HuMed with David Spiro, MD

Episodes

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  Longevity Physician Dr. Vassily Eliopoulos: "He Looked Exactly Like Me" 20.10.2026 1h

  After years in emergency medicine, Dr. Vassily Eliopoulos (Dr. Vass) coded a man in a rural Wyoming ER who was his age, had no other risk factors, and looked exactly like him. That night pushed him from the ER toward longevity medicine and cardiovascular prevention.In this episode of HuMed, pediatric ER physician Dr. David Spiro talks with Dr. Vass about why doctors neglect their own health, the "golden handcuffs" that kept him stuck, how therapy and CBT-I helped him heal from years of night shifts, and why he believes disease care and true health care are two different systems. He also walks through his longevity pyramid, built on community, purpose and sleep, not supplements and saunas.CHAPTERS0:00 He coded a man who looked exactly like him0:28 Meet Dr. Vass: ER doctor turned longevity physician2:05 The code in Rock Springs, Wyoming4:48 Why doctors neglect their own health8:13 The lost art of healing11:03 "We're training technicians, not physicians"15:07 Trapped in a broken system18:18 The golden handcuffs20:44 Healing from decades of night shifts28:30 Disease care vs. true health care35:37 Why no one told Dr. James Wittig he was sick39:04 Advice to his younger self: don't let fear decide42:32 Dr. Vass's longevity pyramid44:55 What dying patients talk about47:51 Purpose: the old dog and the rabbit51:21 A quarterly "board meeting" with his kids53:16 Fasting, thermal springs and community57:54 Closing thoughtsWatch the full video on YouTube: HuMed with David Spiro, MDFollow HuMed on Instagram: @humedpodhumedpod.comHuMed unveils the human side of medicine through real stories from physicians. This episode is for education and storytelling, not individual medical advice.
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  Lifestyle Medicine Physician Dr. Melissa Mondala: "I Did Healing for Myself First" 17.10.2026 54m

  "I did healing for myself first, so I could become a better healer."Before Dr. Melissa Mondala treated patients with lifestyle medicine, she needed it herself. She lived with IBS and reflux from her teens, and during her training at Loma Linda she was diagnosed with an atypical breast cancer. Changing how she ate, moved, slept and handled stress changed her health, and her husband's, and it reshaped how she practices medicine.On this episode of HuMed, Dr. David Spiro talks with Dr. Mondala, a double-boarded family and lifestyle medicine physician, fellowship-trained in integrative psychiatry and integrative medicine, about the patients who shaped her: a young single mother of three with pancreatic cancer who kept running for her kids, and a fashion designer with an autoimmune disease who got her life back layer by layer.They also discuss:Lifestyle medicine vs. integrative medicine, and where they overlapWhy ferritin matters even when hemoglobin looks normalHer approach to adult behavior change: one habit, SMART goals and habit stackingWhat medical training leaves out about nutrition and sleepAdvice for frustrated, burned-out physicians who feel stuck practicing reactive medicineDr. Mondala earned her MD at Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. She is co-founder of the Doctor Lifestyle Clinic, a direct care practice, and author of Embody Lifestyle Medicine: How to Build a Successful Direct Care Startup.HuMed unveils the human side of medicine through honest conversations with physicians. Follow the show so you never miss an episode.Chapters00:00 Cold open00:22 Introducing Dr. Melissa Mondala02:25 Her own health story: IBS, reflux and food as poison04:21 Loma Linda and the Blue Zones05:30 A breast cancer diagnosis during training07:00 The pillars of lifestyle medicine and her husband's autoimmune disease08:49 The young mother with pancreatic cancer13:53 Lifestyle medicine vs. integrative medicine18:50 A patient with autoimmune disease and a difficult cycle27:36 Why ferritin matters31:45 What standard medical training leaves out36:48 Night shifts, sleep and processed food40:09 How to change adult behavior44:12 Accountability, SMART goals and habit stacking47:05 Lifestyle medicine and autism spectrum disorder50:54 Advice for frustrated, burned-out physicians53:31 Closing
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  ER Physician Dr. Rick Pescatore: "Nobody Could Solve Her Mystery Illness" 13.10.2026 50m

