How I Doctor with Dr. Graham Walker

Dr. Shiv Rao is a cardiologist, entrepreneur, and the CEO and co-founder of Abridge, the physician-founded AI company transforming how clinical conversations become care. Built on the belief that healthcare is about people, not paperwork, Abridge is now embedded in more than 200 major health systems, processing millions of encounters each week and helping doctors reconnect with the meaning of their work.In this special in-person episode, How I Doctor host Dr. Graham Walker sits down with Shiv for an unfiltered, wide-ranging conversation about the rise of AI in medicine, the moral crisis facing clinicians, and what it truly takes to build technology that serves the physician instead of replacing them.From Abridge’s early days of being dismissed as a “party trick” to its current role in reshaping clinical workflows nationwide, Shiv shares how the company scaled, why it never called itself an “AI scribe,” and how every patient conversation can now fuel better care, fewer clicks, and more connection.This isn’t just another startup story — it’s a blueprint for how doctors can lead the AI movement from the inside.🎥 Watch the full video conversation now — exclusively on offcall.com/learn/podcast/physician-ai-conversation-shiv-rao-abridgeWhat You’ll LearnHow healthcare AI grew from a party trick to becoming an integral part of healthcare infrastructure.How Abridge turns physician-patient conversations into structured clinical data.Shiv’s vision for the future and where the company will go next from a product standpoint.Why Shiv believes physicians must lead the AI movement and not watch from the sidelines.🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE🎧 Subscribe to receive new How I Doctor episodes directly in your feed here: https://episodes.fm/1767429315👨‍⚕️Follow Dr. Graham Walker onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-md/ IG https://www.instagram.com/ubergraham/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/drgrahamwalker.com ✉️ Join our newsletter On/Offcall here https://offcall.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🟧 Follow Offcall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinoffcall/ IG https://www.instagram.com/offcalldotcom/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offcalldotcom Mentioned in this episode:This Episode is Sponsored by AbridgeAbridge is the leading AI platform that drafts structured, clinically useful notes at the point of conversationAbridge Sponsor

Dr. Jackie Gerhart is a family physician, clinical informaticist, and Chief Medical Officer at Epic — the company whose software powers much of American healthcare. From ambient documentation and AI scribes to patient-facing AI assistants like Emmy, Epic is now redefining how data, technology, and the human touch coexist in clinical care. Few physicians have seen this evolution from the inside and even fewer have helped shape it.In this episode of How I Doctor, host Dr. Graham Walker talks with Jackie about Epic’s internal culture, its push to make the EHR invisible, and the company’s next wave of physician-centric innovation. Jackie also opens up about Epic’s development philosophy, the company’s obsessive customer-focus, and why she believes we’re entering the most exciting era in modern medicine, but only if physicians can stay engaged in shaping what comes next.This episode pulls back the curtain on one of healthcare’s most influential companies and offers a grounded look at how Epic envisions the future of practice for the doctors who depend on it every day.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How Epic’s “software-factory” model enables faster innovation across healthcare.Where many EHR frustrations stem from and how Epic considers what to address.How Epic’s new AI tools, Art and Emmy, aim to reduce friction for both doctors and patients.What “the office visit of the future” could look like – powered by ambient AI with no typing and no mouse.How Epic thinks about collaboration vs. competition with startups like Abridge and partners like Microsoft.Why Dr. Gerhart believes this is the most exciting time to practice medicine in decades.🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE🎧 Subscribe to receive new How I Doctor episodes directly in your feed here: https://episodes.fm/1767429315👨‍⚕️Follow Dr. Graham Walker onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-md/ IG https://www.instagram.com/ubergraham/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/drgrahamwalker.com ✉️ Join our newsletter On/Offcall here https://offcall.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🟧 Follow Offcall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinoffcall/ IG https://www.instagram.com/offcalldotcom/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offcalldotcom Mentioned in this episode:We're releasing a Physicians AI Whitepaper and need your help!Calling all MDs: Help us shape the future of what AI looks like in medicine. Participate Here! https://tally.so/r/n0pxeNThis Episode is Sponsored by AbridgeAbridge is the leading AI platform that drafts structured, clinically useful notes at the point of conversationAbridge Sponsor

