SuperBowl Special – Head Injuries and Concussions

This episode aired on February 6, 2011 and is now available as a free download on our iTunes page!

On this Super Bowl Sunday, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers. Several hours earlier, we tackled the topic of head injuries in professional sports by speaking with a panel of experts:

  • Alex Bagley, MD/PhD student at Harvard University
  • Dan Daneshvar, MD/PhD student at Boston University.
  • Dr. Matthew DiPaola, Radio Rounds Special Correspondent and Assistant Professor of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Wright State University.

Alex and Dan are the founders of the Sports Legacy Institute Community Educators (SLICE) program, where they study the science behind concussions. We discuss their work in the Boston area, educating youth about the dangers of head injuries, and we discuss the perception of concussions within the realm of professional sports.

Learn more about the SLICE program on their website and find out how you can get involved or contact Alex and Dan directly.

Again, remember that, as always, the free-to-download podcast of this episode (and all past episodes) can be found on our iTunes page!

An Apple a Day

This episode — the Season 5 Premiere — aired on January 30, 2011. and is now available as a free download on our iTunes page! You can also listen to the entire episode here on our site!

We kick off the new year by addressing a topic that is central to many new year’s resolutions: eating healthier. At the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in California, veteran OB/GYN physician Dr. Preston Maring decided to create an organic farmers’ market right outside the doors to his hospital.

In this episode, we speak to Dr. Maring about his motivations behind the project, as well as his views on pursuing a healthier lifestyle through better eating options. Also joining us on the program is Dr. Maring’s son, Ben, who is a 4th year medical student at New York University. Moreover, Ben is a culinary school graduate and has worked to incorporate his two interests while a medical student. He founded a program called CHEF — Cook Healthy, Eat Fresh —  which teaches future physicians about nutrition in the context of common diseases, such as diabetes.

Learn more about Dr. Maring and his son in this recent New York Times article

Again, remember that, as always, the free-to-download podcast of this episode (and all past episodes) can be found on our iTunes page!

Brevity is its Soul

Episode 418 — the SEASON FOUR FINALE — aired on December 12, 2010, and the podcast is available as a free download on our iTunes page!

How many kids have a Pulitzer Prize winner as their teacher? Probably not many — but in Atlanta, home of Margaret Edson, winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama — there have been more than a few lucky Kindergarteners…

In the late ’90s,  Edson made her name as a playwright, authoring Wit, a play about a woman who is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In 1999, Edson won the Pulitzer Prize. And in 2001, the story was adapted to a 2001 film starring Academy Award winning actress Emma Thompson. Now, Edson works as a Kindergarten teacher in Atlanta.

In this Season 4 Finale, Edson joins the Radio Rounds crew as the featured guest — describing her inspirations, the true meaning of her play, and its timeless message for physicians and patients alike. In addition, the ‘Rounds’ crew is joined live in the studio by Dr. Bob Reece, Professor Emeritus of Medical Ethics at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, who incorporated the story of Wit into the medical school curriculum.

Like trivia? This was the second Radio Rounds season finale to feature a Pulitzer Prize winning author as the featured guest. The first instance: the Season Two finale, with Tracy Kidder.

Remember, all past episodes of Radio Rounds are available on our iTunes page, and you can find out about every past episode of the program via our complete Episode Guide!

Medicine Today: It’s Everyone’s Business

Episode 417 aired on December 5, 2010, and the podcast is now available as a free download on our iTunes page!

In this episode, we hear from special guest Dr. Tom Harbin, Opthalmologist and Author of the Student Doctor Network’s What Every Doctor Should Know… But Was Never Taught in Medical School. Dr. Harbin discusses useful advice to help physicians better understand the business aspects of medicine and to help patients better understand the complex decisions that enter into day-to-day medical decision-making.

For a preview of Dr. Harbin’s interview, check out this short clip on Youtube!

And remember that, as always, the free-to-download podcast of this episode (and all past episodes) can be found on our iTunes page!

Dr. Anonymous and the Social Media (R)evolution

Episode 416 aired on November 28, 2010, and the podcast is now available as a free download on our iTunes page!

In this episode, we hear from special guest Dr. Anonymous, host of The Doctor Anonymous Show and a family physician in Youngstown, Ohio. And if you’re wondering — no, “Anonymous” is not his real surname, but as a social media enthusiast, Dr. Mike Sevilla’s blog and show were designed to represent physicians everywhere. On this episode, “Dr. A” discusses the evolution of social media and the ways in which social media changes the modern practice of medicine.

For more info on the Doctor Anonymous Show, which — like Radio Rounds — is available on iTunes, visit www.DoctorAnonymous.com . In addition, ‘Rounds’ hosts Avash Kalra and Shamie Das recently appeared as guests on Episode 183 of the Doctor Anonymous Show, and “Dr. A” filmed a behind-the-scenes video of a recent Radio Rounds episode.

