The Clinical Etymologist
Dr. Simon Kim
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Dr. Kim, a general internist, hosts this podcast exploring the origins of medical terminology. Each episode blends language, history, and clinical insight to reveal the hidden roots of words used in medicine. The show uncovers eponyms and metaphors that shape how we understand health and illness. It is designed for curious listeners who enjoy learning in a meaningful and fun way.
Epizode
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Mi Amigo, Pablo 01.08.2026 12minSend us Fan Mail What do a Bolivian schoolboy, a few bitter green leaves, and a patient having a seizure have in common? More than you might think. Forty years ago, while attending middle school in Buenos Aires, my friend Pablo offered me my very first coca leaves. At the time, I had no idea that this ancient Andean plant would one day reappear at the bedside of a critically ill patient. In this episode, we'll trace the remarkable journey of coca—from sacred indigenous tradition to one of med... -
Tuna Hematology 20.07.2026 14minSend us Fan Mail What do a Pacific bluefin tuna and clinical hematology have in common? More than you might think. In this episode, our beloved Clinical Etymologist, Dr. Simon Kim, takes his hardworking medical students to a Japanese sushi restaurant, where an ordinary lunch unexpectedly becomes a masterclass in transfusion medicine. As one magnificent tuna is transformed into increasingly selective sushi dishes, fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, PCC, and tranexamic acid suddenly become r... -
Special Bulletin: Hanta Children's Summer Camp 24.05.2026 11minSend us Fan Mail In this special bulletin episode of The Clinical Etymologist™ , Dr. Kim traces the haunting story of hantavirus from the battlefields of the Korean War to a childhood summer camp by the Hantan River. Through memory, etymology, and pathophysiology, he explores how a tiny rodent-borne virus came to shape global medical history. Along the way, listeners discover the origins of Hanta and Sin Nombre viruses, the mystery of capillary leak syndrome, and the deeply human stories hidd... -
Sodium Conundrum 18.05.2026 17minSend us Fan Mail In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist™, Dr. Kim returns to the mystery of hyponatremia through the lens of soda, sodium, and the kidney’s inner logic. From the ancient chemistry of soda water to the modern lab value of serum sodium, Jennifer the Padawan learns that hyponatremia is usually less about salt and more about water. Together, they review how ADH explains urine osmolality, while aldosterone and effective circulating volume explain urine sodium. Along the way, t... -
Sodium Doom 18.04.2026 13minSend us Fan Mail A quiet weekend on call begins with the retirement of Dr. Flow, a urologist who made the difficult look simple. A search for the perfect farewell wine—Pee No More—is abruptly interrupted by a sodium of 122. At the bedside, memorized algorithms begin to unravel under real clinical pressure. Through conversation, we explore ADH, aquaporins, and the physiology behind hyponatremia. Why does volume override tonicity—and how can treatment itself become dangerous?... -
Reacting to CRP 02.04.2026 10minSend us Fan Mail In medicine, we often order tests reflexively, trusting that numbers will guide us toward truth. But what happens when a test is elevated — or completely normal — and the patient remains a mystery? In this episode, we explore C-reactive protein, a familiar marker that is often misunderstood. Through one challenging patient, we uncover what CRP truly measures — and what it does not. And in doing so, we are reminded that not all suffering can be captured in a laboratory value.&... -
Anemia of Chronic Confusion 24.03.2026 12minSend us Fan Mail In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, we explore a common clinical paradox—anemia in the presence of abundant iron. Through a real bedside conversation, we move beyond memorized lab patterns and uncover the physiology that explains them. What does it mean when ferritin is high, yet the patient remains anemic? Why does the body hide iron during inflammation, and what role does hepcidin play in this process? Together, we follow iron’s journey—from absorption to storage—a... -
Professor Magneto and Iron Deficiency 07.03.2026 12minSend us Fan Mail Some time ago in a teaching hospital far, far away, a Marvel supervillain interrupted a lesson in hematology. What happens when all the iron in your body suddenly disappears? Do red blood cells simply fade… or do they shrink in quiet protest? Tonight, we explore iron deficiency, microcytosis, and the elegant physics of erythropoiesis. -
The Bladder Whisperer 22.02.2026 11minSend us Fan Mail In today’s episode, we explore how an overlooked organ can reveal a neurologic emergency. We question whether every “mechanical fall” is truly mechanical. We trace the hierarchy of micturition — from pons to sacrum. And we see how careful listening at the bedside leads to diagnosis. -
