The Nocturnists (The Nocturnists)

In this episode, Emily speaks with physician Rupa Marya and political economist Raj Patel about their recent book Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice, which explores the impact of oppressive systems on our health, and how deep medicine can facilitate collective healing.

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

In this episode, Emily speaks with cancer biologist and poet Jenny Qi, about her poetry collection "Focal Point," which examines science, disease, love, and family.

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists picks up with Season 3, which was interrupted by the COVID pandemic.

Medical student Latha Panchap shares a story about a crisis of confidence on the wards. Latha was the winner of The Nocturnists' medical student storytelling contest on the theme of LEARNING, and told her story in front of a live audience at the Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe in New York City on December 19, 2019.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.

This episode was brought to you by Vocera Communications' Experience Innovation Network,  an organization that has investigated the impact of stress, divided attention, and cognitive load on clinicians, and published data on how it affects communication and emotional wellbeing. Learn more about their work here and here.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page. 

Also mentioned in this episode: Saturday Night Stories from UCSF.

Emily speaks with writer and philosophy professor Chloé Cooper Jones about her memoir  Easy Beauty, which chronicles her quest to widen perceptions of beauty, motherhood, and disability.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Internal medicine resident Elie Adler tells a story about loving someone with a chronic illness, how that relationship changed when she became a doctor, and how being a doctor affects her relationship.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.

This season of The Nocturnists was made possible by the California Medical Association. Learn more at cmadocs.org.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

What is shame? And how does it manifest in medical culture? In this episode, The Nocturnists teams up with two shame experts to investigate these questions. From a pool of over 200 stories submitted to The Nocturnists from healthcare workers across the US, the UK, and beyond, we’ll explore the tension between who we are, and what the culture expects of us.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists-shame.org.

Emily sits down with Danielle Spencer to discuss her book Metagnosis: Revelatory Narratives of Health and Identity which, in identifying and naming the concept of "metagnosis," brings the study of healthcare into conversation with the discourse on identity. In doing so, this extraordinary new work in narrative medicine underscores the importance of narrative in healthcare in relation to concepts of self.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. 

Primary care doctor Tseganesh Selameab brings us inside her practice as a provider for immigrants and refugees, and describes one of the most common ailments she sees: “homelonging.”

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Hospitalist Ann Knapp navigates her own doubts and assumptions when her patient, a ninety-year-old man, states he wants to die—today.

Illustrations by Stephanie Muscat.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America opens in Orlando, at a reproductive health conference where many abortion providers were gathered on the day of the Dobbs leak. We follow a few of them home, as they scramble in the aftermath to figure out what the ruling means for their practices, their patients, and themselves.

Host & Co-creator:  Ali Block, MD

Co-creator:  Emily Silverman, MD

Contributors:  Diane Horvath, MD MPH; Jiana Menendez, MD MPH; Nikki Zite, MD MPH

Find show notes, transcript, and more at https://thenocturnists.com/pra/1/the-day-roe-fell. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

In this episode, Emily speaks with data scientist and author Cathy O’Neil about her book The Shame Machine: Who Profits in the New Age of Humiliation, which investigates how society exploits the powerful emotion of shame.

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Emily sits down with internist and thought leader Dr. Lucy Kalanithi to discuss her late husband's book When Breath Becomes Air and topics such as illness and identity, prognosis and uncertainty, love and suffering, and the importance of community.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

In the premiere of the "Uncertainty in Medicine" series, The Nocturnists explore medicine’s uneasy relationship with not knowing. From the clean resolutions of medical dramas to the structured rituals of case conferences, the culture of medicine often treats uncertainty as something to be avoided, resolved, or explained away. But what happens when uncertainty is not just a temporary gap in knowledge—but a constant, lived reality?

Through story and reflection, this episode invites listeners to reconsider the role of uncertainty in clinical care. What if the goal isn’t to eliminate it, but to navigate it skillfully? And what if doing so makes us not only better clinicians, but better collaborators, listeners, and humans?

Find show notes, transcripts, and more at thenocturnists.org, and subscribe to our substack.

The "Uncertainty in Medicine" series is generously funded by the ABIM Foundation, by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by The California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Host: Emily Silverman, MD

Uncertainty Correspondent: Alexa Miller

Series Illustrations by Eleni Debo

In this special episode, Emily speaks with The Nocturnists’ Executive Producer, family medicine physician and abortion provider, Dr. Alison Block, who recently published an Op-Ed in The New York Times called "Why I Learned to Perform Second-Trimester Abortions for a Post-Roe America."

