Ep. 70 - From Olympian to Digital Health Pioneer: A Conversation with Jennifer Goldsack
Release Date: 03/02/2026
Ep. 71 - Professional Trajectory: Men vs. Women in Colorectal Surgery
Gut Check
In this episode of Gut Check, we explore how professional trajectories in colorectal surgery can differ for men and women—and what that means for the future of the field. Hosts Meghana and Biddy are joined by Dr. Jackie Turner and Dr. Melissa Chang of the ASCRS Women’s Task Force for a candid conversation on career advancement, mentorship, and leadership. Together, they unpack the nuances between mentorship and sponsorship, examine where gaps still exist in areas like compensation, research opportunities, and visibility, and discuss how family planning and caregiving responsibilities can...
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Ep. 70 - From Olympian to Digital Health Pioneer: A Conversation with Jennifer Goldsack
Gut Check
Jennifer Goldsack has built a career in digital medicine, and she’s doing it while navigating late-stage cancer herself. As founder and CEO of the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe), Jennifer is leading efforts to ensure digital health technologies are safe, effective, and equitable. In this episode, she shares how her journey as an Olympian, data nerd, and patient shapes her mission to transform health care. The hosts discuss the real-world challenges of implementing digital medicine, the policy landscape shaping innovation, and why patient-centered design must remain at the core of...
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Ep. 69 - Case Controversies: Laparoscopic Lavage
Gut Check
The Gut Check hosts dive into one of colorectal surgery’s debated management questions: Is laparoscopic (minimally invasive) lavage an appropriate strategy for acute diverticulitis? Once hailed as a promising alternative to emergent resection, lavage has had a turbulent journey through clinical trials, outcomes data, and real-world practice. Our hosts unpack the evidence, discussing when lavage may (or may not) make sense, and exploring why surgeons remain divided. Got a topic you want us to tackle next? Case Controversies is listener-driven, and the hosts are taking suggestions for...
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Ep. 68 - Case Controversies: Fistulas with Dr. Jeff Van Eps
Gut Check
All of our hosts join for this episode of Gut Check for a deep dive into one of colorectal surgery’s most challenging and debated topics: fistulas. We’re joined by special guest Dr. Jeff Van Eps, whose expertise and real-world experience bring fresh perspective. From initial evaluation to surgical decision-making and long-term patient outcomes, this conversation blends evidence, nuance, and plenty of collegial debate.
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Ep. 67 - Navigating within Safety Net Hospitals
Gut Check
Our hosts dig into the realities, challenges, and triumphs of caring for patients in America’s safety-net hospitals. Despite having no single, universally accepted definition, safety-net hospitals share common threads: they serve high volumes of Medicaid and uninsured patients, operate with limited resources, and play an outsized role in supporting the health of vulnerable communities. Listen in as hosts discuss the policy and funding structures that shape these hospitals, and the lived experiences of surgeons working within them.
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Ep. 66 - CMS Physician Fee Schedule Changes & Proposed Changes with guest Dr. Chris Childers
Gut Check
In this timely episode of Gut Check, the hosts sit down with Dr. Chris Childers, surgeon, researcher, and health policy expert, to unpack the latest CMS Physician Fee Schedule proposals that could reshape practice in 2026.
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Ep. 65 - Parting Thoughts from the Founding Hosts
Gut Check
Since Gut Check launched three years ago, Dr. Jonathan Abelson and Dr. Erin King-Mullins have helped shape its voice—sparking candid conversations, sharing laughs, and building memorable connections with guests and listeners alike. In this special farewell episode, they revisit the interviews that left a lasting mark, the buzz of the 2024 and 2025 live shows, and the surprises that made hosting so rewarding. As they pass the mic to the continuing Gut Check team, Jon and Erin share their hopes for what’s ahead—and a reminder that at its core, the show has always been about the community...
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Ep. 64 - Is It OK to Say No?
Gut Check
Join our hosts for a candid conversation about one of the hardest—but most powerful—words to say: no. In a world full of opportunities, requests, and expectations, how do professionals protect their time without closing doors? This episode dives into the real-life challenge of setting boundaries, weighing what to say yes to, and recognizing your value when new commitments come your way. The hosts share personal insights and practical tips on how to turn down asks with confidence—and kindness—while staying true to what matters most.
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Ep. 63 - Gut Check Live in San Diego!
Gut Check
In this special live-recorded episode of Gut Check, your favorite hosts return to the mic from the ASCRS Annual Meeting in San Diego. Recorded in front of a live audience for the second year in a row, this episode captures unscripted Q&A with attendees, reflections on standout sessions, and personal highlights from this year’s meeting. The conversation spans everything from regional society meetings to the complexities of operating on friends and family members. Plus, former Gut Check host Avery Walker drops by and shares a few insights of his own. Enjoy this fun, candid, and...
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Ep. 62 - Contributions of Minorities in Colorectal Surgery with Dr. Moises Jacobs
Gut Check
In this episode, Gut Check hosts sit down with Dr. Moises Jacobs—world-renowned laparoscopic surgery pioneer in Miami, FL. Dr. Jacobs shares his journey from medical school at the University of Miami to becoming a trailblazer in bariatric and colorectal surgery. Dr. Jacobs reflects on the challenges and triumphs of being a minority surgeon, and opens up about challenges of losing a patient.
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