Our Uncertainty in Medicine series launches next week, and to set the stage, we're sharing one of our favorite episodes from the archives - a heartfelt conversation with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat about his journey through the healthcare system while living with chronic Lyme disease.

Medicine likes certainty - diseases we can see and test for and treat. But what do we do when we can't see? When we can't help? Do we keep searching? Or do we look away?

In this episode, Emily speaks with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat about his book The Deep Places, which tells the harrowing story of his experience with Lyme disease, and what it's like to navigate a chronic illness that mainstream medicine hasn't yet fully explained.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Medicine is full of uncertainty—from ambiguous diagnoses to unpredictable outcomes and the complex emotions of not knowing. Uncertainty in Medicine is a new documentary podcast series, created in collaboration with Alexa Miller of ArtsPractica, that examines how both healthcare workers and patients navigate the unknown. Through powerful personal stories and in-depth conversations with professionals whose work depends on making decisions amid uncertainty, the series explores what it means to embrace the gray areas of medicine—and life. The first episode of Uncertainty in Medicine drops Thursday, April 3.

Find show notes, transcripts, and more at thenocturnists.org

The Uncertainty in Medicine series is supported by the ABIM Foundation, by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by The California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Series Host & Co-Creator: Emily Silverman, MD

Series Correspondent: Alexa Miller (ArtsPractica)

Playwright and memoirist Sarah Ruhl discusses her book Smile, which chronicles her journey with Bell's Palsy and the emotional and spiritual challenges of chronic illness. She reflects on the idea of the "slow" or "partial" recovery, how her work as a playwright informs her perspective, the challenges of navigating the healthcare system, and the power of storytelling to heal both writer and reader.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

This episode of The Nocturnists is sponsored by the Bucksbaum-Siegler Institute for Clinical Excellence at The University of Chicago. The Institute is dedicated to fostering compassionate doctor-patient relationships and advancing clinical care. Each year, the Bucksbaum-Siegler Institute recognizes extraordinary healthcare professionals through The National Clinical Excellence Award. To learn more about the award, and to nominate a deserving clinician, visit bucksbauminstitute.uchicago.edu.

In this episode of Conversations, Dr. Jessi Gold, psychiatrist and Chief Wellness Officer at the University of Tennessee, discusses the mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers. Jessi shares insights from her new book, How Do You Feel? One Doctor's Search for Humanity in Medicine, and explores how burnout, moral injury, and wellness are shaping the future of medicine. The conversation delves into topics ranging from telemedicine's influence on mental health care to breaking down the stigma that prevents clinicians from seeking help.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

In this episode of Conversations, Ruth Madievsky, clinical pharmacist and author of the national bestseller "All-Night Pharmacy," shares the inspiration behind her darkly poetic novel about sisterhood, addiction, and intergenerational trauma. Ruth reflects on how her Moldovan roots, her healthcare career, and her love of poetry have shaped her writing. We also dive into the mysticism that permeates her work and explore how trauma and healing intersect in her life and fiction.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

In this episode of Conversations, Dr. Gita Pensa opens up about her harrowing experience as a defendant in a 12-year-long malpractice lawsuit and how it spurred her to create Doctors and Litigation: The L Word, a podcast aimed at helping physicians cope with the emotional toll of litigation. Gita also discusses her involvement in the documentary "A World of Hurt: How Medical Malpractice Fails Everyone," which exposes the flaws in the malpractice system. Through her personal story, Gita highlights practical and psychological tools for doctors navigating the legal system while dealing with fear, shame, and burnout.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

In this episode of Conversations, we sit down with Dr. Sara Walker, an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist who is reshaping the way we think about life. From her work on the origins of life to her innovative assembly theory, Sara takes us on a journey through the possibilities of discovering alien life and challenges some of the core tenets of biology and physics. This conversation will make you rethink not just how life began, but what life is and does.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Family medicine physician Zed Zha persuades her reluctant parents, visiting from China, to indulge in the treat of ice cream.

Zed performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York in November 2023, for an event on the theme of "Taking Care" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Bellevue Literary Review.

