ambassador, visit https://WearFIGS.com and use code DrGFIRSTFIGS to shop, stay updated on new launches, and learn more about FIGS advocacy projects.
Check out FIGS on social platforms: @wearfigs
To learn more about Microsoft Dragon Copilot, visit:
http://aka.ms/knockknockhi
--
A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information.
Produced by Human Content
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Do Physicians Make the Best Startup Founders? (with Dr. David Lortscher)
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 • Duration 59:21
This week Kristin and I are talking business; specifically, how doctors go from having a great idea to actually building a company around it. We're joined by Dr. David Lortscher, a board-certified dermatologist, co-founder of Curology, and author of Why Doctors Win: The Doctor's Guide to Creating or Joining a High-Impact Startup. David breaks down why so many of the most successful healthcare companies of the last few decades, including Intuitive Surgical, Gilead, Regeneron, UpToDate, were founded or co-founded by physicians. He makes the case for why more doctors, nurses, PAs, and other clinicians should be in the room when healthcare companies get built, instead of leaving it entirely to people with zero patient care experience.
We get into the real differences between venture capital and private equity, what VCs actually look for before funding a startup, and the story behind how David built Curology, including the surprisingly counterintuitive pay structure that helped it scale to treating millions of patients. Kristin and I also talk about our own version of this, how she basically became CEO of Glaucomflecken so I could keep doing what I actually want to do, which is make dumb videos and still practice ophthalmology four days a week.
Takeaways:
Over half of the top 100 most successful healthcare startups founded in the last four decades had a physician founder or co-founder.
Venture capital funds early-stage companies with high growth potential, while private equity typically buys existing businesses and tries to make them more efficient, often through cost-cutting.
A successful startup needs both a transformational product and a clear path to winning the market, not just a clever idea.
Physicians don't need to quit clinical practice to start a company if they have a good support system and trusted co-founders.
The two things every successful startup needs are a truly transformational product and a clear path to winning over the market.
—
Want more Dr. David Lortscher?
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/DavidLortscherMD
X (Twitter): @DavidLortscher
To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live
We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com
Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken
Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/
If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken
If you want more information on models I use:
Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15
As a proud FIGS Ambassador, visit https://WearFIGS.com and use code DrGFIRSTFIGS to shop, stay updated on new launches, and learn more about FIGS advocacy projects.
Check out FIGS on social platforms: @wearfigs
To learn more about Microsoft Dragon Copilot, visit:
http://aka.ms/knockknockhi
--
A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information.
To get your Henson Razor go to hensonshaving.com/knockknockhi and use code knockknockhi to receive 100 blades for free with the purchase of a razor.
Produced by Human Content
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Knock Knock Eye: What People Get Wrong About Private Practice
Thursday, September 17, 2026 • Duration 35:47
This week I'm tackling two things that have been on my mind. First, I saw a piece of content from another physician creator explaining why they left private practice, and the framing bothered me: the idea that private practice is inherently about squeezing as much money out of patients as possible. I get where that creator is coming from, but I think that's simply a culture problem at that practice, and I don't want med students or residents seeing that content and writing off private practice entirely. I talk through why financial pressure and reimbursement cuts are real, how to spot when a doctor is actually upselling you, and what to look for in a practice that shares income and actually operates like a partnership.
Then I get into something a little heavier: an angry, anonymous email I got accusing me of tanking a hospital's reputation and making it harder for them to recruit, just for reporting on the neonatologists who were fired there. I break down why I make these videos, how seriously I take sharing information on my platform, and why I think doctors get blamed for administrators' decisions.
Takeaways:
Financial pressure in private practice can be real, largely driven by declining reimbursement, but it doesn't have to dictate individual clinical decisions.
A key sign of a healthy private practice is one that shares a significant percentage of income among partners rather than paying doctors only for what they individually bring in.
Patients who feel like they're being upsold on elective procedures should trust that instinct and seek a second opinion.
I stand by my hospital accountability videos, arguing that I'm amplifying stories from healthcare workers who can't speak publicly themselves due to non-disparagement agreements.