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The COVID pandemic arrives in the USA.

In this episode of The Nocturnists: Stories from a Pandemic, you will hear diary entries from healthcare workers from New York, California, Massachusetts, and Indiana, all grappling with the first of the COVID case arrivals in their institutions. You will hear the voices of an internist, a pulmonologist, an emergency medicine intern, a clinical laboratory scientist, and a recently graduated medical student.

Produced by Emily Silverman, Adelaide Papazoglou, and Vishal Khetpal

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound

This series is brought to you by the California Medical Association, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and donations from our listeners.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. Follow @thenocturnists.

In this episode, Emily speaks with documentary filmmaker and journalist David France about his films How to Survive a Pandemic (2022) and How to Survive a Plague (2012), and the role of storytelling in documenting public health crises and holding institutions accountable.

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

On this episode of Conversations, Emily sits down with the creative team behind The Pitt—a gripping new medical drama on HBO Max that’s making waves in the healthcare world and beyond. Joining her are showrunner R. Scott Gemmill (ER, NCIS: LA), physician-writer Dr. Joe Sachs (ER), and emergency medicine educator and EM:RAP founder Dr. Mel Herbert. Together, they go behind the scenes of the show, discussing characters, medical cases, set design, and the creative team’s relentless pursuit of medical authenticity.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Emily speaks with physician, public health professor, and author Michael Stein about his recent book Me vs. Us: A Health Divided, which explains why the U.S. focuses on individualized health rather than public health, and the importance of considering populations, prevention, and policy.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Emergency medicine physician Joe Sills panics when the patient he has just pronounced dead regains a pulse.

The article mentioned in our conversation, "What Does It Mean to Die?" can be found in The New Yorker.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

For more about emergency medicine, visit The EM Over Easy Podcast.

The acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic is over, but some things are here to stay. How have N-95s, face shields, gowns, gloves and ventilators inserted themselves into our everyday lives?

More at thenocturnists.com

A 10-part audio documentary series on The Nocturnists podcast, “Shame in Medicine: The Lost Forest” explores how shame manifests in medical culture.

Shame is ubiquitous in healthcare. Shame experiences in healthcare workers contribute to burnout, depression, suicidality, impaired empathy, disengagement from learning, social isolation, diminished physical wellness, unprofessional behavior, and altered professional identity formation — all challenges that continue to vex the medical community and lead to poor health outcomes.

Hosted by Emily Silverman, MD and produced in collaboration with the Shame and Medicine project at the University of Exeter, this podcast series breaks the silence about shame in medical practice, sharing intimate stories told by healthcare workers from across the globe.

"Shame in Medicine: The Lost Forest" starts on September 13. Listen to the series trailer and follow The Nocturnists wherever you listen to podcasts.

Over the last nine episodes, we’ve listened to dozens upon dozens of clinicians tell their stories about shame. What have we learned? What can we take away from all of this? And where do we go from here?

Find show notes, discussion guide, transcript, and more at thenocturnists-shame.org.

Hospitalist Meghan O'Brien recounts the frustration of caring for a homeless patient who would rather be on the streets.

Illustrations by Stephanie Muscat.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

It’s been over a year since the first case of COVID-19 appeared in Seattle, and it’s been a long cold lonely winter. But in our series finale, we wanted to hear about a bright spot in all the darkness: the first vaccines that found their way into the arms of healthcare workers all around the country.

More at thenocturnists.com

Many of us travel far and wide to become healthcare workers. What is home to you?

Host: Ashley McMullen, MD

Executive Producer: Kimberly Manning, MD

Consulting Producer: Emily Silverman, MD

Podcast Producer: Adelaide Papazoglou

Illustrations by Ashley Floréal

Original music by Janaé E. Featuring “Home” from The Wiz, written by Charlie Smalls.

Black Voices in Healthcare series sponsors: California Health Care Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com/black-voices-in-healthcare.

Family medicine physician Catherine Forest listens to her one of her classical music idols serenade a dying loved one in the hospital.

According to the internet, the most relaxing song in the world is Weightless by Marconi Union.

To learn more about music and the brain, check out the book Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks.

For more of Catherine's work, check out this essay in Vox. 

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

Emily talks to Dr. Suzanne Koven, author of Letter to a Young Female Physician: Notes from a Medical Life. Dr. Koven graduated from medical school in the 80s at a time when there were so few women in her residency program that she had to write up her own maternity leave policy. Her memoir is a testament to how, while some things have changed for the better for women in medical education, much of the culture remains the same.