Find show notes, transcript and more at thenocturnists.org.

Mother of four, writer, and attorney Ann Schrooten reflects on a pivotal moment from her fifteen year journey caring for her son Jack, who lived with congenital muscular dystrophy.

Ann performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York in November 2023, for an event on the theme of "Taking Care" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Bellevue Literary Review.

Find show notes, transcript and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Shaida Dusenge Kamali, originally from Kigali, Rwanda, reflects on her journey from earning a prestigious scholarship to study in Oklahoma, to raising her younger brother after the sudden passing of their mother. Now a second-year medical student with a passion for geriatrics, Shaida shares the challenges and growth that came with balancing education, caregiving, and cultural transitions.

Shaida performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York in November 2023, for an event on the theme of "Taking Care" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Bellevue Literary Review.

Find show notes, transcript and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Nurse Roshni Shah reflects on how water and ritual bathing brought serenity to a difficult life period, where she was balancing caring for her aging mom with working nights in the ICU. 

Roshni performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York in November 2023, for an event on the theme of "Taking Care" which The Nocturnists co-produced with Bellevue Literary Review.

Find show notes, transcript and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Emmy-winning writer and creative director Lu Chekowsky delves into her mother's powerful lessons on resilience, navigating a high-stakes media career, and facing the biases of healthcare in a larger body.

Lu performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York in November 2023, for an event on the theme of "Taking Care" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Bellevue Literary Review.

Find show notes, transcript and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Dr. Allan Detsky, a Canadian physician, health economist, and Broadway producer, examines the contrasts between Canadian and American healthcare. He then delves into his passion for musical theater, recounting his unexpected journey into Broadway production and how he integrates musical theater into hospital wards as a means of decompression and connection in medical education.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

In our 50th The Nocturnists: Conversations episode, Emily speaks with Maggie Jackson, award-winning author and journalist, about her book "Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure." Maggie describes the neuroscience of uncertainty, the benefits of curiosity and slowing down, and findings from her interviews with physicians and surgeons about uncertainty in medical practice.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Dr. Uché Blackstock, an emergency medicine physician and health equity advocate, discusses her book "Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine." She shares personal stories about her family's journey in medicine, systemic racism and her work to create a more equitable healthcare. 

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Documentary filmmaker Luke Lorentzen and hospital chaplain Mati Engel discuss their award-winning film, "A Still Small Voice," which explores the rewards and challenges of providing spiritual care in the hospital setting.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Pediatric ER physician and author Rachel Kowalsky discusses her short story, "The Delivery Boy." Set in an ER, the story follows a young Guatemalan boy and the team of clinicians who treat him. Rachel talks about how her experiences influence her writing and teaching in health humanities.

"The Delivery Boy" is available to read online for free.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

When Dr. Augie Lindmark first started receiving obituaries in the mailbox, he wasn't sure whether to be amused or afraid. But soon he discovers the identity of the sender, and enters into a rare an unexpected dialogue about aging and mortality. 

Augie performed this story live at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis in April 2023, for an event on the theme of "REBIRTH" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Center for the Art of Medicine.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

This episode of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is sponsored by The New York Zen Center. 

This season of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is supported by The Physicians Foundation. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Physician Tiffany Albrecht jumped into "doing" mode when her beloved husband died – she ran a 5K, cleaned out her closet, and went on a hike. But when her son was finally born, she was overcome by a cathartic wave of emotions.

Tiffany performed this story live at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis in April 2023, for an event on the theme of "REBIRTH" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Center for the Art of Medicine.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

This episode of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is sponsored by The New York Zen Center. 

This season of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is supported by The Physicians Foundation. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

When medical student Peter Park's grandfather died, he was unable to fly to Korea for the funeral due to COVID restrictions. But in anatomy lab, the cadaver he was assigned to shared some similarities to his grandfather that were difficult to explain. Spending time with the body of this stranger, he was able to come to terms with his grandfather's death.

Peter performed this story live at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis in April 2023, for an event on the theme of "REBIRTH" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Center for the Art of Medicine.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

This episode of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is sponsored by The New York Zen Center. 

