CMAJ Podcasts

In this interview, Dr. Priya Koilpillai and Dr. Sudhir Nishtala discuss the latest evidence, risks and benefits of low-dosage acetylsalicylic acid in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Koilpillai is a second year internal medicine resident at the University of Calgary who has a keen interest in medical education and women’s cardiovascular health. Dr. Nishtala is a form...

In this narrative, Ms. Shannon Cushman shares the emotional journey of watching her daughter be diagnosed with Crohn disease, an illness she was all too familiar with. Shannon Cushman is a mom and finance professional who lives in Strathroy, Ontario. She wrote a Humanities Encounters article published in CMAJ called "From patient to parent: a dual-generation journey."To read the article:...

In this interview, Dr. Mehdi Aloosh discusses the latest evidence and information around e-cigarette use, smoking cessation, vaping of cannabis, and pulmonary illnesses linked to vaping. Dr. Mehdi Aloosh is a third year resident in Public Health and Preventive Medicine including Family Medicine at McMaster University. He is also doing a Master's in Epidemiology at McGill University. The Pract...

In this "Med Life with Dr. Horton" podcast, Dr. Jillian Horton chats with Dr. Ron Epstein about dealing with stress and toxic culture in medicine. Dr. Horton and Dr. Epstein answer the following listener questions:- In an under-resourced settings, how do we reconcile the quality of care we wish to provide with the quality we feel we're limited to provide?- Are circumstances in healt...

In this special episode, Dr. Diane Kelsall, previous interim editor-in-chief for CMAJ, interviews Dr. Andreas Laupacis, new editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. They chat about:- first impressions after two days on the job- his vision for the journal- his life as the child of refugee parents- the state of health care today- his proudest accomplishments during his career up...

In this narrative, Dr. Iris Gorfinkel grapples with the emotions behind the difficult message she has to deliver to her patient — a message she knows will not be well received. Dr. Gorfinkel is a general practitioner, and a principal investigator and founder of Prime-Health Clinical Research in Toronto, Ont. She wrote a Humanities Encounters article published in CMAJ called "You're no lo...

In this interview, Dr. Nadia Fairbairn and Dr. Christy Sutherland discuss how to treat opioid use disorder with injectable opioid agonist treatments. They discuss which patients are good candidates for the treatment, how the treatment is administered, and they offer practical advice on overall strategies for treatment and support for patients with opioid use disorder. They also discuss the opioid...

In this narrative, Dr. Arjun Sharma finds his preconceived notions of opioid addiction get challenged as he spends some time in Vancouver. Dr. Sharma is a first-year resident in internal medicine at the University of Toronto. He wrote a Humanities Encounters article published in CMAJ called "Lessons from a naloxone kit."To read the article: www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.190446Podca...

In this "Med Life with Dr. Horton" podcast, Dr. Jillian Horton chats with Dr. Sharon Straus about mentorship, from being a mentee to being a mentor. Dr. Horton and Dr. Straus talk about:- tips and tricks for students and trainees to find a good mentor- how to be a good mentor for others - how mentoring can help change culture in medicine- evidence and studies on mentorship- what it was l...

In this interview, Dr. David Grimes and Dr. Tiago Mestre discuss diagnosis and management of Parkinson disease, including: how to first recognize it, progression, treatment (medications, deep brain stimulation, exercise), nonmotor features such as depression, and palliative care. Dr. Grimes and Dr. Mestre are two of the authors of a new Canadian clinical practice guideline published in the Canadia...

In this interview, Dr. Nancy Campbell talks about the history of naloxone. In today’s reality of opioid addiction epidemics in many areas of the world, naloxone is highly regarded as a life-saving drug that reverses opioid overdose — it's a technology of solidarity. But it was once considered a technology of suspicion. It had to pass through social cycles of innovation, adoption, and backlash...

In this "Med Life with Dr. Horton" podcast, Dr. Jillian Horton chats with Dr. Tait Shanafelt about burnout and physician wellbeing. Dr. Horton and Dr. Shanafelt talk about:- link between physician wellbeing and quality of care- research on physician burnout- can an individual diagnose their own burnout- organizational-level intervention and prevention- loss of meaning in medicine- the ro...

