Best Doctors Without Borders Podcasts (2025)

1
"We built a hospital in a house": An MSF medic returns from Syria 24:23

Play Pause

24h ago24:23

24:23

War has taken a heavy toll on the people of Syria.Since 2011, 14 million Syrians have had to flee the violence that wracked the country. They left behind their homes and livelihoods.Essential infrastructure has been destroyed, and many Syrians have been plunged into poverty, with very limited access to essential services like medical care.But late …

1
39 - What dying teaches us about truly living | Jenny Lytle, BSN 39:33

3d ago39:33

39:33

When a hospice nurse with thirty years of experience speaks about what matters most at the end of life, it's a story worth listening to. Jenny Lytle's journey into nursing began with an unlikely inspiration, a childhood fascination with thermometers during her own hospital stays, but has evolved into a profound calling that's taught her what true c…

1
The biopsychosocial model: What would it take to really replace the biomedical model? 45:35

9d ago45:35

45:35

Medical educators generally acknowledge the importance of training doctors who care for the whole patient rather than just treat the disease. Most medical school curricula attempt to teach to that philosophy, but how successful are they, really? Our guest, Robert C. Smith, is a physician and author, who trained with Dr. George Engel, founder of the…

1
38 - How Resilience Shapes Healthcare | Pete Breitinger, PA-C 33:33

10d ago33:33

33:33

Pete Breitinger's journey to respected PA educator spans more than three decades and reveals the profound human connections at the heart of healthcare. What begins as a candid reflection on his unexpected path into medicine transforms into a masterclass on resilience, advocacy, and equity in patient care. When Pete shares stories from his years in …

1
37 - Quality of Life vs. Medical Protocol: A Social Worker's Perspective | Catherine Moore, LCSW 27:51

17d ago27:51

27:51

The medical world often focuses on protocols and procedures, but what happens when a patient's quality of life conflicts with the "safest" option? Catherine Moore, a licensed clinical social worker and creator of the top-performing Social Workers, Rise! podcast, who's worked in settings from hospice to ICUs, joins us to explore this crucial interse…

1
36 - When Care Means More Than Medicine | Dr. Nekaiya Jacobs Pratt, MD 29:58

24d ago29:58

29:58

What happens when a physician notices something seemingly small but deeply meaningful missing from patient care? Dr. Nekaiya Jacobs Pratt, a pediatric critical care physician, transformed hospital culture by addressing a gap that affected her patients with textured hair. During the isolating days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kay found herself ques…

1
The E-Team: Inside MSF's emergency response unit with Dr Natalie Roberts 36:22

29d ago36:22

36:22

When a crisis hits, our emergency specialists - known as the E-Team - launch into life-saving action to coordinate the response.In this episode of Everyday Emergency, we speak to Dr Natalie Roberts. Now Executive Director of Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) UK, she is an experienced emergency doctor and former Head of Emerge…

1
35 - Medicine Without Borders: What global healthcare perspectives reveal about American medicine | Dr. Gregory Adaka 30:23

1M ago30:23

30:23

What happens when a physician practices medicine across three different continents? Dr. Gregory Adaka's remarkable journey from Nigeria to the UK to the United States reveals surprising truths about global healthcare that every medical professional should consider. Born in Manchester and raised in Nigeria, Dr. Adaka's path to emergency medicine beg…

1
34 - From Heartbeats to Handshakes: A Physician's Journey Through 30 Years of Medicine | Dr. Kipp Van Camp 24:29

1M ago24:29

24:29

What happens when medicine loses its humanity? Dr. Kipp's powerful new book "Heartbeats and Handshakes" offers a rare and intimate look at what it truly means to be a physician - from the terrifying first code blue as a medical student to the wisdom gained through 30 years of clinical practice. Dr. Kipp takes us behind closed doors to reveal the pr…

1
HoP 474 States of the Union: Descartes on the Passions 19:20

1M ago19:20

19:20

What do emotions reveal about the connection between mind and body? We turn to Descartes’ correspondence with Elisabeth and his On the Passions to find out.By Peter Adamson

1
“Disability is part of the human experience”: So why not treat it that way? 56:58

1M ago56:58

56:58

Soon after Lisa Iezzoni MD was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during her first year at Harvard Medical School, from which she graduated in 1984, faculty and administrators discouraged her from practicing medicine. And in her final year they made it impossible for her when the dean’s office refused to write a recommendation letter (now called a M…

