The Curious Clinicians

The Curious Clinicians is a medical podcast that asks "why?". Why do diseases present in certain ways? What are the mechanisms of treatments we use? Why does the human body function as it does? Join us to explore these questions and many more.

87 - Aquagenic Wrinkling 04/17/2024

87 - Aquagenic Wrinkling The Curious Clinicians answer an early curiosity question: Why do my fingers wrinkle when I take a bath? Watch this episode on our new YouTube channel , and read the show notes to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/30857423

[Archive] UMAMI 04/04/2024

[Archive] UMAMI In this episode from our archives, originally posted on September 16, 2020, The Curious Clinicians examined why the savory flavor umami is SO DELICIOUS. Dig in! Show notes: CME: Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/30681103

86 - Enlarging Alcohol 03/21/2024

86 - Enlarging Alcohol The Curious Clinicians are on tap to ask, why does chronic alcohol use cause macrocytosis? Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/30475793

85 - NephMadness 2024 03/05/2024

85 - NephMadness 2024 Welcome to NephMadness 2024! In collaboration with (TWDFNR), we are excited to promote the start of this amazing medical education opportunity. Inspired by the "March Madness" college basketball tournament, is a "a free online, CME-granting, evidenced-based, noncommercial learning initiative that leverages the tools of social media to teach about the latest and greatest breakthroughs in the field of nephrology!". Fill out your bracket today! Dr. Jeff Kott, NephMadness Executive Committee member, Critical Care Medicine Fellow At Stony Brook Medicine on Long Island, NY and former nephrology fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, joins Avi, Hannah, and Tony to discuss two hot button TWDFNR topics in nephrology: Whether we should use phosphate binders in acute kidney injury If the urine anion gap in non-gap metabolic acidosis is helpful or not Read the show notes . Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/30233293

84 - History & Hemochromatosis: The Ins and Outs of Iron 02/21/2024

84 - History & Hemochromatosis: The Ins and Outs of Iron The Curious Clinicians examine why the genetic mutations leading to hereditary hemochromatosis might have offered an evolutionarily advantage to our Neolithic ancestors. The answer relates to an old breakfast stalwart- cereal and milk! Read the show notes . Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/30053588

[Archive] - (Trans)locating the Bacteria 02/07/2024

[Archive] - (Trans)locating the Bacteria On this episode from our archive, originally posted on March 15, 2022, The Curious Clinicians examine why cirrhosis predisposes to SBP, and why bacterial translocation across the bowel wall into ascites doesn’t actually occur! Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit or text TCCPOD to 500-500. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/29843513

83 - Thalidomide Embryopathy 01/31/2024

83 - Thalidomide Embryopathy The Curious Clinicians investigate the history and mechanisms of how thalidomide caused embryopathy in the late 1950s and early 1960s in over 10,000 babies across the world. Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. Medical student Giancarlo Buonomo is our producer. This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/29737018

[Archive] In Vivo Veritas 01/26/2024

[Archive] In Vivo Veritas On this episode from our archive, originally posted on February 16, 2022, The Curious Clinicians investigate why antiphospholipid antibodies can be falsely positive during acute illness or thrombosis. Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com. This episode is sponsored by Audible! New members can try Audible free for 30 days using our own Curious Clinicians podcast code - visit Audible.com/TCCPOD or text TCCPOD to 500-500. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/29656633

When Normal Labs Aren't Necessary 01/17/2024

When Normal Labs Aren't Necessary In this episode, we investigate the reasons why we don't (and don't need to) transfuse to normal hemoglobin levels. Read the show notes on our website . And subscribe to our new ! Click to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . Our producer is medical student Giancarlo Buonomo. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/29522553

[Archive] Of Ticks, Alpha-gal, and Red Meat Allergies 12/20/2023

[Archive] Of Ticks, Alpha-gal, and Red Meat Allergies The Curious Clinicians are currently on a holiday break, but we'll be back with new content in 2024! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this episode from our archive, originally posted December 10, 2022. We told the story of a tiny carbohydrate called alpha-gal, delving into unsettling meat allergies after tick bites, ancient viruses, allergic reactions to an anti-cancer antibody, and xenotransplantation. Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/29174443

81 - Avoiding Malaria 12/06/2023

81 - Avoiding Malaria In this episode, we examine how sickle cell trait protects against malaria, in multiple ways. Read the show notes on our website . And subscribe to our new ! Click to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . Our producer is medical student Giancarlo Buonomo. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/28951123

[Archive] Thanksgiving & The Food Coma 11/22/2023

[Archive] Thanksgiving & The Food Coma Today we reach back into The Curious Clinicians archives, just in time for Thanksgiving. In this episode, originally posted in November 2021, Hannah, Avi, and Tony examine whether tryptophan from turkey actually causes the infamous Thanksgiving food coma. The answer might surprise you... Check out the episode's show notes . Click to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/28760408

80 - A Scleroderma Crisis 11/08/2023

80 - A Scleroderma Crisis In this episode, we explore why ACE inhibitors treat scleroderma renal crisis so effectively (and why bilateral nephrectomy used to be the treatment of choice…). Read the show notes on our website . And subscribe to our new ! Click to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . We’d like to welcome the newest member of our team, Giancarlo Buonomo, a medical student who is joining on as a producer! /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/28551515

79 - Kurious Keto 10/19/2023

79 - Kurious Keto In this episode, The Curious Clinicians ask why a ketogenic diet can help control seizures in refractory epilepsy? Read the show notes on our website . And subscribe to our new ! Click to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/28367726