Dr. Suzanne Koven is a primary care physician and the inaugural Writer in Residence at Massachusetts General Hospital. 

Hosted by Emily Silverman.

Produced by Emily Silverman and Adelaide Papazoglou.

Edited and mixed by Jon Oliver.

Recorded in San Francisco by audio engineer Jon Oliver and at Ugly Duck Studios in Brighton by Ian Bouslough.

Original Theme by Yosef Munro. Other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

This episode of The Nocturnists is sponsored by Fabled.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Television writer and former ENT surgeon Anthony Chin-Quee speaks about his memoir, I Can't Save You, and his burgeoning career in storytelling for the screen.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com

In our 50th The Nocturnists: Conversations episode, Emily speaks with Maggie Jackson, award-winning author and journalist, about her book "Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure." Maggie describes the neuroscience of uncertainty, the benefits of curiosity and slowing down, and findings from her interviews with physicians and surgeons about uncertainty in medical practice.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Have you ever looked around and realized you were the only one? Standing out in the crowd can be hard, but it might just be your superpower.

Host: Ashley McMullen, MD

Executive Producer: Kimberly Manning, MD

Consulting Producer: Emily Silverman, MD

Podcast Producer: Adelaide Papazoglou

Illustrations by Ashley Floréal

Original music by Janaé E.

Black Voices in Healthcare series sponsors: California Health Care Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com/black-voices-in-healthcare.

The Nocturnists picks up with Season 3, which was interrupted by the COVID pandemic.

Internal medicine physician David Muller tells a story about a chance encounter on the George Washington Bridge that made him ponder what makes caring real, and not just something we do professionally. This story was originally told live in New York City at our October 2019 event at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. Learn more about this great venue and organization here.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

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WARNING: Today's episode of The Nocturnists contains descriptions of mental health crises and suicidal actions. Listener discretion is advised.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.

Rasha Khoury takes us inside a Doctors Without Borders hospital.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.

This season of The Nocturnists was made possible by the California Medical Association. Learn more at cmadocs.org.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

Playwright and memoirist Sarah Ruhl discusses her book Smile, which chronicles her journey with Bell’s Palsy and the emotional and spiritual challenges of chronic illness. She reflects on the idea of the “slow” or “partial” recovery, how her work as a playwright informs her perspective, the challenges of navigating the healthcare system, and the power of storytelling to heal both writer and reader.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

This episode of The Nocturnists is sponsored by the Bucksbaum-Siegler Institute for Clinical Excellence at The University of Chicago. The Institute is dedicated to fostering compassionate doctor-patient relationships and advancing clinical care. Each year, the Bucksbaum-Siegler Institute recognizes extraordinary healthcare professionals through The National Clinical Excellence Award. To learn more about the award, and to nominate a deserving clinician, visit bucksbauminstitute.uchicago.edu.

In honor of Juneteenth this year, we're re-releasing one of our favorite episodes from our 2020 Black Voices in Healthcare series – Episode 7. "Standout."

Have you ever looked around and realized you were the only one? Standing out in the crowd can be hard, but it might just be your superpower.

The Black Voices in Healthcare series is hosted by Ashley McMullen, MD and executive produced by Kimberly Manning, MD.

Contributors include: Marla Law Abrolat, MD; Tomás Díaz, MD; Utibe R. Essien, MD; Erica DaVonne Farrand, MD; Akeem Nassor Marsh, MD; Ekene Onwuka, MD; Whitney Wellenstein, MD; and other healthcare workers who participated anonymously.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Physician Maureen Miller describes how perusing a dusty box of autopsy reports from 1897 helped her embrace her new professional future as a pathologist.

Learn more about Maureen's work here. She also recommends reading The Misfit, featuring one of her favorite writers David Milch. For reference, the Conan and Colbert interviews are here and here.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

Our series began with reflections on the death of George Floyd, and ends with stories of birth. Even in the midst of tragedy, new life is beginning.

Host: Ashley McMullen, MD

Executive Producer: Kimberly Manning, MD

Consulting Producer: Emily Silverman, MD

Podcast Producer: Adelaide Papazoglou

Illustrations by Ashley Floréal

Original music by Janaé E.

Black Voices in Healthcare series sponsors: California Health Care Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com/black-voices-in-healthcare.

