The Nocturnists

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The Nocturnists Stories from the world of medicine.

๐‡๐ž๐š๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐€๐๐๐ข๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ƒ๐ซ. ๐‰๐š๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐’๐œ๐ก๐ข๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ฆ๐š๐ง, ๐Œ๐ƒ After surviving addiction himself, psychiatrist Dr. Jason Schiffman has d...
10/09/2026

๐‡๐ž๐š๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐€๐๐๐ข๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ƒ๐ซ. ๐‰๐š๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐’๐œ๐ก๐ข๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ฆ๐š๐ง, ๐Œ๐ƒ
After surviving addiction himself, psychiatrist Dr. Jason Schiffman has devoted his career to understanding why people become addictedโ€”and how they heal. We discuss trauma, shame, attachment, and his belief that lasting recovery begins not with treating addictive behaviors alone, but by healing deeper psychological injuries.
To listen, follow the link in our bio.

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‹๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐€๐ฎ๐ซ๐š ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐‰๐จ๐ก๐ง ๐‹๐š๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ, ๐Œ๐ƒ Drawing on philosophy, bioethics, and decades in pediatrics, Dr. John Lantos reflects...
10/08/2026

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‹๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐€๐ฎ๐ซ๐š ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐‰๐จ๐ก๐ง ๐‹๐š๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ, ๐Œ๐ƒ
Drawing on philosophy, bioethics, and decades in pediatrics, Dr. John Lantos reflects on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the doctor-patient relationship. We explore what medicine has gained through technology, whether the physician โ€œauraโ€ is disappearing, and why the rise of AI could ultimately renew our understanding of medical humanism.
Follow the link in our bio to listen!

๐…๐š๐ข๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐“๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ž๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐Š๐จ๐ฐ๐ž๐ฒ, ๐Œ๐ƒ Drawing on a lifetime in medicine and the stories behind his new book Failure to T...
09/11/2026

๐…๐š๐ข๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐“๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ž๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐Š๐จ๐ฐ๐ž๐ฒ, ๐Œ๐ƒ
Drawing on a lifetime in medicine and the stories behind his new book Failure to Treat, cardiologist Dr. Peter Kowey explores how profit, bureaucracy, and the corporatization of healthcare have transformed the practice of medicine. We discuss what has been lost, what can still be reclaimed, and why he remains hopeful that technology may ultimately give physicians back their most precious resource: time with patients.

To listen, click the link in our bio!

This week on The Nocturnists, I spoke with Dr. Giulia Endersโ€”physician, gastroenterologist, and bestselling author of Gu...
09/03/2026

This week on The Nocturnists, I spoke with Dr. Giulia Endersโ€”physician, gastroenterologist, and bestselling author of Gutโ€”about her beautiful new book, Organ Speak.

Giulia invites us to see the body not as a machine to be fixed, but as a living source of intelligence, metaphor, and meaning. Drawing on stories from her patients, her own experiences with illness and grief, and the science behind our organs, she explores how the language we use about our bodies shapes the way we experience them.

Itโ€™s a conversation about medicine, wonder, and what becomes possible when we stop seeing the body only as a problem to solve.

๐๐ž๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐Œ๐จ๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐ˆ๐ง๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐‹๐ข๐ฌ๐š ๐‘๐จ๐ฌ๐ž๐ง๐›๐š๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐Œ๐ƒ Cardiologist Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum tells the story of how her grandfatherโ€”a phy...
06/12/2026

๐๐ž๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐Œ๐จ๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐ˆ๐ง๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐‹๐ข๐ฌ๐š ๐‘๐จ๐ฌ๐ž๐ง๐›๐š๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐Œ๐ƒ
Cardiologist Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum tells the story of how her grandfatherโ€”a physician-writer whose experience as a patient transformed his view of medicineโ€”influenced her sense of purpose, storytelling, and care. As she navigated her own path through medicine and writing, she became increasingly interested in the cultural narratives shaping physiciansโ€™ experiences, particularly during the COVID-19 era. Drawing on a viral โ€œMilk Dudsโ€ story and broader shifts in burnout discourse, she explores the tension between systemic failures and individual agency, arguing that meaning in medicine can sometimes come not from stepping back, but from choosing deeper engagement with patients. To listen to this episode, visit the link in our bio or find us on your favorite podcast app!