  Dr. Rick Pescatore was driving to Pittsburgh with a woman he had met on Hinge, describing a kind of patient he sees every ER shift: pain, nausea, vomiting, and tests that all come back normal. She said the person he was describing "sounds exactly like my mom." A few weeks later her mother was dying in an ICU, and nobody could solve her mystery illness. The missing piece turned out to be vitamin B1 (thiamine). The woman from that drive is now his wife, Katie.Dr. Pescatore is a board-certified emergency physician. He went through the U.S. Naval Academy, studied aerospace engineering, and served in the Navy's submarine force before medical school. He trained at Cooper University Hospital, served as Delaware's chief physician during the COVID-19 pandemic, is editor-in-chief of Emergency Medicine News, still works shifts in a community ER, and co-founded Belly MD.In this conversation with Dr. David Spiro, he talks about helping diagnose his future mother-in-law, why so many ER patients are told they are normal when their lives are not, and how that pattern helped burn him out of full-time emergency medicine. They also get into what night shifts cost physicians, his Navy call sign, his time leading Delaware's pandemic response, and why an ER doctor who used to roll his eyes at supplements now sells them.In this episode:– The drive to Pittsburgh: "sounds exactly like my mom"– An ICU stay nobody could explain, and the vitamin B1 answer– "We tell them that they're normal, but their lives aren't"– Disorders of gut-brain interaction and the ER– Why he calls GLP-1 drugs some of the most revolutionary in history– Burning out of emergency medicine, and the night-shift toll at every age– F-18s, submarines, and the call sign "Aquaman"– Chief physician for Delaware during COVID-19– An ER doctor selling supplements: his answer to the eye-rollsChapters(00:00) Cold Open: "Met a Girl on Hinge"(01:05) Welcome & Meet Dr. Rick Pescatore(03:16) The Drive to Pittsburgh: "Sounds Exactly Like My Mom"(04:30) Decades of Symptoms, Then the ICU(06:19) Vitamin B1 and Gastrointestinal Beriberi(07:03) "We Tell Them That They're Normal"(08:12) Saving Her Mom's Life With a Vitamin(10:03) Belly Pain: What the ER Can't Fix(11:27) Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction(13:09) Should Emergency Medicine Change?(14:21) Diet and the American Food System(16:47) Sulfite Preservatives and Vitamin B1(19:31) GLP-1s, Falls, and the Toenail Question(22:50) The Naval Academy, F-18s, and the Call Sign "Aquaman"(27:24) "I Burned Out of Emergency Medicine"(29:26) The 3 a.m. Problem: Night Shifts and Physician Health(30:40) Dr. Spiro on Night-Shift Anxiety(33:04) Chief Physician for Delaware During COVID-19(35:57) Building Belly MD(40:33) Supplements: "I Used to Be That Guy"(44:12) An ER Doctor Selling Supplements?(45:43) Testing for Vitamin Deficiencies(47:47) ClosingLearn more about Dr. Pescatore's work: bellymd.comCheck out the Inside HuMed Newsletter: https://www.humedpod.com/inside-humedThis episode is one physician's personal story and is not medical advice. Dr. Pescatore co-founded Belly MD, which sells supplements, as he discusses in the episode.If this episode meant something to you, follow HuMed on Apple Podcasts and send it to one colleague who needs to hear it.
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  Neuro-Ophthalmologist Dr. Kim Blankshain: "What Is Happening?" Her Husband's Brain Surgery 10.10.2026 36m

  A Monday morning, 6:45. Dr. Kim Blankshain is changing her infant son when she hears a crash in the next room. Her husband is sitting on the edge of the bed, bleeding from a gash in his forehead. She expects a few stitches. Hours later an ER physician says the CT scan came back and he is being sent downtown to see neurosurgery right away. "What is happening?"Dr. Blankshain is a neuro-ophthalmologist in the Chicago suburbs, a specialist in vision problems that begin in the brain and nervous system. She was in fellowship, trained to read MRIs and CTs, when the scan on the screen was her husband's: an epidermoid cyst pressing on his brainstem, and brain surgery set for the next morning. She joins Dr. David Spiro to talk about being the doctor in the waiting room, and how it changed the way she delivers bad news to her own patients.In this episode:- Why knowing the medicine made it harder, and the moment the neurosurgeon asked, "What do you do for a living?"- The waiting-room buzzer three hours into a four-to-six-hour surgery: "That can't be good"- Receiving bad news as a physician: "I wasn't really hearing what he was saying"- How she gives hard news now: slow down, say it more than once, and sit in the silence- Going back to work the day after her husband came home, with her time off for the year already used on six weeks of maternity leave- Parental leave in medical training, and why she calls the culture "cruel"- Working-mom guilt and the "have it all" lie: "Something has to give on any given day"- Marriage after a baby: feeling like roommates, a year of couples therapy, and TV-free Thursdays- What she tells pre-med students: "It's still just a job"Dr. Spiro also shares how he gives bad news to families in the pediatric ER.Chapters00:00:00 "What is happening?"00:00:20 Meet Dr. Kim Blankshain00:01:50 What a neuro-ophthalmologist does00:02:22 A crash in the next room00:04:10 The ER and the CT scan00:06:08 Rush University: the MRI and the neurosurgeon00:07:27 "What do you do for a living?"00:08:14 Brain surgery, tomorrow00:08:53 The waiting room: "That can't be good"00:09:43 Six weeks of recovery00:10:13 How it changed the way she sees patients00:11:45 On the other side of bad news00:13:04 Slow down, repeat it, sit in silence00:14:17 Dr. Spiro: bad news in the pediatric ER00:15:25 "You are so lucky that you came to me"00:16:36 Back to work the next day00:19:41 Parental leave in medical training00:22:43 Balance with a five-year-old00:23:58 The "have it all" lie00:24:39 On call on the Fourth of July00:26:37 "It's still just a job"00:27:50 Marriage after a baby00:29:23 Couples therapy and TV-free Thursdays00:32:33 Why she believes in therapy for physicians00:33:44 "Nobody says that to a mechanic"00:34:08 Why she reached out to HuMed00:35:31 ClosingCheck out the Inside HuMed Newsletter: https://www.humedpod.com/inside-humedThis episode is one physician's personal story and is not medical advice.If this episode meant something to you, follow HuMed on Apple Podcasts and send it to one colleague who needs to hear it.
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  Kidney Transplant Physician Dr. Aditya Pawar: "It Started From a Mistake" 06.10.2026 42m

