10 podcasts every doctor should be listening to
No matter what you practice or where your interests lie, there are podcasts you will appreciate as a doctor.
From professional improvement to medical history and even humor, these 10 podcasts will get and hold your attention.
Podcasts are a great way to make your daily commute a bit more bearable.
Most of us have commutes. For some, they’re a daily reminder of the fact that there’s usually someplace else we’d rather be. But for the lucky few, the daily commute is an opportunity to relax and learn. You too can be among the enlightened ones. Cultivating a podcast habit will help.
These podcasts are must-listens for any doctor. They are among the best for broadening your clinical and healthcare industry knowledge, being a better physician, building financial security, or simply becoming a more well-rounded person outside of your medical career.
Everyday Emergency
A podcast both educational and inspiring, “Everyday Emergency” follows the nonprofit organization Doctors Without Borders, featuring interviews with medical experts in countries across the world and telling the harrowing stories of healthcare workers and the patients they are treating.
This podcast offers incredible coverage of medical experts traveling around the globe helping those in need, educating listeners about current problems affecting other countries, including war, natural disasters, or disease.
Above all else, “Everyday Emergency” depicts the positive effect physicians have on people in critical need of healthcare services, showing just how noble, important, and selfless healthcare workers can be.
This Podcast Will Kill You
Well, not literally. “This Podcast Will Kill You” focuses on infectious diseases that have the potential to be fatal. The episodes are on the longer side (about 90 minutes) and feature two epidemiologists talking about a disease per episode, breaking it down by historical cases, its biology, and just how scared you should be.
“This Podcast Will Kill You” is not only interesting but also treads a fine line between humor and downright terror—a combination few podcasts balance as perfectly as this one. After listening to just a few of these episodes, we’re fairly confident you’ll up your hand-hygiene game.
Docs Outside the Box
Meet Dr. Nii Darko, a trauma surgeon, entrepreneur, author, and host of the Docs Outside the Box podcast.
Darko used the locums life to create a career on his terms. From there, he turned his focus outward, looking to create a meaningful life and career that benefited others around him.
In his own words, he wanted a life and career that was outside of the box. He put together this podcast to showcase doctors who have accomplished just that—hoping to show up-and-comers, as well as veteran physicians, that there are other paths to take.
The Cancer History Project
Created to mark the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act, the Cancer History Project is an online archive of the history of oncology. Its companion podcast features archival resources and interviews with doctors, researchers, and advocates spotlighting different perspectives on cancer treatment, research, and oncological developments. This is a great pick for any medical history buffs or cancer docs looking to learn more about the history of oncology. In a recent episode, Melvin J. Silverstein, the current medical director of Hoag Breast Center and the Gross Family Foundation endowed chair in oncoplastic breast surgery at USC, reflected on his career, his work in treating ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and his co-establishment of the first free-standing breast center.
The Short Coat
Those who are just starting their medical career might benefit the most from listening to this podcast. Geared toward current or prospective med students, “The Short Coat” offers an in-depth look at what med schools are like. The podcast tackles a variety of questions, from “How to deal with stress and burnout?” to “How will medical school change you?”
While “The Short Coat” may be great for a younger audience, that doesn’t mean it’s meant exclusively for med students. Veteran physicians may find this podcast enjoyable and informative as it relates to problems that residents, interns, and medical students are facing.
Two Onc Docs
Meet Dr. Karine Tawagi and Dr. Samantha Armstrong, the medical oncology dynamic duo behind "Two Onc Docs," a weekly podcast featuring short board review episodes designed for listening on your ride to work, while making your morning coffee, or between pages on a call.
These quick episodes, each about 15 minutes long, provide high-yield information on a variety of oncology topics, including nutrition, radiation, cancer screening, and practical diagnostic information on a variety of cancer types.
Financial Residency
While The Financial Residency podcast is no longer active, its archive of nearly 1,000 episodes provide the financial education you didn’t have time for in medical school. The financial-advisor host, Ryan Inman, is married to a physician. He brings this first-hand experience to help physicians build the financial skills and habits they need to keep more of the money they make.
2 Docs Talk
Medicine is constantly evolving. How can a doctor keep up?
A (now-defunct) podcast on the shorter side, “2 Docs Talk” features doctors Kendall Britt and Amy Rogers as they explore new developments in medicine, such as “Treating Opioid Addiction” and “What’s on the Horizon for Colon Cancer Screening.” “2 Docs Talk” touches on nearly every specialty, as well as private practice, healthcare insurance, and personal health tips, making its archive a for pretty much every physician out there.
The Hippocratic Hustle
Carrie Reynolds—a pediatric gastroenterologist and serial entrepreneur—wants listeners of The Hippocratic Hustle to break free. The podcast, which stopped producing new episodes in 2023, is all about finding that magical balance of a rewarding career, lucrative side ventures and a meaningful life.
The Hustle's archive focuses on female doctors who have reached financial independence by getting creative with side projects.
The Tim Ferriss Show
This isn’t a medical podcast, but it can’t be all medicine all the time. You need some balance. Tim brings experts from industry, sports, music, you name it, to pick their brains about what drives them toward excellence. As a result, Ferriss might just be the most well-rounded person out there.
There is a myriad of life and work lessons to be gleaned from Ferriss’ guests. The best part about Tim’s interviews is they almost always deliver tips you can put into action immediately. Start with this episode with chess champion and learning theorist Josh Waitzkin.