CMAJ Podcasts

In this podcast, Dr. Kirsten Patrick, deputy editor for the Canadian Medical Association Journal, discusses an editorial she co-authored on the topic of patient-oriented research. She is joined by her co-authors, Diane Aubin and Maryam Kebbe. Diane Aubin is an Associate Director with the Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research support unit and works at the University of Alberta in Edmonton....

In this podcast, Mary Koziol and Dr. Andrea Tone discuss the modern history of psychiatric treatments for women. This historical lens provides a unique viewpoint to analyze gender bias in medicine. Mary Koziol is a fourth-year medical student at McGill University. She will be starting her residency in family medicine at the University of British Columbia in July. Andrea Tone is a Professor of Hist...

In this podcast, Dr. Stacey Marjerrison and Dr. Chelsea Gabel discuss health research involving Indigenous Peoples. They explore opportunities for collaboration that move away from the traditionally Western-centric approach. Dr. Stacey Marjerrison is a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at the McMaster Children’s Hospital, as well as Assistant Clinical Professor, and non-Indigenous researcher in th...

In this podcast, Dr. Brenda Wilson discusses the new guideline on screening for impaired vision in community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older in primary care settings. The guideline is authored by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care and is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Dr. Brenda Wilson is a professor of Community Health and Humanities at Memorial Univ...

In this interview, professor Sharrona Pearl explores the history of face transplants through an ethical and societal lens. She discusses the intrinsic link between the face and one's sense of identity and wholeness as a person. Prof. Pearl is an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her PhD. in the History of Science from Harvard University. Her...

In this audio reading, we hear the perspectives of a patient, the spouse of another patient, and the oncologist who cared for both patients. They share their thoughts on terminal cancer, doctor-patient communication, and what changes when you know the end is near. The article, titled "What really matters at the end: perspectives from a patient, a family member and an oncologist," was wri...

In this podcast, Dr. Alexandra Legge discusses a review article she co-authored on managing premature atherosclerosis in patients with chronic rheumatic inflammatory diseases. Cardiovascular disease is underrecognized and undertreated in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. Dr. Alex Legge is an Internal Medicine resident at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is enrolled in t...

In this interview, professors Heather MacDougall and Laurence Monnais discuss perceptions, apathy and opposition around vaccination. Specifically, they take a look at the factors underpinning low uptake of measles vaccine in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s, decades before the infamous Wakefield autism article. Heather MacDougall is an associate professor at the University of Waterloo where she special...

Sylvia Nickerson, an artist in Hamilton, Ontario, reads her article called "Seeking graphic medicine narratives." In the article, Dr. Nickerson explains how graphic medicine can probe the emotional, moral and human aspects of medicine. Her Humanities Encounters article is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Full article: www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.171318------...

In this podcast, Prof. Natalie Riediger and Prof. Andrea Bombak discuss their analysis article published in the CMAJ that looks at a proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages through a social justice lens. A sugar tax could have unintended detrimental effects for certain vulnerable populations if not implemented properly. Dr. Riediger is an assistant professor in the Department of Community Health...

Dr. Ryan Giroux, a resident in pediatrics at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, reads his article called "Bannock as medicine." In the article, Dr. Giroux shares how an encounter with a First Nations patient allowed him to ponder his own identity as a Métis physician. His Humanities Encounters article is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Full article: www.cma...

Dr. Samina Ali, a pediatric emergency physician in Edmonton, Alberta, reads her article called "A note to Aaron." In the article, Dr. Ali shares the story of one particular child, Aaron Fortier. The story is true. Her Humanities Encounters article is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Full article: www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.171182----------------------------...

Dre Julie Bruneau et Dre Marie-Ève Goyer nous expliquent les recommandations clé de nouvelles lignes directrices sur la prise en charge clinique du trouble lié à l'usage d'opioïdes. Elles sont deux des auteures des lignes directrices publiées dans le Journal de l'Association médicale canadienne. Dre Bruneau est médecin-chercheur au CHUM en médecine des toxicomanies et Dre Goyer est...