  A resident on night call writes one word in a chart to describe his patient's husband, a man in his 90s: "senile." He thinks it means "very old." The note gets corrected, but the word stays in the edit trail, and a few days later the record shows the patient has read it. Every instinct tells him to leave it alone. He calls the family to apologize anyway.Dr. Aditya Pawar is a transplant nephrologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. That phone call became "Safe Space," his essay in The New England Journal of Medicine. He joins Dr. David Spiro to talk about what the couple said to him on that call, why it took him years to understand it, and who a clinician's "safe space" really protects.In this episode:- The apology he almost didn't make, and why he says it would be just as hard tomorrow- Why "safe space" in medicine often protects the doctor, and what a "brave space" with patients looks like- Telling a patient you don't yet know the best approach- Practicing in India versus the U.S.: five-minute visits that never really end, and seeing your patients at the grocery store- Why he calls paternalism "a protective mechanism"- What he says to kidney patients who won't let their own child donate- What he tells first-year medical students about the 20-minute visit that needs an hour and twenty- His uncle's lesson from Sunday evenings seeing patients in a village in India: "As a physician, we've always lost"- Six hugs from a grieving family after one of his first codesDr. Spiro also shares what it was like to lead his team's debrief after a child died in his pediatric ER.Read the essay: "Safe Space," N Engl J Med 2026;395:840-843. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2518528Chapters00:00:00 "As a physician, we've always lost"00:00:20 Meet Dr. Aditya Pawar00:02:03 "It started from a mistake"00:02:33 Night call, a couple in their 90s, and one word00:04:27 The phone call he almost didn't make00:05:11 What the couple meant by "safe space"00:06:37 Parents in the room during a resuscitation00:08:20 Who is the safe space for?00:10:03 From safe spaces to brave spaces00:12:55 Medicine in India versus the U.S.00:15:11 Sharp boundaries, and crossing the line00:17:43 "Every single cell of my body is telling me don't do it"00:21:14 What safe space meant as a child in India00:23:10 Family, elder care, and what gets lost00:28:16 Organ donation: "Do not take away that decision from me"00:30:00 Teaching first-year medical students00:34:26 Dr. Spiro: the debrief after a child dies00:38:06 His uncle, Dr. S.S. Jamwal00:39:49 One of his first codes as a resident00:41:11 "This concept of death, you have to get comfortable with it"00:42:11 Six hugs from a grieving family00:42:44 ClosingIf this episode meant something to you, follow HuMed on Apple Podcasts and send it to one colleague who needs to hear it.
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  Cancer Surgeon Dr. James Wittig: "I Was Hanging On by a Thread" 03.10.2026 45m

  Dr. James Wittig built his career saving children's limbs from cancer. Then a heart scan he asked for himself led to a catheterization that found a 99% blockage in his left anterior descending artery. "I was hanging on by a thread."Dr. Wittig is an orthopedic oncologist and sarcoma surgeon with more than 25 years in limb-sparing surgery for bone and soft tissue tumors in children and adults. In this conversation with Dr. David Spiro, he traces his path from Paterson, New Jersey, where his father was a police officer and his mother a hairdresser, to the mentor who drew him into limb-sparing surgery for childhood bone cancer.He describes chairing a department of 120 orthopedic surgeons while starting a residency program, sleeping about five hours a night for 30 years, and the blood pressure and cholesterol numbers that kept getting explained away. He talks about the stretch of roughly 180 hours of surgery in two weeks that ended in kidney failure, his decision to resign, the chest pain on the treadmill, and the procedure where he went into ventricular tachycardia before three stents opened the artery. He also shares what he would tell his younger self, why doctors treating doctors can be a trap, how he rebuilt his sleep, and why he is now studying hypnosis and mind-body medicine for cancer patients.(00:00) Cold Open: "Hanging On by a Thread"(00:18) Welcome & Meet Dr. James Wittig(02:03) Growing Up in Paterson, New Jersey(04:28) The Mentor Behind Limb-Sparing Surgery(06:01) From Amputation to Saving the Limb(08:53) Why Bone Cancer in Kids Gets Missed(10:22) The Heart Scan He Asked For(11:48) 80-Hour Weeks and Five Hours of Sleep(14:11) A 70% Blockage(15:06) 180 Hours of Surgery, Then Kidney Failure(16:30) Chest Pain on the Treadmill(18:28) 99% Blocked(19:25) V-Tach on the Table and Three Stents(20:53) What He'd Tell Himself 20 Years Ago(23:48) Solo Practice, On Call 24/7(25:40) Purpose, Prayer, and Learning to Say No(27:34) Why Nobody Said "This Is Too Much"(29:27) The Trap of Doctors Treating Doctors(31:47) Finding a Mentor Who Advocates for You(32:42) "It Wasn't Human"(33:40) Life After the OR: Hypnosis and Mind-Body Medicine(37:00) How He Rebuilt His Sleep(42:10) Getting the Phone Out of the Bedroom(44:09) His Advice for Physicians in Their 50s(45:08) New York vs. New Jersey & GoodbyeContact Dr. Wittig:JamesCWittigMD.comTumorSurgery.orgMandalaMedicalGroup.comCheck out the Inside HuMed Newsletter: https://www.humedpod.com/inside-humedThis episode is one physician's personal story and is not medical advice.It is also available on video on Apple Podcasts. Follow HuMed so you never miss an episode.
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  Allergist Dr. Lauren Fine: "Stop Asking for Permission" 29.09.2026 46m

