The Present Illness

Unethical research in Guinea-Bissau; Robots won’t fix maternity care deserts; Louisiana tries to extradite California doctor. Americas public health system teeters on the edge of an ICU admission thanks to the abysmal leadership of RFK Jr and his Clown Car of Public Health officials. This week, the doctors discuss the origins of proposed unethical and exploitative research in Guinea-Bissau. Next,...

This week: famed author's son dies after anesthesia, the "war on protein", and Arghavan's views on protests in Iran. Join Arghavan and Alyssa as they into the 'war on protein' narrative propagated by RFK Jr, the tragic story of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's toddler son’s death following an anesthetic in Nigeria, and the ongoing protests in Iran. They discuss: New Di...

Activation Warning: This episode discusses SA, CSAM, state violence.  In the first feverish episode of The Present Illness in 2026, the Doctors discuss the tumultuous events of winter break, including significant changes in vaccination policies, a big win for abortion rights, ICE actions in Minnesota, and the dangers of Elon Musk’s Grok. Abrupt CDC Child Vaccine Rollback AAP, APHA lawsuit against...

In their final episode of 2025, Drs. Salles & Burgart perform a brief examination of the Vanity Fair exclusive featuring Trump's new White House staff . Our physician hosts dissect the viral photoshoot that's causing more raised eyebrows than a Botox convention, with special attention to the inflammatory rhetoric surrounding Susie Wiles and her supporting cast of characters. The phys...

In this episode, the doctors perform a clinical examination of the pathological messaging aimed at young men by right-wing influencers like Nick Fuentes. They dissect the misogyny spreading through social media platforms, with particular attention to the inflammatory rhetoric that leads to dangerous attitudes toward women. The prognosis? With a strong dose of media & gender literacy, recovery...

In this week's episode, Drs. Salles and Burgart perform a critical examination of academic freedom under attack, focusing on the viral case of an Oklahoma pre-med student who's created a fever pitch of controversy by turning in shoddy work and targeting her transgender professor. The doctors dissect how right-wing influencers are turning classroom disagreements into national culture war...

The doctors perform an emergency triage on the state of public health leadership this week, starting with a scathing dissection of The Atlantic's profile of RFK Jr. that seemingly skipped the fact-checking department. Drs. Salles and Burgart administer a strong dose of reality as they examine how mainstream media continues to platform dangerous health misinformation with fewer guardrails than...

Activation Awareness: This episode discusses serious pregnancy complications and the dismissal of women's health concerns. In this week's episode of The Present Illness, Drs. Arghavan and Alyssa deliver a stat consultation on two viral stories about Black women receiving substandard obstetric care. With surgical precision, they dissect the case of Karrie Jones at Dallas Regional Medical...

Join Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart as they don their sterile gloves to dissect the web of connections surrounding Mr. Pedophile Criminal, Jeffrey Epstein, in "The Epstein of It All." The doctors examine how powerful men shield each other from consequences - and compound harms to survivors. Arghavan shares her social media deep dive into the recently released Epstein emails abou...

In this electrifying episode of The Present Illness, Drs. Arghavan and Alyssa examine America's complicated relationship with lady voters.  Our physician hosts unpack the historical struggle for women's voting rights with their characteristic wit, dissecting how gender equality at the ballot box has changed our political anatomy. Fresh from the American Society for Bioethics and Humaniti...

Arghavan & Alyssa diagnose America's latest nutrition emergency as SNAP benefits face potential cuts. They dissect the economic consequences of food insecurity with surgical precision while examining the bizarre phenomenon of billionaires hoarding wealth like it's toilet paper in a pandemic. The doctors perform a thorough examination of: The alarming case of disappearing SNAP conting...

TikTok is up for sale in America, but Arghavan and Alyssa are not into it. They discuss the implications of TikTok's potential sale and its impact on privacy and social media dynamics. They explore how social media influences relationship norms, particularly through examples of weaponized incompetence in partnerships. The conversation shifts to public health, focusing on the importance of hep...

In this episode, Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart dive into the world of vaccine misinformation, examining a debate between science communicators and anti-vaccine advocates. They explore how scientific illiteracy fuels dangerous health trends, including the current measles outbreak. The hosts then switch gears to discuss an evangelical pastor's claim that women should remain quiet and...

In this episode of "The Present Illness," hosts Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart delve into the tragic story of Paloma Shemirani, a young woman whose life was cut short by misinformation and a lack of standard medical intervention. Despite being diagnosed with a treatable form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Paloma's journey was marred by her mother's influence and a series o...

In this fever dream of an episode, Arghavan and Alyssa perform a thorough examination on America's latest government shutdown drama and the wildly contagious misinformation about immigrant healthcare that's spreading faster than a hospital norovirus. They'll decode EMTALA (that's Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act), dissect proposed Medicaid cuts that would make even the...

In this engaging first episode of "The Present Illness," physician-hosts Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart delve into the complexities of public health, politics, and culture. They discuss the controversial claims surrounding Tylenol and autism, emphasizing the importance of scientific evidence and the dangers of misinformation. The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by p...