Whether you are an aspiring physician or experienced in your specialty, we have no doubt that you are passionate about the medical industry. You know it’s important to stay up to date on the latest advances, industry news, and truly enjoy stories related to medicine, science, and helping others.
Podcasts have been around for a long time but they have been gaining a newfound popularity as of late, with more than 3 million podcasts existing as of September of 2023. We are in what some people are calling the “Podcast Renaissance.” With better than ever content, podcasts are the hot new way to get your news and hear fascinating stories and ideas.
We’ve compiled a list of the top medical podcasts for healthcare professionals. From advice for medical students to medical news for physicians, and all-around inspiring stories, there is something for everyone.
The Short Coat Podcast
“What no one tells you about medical school is just how remarkable it really is. Thanks to the medical students at the University of Iowa Carver School of Medicine and their co-host Dave Etler, you have a window into what *really* happens here at the margins of medicine, and we’re here for you every week.”
The Short Coat Podcast is great for those who are thinking about pursuing med school or are already in med school. This medical podcast gives students insight into what medical school is like. Some of their latest episodes focus on medicine and AI, and how to respond to social media diagnoses as a medical student or physician.
The Clinical Problem Solvers
This internal medicine podcast focuses on sharing expert opinions in diagnostic reasoning. Listeners will develop a framework for approaching future clinical problems. Each episode takes a case-based process to educate audiences on building a network for improving diagnosis.
Sawbones
No one ever said medicine was perfect. Sawbones is a weekly comedic podcast hosted by husband-and-wife duo Dr. Sydnee McElroy and Justin McElroy. Together they cover antiquated medical practices and rare disorders and occurrences through history.
TEDTalks: Science and Medicine
“Some of the world’s greatest scientists, doctors and medical researchers share their discoveries and visions onstage at the TED conference.”
TED is a nonprofit dedicated to spreading ideas in the form of talks covered in a broad range of topics. Their Science and Medicine podcast is video based with talks from world renowned medical professionals and scientists from all backgrounds. Visit ted.com to download their videos for free, access English transcripts, and even subtitles in over 80 languages.
Docs Outside the Box
“This podcast looks into the minds of cutting-edge and innovative doctors. You won’t find these stories in any medical textbook. You’re getting real, live insight from men and women pushing the envelope beyond medicine”
Dr. Nii Darko is among our 50 favorite doctors to follow on Instagram. His Docs Outside the Box podcast features ordinary doctors doing extraordinary things in the field of medicine. Great for physicians seeking inspirational stories and interviews from other physicians.
“I absolutely love this podcast! As a recent residency graduate, I find myself constantly thinking about my future and what I want out of it. A lot of my thoughts involve doing things a little “outside the box” of medicine but I often feel that most of my colleagues can’t relate to a similar mindset. However, this podcast allows me to hear from doctors who have successfully done things differently, which is very encouraging.” – Abimbola Odukoya Shonuga
Pediatrics On Call
The American Academy of Pediatrics presents Pediatrics On Call: a podcast on children’s health. Episodes feature interviews on new research and hot topics in the field of pediatrics. Co-hosts David Hill, MD, FAAP, and Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP, draw on their own experience as pediatricians to share unique insights during each episode.
Everyday Emergency
“Welcome to Everyday Emergency, bringing you true stories from people on the frontline of humanitarian emergencies across the world.”
The nonprofit organization, Doctors Without Borders, runs the Everyday Emergency podcast where they speak to medical and logistical experts working in areas around the world where medical care is needed the most.
“Absolutely fascinating! One of the best podcasts around – really amazing stories from people doing incredible work!” – PodMan81
Behind the Knife
The world’s number 1 surgery podcast, Behind the Knife was started in 2015 with the goal of revolutionizing surgical education. Hosted by a team of doctors, the podcast dives into everything from high-yield educational topics to interviews with leaders in the field of surgery. Its content is ideal for providers at every stage of their education and career.
The Learn’ed Doctor Podcast
Trevor, Dawniel, Ryland, and Hailey are on a journey to become doctors, and they’re taking everyone along for the ride. In The Learn’ed Doctor podcast, they document their lives in medical school. More than just an outlet for friends to vent about the stresses of school, the podcast offers interviews with professors and classmates to help inspire the doctors of tomorrow.
Second Opinion
“An examination of medical ethics and the practitioners who define them.”
Second Opinion is a KCRW podcast hosted by Dr. Michael Wilkes, a Professor of Medicine and Vice Dean for Medical Education at UC Davis. Dr. Wilkes discusses matters people face when making medical decisions, and he’s not afraid to call out the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries on medical ethics.
This Podcast Will Kill You
Hosted by disease ecologists and epidemiologists Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke, This Podcast Will Kill You may not do as its title states (luckily!), but it will give you a fun and unique way to learn about diseases. Each episode covers a separate disease, ranging from infectious illnesses to scurvy.