  Dr. Lauren Fine had a thriving allergy practice, a faculty position and patients lined up at the door, and she still felt she needed someone's permission to change. Her answer now: "Stop asking other people for permission."Dr. Fine is an allergist and immunologist, a teacher, a clinician at the VA in the Fort Lauderdale area, and a life coach. In this conversation with Dr. David Spiro, she tells the story of a patient who casually asked her to check a biopsy result that wasn't hers to deliver, and what happened when she opened his chart. She talks about why she prefers shared decision-making to "doctor knows best," how she delivers bad news by letting patients say it first, and why, for her, burnout comes down to losing connection with patients. She also explains why reinventing yourself is "like erasing a chalkboard," what a life coach actually does (hint: it isn't giving advice), and why nobody hands out awards for answering a portal message at 9 p.m. She closes with her view on rising food allergies, how she introduced peanuts to her own kids early, and why community matters more than balance.(00:00) Cold Open: "My Heart Just Sunk"(00:27) Welcome & Meet Dr. Lauren Fine(02:13) The Biopsy Result She Wasn't Supposed to Read(05:00) A Road Trip Across America(05:50) Paternalism vs. Shared Decision-Making(09:31) Why She Chose to Tell Him(10:34) How She Delivers Bad News(13:38) Getting to Know Patients as People(16:10) Burnout Is About Connection(18:04) Why Life Coaching?(19:23) Stop Asking for Permission(20:30) Reinvention Is Like Erasing a Chalkboard(23:07) What a Life Coach Actually Does(26:40) Why We All Need to Slow Down(29:03) Phones, Boundaries, and the 9 PM Email(33:49) Diet, Processed Food, and Disease(36:22) Are Food Allergies Really Rising?(39:03) Peanuts and Early Introduction(41:55) Allergist, Teacher, Coach, Mom: How She Does It(43:59) Community and Giving and Receiving Love(46:18) Closing ThoughtsThis episode is also available on video on Apple Podcasts. Follow HuMed so you never miss an episode.
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  ER Physician Dr. Mark Pappadakis: "Medical School Rejected Me Three Times" 25.09.2026 56m

  Rejected from medical school. Failed anatomy. Failed his emergency medicine boards by two points, then by one. Today Dr. Mark Pappadakis teaches at the medical school that turned him down three times.Emergency physician Dr. Mark Pappadakis joins Dr. David Spiro, MD for an honest conversation about failure, resilience, and the human side of medicine. He shares:- Why he applied to only three medical schools, and what failing a post-bacc year taught him- How five years as an ER tech made him fall in love with emergency medicine- Getting off a waitlist three weeks before classes started- Failing his boards twice by a total of three points, and passing on the third try- Why he tells patients "I don't know," and why a bounce-back can be a success- A mentor's line that stayed with him: "All of us carry a graveyard"- Imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and being the doctor to his own parents during COVID- Why he started his own podcast to fight medical misinformationDr. Pappadakis trained at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at Metropolitan Hospital in New York City, where he served as chief resident. He is a clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine, serves on the board of the Bucks County Medical Society, and hosts the JAFERD Cast podcast.Chapters0:00 The school that rejected him three times1:47 A story about failure3:55 The post-bacc year and failing anatomy5:50 Five years as an ER tech10:15 Off the waitlist three weeks before classes16:21 Failing the boards by two points, then one18:28 Passing the boards and going full circle20:09 MD vs DO and the Caribbean option24:16 How failure made him a better doctor29:06 Telling patients "I don't know"33:54 "All of us carry a graveyard"42:40 Failure, marriage, and family46:04 Imposter syndrome and self-doubt47:15 Why he started the JAFERD CastIf this episode meant something to you, follow HuMed here on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a rating. It helps other clinicians find the show.
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  Cardiologist Dr. Jaya Mallidi: "The Trust I Had With the Universe Lay Broken" 22.09.2026 50m

  "How can a child be taken away from the mother?" When cardiologist Dr. Jaya Mallidi lost her daughter, Saachi, at 19 weeks, the trust she'd always had with the universe "lay broken like a vase in an empty room."In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. Jaya Mallidi joins host Dr. David Spiro to explore the human side of medicine from the other side of the bed. She shares surviving a rare, life-threatening hemothorax from thoracic endometriosis, leaving the interventional cardiology she loved, enduring nine cycles of IVF, and grieving a pregnancy loss while a profession built on duty pulled her back to work a week later. She also shares how she slowly rebuilt her faith — through the Japanese image of Jizo, a practice of "forgiving the universe," and a hard-won belief that in medicine, presence matters more than any prescription.A conversation about grief, resilience, womanhood in medicine, and learning that it's okay to take up space.Dr. Jaya Mallidi is a Professor of Clinical Medicine and cardiologist at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where she serves as Director of Clinical Cardiology and Site Director for the UCSF Cardiology Fellowship. Her JAMA "A Piece of My Mind" essay reflects on the loss of her daughter and how medicine and society recognize — or fail to recognize — the grief of pregnancy loss.In this episode:00:00 "My trust with the universe lay broken"03:40 Becoming the patient: a rare, dangerous hemothorax06:10 Thoracic endometriosis and two lung surgeries08:54 Leaving interventional cardiology and finding new purpose11:11 Losing Saachi at 19 weeks16:09 Why doctors return to work too soon19:14 Medicine's missing backup system22:24 The IVF journey: hope, failure, and nine cycles28:36 When social media makes grief worse30:48 A spiritual reckoning: finding a mental model37:03 Jizo: the image that finally gave her peace39:00 "Forgiving the universe"41:09 How grief changed her as a teacher and clinician45:07 A marathon, not a sprint47:47 Presence over prescriptions in the age of AIHuMed unveils the human side of medicine — new conversations every week. If this episode moved you, share it with a colleague, and please follow and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other clinicians find the show.
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  Psychiatrist Dr. Paniz Johari: When a Patient Dies — Grief, Guilt & Radical Acceptance 19.09.2026 37m

