The Curious Clinicians

The Curious Clinicians

About

The Curious Clinicians is a medical podcast that asks "why?". Why do diseases present in certain ways? What are the mechanisms of treatments we use? Why does the human body function as it does? Join us to explore these questions and many more.

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103 episodes

87 - Aquagenic Wrinkling

The Curious Clinicians answer an early curiosity question: Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel here, and read the show notes here! Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. 

22m
Apr 17
[Archive] UMAMI

In this episode from our archives, originally posted on September 16, 2020, The Curious Clinicians examined why the savory flavor umami is SO DELICIOUS. Dig in! Show notes: https://curiousclinicians.com/2020/09/16/episode-9-why-is-umami-so-delicious/ CME: https://vcu.cloud-cme.com/course/search?p=4000&curriculum=Curious%20Clinicians Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly      

19m
Apr 04
86 - Enlarging Alcohol

The Curious Clinicians are on tap to ask, why does chronic alcohol use cause macrocytosis? Read the show notes here.  Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. 

22m
Mar 21
85 - NephMadness 2024

Welcome to NephMadness 2024! In collaboration with Things We Do For No Reason (TWDFNR), we are excited to promote the start of this amazing medical education opportunity. Inspired by the "March Madness" college basketball tournament, NephMadness is a "". Fill out your bracket today! Dr. Jeff Kott, NephMadness Executive Committee member, Critical Care Medicine Fellow At Stony Brook Medicine on Long Island, NY and former nephrology fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, joins Avi, Hannah, and Tony to discuss two hot button TWDFNR topics in nephrology: __ __ Read the show notes here. Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. 

28m
Mar 05
84 - History & Hemochromatosis: The Ins and Outs of Iron

The Curious Clinicians examine why the genetic mutations leading to hereditary hemochromatosis might have offered an evolutionarily advantage to our Neolithic ancestors. The answer relates to an old breakfast stalwart- cereal and milk! Read the show notes here. Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.  This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. 

32m
Feb 21
[Archive] - (Trans)locating the Bacteria

On this episode from our archive, originally posted on March 15, 2022, The Curious Clinicians examine why cirrhosis predisposes to SBP, and why bacterial translocation across the bowel wall into ascites doesn’t actually occur! Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. 

21m
Feb 07
83 - Thalidomide Embryopathy

The Curious Clinicians investigate the history and mechanisms of how thalidomide caused embryopathy in the late 1950s and early 1960s in over 10,000 babies across the world. Read the show notes here.  Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer.  This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. 

26m
Jan 31
[Archive] In Vivo Veritas

On this episode from our archive, originally posted on February 16, 2022, The Curious Clinicians investigate why antiphospholipid antibodies can be falsely positive during acute illness or thrombosis. Read the show notes here.  Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. 

27m
Jan 26
When Normal Labs Aren't Necessary

In this episode, we investigate the reasons why we don't (and don't need to) transfuse to normal hemoglobin levels. Read the show notes on our website here https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=2619. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com https://nodderly.com/. Our producer is medical student Giancarlo Buonomo.

34m
Jan 17
[Archive] Of Ticks, Alpha-gal, and Red Meat Allergies

The Curious Clinicians are currently on a holiday break, but we'll be back with new content in 2024! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this episode from our archive, originally posted December 10, 2022. We told the story of a tiny carbohydrate called alpha-gal, delving into unsettling meat allergies after tick bites, ancient viruses, allergic reactions to an anti-cancer antibody, and xenotransplantation. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

21m
Dec 20, 2023
81 - Avoiding Malaria

In this episode, we examine how sickle cell trait protects against malaria, in multiple ways. Read the show notes on our website here https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=2594. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com https://nodderly.com/. Our producer is medical student Giancarlo Buonomo.

24m
Dec 06, 2023
[Archive] Thanksgiving & The Food Coma

Today we reach back into The Curious Clinicians archives, just in time for Thanksgiving. In this episode, originally posted in November 2021, Hannah, Avi, and Tony examine whether tryptophan from turkey actually causes the infamous Thanksgiving food coma. The answer might surprise you... Check out the episode's show notes here https://wp.me/pb7XFA-qV. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of nodderly.com http://nodderly.com/.

15m
Nov 22, 2023
80 - A Scleroderma Crisis

In this episode, we explore why ACE inhibitors treat scleroderma renal crisis so effectively (and why bilateral nephrectomy used to be the treatment of choice…). Read the show notes on our website here https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=2565. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com https://nodderly.com/. We’d like to welcome the newest member of our team, Giancarlo Buonomo, a medical student who is joining on as a producer!  

18m
Nov 08, 2023
79 - Kurious Keto

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians ask why a ketogenic diet can help control seizures in refractory epilepsy? Read the show notes on our website here https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=2527. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com https://nodderly.com/.