Medical student Oak Sonfist brings us inside their vivid dream about the Lost City of Atlantis – and the impossible decisions they face as they navigate between two worlds.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Our Uncertainty in Medicine series launches next week, and to set the stage, we’re sharing one of our favorite episodes from the archives - a heartfelt conversation with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat about his journey through the healthcare system while living with chronic Lyme disease.

Medicine likes certainty - diseases we can see and test for and treat. But what do we do when we can't see? When we can't help? Do we keep searching? Or do we look away?

In this episode, Emily speaks with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat about his book The Deep Places, which tells the harrowing story of his experience with Lyme disease, and what it's like to navigate a chronic illness that mainstream medicine hasn’t yet fully explained.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

In this episode, Emily speaks with pediatrics resident Nina Shevzov-Zebrun about movement, medicine, and the creation of The Ten Tensions Project, which explores core dilemmas of the physician experience through photography and dance

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists is back with the second installment of “Stories from a Pandemic”. How have healthcare workers been holding up over the past year? In this episode we hear stories from healthcare workers around the country about what it’s been like after the dust has settled. 

Visit our website for episode show notes here.

The mass media portrays us as “healthcare heroes,” or soldiers fighting a battle. For some people this language may ring true, but for others, it feels wrong.

This week you’ll hear voices from diarists based in California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. They include a geriatrician, a pediatric and an adult emergency physicians, an ER nurse, a hospitalist and historian of medicine, and two medical students.

*This episode includes themes of mental health crises and suicidal actions. Listener discretion is advised.

Hosted by Emily Silverman

Produced by Emily Silverman and Adelaide Papazoglou

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound

This series is brought to you by the California Medical Association, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and donations from our listeners.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists Holiday Special looks back on a year like no other and celebrates the holiday season with creative contributions from healthcare workers.

Contributors include:

Alex Raines, Alina Kung, Brad Hunter, Brian Bobby Chiong, Catherine Forest, Dan Merriott , Dawn Marie Wadle, Elsa Alaswad, Emmeline Sun, Greta Peng, Theodore Peng, Jacqueline Flores, Jessica Briggs, John Danyi, Kathy Lin, Katie Brooks, Kimberly Manning, Lily Stern and brothers, Lori Edwards, Mariam Nawas, Marshall Fleurant, Mike Reid, Natasha Spottiswoode, Nick Iverson, Patrick McMurray, Raphaela Posner, Resa Lewiss, Syed Hoda , Teja Kompala, Tina Munjal, Tseganesh Selameab, and other healthcare workers who chose to remain anonymous.

Hosted by Emily Silverman.

Producers: Emily Silverman, Adelaide Papazoglou, Raphae Posner

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Janaé E.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Physician Tiffany Albrecht jumped into “doing” mode when her beloved husband died – she ran a 5K, cleaned out her closet, and went on a hike. But when her son was finally born, she was overcome by a cathartic wave of emotions.

Tiffany performed this story live at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis in April 2023, for an event on the theme of "REBIRTH" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Center for the Art of Medicine.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

This episode of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is sponsored by The New York Zen Center. 

This season of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is supported by The Physicians Foundation. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Season 3 of The Nocturnists, hosted by physician Emily Silverman, will be coming soon to your feed.

This season of The Nocturnists was made possible by the California Medical Association. Learn more at cmadocs.org.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

On the path to medicine, we’re constantly taking tests: MCAT, shelf exams, step exams, boards, and more. What are these numbers good for? What are they not good for? What is the emotional impact of these tests, and their scores, on medical learners?

Find show notes, discussion guide, transcript, and more at thenocturnists-shame.org.

Oncologist Stuart Bloom speaks about his staged musical, How to Avoid Burnout in 73 Minutes, which tracks his journey from songwriter to oncologist, and the way he copes with burnout and finds meaning in his work.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

This episode of The Nocturnists is sponsored by Nabla. 

Emily sits down with physician Matt McCarthy, an infectious disease specialist at New York Presbyterian Hospital who researches drug-resistant microbes, to talk about his latest book, Superbugs.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

In this final episode of Black Voices in Healthcare, Host Ashley McMullen and Executive Producer Kimberly Manning discuss the making of the series.

Host: Ashley McMullen, MD

Executive Producer: Kimberly Manning, MD

Consulting Producer: Emily Silverman, MD

Podcast Producer: Adelaide Papazoglou

Illustrations by Ashley Floréal

Original music by Janaé E.

Black Voices in Healthcare series sponsors: California Health Care Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com/black-voices-in-healthcare.