๐‹๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐๐จ๐œ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ? Explore The Nocturnists+, our subscriber-only feed featuring The Nocturnists After Hoursโ€”a monthly series where host Emily Silverman is joined by executive producer Dr. Ali Block for more informal, open conversations about medicine, culture, and their own lived experiences. Subscriptions start at just $10/mo and include exclusive discounts on our new merch. Learn more or subscribe at thenocturnists.org/plus.

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐Œ๐ž๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ƒ๐ข๐ฌ๐œ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐Š๐š๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ž๐ž ๐†๐ฅ๐ž๐ง๐ง In this crossover episode with , Kaylee Glenn of the Day By Day Project shares how a ...
06/05/2026

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐Œ๐ž๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ƒ๐ข๐ฌ๐œ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐Š๐š๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ž๐ž ๐†๐ฅ๐ž๐ง๐ง
In this crossover episode with , Kaylee Glenn of the Day By Day Project shares how a childhood moment playing violin in a memory care facility inspired her to create a music-focused nonprofit for people living with dementia.
To listen to this episode, visit the link in our bio or find us on your favorite podcast app!

Thank you to for supporting this episode.

๐‹๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐๐จ๐œ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ? Explore The Nocturnists+, our subscriber-only feed featuring The Nocturnists After Hoursโ€”a monthly series where host Emily Silverman is joined by executive producer Dr. Ali Block for more informal, open conversations about medicine, culture, and their own lived experiences. Subscriptions start at just $10/mo and include exclusive discounts on our new merch. Learn more or subscribe at thenocturnists.org/plus.

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‡๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐๐ž๐ข๐ง๐  ๐’๐ข๐œ๐ค ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐’๐ฎ๐ฌ๐š๐ง ๐–๐ข๐ฌ๐ž ๐๐š๐ฎ๐ž๐ซ ๐Œ.๐ƒ๐ˆ๐•., ๐๐ก๐ƒ Historian Susan Wise Bauer tells the story of how, across ce...
05/29/2026

๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‡๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐๐ž๐ข๐ง๐  ๐’๐ข๐œ๐ค ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐’๐ฎ๐ฌ๐š๐ง ๐–๐ข๐ฌ๐ž ๐๐š๐ฎ๐ž๐ซ ๐Œ.๐ƒ๐ˆ๐•., ๐๐ก๐ƒ
Historian Susan Wise Bauer tells the story of how, across centuriesโ€”from ancient civilizations to modern medicineโ€”humans have tried to make sense of illness through evolving frameworks, from divine punishment to bodily imbalance to germs. Drawing on historical accounts and cultural analysis, she explores how fear, suffering, and uncertainty shape not only medical knowledge but also trust in authority and social behaviorsโ€”and ultimately shows that our present-day struggles with medicine and trust are not new, but part of a long, repeating human story.
To listen to this episode, visit the link in our bio or find us on your favorite podcast app!

๐‹๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐๐จ๐œ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ? Explore The Nocturnists+, our subscriber-only feed featuring The Nocturnists After Hoursโ€”a monthly series where host Emily Silverman is joined by executive producer Dr. Ali Block for more informal, open conversations about medicine, culture, and their own lived experiences. Subscriptions start at just $10/mo and include exclusive discounts on our new merch. Learn more or subscribe at thenocturnists.org/plus.

05/21/2026

๐๐ž๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐’๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐„๐ซ๐ข๐ค๐š ๐Œ๐š๐œ๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ๐ซ๐ž, ๐Œ๐ƒ
Dr. Erika MacIntyre reflects on her path into critical care and chronic ventilation medicine, as well as the mounting pressures she faced during COVID-19โ€”including professional strain, loss of personal outlets, and family challenges. Seeking change, she and her family embarked on an ambitious sailing journey across the Atlantic, navigating both physical and emotional challenges while living simply and disconnected from modern conveniences.