1
33 - Why becoming a CAA might be your perfect career | Sally Hoang, CAA 26:36

2M ago26:36

26:36

What began as a pre-med journey toward orthopedic surgery took an unexpected turn when Sally Hoang, CAA discovered the immediate impact and work-life balance offered by a career in anesthesia care. With remarkable candor, Sally Hoang walks us through her typical 16-hour shift—from arriving at 6:30 AM to set up medications and equipment, to meeting …

1
32 - Beyond Traditional Psychiatry: Faith, Storytelling, and Human Connection | Dr. Michael Broukhim 25:11

2M ago25:11

25:11

Dr. Michael Broukhim shatters psychiatric norms with remarkable results, proudly owning his identity as the "anti-psychiatrist psychiatrist." Our conversation reveals why this integrative practitioner achieves what many consider impossible: helping patients recover completely from conditions typically labeled as chronic. The heart of Dr. Broukhim's…

1
HoP 473 As Rational As You: Elisabeth of Bohemia 21:44

2M ago21:44

21:44

A royal scholar and philosopher sets aside the tribulations of her family to debate Descartes over the relation between mind and body and the nature of happiness.By Peter Adamson

1
31 - Laughter is the Best Medicine: How Humor Helps one ER Nurse | Brock Kemp, RN 27:40

2M ago27:40

27:40

Imagine walking into a hospital room, stethoscope in hand, only to have patients immediately assume you're the doctor simply because you're a man. For Brock Kemp, this scenario plays out regularly as a male nurse navigating a predominantly female profession. But these misconceptions are just the beginning of his fascinating journey through healthca…

1
30 - Saving Lives from Above: The Amazing World of Critical Care Flight Medicine | Sophie Fuller 44:30

2M ago44:30

44:30

Flying through the air in a helicopter that's "so much smaller than you think," Sophie Fuller works to save lives as a critical care flight paramedic. In this captivating conversation, she reveals the unexpected journey that led her to becoming a lifesaving flight medic who transports critically ill patients by air. Sophie's path wasn't always clea…

1
HoP 472 Less Cheer, More Knowledge: Descartes’ Ethics 20:31

2M ago20:31

20:31

Descartes’ “provisional” morality and his views on free will and virtue.By Peter Adamson

1
AMR: A threat hidden in plain sight 20:51

2M ago20:51

20:51

In places where MSF operates, getting access to the right antibiotics is a matter of life or death.Antibiotics are the cornerstone of modern medicine, treating a vast range of infections. But, over the last few years we've been seeing a troubling phenomenon where the standard antibiotics used to treat some diseases have simply stopped working.This …

1
The Extraordinary Dr. Richard Clarke Cabot 39:35

2M ago39:35

39:35

It is difficult to overstate the achievements of Richard Clarke Cabot (1868-1939) a relatively little-known, old-moneyed physician of the early 20th century who was far ahead of his time in how much he contributed, and how willing he was to question his own limitations. Cabot's achievements include: creation and self-funding of the first medical so…

1
29 - From Construction to the ER: One RN-turned-PA's Unconventional Path to Medicine | Ryan Foley, PA-C, RN 37:38

2M ago37:38

37:38

What does it take to completely reinvent your career path at age 30? Ryan Foley knows exactly how daunting this journey can be. Starting as a construction worker with a vocational high school background, Ryan made the bold decision to pursue medicine, beginning with remedial college classes and reverse engineering his way to becoming a physician as…

1
28 - Surgical Technicians: The Hidden Heroes of Your Operation | Alyssa Ellis, CST/CSFA 37:01

3M ago37:01

37:01

A sarcastic whisper describing the tools used in the operating room changed everything. Meet Alyssa Ellis, the Certified Surgical Technologist and First Assistant whose educational videos have captured the attention of surgeons, students, and curious patients alike. With her trademark straightforward delivery and deep expertise, Alyssa pulls back t…

1
HoP 471 Unclear and Indistinct Ideas: Debating the Meditations 21:51

3M ago21:51

21:51

Descartes’ Meditations caused controversy as soon as it appeared. In this episode we look at criticisms including the “Cartesian Circle,” and how Descartes answered them.By Peter Adamson