  "One of our social workers knocked on the door and said, so-and-so killed himself. I was just in shock."What do you do with the rest of your day after that? Psychiatrist Dr. Paniz Johari joins Dr. David Spiro to talk about one of the least-discussed parts of medicine — losing a patient, and carrying it afterward.Dr. Johari, an attending psychiatrist at Mather Hospital / Northwell Health, wrote a JAMA "A Piece of My Mind" essay called "On Losing a Patient" that moved David enough to reach out. Together they trace its thread: the shock and disbelief, replaying an encounter that felt "ordinary," the guilt of wondering what you missed, and the long work of separating confidence from certainty — what she calls "radical acceptance," and why accepting the limits of our control "is not surrendering."They also get into how psychiatrists weigh whether a patient is safe to go home, why she chose the field, what's happened to mental health since COVID, the roles of sleep, exercise, and diet, and the stigma that still surrounds psychiatric care.▶ Follow HuMed on Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode — it's the single best way to support the show.Chapters:0:00 Intro — Dr. Paniz Johari and her essay1:37 Losing a patient: the story3:12 Writing as catharsis4:36 Hearing the news7:41 Assessing who's safe to go home11:09 "How ordinary it felt"14:34 Why she chose psychiatry17:25 Mental health since COVID21:13 Sleep, wearables, and mood25:58 The stigma around psychiatric care27:49 Therapy, exercise, and self-care34:04 "Accepting is not surrendering"If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 — the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7 in the US.HuMed with David Spiro, MD — unveiling the human side of medicine. New episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.podscan_rLPAXfcJVELgUhwcd66rLVyErpUcGFTV
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  Dr. Lois Lee: Protecting Kids from Gun Violence, and the Fight for Their Health 15.09.2026 38m

  What if the biggest threats to a child's life are also the most preventable? Dr. Lois Lee — pediatric emergency medicine physician and researcher at Boston Children's Hospital, professor of clinical pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and a candidate for AAP president-elect — joins Dr. David Spiro on HuMed to talk about the work of keeping kids safe: from gun violence and injury prevention to vaccines, Medicaid, and the advocacy that changes policy.Dr. Lee opens with the residency moment that shaped her career — a family forced to choose between buying food and their child's asthma inhaler — and traces how that experience led to decades of research and legislation. She explains why she frames firearm safety the way pediatricians approach drowning prevention, why most firearm deaths are suicides rather than homicides, the "agree to agree" approach to finding common ground, and what worries her most about children's health today. It's a candid, hopeful conversation about how one physician decided to change the system — and how anyone can start.In this episode:– The story that started it all: "food or medicine"– How universal child health insurance changed outcomes– Passing booster-seat and ATV-safety laws– Firearm safety framed as injury and suicide prevention– Why local data changes the conversation on guns– Medicaid, CHIP, and the fallout she fears from HR1– Vaccines and the return of preventable disease– Advice for physicians who want to make changeChapters00:00 "Food or medicine": the moment that shaped a career00:23 Meet Dr. Lois Lee01:44 A family forced to choose between food and medicine03:33 How universal child health insurance changed outcomes06:13 The mentor, airbags, and kids in the front seat07:35 Passing booster-seat and ATV laws in Massachusetts09:35 Did the ATV law actually reduce injuries?10:42 Staying human: balance and boundaries12:07 Music, and returning to the piano at Emory15:15 How music makes a better physician and leader16:27 Firearms: the #1 cause of death for U.S. children17:16 Is it uncomfortable to talk about gun violence?18:41 Firearm safety framed like drowning prevention20:06 "Agree to agree": finding common ground21:14 Secure storage and hunting culture22:56 Advice for doctors who want to change the system25:09 Why most firearm deaths are suicides, not homicides26:33 Mental health in the pediatric ER27:14 What keeps her up at night: Medicaid, CHIP & HR130:04 Vaccines and the return of preventable disease30:49 Telling the truth in an age of misinformation33:56 Should the ER discuss vaccines? Teachable moments36:16 Closing reflections & why she still loves the workHuMed unveils the human side of medicine, hosted by Dr. David Spiro, MD.New episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube — please follow and leave a rating, it helps other listeners find the show.If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.).
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  Navy Anesthesiologist Dr. Zachary Meade: From Childhood Trauma to Becoming a Doctor 08.09.2026 42m