In addition to the discussion about social media, be sure to tune in to the podcast of this episode to hear Avash and co-hosts Teresa Lee and Adam Deardorff recap their Thanksgiving holiday weekends! Find out about the unique dishes on the table at Teresa’s home… and about how Avash decided to burn off the extra calories on Thanksgiving Day.

Remember that, as always, the free-to-download podcast of this episode (and all past episodes) can be found on our iTunes page!

The Search for Treatment – Alzheimer’s and its Burdens

Episode 415 aired on November 21, 2010, and the podcast is available as a free download on our iTunes page!

In this episode — hosted by Teresa Lee and John Mark McClain and featuring a ‘Rounds’ record-tying 13 voices during the half-hour show — we hear from a pair of guests who specialize in the human brain: neurologists Dr. Steven DeKosky and Dr. Zachary London.

Dr. DeKosky is a medical researcher and academic known for his work in the field of Alzheimer’s Disease. He is the Vice President and Dean for the School of Medicine at the University of Virginia, and in this episode, he offers his insights regarding recent research assessing the effectiveness of ginkgo biloba — an herbal treatment — in preventing the onset of dementia in healthy adults.

In addition, we return to a familiar Radio Rounds segment from last season — the popular Residency Program Series. This episode features Dr. Zachary London, Director of the Neurology Residency Program at the University of Michigan. Dr. London describes the qualities of neurology that drew him to the specialty, shares a personal patient story, and offers advice for medical students interested in becoming neurologists.

Remember that, as always, the free-to-download podcast of this episode (and all past episodes) can be found on our iTunes page!

Triumph After Tragedy – 11 Seconds, 15 Years Later

Episode 414 aired on November 14, 2010, and the podcast is now available as a free download on our iTunes page!

In this episode, the Radio Rounds team speaks with special guest Travis Roy, author of a book entitled Eleven Seconds, which chronicles his life-altering accident in 1995, in which he became paralyzed from the neck down, just 11 seconds into his first varsity hockey game with the then-reigning NCAA champion Boston University.

Travis’s story is about hope and perseverance in the face of tragedy. As a followup to this episode — and for bonus audio excerpts of our interview with Travis — be sure to check out Radio Rounds host Avash Kalra’s article on College Hockey News. Travis describes his accident in further detail, as well as the incredible response from the college hockey community.

In addition, learn more about Travis and the Travis Roy Foundation, which provides generous research support and individual grants for spinal cord injury survivors.

Remember that, as always, the free-to-download podcast of this episode (and all past episodes) can be found on our iTunes page!

Mysteries & Oddities in the Mutter Museum

Episode 413 aired on November 7, 2010 and is now available as a free download on our iTunes page!

In this episode, the Radio Rounds crew takes a special visit to the famed Mutter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia — a museum that welcomes tens of thousands of curious visitors each year and showcases a legendary collection of medical history.

Oh, and more than a few medical oddities as well.

Hosts Avash Kalra and John Corker speak with the Curator of the Museum, Anna Dhody, as well as the Museum’s Director, Dr. Robert Hicks. Ms. Dhody and Dr. Hicks discuss the famous exhibits at the museum, including the Hyrtl skull collection, a collection of 2,000 objects extracted from people’s throats, the tallest skeleton on display in North America, and of course, the famous mystery of the preserved Soap Lady — whose corpse turned itself into a soapy substance called adipocere.

Learn more on the Mutter Museum website, and remember that, as always, the free-to-download podcast of this episode (and all past episodes) can be found on our iTunes page!

Cholera Outbreak in Haiti (Special Report)

This episode, which aired on October 31, 2010, is now available as a free download on our iTunes page!

In January 2010, Haiti was leveled with a devastating earthquake, which led to a worldwide movement of support for the Haitian people. Within the vast relief efforts was Dr. Evan Lyon, a physician with the Partners in Health organization, who spent weeks in Haiti providing medical care. Now, in the wake of the October 2010 cholera outbreak in Haiti, Dr. Lyon returns to Radio Rounds to discuss the outbreak. The entire full-length interview with Dr. Lyon, who has been working at the central hospital in Port-au-Prince is available below.

Advising Capitol Hill, Dr. Peggy Wilmoth

This episode, which aired on October 24, 2010, was the 50th Episode of Radio Rounds and is now available as a free download on our iTunes page!

Continuing our coverage of recently passed health care legislation in Washington D.C., we speak to Dr. Peggy Wilmoth for her insights regarding health care policy and reform.

Dr. Wilmoth is a 2009-10 Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow on assignment with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.  She concurrently serves as a nursing professor at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte, and as a Brigadier General in the United States Army Reserve.

In addition, hosts John Corker, Casey McCluskey, and Teresa Lee reflect on the first 50 episodes of Radio Rounds, highlighting their favorite guests and looking ahead to the next 50 (and many more!).

Again, as always, the free-to-download podcast of this episode (and all past episodes) can be found on our iTunes page!