In this episode of Conversations, Dr. Gita Pensa opens up about her harrowing experience as a defendant in a 12-year-long malpractice lawsuit and how it spurred her to create Doctors and Litigation: The L Word, a podcast aimed at helping physicians cope with the emotional toll of litigation. Gita also discusses her involvement in the documentary "A World of Hurt: How Medical Malpractice Fails Everyone," which exposes the flaws in the malpractice system. Through her personal story, Gita highlights practical and psychological tools for doctors navigating the legal system while dealing with fear, shame, and burnout.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

An improv workshop transforms the way psychiatrist David Elkin approaches a patient on the psych consult service, and catalyzes a philosophical shift in his approach to patient care.

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

More at thenocturnists.com.

How has the Dobbs decision impacted medical education? In episode 6 of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America we talk to trainees and educators about how Dobbs has impacted their lives in the classroom, and explore what we lose when we lose abortion training.

Host & Co-creator: Ali Block, MD

Co-creator: Emily Silverman, MD

Contributors: Anastasia Anazonwu, MD Candidate; Bria Peacock, MD; and other contributors who wish to remain anonymous

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com/pra/6/next-generation. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Dr. Marcy Bolster, Dr. Jason Liebowitz, and Dr. Philip Seo join us to discuss their newly published anthology, A Masterclass in Medicine: Lessons from the Experts. They created this compelling essay series to explore what it means to be a master clinician, featuring lessons from their own clinical heroes as well as other renowned physicians. Through these essays, they highlight the essential qualities of exceptional doctoring—empathy, clinical reasoning, and lifelong learning. In this conversation, they share the insights that shaped their careers, reflect on the impact of mentorship, and examine the enduring art of patient-centered care.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

As much as our culture delights in talking about sex, we do not relish discussing the sexually transmitted diseases which sometimes follow. But STDs are not just a fact of life, they are a subject that has been shrouded in mystery and moralizing throughout the history of medicine.

In this episode, Emily speaks with Dr. Ina Park, a family medicine doctor, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, and the author of Strange Bedfellows: Adventures in the Science, History, and Surprising Secrets of STDs.

Hosted by Emily Silverman.

Produced by Emily Silverman and Adelaide Papazoglou.

Edited and mixed by Jon Oliver.

Original Theme by Yosef Munro. Other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

On Jeremy Topin's first call night in the ICU, his checklist was not enough.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.

This episode was made possible by Vocera Communication’s Experience Innovation Network, an organization that has investigated the impact of stress, divided attention, and cognitive load on clinicians, and published data on how it affects communication and emotional wellbeing. Learn more about their work here.

This season of The Nocturnists was made possible by the California Medical Association. Learn more at cmadocs.org.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

Our lungs connect us to our innermost selves, the outside world, and each other. In this episode, Emily talks to pulmonologist Dr. Michael Stephen, author of Breath Taking: What Our Lungs Teach Us About Our Origins, Ourselves, and Our Future. 

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

We all arrive at the gateway to medicine carrying baggage from our past. We’ve had different hopes, hurts, and childhood arcs. How do these early life experiences guide us toward our careers? And once we “arrive,” how do they impact the way we experience shame in the workplace?

Find show notes, discussion guide, transcript, and more at thenocturnists-shame.org.

The COVID-19 global health crisis shed light on the immense value of doctors, nurses, public health workers, and research scientists. At the same time, the pandemic has all but obliterated the arts: theater artists, dancers, and performers have lost their livelihoods and their purpose. But doesn't art save lives, too?

More at thenocturnists.com

In this episode of Conversations, Dr. Jessi Gold, psychiatrist and Chief Wellness Officer at the University of Tennessee, discusses the mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers. Jessi shares insights from her new book, How Do You Feel? One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine, and explores how burnout, moral injury, and wellness are shaping the future of medicine. The conversation delves into topics ranging from telemedicine’s influence on mental health care to breaking down the stigma that prevents clinicians from seeking help.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Physician Tobin Greensweig makes an unannounced visit to a patient’s house to check on him after he leaves the hospital. Recalling stories from his father's community medical practice, he is struck by the constraints on the doctor-patient relationship in modern medicine.

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

82-year-old retired trauma surgeon Bill Meffert, who cared for wounded soldiers in Vietnam, reflects on that bloody experience and the words of a priest who worked beside him. 

