Health care executive Dave Wessinger discusses their article "How to adopt AI in health care responsibly [https://kevinmd.com/2025/11/how-to-adopt-ai-in-health-care-responsibly.html]." Dave explains why organizations must move beyond the hype of artificial intelligence to focus on measurable goals like driving growth and improving quality. The conversation highlights specific high-value applications in documentation and patient intake while emphasizing the critical need for a clinician in the loop approach to ensure patient safety. By prioritizing administrative automation over clinical decision-making initially, leaders can build trust and avoid the risks associated with imperfect technology. This episode explores how to shape AI as a practical tool that enhances rather than replaces human judgment.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

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Focusing on outcomes over novelty prevents AI failure in health care

Urologist Tracy Gapin discusses their article "Is your medical career a golden cage? [https://kevinmd.com/2025/10/is-your-medical-career-a-golden-cage.html]" Tracy explores the paradox of achieving professional success while feeling trapped in a demoralizing and insurance-driven health care system. The conversation highlights how factors like short visits and administrative burdens contribute to physician burnout and alarmingly high rates of suicide among doctors. By identifying the limiting beliefs that hold medical professionals hostage in their careers, Tracy outlines a path toward freedom through a cash-based precision medicine model. This episode examines the necessity of prioritizing personal well-being over systemic demands and encourages doctors to reinvent how they practice to find purpose again. Redefining your medical career might be the only way to save your life.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer

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RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Escaping the golden cage of traditional medical practice to find joy again

Kenneth Botelho, founding director of the doctor of medical science (DMSc) program at The College of St. Scholastica and a physician assistant, discusses his article "Federal graduate-loan caps threaten rural health care access [https://kevinmd.com/2025/12/federal-graduate-loan-caps-threaten-rural-health-care-access.html]." Kenneth explains how impending borrowing limits for physician assistant and nurse practitioner programs create an insurmountable barrier for students from the very communities that need providers most. He illustrates the paradox where government grants aim to stabilize rural health care while loan policies simultaneously cut off the supply of future clinicians. The conversation highlights the urgent need to align financial aid with public health goals to prevent a rise in mortality rates in underserved areas. Join us to understand why financial barriers to education are becoming a matter of life and death for rural America.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer

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RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Capping student loans destroys the rural medical pipeline

Psychiatrist, internist, and addiction medicine specialist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article "Physician suicide prevention: a call to action [https://kevinmd.com/2025/10/physician-suicide-prevention-a-call-to-action.html]." Muhamad opens with the tragic losses of Dr. Nolan R. Williams and Dr. Charles Szyman to illustrate the devastating toll of the profession on even its most accomplished members. He examines the alarming data showing suicide as a leading cause of death among medical residents and outlines specific, actionable steps for trainees, program directors, and hospital executives to build safety nets rather than barriers. The conversation emphasizes the importance of using neutral language like "died by suicide," removing intrusive credentialing questions, and creating a culture where seeking help is viewed as an asset rather than a liability. Join us to learn how we can protect the people who dedicate their lives to healing others.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast

RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Physician suicide represents a silent epidemic demanding urgent reform

Professor and senior associate dean of engagement Janet A. Jokela discusses her article "Reflecting on the significance of World AIDS Day from the 1980s to now [https://kevinmd.com/2025/12/reflecting-on-the-significance-of-world-aids-day-from-the-1980s-to-now.html]." Janet shares harrowing memories from her time as a medical student in the mid-1980s, recalling the fear and stigma that surrounded the early days of the AIDS epidemic. She traces the evolution of treatment from a time of hopelessness to the revolutionary arrival of protease inhibitors and the global impact of PEPFAR. The conversation highlights touching patient stories that illustrate how a diagnosis once considered a death sentence has become a manageable condition, allowing people to live full and service-oriented lives. Join us to honor those lost and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit in the face of a terrifying disease.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast

RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Personal memories reveal the transformation of HIV care over four decades

Health care strategist Dana Y. Lujan discusses her article "Is direct primary care sustainable in a downturn? [https://kevinmd.com/2025/11/is-direct-primary-care-sustainable-in-a-downturn.html]" Dana explains how the rising cost of living and subscription fatigue are challenging the retail model of direct primary care for middle-class families. She contrasts this fragility with the stability of employer-sponsored models where organizations absorb the cost to ensure consistent access for their workforce. The conversation highlights the critical need to align medical business models with the actual economic capabilities of the communities they serve rather than relying solely on ideological goals. Join us to explore how financial strategy determines the longevity of patient care.

This episode is presented by Scholar Advising [https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd], a fee-only financial advising firm specializing in providing advice for DIY investors. If you want clear, actionable strategies and confidence that your financial decisions are built on objective advice without AUM fees or commissions, Scholar is designed for you. Physicians often navigate complex compensation structures, including W-2 income, 1099 work, production bonuses, and practice ownership. Scholar's highly credentialed advisors guide high-earners through decisions like optimizing investments for long-term tax efficiency and expert strategies for financial independence. Every recommendation is tailored to the financial realities physicians face.