This season of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is supported by The Physicians Foundation. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Pathologist Sue Wheaton tells a story about helping her mom, a surgeon and racecar driver, navigate the challenges of aging. Later, she reflects on their complicated relationship, and how car metaphors helped them move through difficult moments in their lives.

Sue performed this story live at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis in April 2023, for an event on the theme of "REBIRTH" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Center for the Art of Medicine.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

This season of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is supported by The Physicians Foundation. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

When Anthony's wife got sick, he believed the way to best support her was by getting stuff done. Over time though, he discovered that in order to become a better caregiver, he was going to need to unlearn some of the lessons he'd learned growing up about what love looks like in practice.

Anthony performed this story live at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis in April 2023, for an event on the theme of "REBIRTH" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Center for the Art of Medicine.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

This season of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is supported by The Physicians Foundation. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Kali Dayton, critical care nurse practitioner, ICU outcomes consultant, and host of the Walking Home from the ICU podcast, joins pioneering ICU physical therapist Heidi Engel to discuss long-standing ICU practices rooted in sedation and immobility. Together, they make a powerful case for a transformative model that keeps patients awake, engaged, and walking—even while on ventilators.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

The Nocturnists is back with Season 6 of its classic storytelling series, "Stories from the World of Medicine." We begin with Dr. Meghan Rothenberger, an infectious disease doctor in Minneapolis who had to lose her dog, her wallet, and her dinner, before she realized she'd also lost something more important: herself.

Meghan performed this story live at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis in April 2023, for an event on the theme of "REBIRTH" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Center for the Art of Medicine.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

This season of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is supported by The Physicians Foundation. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

The Nocturnists, the award-winning medical storytelling podcast, is thrilled to announce the launch of its sixth season of its series Stories from the World of Medicine, themed "REBIRTH," available starting February 15, 2024. 

Hosted by Dr. Emily Silverman, this season features an inspiring lineup of medical professionals and students, including Dr. Meghan Rothenberger, Dr. Anthony Williams, Dr. Sue Wheaton, 4th year medical student Peter Park, Dr. Carson Brown, Dr. Tiffany Albrecht, and Dr. Augie Lindmark, who share their experiences and transformations within the world of medicine.

This season, the award-winning podcast The Nocturnists takes listeners on a captivating journey through seven episodes that delve into the personal and professional rebirths of those deeply embedded in healthcare. Recorded live in Minneapolis at the Parkway Theatre in collaboration with the Center for the Art of Medicine at the University of Minnesota (CFAM), these narratives explore themes of discovery, loss, love, and the serendipitous paths to healing. 

Oncologist Stuart Bloom speaks about his staged musical, How to Avoid Burnout in 73 Minutes, which tracks his journey from songwriter to oncologist, and the way he copes with burnout and finds meaning in his work.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

This episode of The Nocturnists is sponsored by Nabla. 

Author Laurel Braitman speaks about her memoir, What Looks Like Bravery, which explores her relationship to her physician-father, and her professional journey toward a career teaching writing to clinicians.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Emergency medicine doctor and author Jay Baruch speaks about his memoir, Tornado of Life: A Doctor's Journey Through Constraints and Creativity in the ER, which explores ethics, stories, and uncertainty in the emergency room.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Television writer and former ENT surgeon Anthony Chin-Quee speaks about his memoir, I Can't Save You, and his burgeoning career in storytelling for the screen.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com

What does the future hold for abortion care? In this final episode of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America, we hear from clinicians at the forefront of finding new solutions for patients in need.

Host & Co-creator: Ali Block, MD

Co-creator: Emily Silverman, MD

Featuring: Amy Meg Autry, MD; April Lockley, DO; Jiana Menendez, MD, MPH; Oriaku Njoku; Linda Prine, MD; and other contributors who wish to remain anonymous

Find show notes, transcript, and more at https://thenocturnists.com/pra/7/futures. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

How has the Dobbs decision impacted medical education? In episode 6 of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America we talk to trainees and educators about how Dobbs has impacted their lives in the classroom, and explore what we lose when we lose abortion training.