  Dr. Zachary Meade watched his grandfather shoot his father to save his mother's life. He was a child. He thought it was normal. "Apparently it's not normal."Dr. Meade is a Navy anesthesiologist based in San Diego who took one of the least conventional roads into medicine you will ever hear. Before medical school he was an Army bomb squad technician, a firefighter, an EMT, and an electrical engineer, and he served in the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy.Before any of that he was a kid in Indiana and Florida moving between homes and foster care, failing freshman English, with nobody in his family who had ever done any of this.Today he reaches over 400,000 people online debunking medical misinformation. In this conversation with Dr. David Spiro, he talks about the grandparents who rebuilt his foundation, what the bomb squad taught him about attention to detail ("an 84 essentially meant you died"), the faith that gave him purpose, and the hardest question of the episode: has he forgiven his parents? He shares the phone call that ended contact with his father, the rule that helped his mother get sober, and the "cultural divide" that opens up when you become the first physician in your family. He closes with what he would say to 10-year-old Zach, andDr. Spiro responds with a story from his own pediatric ER that he says will change how he practices.Chapters:(00:00) Cold Open: "My Dad Was a Very Violent Man"(00:16) Welcome & Meet Dr. Zachary Meade(01:20) "I Never Saw Me Being a Physician"(02:18) Indiana, Florida, and a Childhood That Wasn't Normal(04:55) Foster Care and a Greyhound Bus Through Fort Benning(06:13) Joining the Army at 17: Bomb Squad, Not Chaplain(07:11) The Grandparents Who Rebuilt His Foundation(08:53) Bill Henson: Forgiveness, Hard Work, and the Balance Between(10:05) What the Bomb Squad Taught Him: "An 84 Meant You Died"(11:50) Wounded Veterans and the Pivot to Engineering(12:26) Carle Illinois College of Medicine: Building Physician Innovators(13:18) Landmines in the Woods: The Stateside EOD Mission(15:08) Why He Chose the Navy(16:43) How Childhood Trauma Shaped Him as a Physician(17:44) A Steeper Hill Than His Peers(18:24) How Faith Shaped Him(19:39) What It Means to Serve(21:37) "Have You Forgiven Them?"(22:12) Married at 20 and Realizing What Normal Was(23:22) His Father's Relapse and the Phone Call From the NICU(24:18) "I Can Love Him. I Can Even Forgive Him."(25:39) The Rule That Helped His Mother Get Sober(26:59) The Cultural Divide: "I Concur, Doctor"(28:45) Reaching 400,000 People Online(29:59) Fighting Misinformation That Can Kill(33:12) Tommy Martin and Doing Good on Social Media(34:21) What Would You Tell 10-Year-Old Zach?(36:20) "This Is Just the Intro Scene to Your Life"(36:58) Dr. Spiro's Story: "I'm Here Because No One Loves Me"(39:44) Closing Thoughts and Zach's Question for DavidFollow HuMed so you never miss an episode.
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  Internist Dr. Robert Beck: "He Wasn't Worthy of the Care" 01.09.2026 53m

  Two attending physicians declared medical futility on a man in hislate 40s. He was awake. He was begging for the ICU. He was beggingfor his mother. And the only doctor at his bedside that night wasan intern on his second call shift.Dr. Robert Beck has carried that night for nineteen years.In his second appearance on HuMed, Dr. Beck tells the story of apatient at New Orleans' Charity Hospital in July 2007 — and what ittaught him about paternalism, about abandoning learners, and aboutthe difference between a clinical judgment and a judgment aboutwhose life is worth saving. David asks him directly whether racechanged the outcome, and Dr. Beck's pause before answering is theturning point of the episode.The second half is a practical masterclass: how to deliver badnews, the four questions every patient is actually asking, and howend-of-life care and medical assistance in dying work in theCanadian system where Dr. Beck now practices.ABOUT THE GUESTDr. Robert Beck is an internist. He completed medical school,internal medicine residency, and a chief residency at Tulane, spentten years in private practice in Tennessee, and moved to thePacific Northwest of Canada in 2020. He hosts The Interesting MDpodcast.IN THIS EPISODE00:00 "He wasn't worthy of the care"00:24 Welcome back, Dr. Robert Beck02:03 What counts as a difficult conversation?02:46 July 2007: second call night at Charity Hospital05:13 The patient nobody wanted to touch06:08 Two attendings declare medical futility07:40 "His die is cast"10:02 Alone at the bedside until 4:30am12:28 How it changed the way he supervises residents13:11 "Do you think if he were white it would have been different?"14:04 A pattern of practice15:32 Paternalism vs. shared decision-making19:03 Two white physicians talk about privilege21:10 White flight on his childhood street23:11 "Society was never going to allow him"26:10 How to give bad news: the four questions31:19 Sit down. Eye level. Every time.33:03 Giving bad news in the pediatric ER36:30 Teaching residents to deliver the worst news39:09 When a patient chooses not to treat40:09 Medical assistance in dying in Canada43:14 The four pathways of end-of-life care47:52 How the MAID assessment actually works51:26 How a society treats its most vulnerableA note on content: this episode includes frank clinical descriptionof sepsis, wound infection, and a patient's death.Dr. Beck's podcast, The Interesting MDHuMed is hosted by David Spiro, MD. New episodes weekly. If thisone resonated, the most useful thing you can do is leave a ratingon Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it's how other clinicians find us!
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  Pediatric Oncologist Dr. Joana Mack: "I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss" 25.08.2026 50m