1
27 - Prevention Starts With Understanding: Rethinking How We Teach Complex Medical Concepts | Dr. Josh Wageman, PhD, PA-C, DPT 32:03

3M ago32:03

32:03

Dr. Josh Wageman brings a rare blend of expertise to cardiovascular prevention. With credentials spanning physical therapy, biochemistry, and Yale PA training, he's transformed how we understand lipid science through brilliant, accessible metaphors that make complex medical concepts understandable to everyone. At the heart of our conversation is Jo…

1
26 - Bridging Science and Compassion: One Attending's Whiteboard Approach to Medical Education | Dr. Ali Zreik, MD 35:40

3M ago35:40

35:40

Dr. Ali Zreik arrives at patient rooms with an unusual tool—a rolling whiteboard. While most physicians carry stethoscopes and tablets, this internal medicine attending physician and associate program director brings something more transformative: a visual bridge between complex medical science and human understanding. "Bring me the whiteboard," he…

1
HoP 470 Gary Hatfield on Descartes' Meditations 36:09

3M ago36:09

36:09

We're joined in this episode by a leading expert on one of the most famous works of philosophy ever written: Descartes' Meditations.By Peter Adamson

1
Eastern DRC: Critical care in a complex place 28:48

3M ago28:48

28:48

In the latest episode of Everyday Emergency, we’re looking at the humanitarian crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC – a huge country in Central Africa that’s home to around one hundred and eleven million people. The northeast of the country has endured decades of insecurity since the fallout of the 1994 genocide in the nei…

1
25 - What If We Actually Guided Students Instead of Drowning Them with the Fire Hose? | Jono Lippman, PA-C 31:15

3M ago31:15

31:15

Challenging a broken system often requires walking an unconventional path. Jono Lippman's journey from communications major to wilderness guide to emergency medicine PA beautifully illustrates how diverse experiences can reshape our understanding of what healthcare education could and should be. What happens when someone who once actively avoided s…

1
24 - Medicine, Military, and Mission: How One Patient-Turned-PA is Transforming Lives | Maj. M. Tiye Young, PA-C 47:00

4M ago47:00

47:00

What does it take to transform obstacles into opportunities? Major M. Tiye Young knows firsthand. When deployment orders arrived just days before her PA school application deadline, she didn't abandon her medical dreams—she recalibrated. When a cervical cancer diagnosis threatened her future, she fought back with unwavering resolve. Now, as both a …

1
HoP 469 Ghost in the Machine: Cartesian Dualism 24:30

4M ago24:30

24:30

The word “Cartesian” is synonymous with a radical contrast between mind and body. What led Descartes to his dualism, and how can he explain vital activities in humans and animals having rejected the Aristotelian theory of soul?By Peter Adamson

1
23 - Exam Room Nutrition: A PA's Journey to Compassionate Patient Education | Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RDN 42:19

4M ago42:19

42:19

When a terrified 10-year-old boy walked into Colleen Sloan's pediatric practice in tears, she discovered he'd been monitoring his weight obsessively after another provider warned he'd "need needles in his stomach" if he didn't lose weight. This moment exemplifies everything wrong with how healthcare approaches nutrition conversations—and sparked a …

1
Emboldened Bullies Come for Medical Education 53:52

4M ago53:52

53:52

In an April 23rd executive order (EO), the president of the United States alleges that the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) are requiring medical schools and residency programs to pursue unlawful discrimination through DEI policies. The EO calls for the US Department…

1
22 - From Surgery to Sales: One PA's Journey with Jessica Dell'Aquila, PA-C 22:38

4M ago22:38

22:38

Jessica Dell'Aquila's career journey breaks the conventional mold of what we expect from healthcare professionals. Starting with a clear vision at just 18, she enrolled in Seton Hall's innovative six-year dual degree program, emerging with both her undergraduate biology degree and master's in physician assistant studies—a testament to her focused d…

1
HoP 468 Perchance to Dream: Descartes’ Skeptical Method 29:29

4M ago29:29

29:29

How Descartes fashioned a “method” to repel even the strongest and most radical forms of doubt, with the cogito argument as its foundation.By Peter Adamson

1
21 - Being Light in Medicine's Darkest Hours: A Journey to Oncology | Dr. Anu Oyetoran 27:04