Erika originally performed this story at a live storytelling event produced UCSF Institute of Global Health Sciences as a part of our Satellites Storytelling program.

To listen to this episode, visit the link in our bio or find us on your favorite podcast app!

๐‹๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐๐จ๐œ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ? Explore The Nocturnists+, our subscriber-only feed featuring The Nocturnists After Hoursโ€”a monthly series where host Emily Silverman is joined by executive producer Dr. Ali Block for more informal, open conversations about medicine, culture, and their own lived experiences. Subscriptions start at just $10/mo and include exclusive discounts on our new merch. Learn more or subscribe at thenocturnists.org/plus.

๐‘๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐š๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐™๐จ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐‚๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ ๐‚๐š๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐Œ๐ƒ In this episode, pediatric intensivist Dr. Chris Carroll tells the story of an ...
05/11/2026

๐‘๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐š๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐™๐จ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐‚๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ ๐‚๐š๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐Œ๐ƒ
In this episode, pediatric intensivist Dr. Chris Carroll tells the story of an unexpected consult: a young gorilla named Kevin, critically ill with Shigella sepsis during an outbreak at the Jacksonville Zoo. What begins as a strange crossover between human and veterinary medicine becomes something deeper as Chris works alongside veterinarians trying to save Kevinโ€™s life. In the process, he is struck not only by the similarities between caring for sick children and sick animals, but by the reverence and tenderness the veterinary team brings to their work. We talk about pediatric ICU medicine, the human-animal boundary, grief across species, and what doctors might learn from veterinarians about compassion.

Chris originally performed this story at a live storytelling event produced by CHEST as a part of our Satellites Storytelling program.

To listen to this episode, visit the link in our bio or find us on your favorite podcast app!

๐‹๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐๐จ๐œ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ? Explore The Nocturnists+, our subscriber-only feed featuring The Nocturnists After Hoursโ€”a monthly series where host Emily Silverman is joined by executive producer Dr. Ali Block for more informal, open conversations about medicine, culture, and their own lived experiences. Subscriptions start at just $10/mo and include exclusive discounts on our new merch. Learn more or subscribe at thenocturnists.org/plus.

๐๐ซ๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐œ๐ž ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‘๐ž๐š๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐’๐จ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž ๐Œ๐š๐๐ซ๐ข๐ณ, ๐Œ๐€, ๐Œ๐’ Solange Madriz, a public health professional at UCSF, reflects on her w...
05/01/2026

๐๐ซ๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐œ๐ž ๐š๐ง๐ ๐‘๐ž๐š๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐’๐จ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž ๐Œ๐š๐๐ซ๐ข๐ณ, ๐Œ๐€, ๐Œ๐’
Solange Madriz, a public health professional at UCSF, reflects on her work training birth attendants and clinicians in rural Guatemala to respond to maternal emergencies through low-cost simulation. For years, she helped others prepare for postpartum hemorrhage, preeclampsia, and other life-threatening complications of childbirth. Then, after the birth of her own first child during the pandemic, she developed severe postpartum preeclampsia and found herself on the other side of the hospital bed. In our conversation, Solange talks about public health, maternal health, the limits of knowledge when your own body is in crisis, and how her own medical experience changed the way she thinks about her work.

Solange originally performed this story at a live storytelling event produced UCSF Institute of Global Health Sciences as a part of our Satellites Storytelling program.

To listen to this episode, visit the link in our bio or find us on your favorite podcast app!

๐‹๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐๐จ๐œ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ? Explore The Nocturnists+, our subscriber-only feed featuring The Nocturnists After Hoursโ€”a monthly series where host Emily Silverman is joined by executive producer Dr. Ali Block for more informal, open conversations about medicine, culture, and their own lived experiences. Subscriptions start at just $10/mo and include exclusive discounts on our new merch. Learn more or subscribe at thenocturnists.org/plus.

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