Host & Co-creator: Ali Block, MD

Co-creator: Emily Silverman, MD

Contributors: Anastasia Anazonwu, MD Candidate; Bria Peacock, MD; and other contributors who wish to remain anonymous

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com/pra/6/next-generation. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Many physicians have been advocating publicly for reproductive health for decades, but many more have remained silent on the subject of abortion, fearing retribution from the general public and their communities. In episode 5 of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America we talk about the culture of silence around reproductive health in medical spaces, and how breaking that silence is our only hope for reclaiming our reproductive freedom.

Host & Co-creator: Ali Block, MD

Co-creator: Emily Silverman, MD

Contributors: Vineesha Arelli, MD; Caitlin Bernard, MD MSCI FACOG; and Emily Patel, MD

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com/pra/5/culture-of-silence. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Leilah Zahedi-Spung never planned to leave her life behind in Tennessee. But after Roe fell, she found herself having to make an impossible decision about the future of her career. In episode 4 of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America, we examine how political events can upend clinicians' lives and communities.

Host & Co-creator: Ali Block, MD

Co-creator: Emily Silverman, MD

Contributors: Scott Dunn, MD; Zachary Halversen, MD; and Leilah Zahedi-Spung, MD

Find show notes, transcript, and more at https://thenocturnists.com/pra/4/uprooted. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Dr. Marcy Bolster, Dr. Jason Liebowitz, and Dr. Philip Seo join us to discuss their newly published anthology, A Masterclass in Medicine: Lessons from the Experts. They created this compelling essay series to explore what it means to be a master clinician, featuring lessons from their own clinical heroes as well as other renowned physicians. Through these essays, they highlight the essential qualities of exceptional doctoring—empathy, clinical reasoning, and lifelong learning. In this conversation, they share the insights that shaped their careers, reflect on the impact of mentorship, and examine the enduring art of patient-centered care.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Host of STAT First Opinion Podcast, Torie Bosch, interviews family medicine physicians and abortion providers Ali Block and Nikki Zite.

Physicians Alison Block and Nikki Zite knew what they were getting into when they became abortion providers early in their medical training. Family planning has long been a politicized, divisive area of medicine. And even though they knew that Roe v. Wade — the 1973 Supreme Court case that protected abortion access across the country — was being threatened, it still hit them hard when that ruling was actually overturned in June 2022.

This interview was originally released on STAT's First Opinion Podcast, October 4, 2023.

After Dobbs, many states in the middle of the country severely restricted abortion – but Kansas stood out as an exception. As a result, a small clinic in Wichita called Trust Women became an unexpected oasis for abortion care. In episode 3 of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America, we bring you inside the clinic to learn how they handled the overwhelming influx of patients.

*This episode briefly mentions violent imagery and actions targeting abortion clinics. Listener discretion is advised.

Host & Co-creator:  Ali Block, MD

Co-creator:  Emily Silverman, MD

Contributors:  Christina Bourne, MD MPH; Ashley Brink; Zack Gingrich Gaylord; Catalina Moreno-Hernandez, RMA; and other contributors who wish to remain anonymous

Find show notes, transcript, and more at https://thenocturnists.com/pra/3/trust-women. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Before the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, there was S.B. 8—a Texas law that prohibited any abortion after 6 weeks, essentially banning it entirely in the state. In episode 2 of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America, we hear from healthcare workers in and around Texas. What was it like to be an early witness to America's crumbling abortion rights?

Host & Co-creator:  Ali Block, MD

Co-creator:  Emily Silverman, MD

Contributors:  Kiernan Cobb, RN; Bhavik Kumar, MD MPH; and other contributors who wish to remain anonymous

Find show notes, transcript, and more at https://thenocturnists.com/pra/2/the-canary. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America opens in Orlando, at a reproductive health conference where many abortion providers were gathered on the day of the Dobbs leak. We follow a few of them home, as they scramble in the aftermath to figure out what the ruling means for their practices, their patients, and themselves.