We're releasing a Physicians AI Whitepaper and need your help!Calling all MDs: Help us shape the future of what AI looks like in medicine. Participate Here! Dr. Sean Codier is an emergency physician at Salem Hospital within Mass General Brigham and one of the leaders behind the first successful physician unionization effort in the system’s history. What started as frustration over understaffing, overcrowding, and a lack of voice in patient-care decisions grew into a movement that’s now inspiring doctors nationwide to organize for change.In this episode of How I Doctor, Dr. Graham Walker talks with Dr. Codier about why more physicians are turning to unions as their only legal avenue to force real dialogue with hospital leadership. They discuss how the corporatization of medicine has stripped doctors of autonomy, the myths administrators use to discourage organizing, and what it actually looks like to form and run a physician union. Dr. Codier also shares the personal risks, lessons learned, and why he believes reclaiming physicians’ collective voice is essential to protecting both the profession and the patients we serve.This episode is a candid look at how medicine reached this crossroads and asks whether the future of physician advocacy depends on this form of collective power.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why more physicians are unionizing and what that process really involves.The biggest myths hospitals spread about unions — and what’s actually true.The personal and professional risks of organizing inside large health systems.Whether unionization is a long-term solution to help physicians reclaim medicine’s moral core.🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE🎧 Subscribe to receive new How I Doctor episodes directly in your feed here: https://episodes.fm/1767429315👨‍⚕️Follow Dr. Graham Walker onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-md/ IG https://www.instagram.com/ubergraham/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/drgrahamwalker.com ✉️ Join our newsletter On/Offcall here https://offcall.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🟧 Follow Offcall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinoffcall/ IG https://www.instagram.com/offcalldotcom/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offcalldotcom Mentioned in this episode:We're releasing a Physicians AI Whitepaper and need your help!Calling all MDs: Help us shape the future of what AI looks like in medicine. Participate Here! https://tally.so/r/n0pxeN

Dr. Vineet Arora is the Dean for Medical Education at the University of Chicago and one of the nation’s leading voices on equity, leadership, and physician well-being. Her groundbreaking research has exposed how gender bias and pay inequity continue to shape medicine—from how residents are evaluated to how faculty are promoted and paid. But more importantly, she’s focused on what can be done about it.On this episode of How I Doctor, Dr. Graham Walker talks with Dr. Arora about why women physicians still earn less than their male peers—and the systemic, cultural, and personal strategies that can finally close the gap. They discuss the hidden ways bias shows up in training and evaluations, how compounding pay inequities add up to millions over a career, and what real pay transparency should look like. Dr. Arora also shares practical advice for early-career physicians on negotiation, knowing your value, and finding professional fulfillment without burning out.This episode will challenge how you think about pay, power, and progress in medicine—and what each of us can do to make equity the norm, not the exception.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The real data behind the $2 million lifetime gender pay gap in medicine.How bias in evaluations and promotions starts as early as residency.Why pay transparency alone won’t fix inequity and what else needs to change.How fair pay connects directly to feeling valued, supported, and able to keep practicing the medicine you love.🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE🎧 Subscribe to receive new How I Doctor episodes directly in your feed here: https://episodes.fm/1767429315👨‍⚕️Follow Dr. Graham Walker onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-md/ IG https://www.instagram.com/ubergraham/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/drgrahamwalker.com ✉️ Join our newsletter On/Offcall here https://offcall.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🟧 Follow Offcall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinoffcall/ IG https://www.instagram.com/offcalldotcom/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offcalldotcom Mentioned in this episode:This Episode is Sponsored by AbridgeAbridge is the leading AI platform that drafts structured, clinically useful notes at the point of conversationAbridge Sponsor