In this narrative, Dr. Paul Moorehead reflects on a young patient’s wise words to him. The story is true. Dr. Moorehead is a pediatric hematologist oncologist at Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He wrote a Humanities Encounters article published in CMAJ called "The truth about going home."To read the article: https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/...

In this interview, Dr. Melissa Walker discusses management of ovarian cancer risk in women with BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants. She talks about risk factors for ovarian cancer, who should get genetic testing and who should get preventive surgery. She also discusses what to do about contraception and how to manage menopause in women with BRCA1/2.Dr. Melissa Walker is a fifth-year resident in obstetric...

In this podcast, Dr. Jonathan Fuller and Prof. Matthew Parrott discuss delusions, a concept that raises several questions from a philosophical perspective. They share their views on the nature of belief, and what is going on in a person’s mind during delusional thinking. Professor Matthew Parrott is from the Department of Philosophy at the University of Birmingham in the UK. Dr. Jonathan Fuller is...

Dr. Harald Gjerde reads his poem called "Le fou Bonnet." The poem is written from the perspective of a man with Charles Bonnet Syndrome, which causes complex visual hallucinations. Dr. Gjerde is a fifth year ophthalmology resident at Dalhousie University in Halifax Nova Scotia. To read his article, published in CMAJ: www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.190276-----------------------------...

In this interview, Dr. Steve Morgan and Dr. Kai Yeung discuss a possible framework for pharmacare. They argue and explain that setting copayments based on drugs’ clinical and economic value can promote patient choice and encourage cost-conscious selections. Dr. Kai Yeung is a pharmacist and pharmaceutical economist at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, Washington, a...

In this interview, Dr. George du Toit and Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran discuss how to safely reduce an infant’s risk of peanut allergy with early introduction of peanut protein. They talk about the evidence behind why this works to reduce risk and they explain the recommended timing, frequency, and amount of peanut that should be given to infants. Dr. George du Toit is a pediatric allergy physician at...

In this interview, Dr. Natasha Crowcroft comments on the measles outbreaks in Canada and globally, what many roots of the problem are, and what she thinks needs to happen to address the outbreaks. Dr. Natasha Crowcroft is chief science officer for Public Health Ontario in Toronto and an expert consultant for the World Health Organization. She co-authored a commentary article published in the Canad...

In this narrative, Kacper Niburski remembers when, for a short while, his father was unrecognizable to him. Mr. Niburski is a medical student at McGill University in Montréal, Québec, and editor of the CMAJ student humanities blog. He wrote a Humanities Encounters article published in CMAJ called "Cough."To read the article: www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.190314---------------------...

In this interview, Dr. Hans Rosenberg and Dr. Melise Keays discuss testicular torsion, a condition in which the spermatic vessels twist and cut off circulation to the testis. They explain the symptoms, how to diagnose it and how to treat it. They also explain how this condition can happen and why it's important to diagnose it in a timely manner. Dr. Hans Rosenberg is an emergency physician at...

In this narrative, Dr. Brian Deady reflects back on a time when a four-legged friend entered his life and instilled in him a sense of empathy he didn’t know he lacked. The story is read by Troy Acres. Dr. Deady is an emergency physician in Vancouver, British Columbia. He wrote a Humanities Encounters article published in CMAJ called "The unbearable rightness of two-ball fetch."To read th...

In this interview, Dr. Murray Krahn discusses cost-effectiveness and optimal use of resources in health care. He talks about how it has evolved over the last decade and he dispels some misconceptions and explains why it's important for policy makers to embrace the science of cost-effectiveness analysis. Dr. Murray Krahn is a general internist at the University Health Network in Toronto, and a...

In this interview, Dr. Robin Scheffler talks about the history of childhood cancer vaccine research. He explores the turn from polio vaccine research to cancer vaccine research and the power of children in marketing campaigns, especially in the context of raising funds for children’s hospitals or finding cures for childhood diseases. CMAJ is partnering with New Books Network for this episode. NBN...

In this narrative, Dr. Lori-Ann Linkins shares how her dear friend and fellow physician, Dr. Shelly Sarwal, chose Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). But before undergoing MAiD she forged a path to rewrite policies and ensure her organs would be donated. Dr. Linkins is a hematologist and associate professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She wrote a Humanities Encounters article publ...