You can read more about Bill and his novel, A Long Way From Home, on his website. To learn more about the Vietnam War, Bill recommends reading the book Dispatches, by Michael Herr.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

In this episode, Emily speaks with physician-painter Matthew Wetschler about pushing limits, the tension between presence and absence, and how he’s remained curious in the aftermath of crisis.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

On March 9th, join The Nocturnists for our newest season of "Stories from the World of Medicine," featuring original stories from frontline clinicians.

This week you discuss ventilator hacks, breathing tubes, search and rescue, and ministries of presence.

You will hear from diarists in New York, Colorado, Maryland, Indiana, Atlanta, and California, who include a family physician, a nurse practitioner, a veterinarian, a medical student, a couple of interns, and a hospital chaplain. Featuring Bill Withers’ Lean on Me.

Hosted by Emily Silverman

Produced by Emily Silverman and Adelaide Papazoglou

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound

This series is brought to you by the California Medical Association, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and donations from our listeners.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. Follow @thenocturnists.

Dr. Uché Blackstock, an emergency medicine physician and health equity advocate, discusses her book "Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine." She shares personal stories about her family's journey in medicine, systemic racism and her work to create a more equitable healthcare. 

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Pediatric ER physician and author Rachel Kowalsky discusses her short story, "The Delivery Boy." Set in an ER, the story follows a young Guatemalan boy and the team of clinicians who treat him. Rachel talks about how her experiences influence her writing and teaching in health humanities.

"The Delivery Boy" is available to read online for free.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

We know the pandemic has affected the waking lives of healthcare workers. But what happens after we fall asleep? Does the pandemic haunt us in the shadows too?

More at thenocturnists.com.

Internal medicine physician Natasha Spottiswoode reflects on her flying days from Oxford while teaching a green intern how to recognize whether patients are "sick" or "not sick."

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

In this episode of Conversations, Ruth Madievsky, clinical pharmacist and author of the national bestseller "All-Night Pharmacy," shares the inspiration behind her darkly poetic novel about sisterhood, addiction, and intergenerational trauma. Ruth reflects on how her Moldovan roots, her healthcare career, and her love of poetry have shaped her writing. We also dive into the mysticism that permeates her work and explore how trauma and healing intersect in her life and fiction.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

From the physical exams we conduct to diagnose disease to the reassuring handshakes before a surgical procedure, human touch is fundamental to the work we do in healthcare.

Host: Ashley McMullen, MD

Executive Producer: Kimberly Manning, MD

Consulting Producer: Emily Silverman, MD

Podcast Producer: Adelaide Papazoglou

Illustrations by Ashley Floréal

Original music by Janaé E.

Black Voices in Healthcare series sponsors: California Health Care Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com/black-voices-in-healthcare.

Emily talks to biographer Janice Nimura about her new book, The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women—and Women to Medicine, which examines the complicated and exceptional lives of Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell, the first and third female physicians in the United States, two women who profoundly influenced the medical profession.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

In this live podcast taping, Emily speaks with UCSF geriatrician and author Louise Aronson about her New York Times best-selling book, Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life. Louise opens the episode with a reading from her book. Emily follows with questions about the inspiration behind Elderhood, biases in medicine that impact geriatric care, and ways to reframe our perspectives on aging.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Emily speaks with historian, attorney, and diplomat Philip Zelikow, about the investigative report Lessons from the Covid War, authored by the COVID Crisis Group, which examines the U.S. response to COVID and provides valuable insights for how we can do better in the future.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Pediatrician Christina Lee recounts a memorable ambulance ride from residency, in which she helped transport a child from the hospital to hospice.

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

In the last few years, the medical profession has been grappling with the problem of gender bias in medicine, with how the symptoms of women are seen as atypical, or worse, are minimized, dismissed or ignored. But where did this problem come from? How far have we come and where should we go from here?

In this episode, Emily discusses these questions and more with Dr. Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World.

The Nocturnists are partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer free CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

More at thenocturnists.com.

In this live panel at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, Emily sits down with playwright Jake Broder, actor Lucy Davenport, and neurologist Bruce Miller to discuss Broder’s play UnRavelled, which explores the fascinating relationship between dementia, art, and music.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Medicine is full of uncertainty—from ambiguous diagnoses to unpredictable outcomes and the complex emotions of not knowing. Uncertainty in Medicine is a new documentary podcast series, created in collaboration with Alexa Miller of ArtsPractica, that examines how both healthcare workers and patients navigate the unknown. Through powerful personal stories and in-depth conversations with professionals whose work depends on making decisions amid uncertainty, the series explores what it means to embrace the gray areas of medicine—and life. The first episode of Uncertainty in Medicine drops Thursday, April 3.