20m
Oct 19, 2023
78 - Valve Privilege

For this episode, The Curious Clinicians ask why patients with bioprosthetic heart valves don't require immunosuppression? Read the show notes on our website here https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=2505. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com https://nodderly.com/.

27m
Oct 04, 2023
77 - Irregularly Irregular

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians learn about why hyperthyroidism is associated with atrial fibrillation. Read the show notes on our website here https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=2479. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com https://nodderly.com/.

28m
Sep 21, 2023
76 - Radical Regeneration

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians explore the liver's incredible ability to regenerate after injury or resection.   Read the show notes on our website here https://curiousclinicians.com/?p=2459. And subscribe to our new Substack! Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com https://nodderly.com/. This episode was sponsored by Brooklinen! Use promo code "CURIOUS" for $20 off your first order + free shipping.

26m
Sep 06, 2023
[Archive] The Last Breath

This week, The Curious Clinicians are bringing back an episode from the archive that was originally posted in December, 2021. Tony joined Dr. Adam Rodman as a guest on the Bedside Rounds podcast. We were thrilled to share that episode here.  How can we medically tell whether or not someone is alive or dead? The answer is more complicated than you’d think. This episode was a live podcast Adam and Tony gave at the Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Physicians annual meeting on October 16, 2021. They track the evolution and controversies of the death exam, from a trans-Atlantic scandal surrounding a possible vivisection, a 19th century “X-prize” to determine a technology that could diagnose death, the important distinction between “permanent” and irreversible, and the mysterious Lazarus phenomenon. Link to episode page: http://bedside-rounds.org/episode-65-the-last-breath/

35m
Aug 24, 2023
75 - Feeling the Burn

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate why alcohol both causes a burning sensation when you first swallow it (hint: the mechanism has something to do with chili peppers) and why you get a general sense of total body warmth within the next few minutes.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com https://nodderly.com/. This episode was sponsored by Brooklinen! Use promo code "CURIOUS" for $20 off your first order + free shipping.

25m
Aug 09, 2023
74 - DIFFerent Babies

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine an intriguing question - why are babies protected from infection and colitis by C. Diff? We'll touch on factors relating to immunology, microbiology and human development. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com https://nodderly.com.

21m
Jul 26, 2023
73 - Random Acts of Medicine with Dr. Christopher Worsham

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians are joined by Dr Christopher Worsham, co-author of a fascinating and insightful new book, Random Acts of Medicine, which explores the use of natural experiments to better understand healthcare and is now out in hardcover! Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

38m
Jul 13, 2023
[Archive] 16 - The Eyes Have It (Part I)

This week, we reach back into the archive for an episode from 2021 (the first in a two-part series related to the eyes) where Tony, Hannah, and Avi explored why Wilson disease can present with Kayser-Fleischer corneal rings.  Remember to pick up CME/MOC credit just for listening to the episode!  Check out the show notes for this episode and read Avi's tweetorial on this topic.  Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com

18m
Jun 29, 2023
72 - Bringing Up Beethoven

On this episode, The Curious Clinicians dive into musical history, examining what might have caused German composer Ludwig van Beethoven's infamous deafness. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

24m
Jun 13, 2023
71 - Slow to Resolve

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians learn about why pneumonia takes weeks to resolve on chest x-ray, whereas symptoms generally resolve much sooner. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

20m
Jun 01, 2023
[Archive] - Bendopnea

This episode originally aired April, 2021, where The Curious Clinicians examined why some patients feel short of breath specifically when bending over, aka "bendopnea".  You can read the show notes for this episode on our website.  Don't forget to pick up CME/MOC credits, courtesy of VCU Health. Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.

21m
May 18, 2023
70 - Blood Meal

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine why upper gastrointestinal bleeding raises BUN. The answer involves experiments where participants were asked to drink blood (!) and the 700 sextillion (7 x 1023) amino acids that comprise the hemoglobin content in a liter of blood.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode was sponsored by Green Chef!

22m
May 04, 2023
69 - Including Liver Disease

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians tackle why alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can cause chronic liver disease.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp! You can give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CLINICIANS http://betterhelp.com/CLINICIANS.

15m
Apr 19, 2023
68 - A Fib About PE

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate whether atrial fibrillation should be considered a risk factor for PE.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode was sponsored by Green Chef!

20m
Apr 05, 2023
67 - Crossing a Barrier

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate the mysterious blood brain barrier, and how dexamethasone has a seemingly miraculous ability to treat cerebral edema caused by brain tumors.  Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp! You can give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CLINICIANS http://betterhelp.com/CLINICIANS.

20m
Mar 22, 2023
66 - More Right Than Left

In this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate why tricuspid valve endocarditis is more common in persons who inject IV drugs. Read the show notes here. Click here to obtain  (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com.

19m
Mar 08, 2023