In this podcast, Dr. Evan Wood and Dr. Keith Ahamad discuss the new guideline on management of opioid use disorder published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Dr. Wood and Dr. Ahamad are two specialists who work in the thick of the opioid crisis. They are also two of the authors of the guideline. They discuss the recommendations on how to treat opioid addiction and they offer insight in...

Koray Demir reads his article called "In the closet, again." In the article, Mr. Demir shares his struggles with internalized homophobia which surface while working with a patient dying of AIDS.Mr. Demir is part of the McGill Medical School graduating class of 2018. His Humanities Encounters article is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Full article: www.cmaj.ca/looku...

Repeat concussion, traumatic encephalopathy, head injury, brain damage. These are hot topics, especially in the world of contact sports. While there has been a recent increased awareness of the long-term effects of repeat head injury, our modern understanding may not be that different from what was already known by the 1950sIn this interview, Prof. Stephen Casper, discusses fascinating points in h...

Genetic testing technology has advanced rapidly and it is becoming more affordable to perform whole genome sequencing. Whole genome sequencing can reveal heritable conditions and predispositions to disease. In this interview, Professor Steve Scherer discusses the findings from the initial cohort of 56 Canadian volunteers who had their whole genome sequenced for the Personal Genome Project Canada....

Neonatal care has improved greatly in recent years. As an unintended consequence of these advances, more babies born with malformations such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) survive and with more severe malformations than in the past. Dr. Pramod Puligandla discusses a new clinical practice guideline on diagnosis and management of CDH. Dr. Puligandla is a Professor of Paediatric Surgery, Pa...

Dr. Phillip Gregoire reads his article called "Late night decisions." In the article, Dr. Gregoire reflects on the term "code status" and how best to talk to patients about its meaning. Dr. Gregoire is a first year internal medicine resident at the University of Toronto. His article is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Full article: www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/1...

In this interview, Dr. Shannon Ruzycki discusses the problem of physician burnout. She offers practical advice to help physicians recognize it in themselves and in their colleagues. She also discusses strategies to cope and to prevent the problem in the first place. Dr. Ruzycki is a general internal medicine fellow at the University of Calgary. She co-authored a Practice article published in CMAJ...

In this interview, we hear from three of the authors of a prospective cohort study on childhood peer victimization and its effect on mental health during adolescence. They discuss the findings and offer practical advice on how to address and prevent bullying and victimization at home, in schools and from a physician's perspective. Dr. Marie-Claude Geoffroy is a clinical psychologist at the Do...

In this interview, Dr. Sachin Pendharkar describes for listeners the signs and symptoms of chronic obstructive sleep apnea, treatment options, and the dangers of going undiagnosed. Dr. Sachin Pendharkar is a sleep and respiratory physician at the Foothill Medical Centre Sleep Centre and Associate Professor of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. He co-authored a rev...

In this interview, Dr. Darrell Tan takes listeners through the new Canadian guideline on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis. He offers practical clinical guidance for front-line health workers. Dr. Darrell Tan is an infectious diseases physician and clinician–scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. He is also co-leader of the Biomedical HIV Prevention...

Dr. Sarah Stumbar reads her article called "For the world to see Ana." Ana is a refugee living in the United States who represents countless others who are sick and must navigate life with no health insurance. The story is true. Dr. Stumbar is a family physician and assistant professor of family medicine in the Department of Humanities, Health, and Society at Florida International Univer...

In his article, Dr. Peter Clement Duffy, relives a very busy night in the emergency department that challenged the “Two-Solitudes” mentality in Montréal. The story is true, but pertinent details have been changed to protect the patients’ and health care workers’ identities. Dr. Duffy's article, titled "Saturday night at St. Mary's", was published in CMAJ. The story is read by D...