Host & Co-creator:  Ali Block, MD

Co-creator:  Emily Silverman, MD

Contributors:  Diane Horvath, MD MPH; Jiana Menendez, MD MPH; Nikki Zite, MD MPH

Find show notes, transcript, and more at https://thenocturnists.com/pra/1/the-day-roe-fell. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued the Dobbs Decision. Overnight, Americans lost the protections on abortion care that Roe vs. Wade had afforded for almost 50 years. Soon afterward, The Nocturnists began talking to abortion providers around the country. Join us for The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America – a 7-episode podcast series featuring the stories of abortion providers from Texas to Tennessee, Oklahoma to Ohio, and beyond.

Series Host:  Ali Block, MD

Co-creators:  Emily Silverman, MD & Ali Block, MD

Featured Contributors:  April Lockley, DO; Bhavik Kumar, MD MPH; Christina Bourne, MD MPH; Emily Patel, MD; Zack Gingrich-Gaylord and other healthcare workers who wish to remain anonymous

More information at thenocturnists.com/post-roe-america

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Psychiatrist Pooja Lakshmin speaks about her book Real Self-Care, which challenges mainstream notions of "self care" and offers a new framework for cultivating wellbeing.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Emily speaks with critical care physician Hannah Wunsch about her book The Autumn Ghost, which tells the story of a polio epidemic in Copenhagen in the 1950s, and how it gave birth to the invention of the modern ventilator and the field of ICU medicine.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Emily speaks with ophthalmologist-comedian Will Flanary and educator Kristin Flanary (aka Dr. Glaucomflecken and Lady Glaucomflecken) about their medical comedy platform, and how Will's personal experience with cardiac arrest impacted the way they view their work as healthcare satirists and content creators.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Emily speaks with cardiologist Eric Topol about his 2019 book Deep Medicine, which explores the potential for AI to enhance medical decision-making, improve patient outcomes, and restore the doctor-patient relationship.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

In honor of Juneteenth this year, we're re-releasing one of our favorite episodes from our 2020 Black Voices in Healthcare series – Episode 7. "Standout."

Have you ever looked around and realized you were the only one? Standing out in the crowd can be hard, but it might just be your superpower.

The Black Voices in Healthcare series is hosted by Ashley McMullen, MD and executive produced by Kimberly Manning, MD.

Contributors include: Marla Law Abrolat, MD; Tomás Díaz, MD; Utibe R. Essien, MD; Erica DaVonne Farrand, MD; Akeem Nassor Marsh, MD; Ekene Onwuka, MD; Whitney Wellenstein, MD; and other healthcare workers who participated anonymously.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Physician and New Yorker writer Dhruv Khullar argues that modern medicine is in a Gilded Age—one where groundbreaking innovations mask deep systemic issues, including misaligned incentives, escalating costs, and growing dissatisfaction. From the influence of private equity on healthcare to the flaws of Medicare Advantage and the crucial role of data as the 'oil' of the healthcare system, this conversation explores the challenges of contemporary medicine while underscoring the importance of frontline clinicians actively engaging in health policy debates.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Emily speaks with physician, public health professor, and author Michael Stein about his recent book Me vs. Us: A Health Divided, which explains why the U.S. focuses on individualized health rather than public health, and the importance of considering populations, prevention, and policy.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Emily speaks with writer and physician Ricardo Nuila about his debut book The People's Hospital, a love letter to Ben Taub Hospital in Houston, Texas, and exploration of how its unique business model may help solve our broken healthcare system.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Emily speaks with writer and philosophy professor Chloé Cooper Jones about her memoir  Easy Beauty, which chronicles her quest to widen perceptions of beauty, motherhood, and disability.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Emily speaks with historian, attorney, and diplomat Philip Zelikow, about the investigative report Lessons from the Covid War, authored by the COVID Crisis Group, which examines the U.S. response to COVID and provides valuable insights for how we can do better in the future.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists' Emily Silverman tells a story about how medical school satisfied much of her curiosity about the human body—but how some mysteries remain, especially related to her dreams.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.