The Nocturnists
The Nocturnists is an award-winning medical storytelling podcast, hosted by physician Emily Silverman. We feature personal stories from frontline clinicians, conversations with healthcare-related authors and art-makers, and special podcast documentary series such as “Post-Roe America,” “Shame in Medicine,” “Black Voices in Healthcare,” and “Stories from a Pandemic. Our mission is to humanize healthcare and foster joy, wonder, and curiosity among clinicians and patients alike.
**Anthem Award winner, two-time Webby Award nominee, and Ambie Award finalist for Best Indie Podcast in 2023.**
Learn more at thenocturnists.org.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 37 minutes
- Episodes
- 203
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
9 - Stories from a Pandemic: Bad Trip
It takes surprisingly little for the human psyche to come undone. We know that the virus can’t survive when we isolate ourselves, but can we survive the isolation?
Today’s voices include an ER nurse,…
8 - Stories from a Pandemic: Insomnia
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 diaris…
7 - Stories from a Pandemic: Exhale
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, …
6 - Stories from a Pandemic: Sick
What have we learned about the sickness caused by coronavirus?
You’ll hear from diarists from Michigan, Maryland, Ontario/Canada, Massachusetts, and California. You will hear from a meds/peds residen…
5 - Stories from a Pandemic: Helpless
What’s it like to be a healthcare worker standing on the sidelines during a pandemic?
This week, you’ll hear from diarists from California, North Carolina, Indiana, Texas, and New York, including a p…
4 - Stories from a Pandemic: Air
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, …
3 - Stories from a Pandemic: Virus
What have we learned about the virus so far?
In the third episode of Stories from a Pandemic, you will hear voices of a MICU nurse in San Francisco, an internal medicine resident in New York City, an…
2 - Stories from a Pandemic: Arrival
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 I…
1 - Stories from a Pandemic: New World
In the first episode of our new Stories from a Pandemic series, you share stories of bracing for disaster.
You will hear the voices of a trauma nurse in San Francisco, a pediatric emergency medicine …
Bleeding Out with Rasha Khoury, MD
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 Noct…
Cleaning Up with Emmeline Sun, LCSW
Social worker Emmeline Sun has to betray the trust of a client in order to care for him.
Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.
Original theme music by Yosef Munro.
Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.
…
Beyond the ABCs with Jeremy Topin, MD
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 episod…
The Art of the Block with Abhi Kole, MD
Hospitalist Abhi Kole tells a story about the ethics—and the art—of blocking patients.
Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.
Original theme music by Yosef Munro.
Other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.
T…
Love in the Time of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis with Elie Adler, MD
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 relationshi…
Rhino Rocket with Tina Munjal, MD
Otolaryngologist Tina Munjal tells a story about learning to be comfortable outside of her comfort zone.
Illustrations by Lindsay Mound.
Original theme music by Yosef Munro.
Other music comes from Bl…
Code Lavender with Monica Stemmle, MD
Pediatric hospitalist Monica Stemmle tells a story about her imperfect strategies for coping with feelings on the job.
Warning: this story depicts sick and injured children.
Illustrations by Lindsay …
Trailer: Season 3
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 …
Redefining Aging with Louise Aronson, MD
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 …
A Practical Handbook for Facing Death with BJ Miller, MD and Shoshana Berger
Emily sits down with palliative care doctor BJ Miller and IDEO's Global Editorial Director, Shoshana Berger, to talk about their new book, A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living L…
The Race Against Superbugs with Matt McCarthy, MD
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…