Dr. Ali Chaudhary is an emergency physician, entrepreneur, and one of the leading voices helping doctors reclaim control over their careers. After leaving a traditional W-2 job, he built Locums United and LocumOS - two platforms designed to bring transparency, fairness, and autonomy to how physicians are staffed and compensated. Having lived both sides of medicine, Ali shares how locum tenens work can transform burnout into balance and turn short-term contracts into long-term career freedom.On this episode of How I Doctor, Dr. Graham Walker talks with Ali about what really happens when doctors leave the W-2 world, how to build stability as an independent contractor, and why locums can be the key to both financial freedom and professional fulfillment. They break down the myths that scare physicians away from 1099 work, the financial strategies that make it sustainable, and the mindset shift required to think like a business owner instead of an employee.If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to make more, work less, and still love medicine again then this episode is your blueprint.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why the traditional W-2 model is burning out physicians and how locums flips the script.How to set up your locums life for stability.The real financial math behind 1099 work, and how to maximize your take-home pay.How to spot red flags in locums contracts and avoid being underpaid.🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE🎧 Subscribe to receive new How I Doctor episodes directly in your feed here: https://episodes.fm/1767429315👨‍⚕️Follow Dr. Graham Walker onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-md/ IG https://www.instagram.com/ubergraham/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/drgrahamwalker.com ✉️ Join our newsletter On/Offcall here https://offcall.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🟧 Follow Offcall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinoffcall/ IG https://www.instagram.com/offcalldotcom/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offcalldotcom Mentioned in this episode:This Episode is Sponsored by AbridgeAbridge is the leading AI platform that drafts structured, clinically useful notes at the point of conversationAbridge Sponsor

Dr. Alison Haddock is an emergency physician, educator, and past president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). She’s spent her career fighting for physician autonomy and building a sustainable future for emergency medicine. One where doctors aren’t just surviving shift to shift, but leading the systems that shape their work. A national voice on policy and workforce reform, Dr. Haddock has seen firsthand how crowding, violence, and financial pressure are pushing ER physicians to their breaking point and what it will take to bring them back.On this episode of How I Doctor, Dr. Graham Walker sits down with Alison live at ACEP to unpack what’s really driving burnout in emergency medicine, how systemic failures fuel the crisis in the ED, and why unionization and pay transparency may be the boldest tools for reclaiming control. They dive into the politics of boarding, the hidden cost of private equity in healthcare, and the urgent need to rebuild physician power from the ground up. It’s a candid, timely conversation about survival, advocacy, and the kind of leadership emergency medicine needs right now.If you’ve ever walked out of a shift wondering how much longer you can do this, or what it would take to make things better, this episode is for you!What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy burnout isn’t about resilience—it’s about control. How the loss of professional autonomy, not the lack of self-care, drives physicians out of the field.How ED boarding exposes systemic rot. Why emergency physicians are paying the price for hospital inefficiency, and what policy changes could actually fix it.The financialization of medicine explained. How profit-first strategies have warped incentives and left doctors carrying the moral and financial burden.Why unionization is gaining traction among physicians. How collective action could be the next step in protecting clinicians and reshaping the balance of power in healthcare.What ACEP is doing to fight back. Inside Dr. Haddock’s efforts to reform employment models, prevent physician exploitation, and push for meaningful change.🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE🎧 Subscribe to receive new How I Doctor episodes directly in your feed here: https://episodes.fm/1767429315👨‍⚕️Follow Dr. Graham Walker onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-md/ IG https://www.instagram.com/ubergraham/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/drgrahamwalker.com ✉️ Join our newsletter On/Offcall here https://offcall.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🟧 Follow Offcall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinoffcall/ IG https://www.instagram.com/offcalldotcom/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offcalldotcom Mentioned in this episode:This Episode is Sponsored by AbridgeAbridge is the leading AI platform that drafts structured, clinically useful notes at the point of conversationAbridge Sponsor

