The Nocturnists

Dr. Allan Detsky, a Canadian physician, health economist, and Broadway producer, examines the contrasts between Canadian and American healthcare. He then delves into his passion for musical theater, …

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…

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 …

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, escalatin…

Susannah Fox discusses her book Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care. Drawing from decades of research, Susannah shares stories of patients and caregivers who, wh…

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…

Journalist Sarah DiGregorio delves into the history and humanity of nursing in her book, Taking Care: The Story of Nursing and Its Power to Change Our World. Tracing the ancient roots of caregiving t…

Dr. Rana Awdish, critical care physician and author of In Shock, reflects on her near-death experience and its transformative impact on her understanding of medicine and healing. Written seven years …

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 o…

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 sha…

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 sisterhoo…

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: …

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 h…

Family medicine physician Zed Zha persuades her reluctant parents, visiting from China, to indulge in the treat of ice cream.

Zed performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symp…

Mother of four, writer, and attorney Ann Schrooten reflects on a pivotal moment from her fifteen year journey caring for her son Jack, who lived with congenital muscular dystrophy.

Ann performed this…

Shaida Dusenge Kamali, originally from Kigali, Rwanda, reflects on her journey from earning a prestigious scholarship to study in Oklahoma, to raising her younger brother after the sudden passing of …

Nurse Roshni Shah reflects on how water and ritual bathing brought serenity to a difficult life period, where she was balancing caring for her aging mom with working nights in the ICU. 

Roshni perfor…

Emmy-winning writer and creative director Lu Chekowsky delves into her mother’s powerful lessons on resilience, navigating a high-stakes media career, and facing the biases of healthcare in a larger …

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 de…

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 …