I Did My Own Research

What happens when being a good doctor means pushing back against the healthcare system? Dr. Fran sits down with plastic and reconstructive breast surgeon Dr. Elisabeth Potter to talk about breast reconstruction, healthcare advocacy, and what happens when insurance companies start getting between doctors and their patients. Dr. Potter shares the story of being pulled out of the operating room by Un...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with internal medicine physician and medical creator Dr. Sarwat Makkani to talk about what happens when nuanced medicine meets the internet. Dr. Makkani shares her journey from immigrant, young mother, and medical student to independent private practice owner—and why she ultimately chose to build a practice centered around metabolic hea...

What happens when patients become experts in their own endometriosis—and the internet becomes their second opinion? Dr. Fran sits down with gynecologic surgeon Dr. Jill Ingenito ( @DrPelvicPainDO ) to unpack the complicated world of endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain, and the information patients find online. They discuss why specialized training in complex benign gynecology matters, where general...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with retired general surgeon and medical mythbuster Dr. Terry Simpson to talk about his journey from bariatric surgery and culinary medicine to becoming a prominent voice online fighting medical misinformation. Dr. Simpson shares his personal experience with obesity, GLP-1 medications, and the “food noise” he never realized he had—and w...

What does a pediatric psychologist actually do—and how can psychology help children and families navigate chronic illness, sleep, parenting, and the mind-body connection? In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with pediatric psychologist Dr. Julia Kovalenko to break down what psychologists really do, how they work alongside medical teams, and why the brain and body can’t alw...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with board-certified dermatologist Dr. Mary McDaniel to unpack some of the biggest skincare and dermatology myths circulating online. They discuss sunscreen safety, beef tallow, Accutane, acne “root causes,” questionable gut and allergy testing, hair-loss supplements, and the risks of high-dose biotin. They also talk about medical misin...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with Dr. Jeremy Bryner, a bariatric surgeon and board-certified obesity medicine physician, to discuss the many options available for treating obesity—and why there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Dr. Bryner explains how modern obesity care has evolved beyond simply “diet and exercise,” and discusses the role of lifestyle changes, GLP...

Dr. Fran sits down with Dr. Sarah Margolin — cognitive scientist, associate professor, and creator behind @DrSarahMargolin — to talk about what the science of aging actually says, and why so much of what circulates online gets it wrong. Dr. Margolin studies cognitive aging and reading comprehension, and she's built a following by taking on viral myths about getting older — from the false idea that...

What's it like to be a gynecologist for patients who've never had a gynecology visit before? Dr. Fran sits down with Dr. Holly Hoefgen , a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist and fellowship-trained physician, to talk about a specialty that even OBGYNs often know little about. Dr. Hafgen shares how she landed in a field that lets her combine her love of pediatrics with gynecology, and explains wh...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with Dr. Nancy Githere-Thande — family medicine resident, mom of two, and the voice behind Diary of a Doctor Mom . Dr. Githere-Thande shares her journey from public health research at UCSF to medical school and residency, all while navigating marriage, motherhood, and the birth of her daughter at 27 weeks. She opens up about the hesitat...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with Dr. Shazma Mithani — a pediatric and adult emergency medicine physician, and co-host of The Doc Talk Podcast . Together, they discuss How Dr. Mithani's path from ER doctor to online misinformation-buster took shape during COVID What The Pitt gets right (and wrong) about emergency medicine, from missing consultants to unrealistic si...

Dr. Fran sits down with Dr. Christopher Allen — pediatric neurologist, sleep medicine specialist, and creator behind "Sleep Doctor Chris" — for a deep dive into everything we get wrong about sleep. From debunking the idea that snoring is "just sleeping deep" to explaining why sleep studies aren't as scary as they sound, Dr. Allen breaks down the science of rest in plain, practical terms. They cove...

This week on I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with Liam, the creator behind The Plant Slant, who's built an audience of over 3 million by championing a simple message: eat mostly plants, but not only plants — and don't let internet extremism ruin your relationship with food. Liam and Dr. Fran dig into why the rotisserie chicken discourse won't die, how comedy became one of the most effec...