  Dr. Joana Mack has been called "bossy" her whole career — in training, at work, even by her own mom. Now, she just says it back differently: "I'm not bossy, I'm the boss."Dr. Mack is a board-certified pediatric hematologist-oncologist, NIH-funded researcher, and mother of five daughters, practicing at Arkansas Children's Hospital and UAMS. In this conversation with Dr. David Spiro, she opens up about the everyday bias she still encounters as a woman in medicine, how artificial intelligence is reshaping (and sometimes eroding) communication between doctors, why she's stopped chasing "work-life balance" in favor of "work-life integration," and the rituals — prayer, permission to cry, a trampoline park at midnight — that get her through the hardest days of treating children with cancer. She also shares a story from Dr. Todd Maxson's Grand Rounds that changed how she trains the next generation of physicians, and reflects on how far childhood leukemia survival has come in her lifetime, from a near-certain death sentence to roughly 90% remission today.(00:00) Cold Open: "I Went to the Trampoline Park"(00:16) Welcome & Meet Dr. Joana Mack(01:51) Called "Bossy" Her Whole Life(02:44) "I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss"(03:59) Balancing 4 Jobs and 5 Daughters(07:06) Staying Present as a Working Mom(08:51) The Email That Calls Everyone "Doctor" Except Her(10:47) Naming Unconscious Bias at Work(13:26) Being a Role Model for the Next Generation(16:08) AI in Medicine: Efficiency vs. Connection(19:14) From "Google Parents" to AI-Informed Parents(20:28) Prioritizing Herself and Her Marriage(25:16) Phones, Sleep, and Circadian Disruption(29:19) Why She Pours Into Medical Students(30:42) Dr. Todd Maxson's Grand Rounds Story(36:22) From a Death Sentence to 90% Survival(38:49) How She Copes: Prayer, Tears, and the Trampoline Park(42:08) A Prayer Circle in the ER(47:00) The Village That Makes It Possible(49:54) Closing ThoughtsThis episode is also available on video on YouTube and Apple Podcasts. Follow HuMed so you never miss an episode.
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  The Science of Stem Cells, Exosomes, and Healthy Aging with Dr. Mari Mitrani 18.08.2026 44m

  Can regenerative medicine help us live healthier for longer?Physician-scientist and biotech entrepreneur Dr. Mari Mitrani joins Dr. David Spiro to explain the evolving science of stem cells and exosomes—including how these therapies work, where the evidence stands, and why responsible research and regulation are essential.They also explore the foundations of healthy aging that are available to nearly everyone: nutrition, sleep, movement, strength training, hydration, community, and purpose. Dr. Mitrani shares the life-changing experience that led her to medicine, her journey into biotechnology, and her vision for a more compassionate future in healthcare.This conversation is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.00:00 Meet Dr. Mari Mitrani 02:03 The night that inspired her 07:21 Entering biotechnology 11:11 How stem cells work 18:25 Healthspan versus lifespan 20:38 Foundations of healthy aging 23:15 Community and longevity 27:15 The future of stem cells 30:00 Why exosomes matter 34:02 Could humans live to 125? 35:30 Strength, bones and women’s health 38:07 Veganism and compassionate innovation
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  When the Doctor Becomes the Patient: Dr. Adam Bitterman On His Open-Heart Surgery 11.08.2026 39m

  What happens when a surgeon suddenly finds himself on the other side of the patient–doctor relationship?Dr. Adam Bitterman—orthopedic surgeon, educator, and chair of orthopedic surgery at Huntington Hospital—joins Dr. David Spiro to discuss being diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm and undergoing urgent open-heart surgery.Dr. Bitterman shares the fear of preparing for a seven-hour operation, the atrial fibrillation that required a second procedure, and the challenge of stepping away from his patients, colleagues, and family responsibilities. He also explains how becoming a patient transformed his approach to clinical care, physician health, work-life boundaries, and after-hours calls from frightened patients.This candid conversation explores physician vulnerability, returning to medicine after serious illness, and why health, family, and a trusted support system must come first.HuMed: Human Medicine reveals the human side of healthcare through honest conversations with physicians, patients, and healthcare leaders.
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  It’s Not Always Hemorrhoids: Anal Health with Dr. Talar Tejerian 04.08.2026 54m

  Not every anal health problem is a hemorrhoid. Board-certified general surgeon Dr. Talar Tejerian joins Dr. David Spiro to explain the differences between hemorrhoids and anal fissures—and why persistent pain, bleeding, or other symptoms should not be dismissed.Dr. Tejerian is the founder of Booty MD, a nonprofit dedicated to making anal health education clear, evidence-based, and free from shame. She discusses why anal health remains stigmatized, how gaps in medical training can contribute to misdiagnosis, and why conditions such as fissures, fistulas, inflammatory bowel disease, and anal cancer may sometimes be mistaken for hemorrhoids.The conversation also explores:• The three-minute toilet rule• How prolonged toilet sitting and straining affect hemorrhoidal tissue• The difference between hemorrhoids and anal fissures• Constipation, diet, and bowel health• HPV vaccination and anal cancer prevention• Why a proper examination matters• The risks associated with rectal foreign bodies• How physicians can discuss sensitive health concerns without judgmentCHAPTERS00:00:00 The three-minute toilet rule00:00:29 Meet Dr. Talar Tejerian00:02:38 Why she founded Booty MD00:08:33 Breaking the stigma around anal health00:12:10 Gaps in medical training and examination00:20:11 Anal cancer, colorectal cancer, and HPV00:24:39 Diet, constipation, and anal health00:25:06 Hemorrhoids versus anal fissures00:31:26 Is scrolling on the toilet harmful?00:33:45 Rectal foreign bodies and emergency care00:42:24 The future of Booty MD00:45:39 Health education through social media00:49:38 Authenticity and trust in medicine00:53:50 Closing thoughts
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  Stop the Bleed: The Simple Skills That Could Save a Life | Dr. David Shapiro 30.07.2026 55m