I explicitly condemn any threats or violence directed at hospital administrators or CEOs.
—
To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live
We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com
Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken
Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/
If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken
If you want more information on models I use:
Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15
As a proud FIGS Ambassador, visit https://WearFIGS.com and use code DrGFIRSTFIGS to shop, stay updated on new launches, and learn more about FIGS advocacy projects.
Check out FIGS on social platforms: @wearfigs
To learn more about Microsoft Dragon Copilot, visit:
http://aka.ms/knockknockhi
--
A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information.
Produced by Human Content
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Business of Medical Content Creation (with Dr. Fran Heydanek)
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 • Duration 01:07:03
This week I'm sitting down with Dr. Fran Heydanek, OBGYN, mom, and one of the biggest medical content creators out there fighting misinformation. We start with the wildly common experience of getting scammed by fake podcast invites (yes, it's happened to both of us), then get into her actual path to medicine: integrated arts classes, a rejected dentistry detour, a brief love affair with pathology, and a med school that apparently banned water in the lecture halls.
From there we go deep on the business of being a doctor who also makes social media content: how she films, edits, and posts everything herself, how she decides which brand deals are worth it (spoiler: no liver detoxes), how she balances a full clinical schedule with content creation, and more.
Takeaways:
Podcast scam emails targeting content creators are common; both Will and Dr. Fran have nearly fallen for fake booking requests.
While Dr. Fran shoots, edits, and posts nearly all of her own content herself, it can be challenging to balance with a full clinical schedule.
She still works as a full-time OBGYN and has no plans to leave clinical practice, even as her content career has grown, not only because she loves her job but also because it is important for credibility.
Not all brand deals should be accepted. Dr. Fran turns down brand deals for products she wouldn't personally use, and I agree that most offers aren't worth the credibility hit.
Dr. Fran's early career included a fashion blog that helped fund her wedding and car payments before medical school and before she started posting medical content.
—
Want more Dr. Fran Heydanek?
@pagingdrfran - Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube
To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live
We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com
Can’t get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! – http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken
Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/
If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken
If you want more information on models I use:
Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact. For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15
As a proud FIGS Ambassador, visit https://WearFIGS.com and use code DrGFIRSTFIGS to shop, stay updated on new launches, and learn more about FIGS advocacy projects.
Check out FIGS on social platforms: @wearfigs
To learn more about Microsoft Dragon Copilot, visit:
http://aka.ms/knockknockhi
--
A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information.
Produced by Human Content
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Knock Knock Eye: Why An Eye Exam Could Make You Faint
Thursday, September 10, 2026 • Duration 32:46
Welcome back to Knock Knock Eye, my one-stop shop for all things eyeball related. This week I'm taking a quick break from corporate practice of medicine talk (just this once, I promise) to dig into a mailbag question from a listener named Gina, who fainted during a routine gonioscopy exam. We get into what a vasovagal reaction is, why the eye seems to be such a common trigger for fainting, and what you can actually do in the moment to keep your blood pressure from tanking.
From there I go into the oculocardiac reflex, which is a genuinely wild phenomenon where manipulating the muscles around your eye can drop your heart rate enough to cause cardiac arrest, plus how it shows up clinically when someone has a trapped eye muscle from an orbital fracture.
As always, send me your hospital horror stories, and also your hospital success stories, at knockknockhi@human-content.com.
Takeaways:
Passing out during an eye exam is usually a vasovagal reaction, not a sign anything went wrong.
Clenching your muscles while breathing slowly and calmly can help prevent a fainting spell if you know you're prone to one.
The oculocardiac reflex is a real drop in heart rate triggered by pulling on the eye muscles, and in rare cases it can lead to cardiac arrest.
A sudden heart rate drop when a patient looks up can signal a trapped eye muscle from an orbital fracture.
Persistent dry, itchy eyes could actually be Demodex blepharitis rather than simple dryness.
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A friendly reminder from the G’s and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit http://www.EyelidCheck.com for more information.
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