I love a good podcast. It bears repeating, I love a good podcast. I have had to control my emotions when listening in public spaces because I’m prone to outbursts of laughter and my facial expressions betray when I’m shocked by what I hear. A good podcast reveals new information and challenges my preconceived notions of a subject. It often possesses a compelling narrative or provides a fresh perspective. The episode makes me listen, invites me to think, and persuades me to contemplate what I might do differently to get better results in my life. In a world oversaturated with information, minutes in the day are precious and focus is a hot commodity. It is helpful to gauge which podcast episodes might be worth the time and effort. To that end, for those that are interested in pre-med, here are a few podcast episodes that might be worth adding to your playlist:
Dr. Elorm by Dear PreMed Podcast: Mary Tate, MD is a Harvard Medical school graduate that highlights the diverse personal narratives of doctors who graduated from Harvard Medical School. The final episode of the first season featured Elorm Avakame, MD, MPP, who provided the graduation address to Harvard Medical School. If you’re looking for a bit of encouragement and inspiration, give this episode a listen.
A Conversation with Darrell Kirsch, MD by Academic Medicine Podcast: Produced by the editors of the Academic Medicine Journal, this podcast uses a range of episode styles from short stories to long interviews to feature current physicians and leading authorities in the field of medicine. The episode entitled, “A Conversation with Darrell Kirsch, MD” contemplates the future of medical education with the President and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges. There’s an interesting discussion about the future of medical school curriculum and assessment processes.
If you’re looking for more general listening regarding the field of healthcare, colleagues and friends have recommended a couple of NPR episodes with food for thought on current events, including The WHY: One Cancer Survivor’s Case for Assisted Suicide and Fresh Air: Tales of Corporate Painkiller Pushing. Craving a throwback episode? Try The Ezra Klein Show: Atul Gawande on surgery, writing, Obamacare, and indie music. It’s still a crowd-pleaser.
Whether you use the episodes for a study break, inspiration or brainstorming, I wish you happy listening!