Dr. Brian Dixon is a psychiatrist, entrepreneur, and one of the boldest physician voices pushing for salary transparency and fairness in medicine. He’s the founder of Simply Psych and Mindful, and he’s built his career by pulling back the curtain on contracts, compensation, and the hidden math of how health systems profit off physicians. With radical honesty, he shares not just his wins but also his mistakes—showing doctors the real trade-offs between employment, private practice, and entrepreneurship.On this episode of How I Doctor, Dr. Graham Walker talks with Brian about why most contracts are designed to exploit physicians, how transparency builds trust, and what it really takes to scale a practice without burning out. They dig into the myths that keep doctors underpaid, the psychological traps that make us easy to exploit, and the lessons Brian had to buy - sometimes for $50,000 - that can save you from the same fate. If you’ve ever wondered how to get paid fairly and keep your autonomy intact, this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for.If you’ve ever looked at your paycheck and wondered, “Is this really what I’m worth?”—this episode will change how you see employment, private practice, and the business of medicine.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why the salary you’re offered is rarely the salary you’re actually worth—and how employers frame the numbers against you.How the culture of altruism in medicine gets exploited, leading doctors to accept less than they deserve.The three true career paths for physicians (employee, owner, or hybrid) and how to think about risk versus autonomy.Why employed physicians today may face more risk than independent ones—and how non-competes and contract language trap doctors.How to scale a private practice the right way so you don’t burn out trying to do everything yourself.Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting the podcast:Abridge - AI for clinical conversations: https://www.abridge.com/Evidently - Leading AI-powered clinical data intelligence https://evidently.com/🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE🎧 Subscribe to receive new How I Doctor episodes directly in your feed here: https://episodes.fm/1767429315👨‍⚕️Follow Dr. Graham Walker onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-md/ IG https://www.instagram.com/ubergraham/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/drgrahamwalker.com ✉️ Join our newsletter On/Offcall here https://offcall.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🟧 Follow Offcall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinoffcall/ IG https://www.instagram.com/offcalldotcom/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offcalldotcom Mentioned in this episode:This Episode is Sponsored by AbridgeAbridge is the leading AI platform that drafts structured, clinically useful notes at the point of conversationAbridge Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Abridge - the leading AI platform that drafts structured, clinically useful notes at the point of conversation.MDCalc turns 20 this year. What began as a scrappy side project in med school grew - without outside funding - into one of the most-used, most-trusted clinical references in the world. In this episode of How I Doctor, host Dr. Graham Walker sits down with his co-founder Dr. Joe Habboushe - an emergency physician, math nerd in the best sense, and relentless advocate for evidence-based care - to unpack how MDCalc was built, why clinicians trusted it early, and what comes next in the age of AI.They revisit the “slow and thoughtful, not move-fast-and-break-things” playbook that earned physician trust, the scrappy years when both were working full-time in the ED while growing the site score-by-score, and how partnering with tool creators and societies raised the bar for quality. From COVID’s chaotic first year to today’s AI hype cycle, Joe explains why guardrails matter, why calculators should augment (not replace) clinical judgment, and how MDCalc plans to lead responsibly.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeHow two ER docs grew MDCalc organically into a global, trusted clinical toolThe product philosophy behind MDCalc: safe, fast, trusted—and why “don’t break things” works in medicineWhy decision tools must partner with clinical judgment and not compete with “gestalt vs. calculator” false choicesHow MDCalc’s contributor model and society partnerships improved evidence quality and bedside usabilityMDCalc + AI: where responsible, physician-led guardrails can make tools powerful and safePractical advice for physician-founders: finding a complementary co-founder, building step-by-step, and choosing work that actually fits youAbout Dr. Joe HabbousheEmergency physician, co-founder of MDCalc, and long-time champion of evidence-based medicine. Joe helped design MDCalc’s contributor ecosystem, content standards, and “safe-fast-trusted” ethos that clinicians rely on at the bedside.If you’re a clinician who uses MDCalc, this conversation is a rare behind-the-scenes on how it was built for you—and how it will stay clinician-first as AI enters the workflow.🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE🎧 Subscribe to receive new How I Doctor episodes directly in your feed here: https://episodes.fm/1767429315👨‍⚕️Follow Dr. Graham Walker onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-md/ IG https://www.instagram.com/ubergraham/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/drgrahamwalker.com ✉️ Join our newsletter On/Offcall here https://offcall.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🟧 Follow Offcall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinoffcall/ IG https://www.instagram.com/offcalldotcom/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offcalldotcom Mentioned in this episode:This Episode is Sponsored by AbridgeAbridge is the leading AI platform that drafts structured, clinically useful notes at the point of conversationAbridge Sponsor