Find show notes, transcripts, and more at thenocturnists.org

The Uncertainty in Medicine series is supported by the ABIM Foundation, by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by The California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Series Host & Co-Creator: Emily Silverman, MD

Series Correspondent: Alexa Miller (ArtsPractica)

When healthcare workers put on their uniforms to go to work, what other roles, masks, or disguises do they put on as well? The norms and standards of our workplace culture are often more implicit than explicit, but many of us still go to great lengths to present a curated version of self at work that fits into this unspoken code of conduct. The right mask, we tell ourselves, will win the respect and trust of our colleagues and protect us from painful judgments and feelings of alienation. But what are the side effects of hiding parts of ourselves at work? And what about the parts of ourselves that remain exposed?

Find show notes, discussion guide, transcript, and more at thenocturnists-shame.org.

Emily speaks with critical care physician Hannah Wunsch about her book The Autumn Ghost, which tells the story of a polio epidemic in Copenhagen in the 1950s, and how it gave birth to the invention of the modern ventilator and the field of ICU medicine.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued the Dobbs Decision. Overnight, Americans lost the protections on abortion care that Roe vs. Wade had afforded for almost 50 years. Soon afterward, The Nocturnists began talking to abortion providers around the country. Join us for The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America – a 7-episode podcast series featuring the stories of abortion providers from Texas to Tennessee, Oklahoma to Ohio, and beyond.

Series Host:  Ali Block, MD

Co-creators:  Emily Silverman, MD & Ali Block, MD

Featured Contributors:  April Lockley, DO; Bhavik Kumar, MD MPH; Christina Bourne, MD MPH; Emily Patel, MD; Zack Gingrich-Gaylord and other healthcare workers who wish to remain anonymous

More information at thenocturnists.com/post-roe-america

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Hi Listeners! Today is Giving Tuesday, and we wanted to take this time to express our gratitude and let you know what’s coming up on The Nocturnists podcast. Thank you for supporting our work in transforming medical culture through storytelling. 

To learn more, head to thenocturnists.com.

In this episode, Emily speaks with neuroscientist and author Sidarta Ribeiro about his book The Oracle of Night, which investigates the art and science of dreams and the extraordinary power dreams have in shaping our world.

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Physician and New Yorker writer Dhruv Khullar argues that modern medicine is in a Gilded Age—one where groundbreaking innovations mask deep systemic issues, including misaligned incentives, escalating costs, and growing dissatisfaction. From the influence of private equity on healthcare to the flaws of Medicare Advantage and the crucial role of data as the ‘oil’ of the healthcare system, this conversation explores the challenges of contemporary medicine while underscoring the importance of frontline clinicians actively engaging in health policy debates.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Season 2 of The Nocturnists, hosted by physician Emily Silverman, launches on Tuesday, March 26th.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

Our Black hair speaks volumes about our lives, and can be a source of joy or pain.

Host: Ashley McMullen, MD

Executive Producer: Kimberly Manning, MD

Consulting Producer: Emily Silverman, MD

Podcast Producer: Adelaide Papazoglou

Illustrations by Ashley Floréal

Original music by Janaé E. Featuring music inspired by “I am Not My Hair" by India.Arie.

Black Voices in Healthcare series sponsors: California Health Care Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com/black-voices-in-healthcare.

How does the pandemic end? Does it go out with a bang? Does it fizzle out? What we know for sure is that this story is not over.

In today’s episode you will hear from a pediatric hospitalist, laboratory scientist, pulmonologist, hospitalist, trauma nurse, OB/GYN, and an internal medicine resident, from California, the Midwest, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York.

Featuring Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.

Hosted by Emily Silverman

Produced by Emily Silverman and Adelaide Papazoglou

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound

This series is brought to you by the California Medical Association, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and donations from our listeners.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. Follow @thenocturnists.

Medical culture is filled with impossible ideals: the resident expected to work a 28-hour shift without complaint or error; the surgeon with the steel bladder; the doctor with perfect bedside manner; the student with all the answers. How should a doctor look, act, think, speak, dress, feel? What should they value?

In this episode, we explore the concept of “The Ideal Doctor.” Where do these “ideals” come from? How are they communicated? And what do they have to do with shame?

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists-shame.org.

One of the hardest things about being healthcare workers going through this pandemic is that we've both experienced and borne witness to moments that nobody should have to go through alone. Who do we need by our side when everything falls apart? And what do we do when they can’t be there?