4M ago27:04

27:04

Check our Dr. Oyetoran's youtube channel Journey to MD! What happens when a determined young girl from Nigeria declares she wants to be a doctor? Dr. Anu Oyetoran's extraordinary journey takes us across continents—from West Africa to Canada, the Caribbean, New York, and finally Florida—where she now serves as chief medical resident at the Universit…

1
The Debrief: Dr Javid Abdelmoneim on the crisis in Sudan 23:51

5M ago23:51

23:51

Two years ago, MSF doctor Javid Abdelmoneim received a cryptic message from his cousin in Khartoum that said "Your dad is safe". But safe from what? On 15 April 2023, a brutal civil war broke out in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.From early attacks around the capital Khartoum, the fighting quickly escalated and…

1
20 - Clinical Research Transforms Healthcare While Putting Patients First | Leigh Schirmer, DMSc, PA-C 36:52

5M ago36:52

36:52

Interested in research? Check out the links below to get started! The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program): The Trusted Standard in Research, Ethics, Compliance, and Safety Training Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Online Training Courses Human Subjects Research Courses ---------------------------------------------------------…

1
HoP 467 Written in Mathematics: Descartes’ Physics 27:32

5M ago27:32

27:32

For Descartes body is purely geometrical. So how does he understand features we can perceive, like color, and causation between bodies?By Peter Adamson

1
Physicians and Authoritarians: Are We Too Obedient? 47:20

5M ago47:20

47:20

The record of physicians standing up for their values as healers under authoritarian regimes is not good, whether it’s Nazi Germany, the former Soviet Union, or Iraq, with behaviors ranging from assisting in torture, to psychiatric hospitalization for political reasons. And sadly, it’s often without any coercion. More subtly, physicians may go alon…

1
19 - Ripple of Change: How One Doctor is Fighting to Save Healthcare | Dr. Todd Otten, MD 34:47

5M ago34:47

34:47

Learn more about Dr. Otten or to support his documentary, please visit Medicine Forward. His book, Ripples of Change is available at a bookstore near you! Dr. Todd Otten pulls back the curtain on healthcare's darkest challenges while offering a vision of hope for its future. A board-certified family physician with over two decades of experience, Dr…

1
18 - A Trailblazing Physician Assistant Changing Lives in Interventional Radiology | Carrie Hayes, PA-C 42:59

5M ago42:59

42:59

What does it take to become a trailblazer in the world of interventional radiology? In today's episode, we explore this question with Keri Hayes, a remarkable interventional radiology Physician Assistant who has been instrumental in shaping her field. Growing up in a small North Carolina town where specialty care was sparse, Keri's determination to…

1
HoP 466 Well Hidden: Descartes’ Life and Works 20:13

5M ago20:13

20:13

How René Descartes’ understanding of his own intellectual project evolved across his lifetime.By Peter Adamson

1
17 - Escape the Clinic with a Physician Assistant, Businesswoman, Podcast Host, and Trailblazer for Life Beyond the Office | Katie Bean, PA-C 31:36

5M ago31:36

31:36

So much more at Escape the Clinic Masterclass with Katie Bean, PA-C And please listen to her podcast: Escape the Clinic What happens when the career you've worked so hard for starts taking more than it gives? Katie Bean, a physician assistant with years of experience in emergency medicine, found herself dreading her shifts, missing precious family …

1
Caring for Patients or Policing Them? Prescription Drug Monitoring, Doctors and Opioids 1:08:47

5M ago1:08:47

1:08:47

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) were originally designed for law enforcement to monitor patients and physicians for criminal behavior before it became available to health care professionals. Physicians and pharmacists often find PDMPs helpful because they can verify what a patient tells them and will often decide not to prescribe or d…

1
16 - A Conversation About Resiliency in Medicine with a Pediatric Resident Physician | Beatrice Garrido, DO 45:32

5M ago45:32

45:32

Join us on a journey through the compelling story of Dr. Beatrice Garrido, a resident physician whose path to pediatrics and global health is as unique as it is inspiring. Listen in as Dr. Garrido shares how her early dreams of becoming a veterinarian led her to the intricate world of human medicine, fueled by a pivotal moment with her mother. Her …

1
HoP 465 Modern Times: France and the Netherlands in the 17th Century 27:02

6M ago27:02

27:02

A look at the political and religious ferment that made up the historical context of philosophy in 17th century France and the Netherlands.By Peter Adamson