  What would you do if someone were bleeding severely—and help was miles away?In this episode of HuMED, Dr. David Spiro welcomes back surgeon and critical care physician Dr. David Shapiro for a powerful conversation about the moment that changed how he understood emergency preparedness.Years ago, while mountain biking through remote terrain between Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, Dr. Shapiro encountered an injured cyclist with a deep leg wound and significant bleeding. With no reliable phone service, limited first-aid supplies, and professional help far away, he had to improvise a pressure dressing and remain with the cyclist until assistance arrived.That experience left him with a lasting question: What if nobody had come along?Today, Dr. Shapiro serves as a leader in the American College of Surgeons’ Stop the Bleed program, a public-health initiative that teaches ordinary people how to recognize and respond to life-threatening bleeding before professional help arrives.The conversation explores:• How to recognize potentially life-threatening bleeding• Direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquet use• What belongs in a practical bleeding-control kit• Why internal bleeding may be difficult to recognize• How trauma resuscitation has evolved• Good Samaritan protections for people who help during emergencies• Why bleeding-control kits should be available alongside AEDs• How Stop the Bleed applies to accidents, outdoor injuries, and violence• What communities learned from Sandy Hook and other mass-casualty events• The responsibilities and limits of bystander intervention• How to access free Stop the Bleed trainingDrs. Spiro and Shapiro also discuss firearm violence, mental health, social isolation, and the need to address both emergency preparedness and the underlying causes of violence.This episode is ultimately about empowerment. You may never need to use these skills—but learning them could give you the confidence to act during the minutes when action matters most.Free Stop the Bleed education and course information are available at StopTheBleed.org.Content note: This episode includes discussion of traumatic injury, severe bleeding, firearm violence, and mass-casualty events.
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  The Night Beirut Exploded: A Doctor’s Story 28.07.2026 48m

  What happens when a physician suddenly finds himself responding to one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in modern history?In this episode of HuMED, Dr. David Spiro speaks with Dr. Khalil Diab, a pulmonologist, critical care physician, associate professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine, and host of the Lebanese Physicians Podcast.On August 4, 2020, Dr. Diab was having dinner with his family in Beirut when the ground began to shake. Moments later, a massive explosion tore through the city. After receiving an urgent call for all available medical professionals, he rushed to the hospital and entered a mass-casualty environment unlike anything he had experienced before.Patients arrived with devastating injuries caused by shattered glass, collapsing ceilings, and the force of the blast. Physicians from every specialty worked together as the hospital ran short of ventilators, patient identities remained unknown, and medical teams were forced to make rapid life-or-death decisions.Dr. Diab shares what he witnessed that night, what it took to care for so many critically injured patients, and how the experience affected him as a physician, husband, and father.The conversation also explores:• Moving his family from the United States back to Lebanon• Practicing medicine within the Lebanese healthcare system• How financial instability affects medical decisions and patient care• Raising children amid political and economic uncertainty• Why the Beirut explosion ultimately influenced his return to the United States• The medical conditions physicians encounter in Lebanon that are less common in the U.S.• How people adapt to instability, conflict, and crisis• Why he created the Lebanese Physicians Podcast• The power of storytelling to reveal the human side of medicine• How podcasting can amplify valuable voices—and spread misinformation• Why listening to people on the “other side” mattersThis is a deeply personal account of medicine under extraordinary circumstances—and a reflection on resilience, identity, family, conflict, and our shared humanity.ABOUT THE GUESTDr. Khalil Diab is a pulmonologist and critical care physician and an associate professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine. After completing his medical training in the United States, he returned to Lebanon with his family and practiced there during a period marked by political upheaval, economic collapse, COVID-19, and the 2020 Beirut port explosion. He is also the host of the Lebanese Physicians Podcast, where he documents the experiences and stories of physicians connected to Lebanon.ABOUT HuMEDHosted by Dr. David Spiro, HuMED explores the people and experiences behind medicine. Through honest conversations with physicians, healthcare professionals, patients, and other compelling guests, the show reveals the human stories that rarely appear in medical charts or textbooks.#BeirutExplosion #Lebanon #CriticalCare #Medicine #PhysicianStories #MedicalPodcast #Healthcare #HuMED
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  Muscle is Medicine 21.07.2026 41m

  What if one of the most important tools for healthy aging isn’t another pill—but preserving your strength?Dr. David Spiro welcomes back Dr. Heather Hinshelwood, an emergency medicine physician whose work has expanded from treating acute medical crises to helping patients improve their long-term health and independence.Dr. Hinshelwood explains why maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as we age. Together, they discuss strength training, cardiovascular exercise, Pilates, metabolic health, bone density, type 2 diabetes, and the challenge of creating sustainable lifestyle change without shaming patients.They also explore:• Why muscle supports mobility and independence• The relationship between strength and metabolic health• How resistance training may support healthier aging• Why cardio and flexibility still matter• How older adults can begin exercising safely• The value of knowledgeable coaching• Why it is never too late to improve your healthThis conversation isn’t about becoming an elite athlete. It’s about preserving the ability to carry groceries, rise from the floor, pursue the activities you enjoy, and remain independent for as long as possible.What do you want to remain capable of doing at age 80?HuMed with David Spiro, MD explores the human side of medicine through candid conversations with physicians, patients, and healthcare leaders.This episode is intended for education only and does not replace individualized medical advice. The discussion includes the speakers’ perspectives on exercise, metabolic health, and medications. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing medications or beginning a new exercise program.