More at thenocturnists.com.

Jamie Metzl, author of Superconvergence, explores the convergence of technologies shaping humanity’s future. From the genetics revolution to artificial intelligence, he unpacks how these technologies intersect, the ethical dilemmas they pose, and their potential to reshape life, work, and health. With insight and optimism, Jamie challenges us to harness humanity’s newfound powers wisely to create a better world for all.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

This episode of The Nocturnists is sponsored by the Bucksbaum-Siegler Institute for Clinical Excellence at The University of Chicago. The Institute is dedicated to fostering compassionate doctor-patient relationships and advancing clinical care. Each year, the Bucksbaum-Siegler Institute recognizes extraordinary healthcare professionals through The National Clinical Excellence Award. To learn more about the award and to nominate a deserving clinician, visit bucksbauminstitute.uchicago.edu.

In today's episode, Emily speaks with Professor Cindy Weinstein and Dr. Bruce Miller, authors of the book Finding the Right Words, which explores literature, grief, and the brain. It tells the story of Cindy’s father, who lived and died with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and serves as a dialogue between patient and doctor, literary critic and neuroscientist. A great example of narrative medicine in action.

The Nocturnists is partnering with VCU Health Continuing Education to offer FREE CME credits for healthcare professionals. Visit ce.vcuhealth.org/nocturnists to claim credit for this episode.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Kali Dayton, critical care nurse practitioner, ICU outcomes consultant, and host of the Walking Home from the ICU podcast, joins pioneering ICU physical therapist Heidi Engel to discuss long-standing ICU practices rooted in sedation and immobility. Together, they make a powerful case for a transformative model that keeps patients awake, engaged, and walking—even while on ventilators.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

In the hospital, pediatrician Dana Gal struggles with a young patient who asserts her autonomy in ways that are frustrating, and even dangerous.

Illustrations by Stephanie Muscat.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

In this episode of Conversations, we sit down with Dr. Sara Walker, an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist who is reshaping the way we think about life. From her work on the origins of life to her innovative assembly theory, Sara takes us on a journey through the possibilities of discovering alien life and challenges some of the core tenets of biology and physics. This conversation will make you rethink not just how life began, but what life is and does.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Before the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, there was S.B. 8—a Texas law that prohibited any abortion after 6 weeks, essentially banning it entirely in the state. In episode 2 of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America, we hear from healthcare workers in and around Texas. What was it like to be an early witness to America’s crumbling abortion rights?

Host & Co-creator:  Ali Block, MD

Co-creator:  Emily Silverman, MD

Contributors:  Kiernan Cobb, RN; Bhavik Kumar, MD MPH; and other contributors who wish to remain anonymous

Find show notes, transcript, and more at https://thenocturnists.com/pra/2/the-canary. Follow @thenocturnists.

The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America series was made possible in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

The Nocturnists is supported by the California Medical Association, and people like you who have donated through our website and Patreon page.

The Nocturnists is back with Season 6 of its classic storytelling series, "Stories from the World of Medicine." We begin with Dr. Meghan Rothenberger, an infectious disease doctor in Minneapolis who had to lose her dog, her wallet, and her dinner, before she realized she'd also lost something more important: herself.

Meghan performed this story live at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis in April 2023, for an event on the theme of "REBIRTH" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Center for the Art of Medicine.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

This season of "Stories from the World of Medicine" is supported by The Physicians Foundation. The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Hospitalist Peter Barish recounts an intense, intimate moment with a patient.

Learn more about Ladybird here.

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro.

Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.

Learn more and support us at thenocturnists.com. Thank you!

We’ve been holding our breath for weeks. The future is unclear, but this week, we invite you to exhale and celebrate small wins.

You’ll hear voices from North Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, Oklahoma, Colorado, and California, including those of a radiologist, a family practice doctor, an infectious disease researcher, meds-peds and internal medicine doctors, a neuroimmunology fellow, and a fourth year medical student.

Hosted by Emily Silverman

Produced by Emily Silverman and Adelaide Papazoglou

Illustrations by Lindsay Mound

This series is brought to you by the California Medical Association, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and donations from our listeners.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com. Follow @thenocturnists.

Emily speaks with cardiologist Eric Topol about his 2019 book Deep Medicine, which explores the potential for AI to enhance medical decision-making, improve patient outcomes, and restore the doctor-patient relationship.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

Where did the pandemic become real for you? This has been the most significant global public health crisis in a generation, but we each experienced it through a different set of eyes.

More at thenocturnists.com