Ethan Nkana spent over a decade as a hospital executive negotiating contracts on behalf of health systems. He knew the inside playbook: how administrators calculated physician value, what mantras they used behind closed doors, and the quiet ways hospitals exploited physician professionalism. Then he switched sides. In this episode of How I Doctor, Dr. Graham Walker sits down with Ethan to explore medicine’s hidden business realities. From the stigma of being called “greedy,” to why the squeaky wheel gets the raise, Ethan unpacks how contracts are really written and how doctors can speak up without jeopardizing their careers. He shares the three buckets every physician should focus on - life balance, practice support, and fair pay - and the practical strategies that turn an uneven negotiation into a fair one.He calls himself the “Jerry Maguire for physicians,” and in this conversation Ethan shares what every doctor needs to know before signing or renewing a contract.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why “greedy” is a trap word and how to reframe fair pay as part of safe patient careThe 3 contract buckets that matter most: life balance, practice support, and compensationWhat hospital executives really say behind closed doors about new physician hiresWhy the best physicians don’t always get paid the most—and who doesSimple, non-adversarial scripts physicians can use to ask for what they needAdditional Resource for Physicians:👉 Contract Negotiation Guide Before your next contract discussion, make sure you’ve gathered:Your actual weekly workload (clinical + after-hours documentation)Recent productivity metrics and patient satisfaction scoresEvidence of non-revenue work (committees, teaching, outreach)Market data for your specialty and regionA clear ask for at least one improvement in each bucket: life balance, practice support, fair pay\Find out more about Rocky Mountain Physician AgencyFollow Ethan on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/physicianagency/?hl=en 🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE🎧 Subscribe to receive new How I Doctor episodes directly in your feed here: https://episodes.fm/1767429315👨‍⚕️Follow Dr. Graham Walker onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-md/ IG https://www.instagram.com/ubergraham/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/drgrahamwalker.com ✉️ Join our newsletter On/Offcall here https://offcall.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🟧 Follow Offcall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinoffcall/ IG https://www.instagram.com/offcalldotcom/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offcalldotcom

Dr. Danielle Ofri is an internist at Bellevue Hospital, clinical professor at NYU, and one of the most widely read physician-writers of our time. Through her books, essays, and New York Times op-eds, she has given voice to the emotional realities of medical work and exposed the ways the business of healthcare exploits the professionalism of doctors and nurses. Her clarity and candor have made her a trusted guide for physicians who feel the weight of a system that too often prioritizes profit over patient care.In this episode of How I Doctor, Dr. Graham Walker sits down with Danielle to discuss medicine’s broken promises. From the erosion of trust and the exploitation of clinicians’ goodwill, to the disconnect between luxury hospitals and patient harm, they explore the hidden economy of modern healthcare and the ethical line between professionalism and exploitation. Dr. Ofri shares why nursing shortages are directly tied to patient mortality, how administrators rely on doctors “doing the right thing,” and what it will take for physicians to reclaim their voice in shaping the system.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why the “professionalism” of doctors and nurses has become healthcare’s most exploited resourceHow nursing shortages directly affect patient safety and mortality ratesThe ethical and personal toll of 20-minute visits for medically complex patientsThe hidden disconnect between nonprofit hospital profits and patient careStrategies for physicians to speak up without crossing ethical or professional linesSubscribe to Danielle’s newsletter hereFollow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/danielle_ofri/  🩺 Offcall is more than a platform — it’s a community. Join today!📝 For a full transcript of this episode click HERE🎧 Subscribe to receive new How I Doctor episodes directly in your feed here: https://episodes.fm/1767429315👨‍⚕️Follow Dr. Graham Walker onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-md/ IG https://www.instagram.com/ubergraham/ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/drgrahamwalker.com ✉️ Join our newsletter On/Offcall here https://offcall.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🟧 Follow Offcall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinoffcall/ IG https://www.instagram.com/offcalldotcom/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offcalldotcom