DocWorking: The Whole Physician Podcast
Hosts Jen Barna MD, Coach Gabriella Dennery MD and Master Certified Coach Jill Farmer interview physicians to explore ways to embrace life AND a medical career, some who’ve chosen a path less traveled and others who have optimized their lives on a traditional medical career path. As coaches from the DocWorking team, Gabriella and Jill discuss actionable tips from their experience coaching physicians. They also invite guests on business, leadership, building financial independence, and other pertinent topics to physicians
Bedside Rounds
“The world of medicine is full of wonderful, weird, and intensely human stories. Bedside Rounds seeks to tell a handful of these tales and to educate as well as entertain.”
The Bedside Rounds podcast is hosted by Dr. Adam Rodman, an academic global health hospitalist, who started this podcast back when he was an Internal Medicine Resident. If you enjoy interesting narrative stories in clinical medicine, this podcast is for you.
The Curbsiders Podcasts
The Curbsiders team is a national network of students, residents, and clinician educators from across the country representing 15 different institutions. On each episode, doctors Matthew Watto, Paul Williams, and other friends combine new medical knowledge, study advice, and a healthy dose of humor for students, residents, and current practitioners.
No matter what your specialty or interests, The Curbsiders likely have something for you. To date they produce four podcasts related to the medical field: Internal Medicine, Teaching, Addiction Medicine, and Pediatrics.
Physician’s Guide to Doctoring
What should you have been learning while you were memorizing Kreb’s Cycle? This medical podcast is a practical guide for practicing physicians and other healthcare practitioners who are eager to improve in all aspects of life and practice. Physician and non-physician experts are interviewed on a wide range of topics, ranging from emotional intelligence and habit development to social media and the current state of health insurance.
“There are a lot of podcasts out there competing for our time. This is one of the few that is worthy of our attention. Dr. Block does a superb job at choosing guests that have something worthy to share and then gently guides them through a conversation that is both engaging and enjoyable for the listener.” – SK1 MD
The House of Pod
The House of Pod features two doctors and a guy named Joe, who cover many medical related topics and answer questions from listeners. Guests have included physicians and surgeons, with topics covering medical and societal issues. Each episode sheds new light into the medical world.
WarDocs – The Military Medicine Podcast
The WarDocs Podcast slogan is “Honoring the Legacy and Preserving the History of Military Medicine.” Created by Doug Soderdahl, Kevin Kniery, and Wayne Causey, the podcast delivers insights and lessons learned from their careers as Army surgeons. This is the perfect podcast for those who are interested in war stories and medical drama.
The Nocturnists
Listen to tales of joy, sorrow, and self-discovery from a team of doctors. Hosted by physician Emily Silverman, The Nocturnists is a live show and podcast broadcast from San Francisco. This podcast delivers stories about health, illness, and human connection.
“As someone who has worked in an allied health profession for over 30 years, it is heartening to hear the stories of people in the trenches.” – Whataboutbarb
The Radiology Review
Studying for the Radiology board exams? The Radiology Review lets you prepare on the go, providing educational reviews that dive deep into radiology concepts and topics.
Explore the Space Podcast
Healthcare and society combine in one of the most insightful medical podcasts available, featuring discussions with thought leaders from across the spectrum. Episodes cover topics ranging from burnout to gender equality.
Run the List
Run the List is a medical education podcast designed for medical students, new residents, and all learners hoping for a review in internal medicine. Episodes are on the shorter side (less than 30 minutes each) and take you through the diagnosis, management, and clinical pearls for common internal medicine problems.
Oncology Overdrive
In this podcast, Shikha Jain, MD, FACP, covers a series of topics related to modern day healthcare. Through interviews with experts, Jain explores subjects like gender discrimination, social media, and stereotypes in medicine.
Talk2MeDoc
Andrew Tisser, DO, one of our top doctors to follow on Instagram presents a physician-hosted podcast interviewing a wide variety of guests about issues relating to the early career physician. What is wrong and how do we fix it? In this show, you will learn different pitfalls, tips and tricks, as well as varied perspectives on finances, burnout/moral injury, advocacy, private practice and other important issues as they pertain to physicians early in their career. Guests will range from large hospital system CEOs to clerical/facilities staff and everyone in between.
MDFEME
MDFEME is presented by a community of female physicians, including Dr. Kandace Waul Bennett, Dr. Emily Shay, Dr. Kimberly Works, Dr. Lubna Chaurey, and Dr. Safiya Quintiliani, who work together to tackle matters in medicine, family life, and self-care. The MDFEME podcast provides insight into the lives of female minority physicians and how they navigate issues of racial and gender inequality in healthcare.
Glass Half Healthy
Dr. Jonar de Guzman, a board certified physician, previously covered the current crisis of chronic disease in his podcast. In his relaunched Glass Half Healthy podcast, he focuses on mental health, encompassing grief, loss, trauma, and stress, along with practical and meaningful ways to help you in your own life.
There are many other great medical podcasts for healthcare professionals out there that you should check out. Not only are they both educational and interesting, but they can really make you think about the kind of doctor you want to be. Listening to these is a great way to take a break when you have been studying or seeing patients for a while, or just when you need some entertainment. Enjoy!