Memory of Foul Smelling Urine 11.02.2026 12minSend us Fan Mail In today’s episode, we explore one of the most common — and most misunderstood — diagnoses in medicine: urinary tract infection. Why does foul-smelling urine trigger antibiotics? What truly defines a UTI — bacteria, inflammation, or symptoms? And how often are we treating colonization instead of infection? Let’s return to the bedside, where a simple urine odor almost led us astray. -
Lactate Ringer's: Guilt by Name, Innocent by Physiology 01.02.2026 11minSend us Fan Mail Some time ago in a teaching hospital far, far away, a familiar IV bag sparked an unfamiliar question. Why does a fluid that contains lactate not worsen lactic acidosis? Why is it safe in septic shock — and even preferred? And why do its electrolytes matter more than most of us were ever taught? In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, we follow an emergency department encounter to unpack the physiology, history, and misconceptions behind Lactated Ringer’s. -
ABNORMAL Normal Saline 13.01.2026 17minSend us Fan Mail Welcome to Season 2 0.9% “Normal” Saline is one of the most commonly prescribed intravenous fluids in medicine, yet its name is one of the great misnomers of clinical practice. In this episode, The Clinical Etymologist traces the laboratory origins of 0.9% sodium chloride and explains why it was never designed to replicate human plasma. Through bedside teaching and clinical physiology, we explore how excess chloride alters acid–base balance and renal function. The episode exa... -
Ode to Gettysburg 09.12.2025 12minSend us Fan Mail Some time ago in a teaching hospital far, far away… A new call shift had just been announced, and our clinical etymologist found himself preparing for another unpredictable day. It felt fitting—almost poetic—that it was November 19th, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. Little did the Clinical Etymologist know that this call would bring together etymology, Greek legend, and the physiology of hormonal clearance in the most unexpected way. Medicine has ... -
The Pump The Pipe and The Product 05.12.2025 13minSend us Fan Mail On a routine day call, two eager pre-clerks join the Clinical Etymologist in the ER, hoping to witness internal medicine in action. What we get instead is a cramped cast room, a patient with right-sided weakness, and a half full urinal that almost fell. Not an ideal setting for teaching or learning. This episode isn’t about rare diagnoses — it’s about staying steady when the answers aren’t clear. We explore stroke, vasculitis, and the power of physical exam. But m... -
The Lord of Clerks : An Inferior Awakening 24.11.2025 17minSend us Fan Mail A group of soon-to-be clerks join Dr. Kim in a high-stakes simulation to unravel the physiology, history, and bedside reasoning behind acute myocardial infarction. Through dialogue, humor, and hypothesis-driven examination, they explore chest pain differentials, inferior STEMI nuances, vagal physiology, and the careful use of nitroglycerin. The episode highlights rapid therapies—from aspirin’s buccal absorption to the early plaque-stabilizing power of statins.&nbs... -
Knowledge Gap in Osmolar Gap 12.11.2025 12minSend us Fan Mail Mr. Alexander Kole presents with alcohol intoxication. Odd lab value is noted that hides more than it reveals. In this episode, Dr. Kim and his Padawan Layla explore the clinical mystery of the osmolar gap — when numbers deceive and time unmasks the truth. Through humor, teaching, and reflection, this case shows how physiology, not formulas, saves the day. -
The Kissing Disease 31.10.2025 13minSend us Fan Mail Infectious mononucleosis reminds us that medicine often lives in the space between certainty and curiosity. The tests help, but the story — the pattern of fatigue, fever, and swollen nodes — still matters most. Every patient teaches us that diagnosis is not a checkbox, but a dialogue between cells, science, and clinical sense. And sometimes, the most contagious thing in the room is curiosity itself. -
Ninety Nine Toy Boat 16.10.2025 12minSend us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Kim and his Padawan, Nina, rediscover the forgotten art of the respiratory exam—from tactile fremitus to percussion, from the German for 99 to toy boat. Through etymology, history, and bedside humor, they explore how sound and touch connect anatomy, pathophysiology, and the human story behind every breath. -
Celebrate Lactate 01.10.2025 13minSend us Fan Mail Three days of call. Three dozen consults. Three cups of coffee barely holding the Clinical Etymologist together. This is the story of what happens when exhaustion meets imagination — and a lactate lesson hidden inside a Matrix dream. In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, we blur the lines between reality and dream, weaving medicine, etymology, and a touch of cinema into one teaching pearl. From Enterococcus articles to Neo’s slow-motion battles, from ... -
Pernicious Precision 23.09.2025 13minSend us Fan Mail The momentous discovery of Cobalamin 77 years ago made a macrocytic impact on medicine, saving millions of lives from their pernicious fate. In celebration, we take a subacute and combined degenerative dive into the world of Vitamin B12 deficiency. From raw liver cures to Nobel Prizes, from cobalt atoms to collapsed gait, this episode traces the fascinating history and clinical nuance of a vitamin that does far more than make red cells. Join Dr. Kim and a curious medical stud...
