Academic Medicine Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Seeing Medicine: Learning to Read Between the Shadows Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

Every shadow on a scan carries weight. And every patient deserves someone who knows how to read between the shadows—and then, to speak gently about what they see.

Sonal Kumar reflects on clinical observation, which is not just a skill, but a language that must be taught deliberately and with care.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2026 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at https://academic.oup.com/academicmedicine.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death May 18, 2026

Show notes

Medicine was not just about what we did for patients—it was about how we walked with them through life and death. A typical day for me might be a patient's most vulnerable and life-defining moment.

Leonard Kuan-Pei Wang reflects on participating in an honor walk, a solemn tradition where hospital staff, family, and friends gather to pay their respects to a patient donating their organs.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2026 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at https://academic.oup.com/academicmedicine.

First Impressions May 04, 2026

Show notes

The candles ignited my pants that evening. But the real culprit was my anxiety over making a good first impression: in an effort to avoid the approaching dean, I unwittingly backpedaled into an open flame.

Matthew R. Klein reflects on an embarrassing incident in medical school and the importance of sharing vulnerability with learners and patients.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2026 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at https://academic.oup.com/academicmedicine.

Scholarship at Night: Building a Successful Career as an Academic Nocturnist Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Discussing the unique role of the nocturnist, or the night shift clinician, in academic medicine, are Jessica Chambers, MD, MPH, Alex Rittenberg, MD, and John George, MD. They offer opportunities for pursuing scholarship related to night medicine and challenges to doing so as a nocturnist. And they emphasize the importance of collaborative, inclusive, and flexible professional development for building a successful academic career.

Read the article discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org.

The Severance of a Thread Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

We do not always rage against the dying of the light. Sometimes, we allow the light to fade gently, with grace, in the presence of love.

Nezienwa Ezenwa reflects on a patient who demonstrated that medicine is not just about defying death. It is about honoring life.

This essay placed first in the 2025 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

The Heart of Hope Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

Something shifted after that conversation. It wasn't a dramatic overnight change, but it was there—the slightest flicker of fight in him again. He started pushing himself a little more, engaging in physical therapy instead of just going through the motions. He cracked a joke with the nurses.

Roz Agheli reflects on a patient who was kept alive by medicine but kept fighting because of hope.

This essay placed first in the 2025 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

The Responsible Use of AI for Peer Review Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

Discussing Academic Medicine's and MedEdPORTAL's new policy guiding the use of AI tools in the peer review process are editors-in-chief Laura Roberts, MD, MA, and Lauren Maggio, PhD, MS(LIS), Academic Medicine associate editor Krisztina Fischer, MD, PhD, MMSc, and AAMC director of journals Mary Beth DeVilbiss. They provide an overview of the journals' new policy and use a series of common peer review scenarios to explore what's appropriate, what's not, and what you should think about before using AI as a reviewer.

Check out the resources discussed, including the journals' AI policies for reviewers and authors, and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org.

More Than a Stethoscope Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

Mrs. Jones didn't need a cure. She needed a witness to her grief—someone to sit with her in the silence, to validate the love she had for her husband and the life they built. She needed to be heard.

Christine Dianne Nepomuceno reflects on a patient who taught her that healing is not always about medicine. Sometimes it is about holding space for someone in their most vulnerable moments.

This essay placed second in the 2025 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the November 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

No Estás Sola Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Dora taught me that care is not just found in grand gestures or lifesaving procedures. It is in the quiet moments when someone chooses to listen, to sit beside another in their suffering, and to act when no one else will.

Maria Jose Gomez reflects on a patient who taught her that compassion does not require a title, a degree, or authority.

Listening Beyond the Monitors: A Lesson from Joe Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

In the fast-paced world of health care, it's easy to focus on numbers, treatments, and protocols. But humanism requires us to pause, to listen, to acknowledge the fears, hopes, and humanity of our patients.

Vonnie Cesar reflects on learning that listening is not just a skill—it is a form of healing.

This essay placed third in the 2025 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the October 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

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