The Podcast by KevinMD

Kevin Pho, MD
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Jan 19, 2026 • 18min

True peace in medicine requires courage not silence

Professor and coach Kathleen Muldoon discusses their article "Why humanity in medicine requires peace with a spine." Kathleen explores the dangerous misconception that peace in health care means silence or compliance. The conversation highlights how teaching medical students to smooth their edges and avoid conflict often leads to burnout, moral injury, and emotional numbness. By redefining peace as an active skill that requires a spine, Kathleen outlines how clinicians can navigate hierarchy and uncertainty without erasing their own humanity. This episode examines the vital difference between keeping the peace and protecting dignity in high-pressure clinical environments. Real professionalism demands the courage to pause and stay present when the room feels chaotic. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended
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Jan 18, 2026 • 14min

Silence is a survival mechanism that costs women their joy

Priya Panneerselvam, an obstetrician-gynecologist and advocate for women's health, shares her insights on the cultural silence surrounding women's health. She delves into her experiences with patients who hesitate to voice their pain and the generational ties to this silence. Priya emphasizes the importance of breaking this cycle as a form of empowerment and gratitude. She also discusses her educational platform, Ask Akka, which addresses critical health topics in immigrant communities, encouraging women to speak up and challenge societal barriers.
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Jan 17, 2026 • 19min

Focusing on outcomes over novelty prevents AI failure in health care

Health care executive Dave Wessinger discusses their article "How to adopt AI in health care responsibly." Dave explains why organizations must move beyond the hype of artificial intelligence to focus on measurable goals like driving growth and improving quality. The conversation highlights specific high-value applications in documentation and patient intake while emphasizing the critical need for a clinician in the loop approach to ensure patient safety. By prioritizing administrative automation over clinical decision-making initially, leaders can build trust and avoid the risks associated with imperfect technology. This episode explores how to shape AI as a practical tool that enhances rather than replaces human judgment. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended
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Jan 16, 2026 • 17min

Escaping the golden cage of traditional medical practice to find joy again

Urologist Tracy Gapin discusses their article "Is your medical career a golden cage?" Tracy explores the paradox of achieving professional success while feeling trapped in a demoralizing and insurance-driven health care system. The conversation highlights how factors like short visits and administrative burdens contribute to physician burnout and alarmingly high rates of suicide among doctors. By identifying the limiting beliefs that hold medical professionals hostage in their careers, Tracy outlines a path toward freedom through a cash-based precision medicine model. This episode examines the necessity of prioritizing personal well-being over systemic demands and encourages doctors to reinvent how they practice to find purpose again. Redefining your medical career might be the only way to save your life. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended
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Jan 15, 2026 • 15min

Capping student loans destroys the rural medical pipeline

Kenneth Botelho, founding director of the doctor of medical science (DMSc) program at The College of St. Scholastica and a physician assistant, discusses his article "Federal graduate-loan caps threaten rural health care access." Kenneth explains how impending borrowing limits for physician assistant and nurse practitioner programs create an insurmountable barrier for students from the very communities that need providers most. He illustrates the paradox where government grants aim to stabilize rural health care while loan policies simultaneously cut off the supply of future clinicians. The conversation highlights the urgent need to align financial aid with public health goals to prevent a rise in mortality rates in underserved areas. Join us to understand why financial barriers to education are becoming a matter of life and death for rural America. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended
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Jan 14, 2026 • 17min

Physician suicide represents a silent epidemic demanding urgent reform

In this insightful discussion, psychiatrist Muhamad Aly Rifai shines a light on the silent epidemic of physician suicide. He shares heartbreaking stories of accomplished doctors lost to this crisis. Muhamad presents alarming statistics showing suicide as a leading cause of death among medical residents and addresses the mental health pressures they face. He calls for actionable reform, urging a shift in culture to view seeking help as strength. Listeners learn about vital steps to support wellness and create a safer environment for those dedicated to healing.
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Jan 13, 2026 • 17min

Personal memories reveal the transformation of HIV care over four decades

Professor and senior associate dean of engagement Janet A. Jokela discusses her article "Reflecting on the significance of World AIDS Day from the 1980s to now." Janet shares harrowing memories from her time as a medical student in the mid-1980s, recalling the fear and stigma that surrounded the early days of the AIDS epidemic. She traces the evolution of treatment from a time of hopelessness to the revolutionary arrival of protease inhibitors and the global impact of PEPFAR. The conversation highlights touching patient stories that illustrate how a diagnosis once considered a death sentence has become a manageable condition, allowing people to live full and service-oriented lives. Join us to honor those lost and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit in the face of a terrifying disease. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended
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Jan 12, 2026 • 16min

Economic reality tests the limits of subscription medicine

Healthcare strategist Dana Lujan, an expert in primary care models, dives into the challenges facing direct primary care amidst economic downturns. She discusses the financial strain on middle-class families, contrasting retail models with employer-sponsored options. Lujan highlights the importance of aligning medical business strategies with community financial realities and suggests diversifying towards employer contracts for stability. Her insights on the risks and sustainability of retail DPCs offer valuable lessons for a changing healthcare landscape.
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Jan 11, 2026 • 19min

Navigating the medical system requires specific life skills

Otolaryngologist Alan P. Feren and patient advocate Joyce Griggs discuss their article "Why health self-advocacy is an essential life skill." Alan and Joyce share the personal journey of becoming a "chief health executive" and explain why managing medical care should be treated with the same seriousness as financial planning. They outline the eight core pillars of advocacy, ranging from health literacy to financial navigation, and argue for the creation of condition-agnostic tools that help patients regardless of their specific diagnosis. The conversation highlights how preparation and organization not only reduce anxiety for caregivers but also save time for clinicians and improve overall outcomes. Join us to find out how you can build the confidence to navigate a complex system effectively. This episode is presented by Scholar Advising, a fee-only financial advising firm specializing in providing advice for DIY investors. If you want clear, actionable strategies and confidence that your financial decisions are built on objective advice without AUM fees or commissions, Scholar is designed for you. Physicians often navigate complex compensation structures, including W-2 income, 1099 work, production bonuses, and practice ownership. Scholar's highly credentialed advisors guide high-earners through decisions like optimizing investments for long-term tax efficiency and expert strategies for financial independence. Every recommendation is tailored to the financial realities physicians face. VISIT SPONSOR → https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended
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Jan 10, 2026 • 21min

Regulatory red tape threatens survival of rare disease patients

Medical oncologist, geriatrician, and physician scientist GJ van Londen and Chief of Genetic and Genomic Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Gerald Vockley discuss the article "FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients." GJ and Gerald explore the complex regulatory impasse where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration denied standard approval for elamipretide despite a positive advisory committee vote, creating a financial crisis that threatens to cut off supply for everyone. GJ shares his personal journey from treating cancer to living with primary mitochondrial myopathy, while the conversation emphasizes the critical need for the agency to use the flexibility granted by the Orphan Drug Act to save a treatment that has already proven its worth. Join us to understand the life-or-death stakes hidden behind administrative decisions. This episode is presented by Scholar Advising, a fee-only financial advising firm specializing in providing advice for DIY investors. If you want clear, actionable strategies and confidence that your financial decisions are built on objective advice without AUM fees or commissions, Scholar is designed for you. Physicians often navigate complex compensation structures, including W-2 income, 1099 work, production bonuses, and practice ownership. Scholar's highly credentialed advisors guide high-earners through decisions like optimizing investments for long-term tax efficiency and expert strategies for financial independence. Every recommendation is tailored to the financial realities physicians face. VISIT SPONSOR → https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

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