VISIT SPONSOR → https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd

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RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Economic reality tests the limits of subscription medicine

Otolaryngologist Alan P. Feren and patient advocate Joyce Griggs discuss their article "Why health self-advocacy is an essential life skill." Alan and Joyce share the personal journey of becoming a "chief health executive" and explain why managing medical care should be treated with the same seriousness as financial planning. They outline the eight core pillars of advocacy, ranging from health literacy to financial navigation, and argue for the creation of condition-agnostic tools that help patients regardless of their specific diagnosis. The conversation highlights how preparation and organization not only reduce anxiety for caregivers but also save time for clinicians and improve overall outcomes. Join us to find out how you can build the confidence to navigate a complex system effectively.

This episode is presented by Scholar Advising [https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd], a fee-only financial advising firm specializing in providing advice for DIY investors. If you want clear, actionable strategies and confidence that your financial decisions are built on objective advice without AUM fees or commissions, Scholar is designed for you. Physicians often navigate complex compensation structures, including W-2 income, 1099 work, production bonuses, and practice ownership. Scholar's highly credentialed advisors guide high-earners through decisions like optimizing investments for long-term tax efficiency and expert strategies for financial independence. Every recommendation is tailored to the financial realities physicians face.

VISIT SPONSOR → https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast

RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Navigating the medical system requires specific life skills

Medical oncologist, geriatrician, and physician scientist GJ van Londen and Chief of Genetic and Genomic Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Gerald Vockley discuss the article "FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients [https://kevinmd.com/2025/07/fda-delays-could-end-vital-treatment-for-rare-disease-patients.html]." GJ and Gerald explore the complex regulatory impasse where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration denied standard approval for elamipretide despite a positive advisory committee vote, creating a financial crisis that threatens to cut off supply for everyone. GJ shares his personal journey from treating cancer to living with primary mitochondrial myopathy, while the conversation emphasizes the critical need for the agency to use the flexibility granted by the Orphan Drug Act to save a treatment that has already proven its worth. Join us to understand the life-or-death stakes hidden behind administrative decisions.

This episode is presented by Scholar Advising [https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd], a fee-only financial advising firm specializing in providing advice for DIY investors. If you want clear, actionable strategies and confidence that your financial decisions are built on objective advice without AUM fees or commissions, Scholar is designed for you. Physicians often navigate complex compensation structures, including W-2 income, 1099 work, production bonuses, and practice ownership. Scholar's highly credentialed advisors guide high-earners through decisions like optimizing investments for long-term tax efficiency and expert strategies for financial independence. Every recommendation is tailored to the financial realities physicians face.

VISIT SPONSOR → https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast

RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Regulatory red tape threatens survival of rare disease patients

President and chief executive officer of the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) Leah M. Howard discusses her article "Pharmacy benefit manager reform vs. direct drug plans [https://kevinmd.com/2025/11/pharmacy-benefit-manager-reform-vs-direct-drug-plans.html]." Leah analyzes the recent emergence of direct-purchase drug programs and argues that while innovative thinking is welcome, it cannot replace the need for deep systemic change. She advocates for bipartisan legislative solutions such as the Safe Step Act to address the root causes of high costs in the U.S. health care system rather than relying on siloed fixes that may not help everyone. The conversation emphasizes that true relief for patients with chronic diseases requires transparent pharmacy benefit manager reform and a move away from profit-driven incentives that punish the sick. Join us to learn how we can push for lasting policies that prioritize patient health over corporate profits.

This episode is presented by Scholar Advising [https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd], a fee-only financial advising firm specializing in providing advice for DIY investors. If you want clear, actionable strategies and confidence that your financial decisions are built on objective advice without AUM fees or commissions, Scholar is designed for you. Physicians often navigate complex compensation structures, including W-2 income, 1099 work, production bonuses, and practice ownership. Scholar's highly credentialed advisors guide high-earners through decisions like optimizing investments for long-term tax efficiency and expert strategies for financial independence. Every recommendation is tailored to the financial realities physicians face.

VISIT SPONSOR → https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast

RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Sustainable legislative reform outweighs temporary discount programs

Premedical student Samah Khan discusses her article "The crisis of physician shortages globally [https://kevinmd.com/2025/11/the-crisis-of-physician-shortages-globally.html]." Samah draws a powerful parallel between the medical exodus in Pakistan and the doctor deserts of California's Central Valley, revealing how structural neglect drives providers away from the communities that need them most. She explores the root causes of this brain drain, from low wages to limited residency spots, and argues that health care systems must reshape their values to retain talent. The conversation highlights promising solutions like local recruitment tracks while emphasizing that without systemic change, patients will continue to suffer the cost of delayed care. Join us to understand why doctors leave and how we can anchor them back home.

This episode is presented by Scholar Advising [https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd], a fee-only financial advising firm specializing in providing advice for DIY investors. If you want clear, actionable strategies and confidence that your financial decisions are built on objective advice without AUM fees or commissions, Scholar is designed for you. Physicians often navigate complex compensation structures, including W-2 income, 1099 work, production bonuses, and practice ownership. Scholar's highly credentialed advisors guide high-earners through decisions like optimizing investments for long-term tax efficiency and expert strategies for financial independence. Every recommendation is tailored to the financial realities physicians face.

VISIT SPONSOR → https://scholaradvising.com/kevinmd

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast

RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Medical brain drain leaves vulnerable communities without life-saving care

Social media's leading physician voice, Kevin Pho, MD, shares the stories of the
many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from. 15
minutes a day. 7 days a week. Welcome to The Podcast by KevinMD.