78 - Valve Privilege 10/04/2023

78 - Valve Privilege For this episode, The Curious Clinicians ask why patients with bioprosthetic heart valves don't require immunosuppression? Read the show notes on our website . And subscribe to our new ! Click to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/28221089

77 - Irregularly Irregular 09/21/2023

77 - Irregularly Irregular On this episode, The Curious Clinicians learn about why hyperthyroidism is associated with atrial fibrillation. Read the show notes on our website . And subscribe to our new ! Click to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/28099856

76 - Radical Regeneration 09/06/2023

76 - Radical Regeneration On this episode, The Curious Clinicians explore the liver's incredible ability to regenerate after injury or resection. Read the show notes on our website . And subscribe to our new ! Click to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . This episode was sponsored by ! Use promo code "CURIOUS" for $20 off your first order + free shipping. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/27955620

[Archive] The Last Breath 08/24/2023

[Archive] The Last Breath This week, The Curious Clinicians are bringing back an episode from the archive that was originally posted in December, 2021. Tony joined Dr. Adam Rodman as a guest on the Bedside Rounds podcast. We were thrilled to share that episode here. How can we medically tell whether or not someone is alive or dead? The answer is more complicated than you’d think. This episode was a live podcast Adam and Tony gave at the Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Physicians annual meeting on October 16, 2021. They track the evolution and controversies of the death exam, from a trans-Atlantic scandal surrounding a possible vivisection, a 19th century “X-prize” to determine a technology that could diagnose death, the important distinction between “permanent” and irreversible, and the mysterious Lazarus phenomenon. Link to episode page: /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/27836817

75 - Feeling the Burn 08/09/2023

75 - Feeling the Burn On this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate why alcohol both causes a burning sensation when you first swallow it (hint: the mechanism has something to do with chili peppers) and why you get a general sense of total body warmth within the next few minutes. Read the show notes . Click to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . This episode was sponsored by ! Use promo code "CURIOUS" for $20 off your first order + free shipping. /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/27699270

74 - DIFFerent Babies 07/26/2023

74 - DIFFerent Babies On this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine an intriguing question - why are babies protected from infection and colitis by C. Diff? We'll touch on factors relating to immunology, microbiology and human development. Read the show notes . Click to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/27570645

73 - Random Acts of Medicine with Dr. Christopher Worsham 07/13/2023

73 - Random Acts of Medicine with Dr. Christopher Worsham On this episode, The Curious Clinicians are joined by Dr Christopher Worsham, co-author of a fascinating and insightful new book, , which explores the use of natural experiments to better understand healthcare and is now out in hardcover! Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/27451821

[Archive] 16 - The Eyes Have It (Part I) 06/29/2023

[Archive] 16 - The Eyes Have It (Part I) This week, we reach back into the archive for an episode from 2021 (the first in a two-part series related to the eyes) where Tony, Hannah, and Avi explored why Wilson disease can present with Kayser-Fleischer corneal rings. Remember to pick up just for listening to the episode! Check out the for this episode and read Avi's on this topic. Audio edited by Clair Morgan of Nodderly.com /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/27319452

72 - Bringing Up Beethoven 06/13/2023

72 - Bringing Up Beethoven On this episode, The Curious Clinicians dive into musical history, examining what might have caused German composer Ludwig van Beethoven's infamous deafness. Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/27134844

71 - Slow to Resolve 06/01/2023

71 - Slow to Resolve In this episode, The Curious Clinicians learn about why pneumonia takes weeks to resolve on chest x-ray, whereas symptoms generally resolve much sooner. Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/27010419

[Archive] - Bendopnea 05/18/2023

[Archive] - Bendopnea This episode originally aired April, 2021, where The Curious Clinicians examined why some patients feel short of breath specifically when bending over, aka "bendopnea". You can read the for this episode on our website. Don't forget to pick up , courtesy of VCU Health. Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/26876340

70 - Blood Meal 05/04/2023

70 - Blood Meal In this episode, The Curious Clinicians examine why upper gastrointestinal bleeding raises BUN. The answer involves experiments where participants were asked to drink blood (!) and the 700 sextillion (7 x 1023) amino acids that comprise the hemoglobin content in a liter of blood. Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . This episode was sponsored by ! /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/26740755

69 - Including Liver Disease 04/19/2023

69 - Including Liver Disease In this episode, The Curious Clinicians tackle why alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can cause chronic liver disease. Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp! You can give online therapy a try at . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/26587488

68 - A Fib About PE 04/05/2023

68 - A Fib About PE In this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate whether atrial fibrillation should be considered a risk factor for PE. Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . This episode was sponsored by ! /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/26451525

67 - Crossing a Barrier 03/22/2023

67 - Crossing a Barrier In this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate the mysterious blood brain barrier, and how dexamethasone has a seemingly miraculous ability to treat cerebral edema caused by brain tumors. Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp! You can give online therapy a try at . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/26304630

66 - More Right Than Left 03/08/2023

66 - More Right Than Left In this episode, The Curious Clinicians investigate why tricuspid valve endocarditis is more common in persons who inject IV drugs. Read the show notes . to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (0.5 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (0.5 hours), or ABIM MOC Part 2 (0.5 hours). Audio edited by Clair Morgan of . /episode/index/show/curiousclinicians/id/26160585

The Curious Clinicians

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