In this episode, Dr. Fran sits down with Dr. Sara Neill (@SarOBGYN), a complex family planning specialist, to unpack the flood of misinformation swirling around birth control and abortion care. Dr. Neill walks through what complex family planning actually involves — abortion care, contraception, and pregnancy loss care — and shares what a typical (if unpredictable) week looks like between clinic,...

This week, Dr. Fran sits down with clinical pharmacist Dr. Melissa, PharmD ( @Pharmomacist ), whose online platform tackles postpartum mental health, vaccine data, over-the-counter medications, and skincare. Dr. Melissa walks through her path into ambulatory care pharmacy, including her work in cardiology and a pharmacist-run clinic focused on high-risk patients — and explains why pharmacists ofte...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research, Dr. Fran sits down with Dr. Padget Skogman — Iowa-based pediatrician, mom of three, and medical content creator — for a wide-ranging conversation about modern parenthood, the pressure of too much information, and how to raise kids confidently in a screen-saturated world. They dig into why parents today are more anxious than ever (hint: it's not a lack of i...

Dr. Fran sits down with Melinda French Gates — philanthropist and founder of Pivotal, a group of organizations she founded to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the U.S. and around the world. Following an announcement of new funding commitments that bring her total investment in women's health to over $600 million in the last two years. Melinda shares why she is d...

Dr. Fran sits down in person with Dr. Betsy Grunch, board-certified neurosurgeon and creator behind the popular Lady Spine Doc brand, recorded live at the Pinnacle Conference in Austin. Dr. Grunch shares the deeply personal story that drew her to neurosurgery — her mother's spinal cord injury as a police officer — and walks listeners through her path from the University of Georgia to a six-year re...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with registered dietitian and prenatal nutrition expert Jessica Monroe to unpack the complicated — and often oversimplified — world of fertility nutrition. From PCOS and endometriosis to IVF, supplements, and male factor infertility, they dive into what the evidence actually says versus what social media wants you to believe. Together,...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with her sister, board-certified family medicine physician Dr. Victoria Hasselhof, for a conversation about practicing medicine across two countries, navigating medical misinformation online, and what patients are really looking for from doctors in the social media era. Dr. Hasselhof shares her unique path through medical school in Germ...

Dr. Fran sits down with registered dietitian, researcher, and science communicator Kevin Klatt for a wide-ranging conversation about nutrition science, public health, and how misinformation thrives when complex problems get reduced to simplistic solutions. From the realities of becoming a PhD/RD and conducting actual nutrition research, to the rise of wellness influencers, functional medicine, and...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with labor and delivery nurse, social media educator, and chicken swaddler Jen Hamilton to unpack how birth conversations have evolved online—and what’s getting lost in the noise. Together, they challenge the growing narrative that all medical intervention is inherently harmful, reframing it instead as a set of tools that can be thought...

In this episode of I Did My Own Research , Dr. Fran sits down with triple board-certified intensivist and pulmonologist Dr. Mahmoud Ibrahim to unpack what’s really happening at the intersection of medicine, misinformation, and social media. They explore how dismissing patients’ online research can backfire—and why listening first may be the most powerful tool clinicians have. From ICU misconceptio...

Dr. Fran is joined by board-certified pediatrician Dr. Cerissa Key to unpack the overwhelming world of pediatric and parenting misinformation—and how social media is both fueling and fighting it. From viral “wellness” trends to dangerous supplement misuse, they dive into why “natural” doesn’t always mean safe, and how even vitamins can cause real harm when misused. They explore the reality that pa...

Diminished ovarian reserve can feel deeply personal—and often deeply misunderstood. In this episode, Dr. Fran is joined by reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Lucky Sekhon to break down one of the most anxiety-provoking fertility topics online. Together, they unpack why egg count does not equal fertility, and how misinformation—especially around supplements, hormones, and “natural” fertility fixes—ca...