Why Every Doctor Was a Weird Kid | The Secret Powers of Being Unpopular

Why Every Doctor Was a Weird Kid | The Secret Powers of Being Unpopular

Were the doctors you know always this weird? This week on Social Rounds, Tony, Frances Mei, and Ryan take a trip back to childhood and revisit the nerdy obsessions, social disasters, and formative experiences that shaped them long before medicine entered the picture. From comic book collecting in the 1990s to Pokémon encyclopedic knowledge, musical theater fandom, bug collections, dictionaries at recess, and the painful realities of being the odd kid out, the conversation explores what it means to grow up different—and why that difference can become a strength later in life. They also discuss people-pleasing, popularity, identity, internet criticism, and why some adults spend decades trying to recover from middle school while others simply learn to embrace being weird. Plus: Ryan launches a campaign to become Social Rounds' "third chair," Frances Mei reveals her lifelong Pokémon expertise, Tony defends musical theater, and Colin's mustache unexpectedly becomes a topic of public discourse. In this episode: * Growing up nerdy in the 90s and 2000s * Comic books, Pokémon, and musical theater * Childhood loneliness and social rejection * People-pleasing vs. individuality * Why unpopular kids often become unconventional adults * The psychology of fitting in * Internet criticism and resilience * The ongoing saga of Cartography Geoff * Colin's controversial mustache Hosted by: Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd Ryan Montoya: @ryan_montoya_art Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

From Residency Burnout to Finding Love | Doctors, Long Distance & Tony & Katie's Story

What happens when a surgeon says yes to a random yoga retreat in Mexico and meets the person who will change his life? In this special (and surprisingly wholesome) episode of Social Rounds, Tony and Frances Mei are joined by Tony's wife, Katie Chin-Quee, a former nurse practitioner turned archaeologist, to share the story of how they met, fell in love, navigated long-distance dating, and built a life together. From chance encounters and late-night phone calls to board exams, grand gestures, and a second date in the Bahamas, this episode explores what it takes to build a lasting partnership in medicine and beyond. Along the way, the trio discusses: * Dating during medical careers * Long-distance relationships * Situationships vs. commitment * Friendship boundaries and relationships * Why grand gestures still matter * Marriage, partnership, and putting each other first * Life after medicine Whether you're a physician, healthcare professional, or simply someone who loves a good love story, this episode offers an honest look at relationships, vulnerability, and choosing each other. Social Rounds is the podcast where Frances Mei Hardin and Tony Chin-Quee give their unsolicited opinions on medicine, culture, relationships, and whatever else they happen to find interesting. Hosted by: Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd Guest: Katie Chin-Quee Connect with Katie: @indiana.joan Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

Medicine Without Merit? The DEI Debate That Exposes Medicine's Blind Spots

A graduating medical student publishes an essay called Medicine Without Merit, arguing that DEI initiatives have undermined fairness, lowered standards, and discriminated against white men in medicine. Tony and Frances Mei dive into the article, unpacking its claims about merit, admissions, standardized testing, diversity, and representation in healthcare. Along the way, they explore why conversations about "meritocracy" in medicine are often more complicated than they first appear—and what gets missed when individual achievement is separated from larger systems and structures. They also discuss educational privilege, physician workforce diversity, patient trust, professional accountability, and the difference between experiencing discrimination and understanding it. Plus: Geoff the cartographer returns as an unexpected source of podcast drama, Instagram etiquette becomes a philosophical debate, and Frances Mei explains why unanswered comments can create alternate realities. In this episode: * The "Medicine Without Merit" controversy * DEI and medical school admissions * Standardized testing and educational privilege * Diversity, trust, and patient outcomes * Meritocracy in medicine * Professional accountability * Geoff's growing cult following * The psychology of being left on read Hosted by: Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

Was It All Bad? | Remembering the Good Parts of Medicine

This week on Social Rounds, Tony and Frances Mei slow things down for a more reflective episode. After weeks of guests, chaos, travel, and controversy, they get back to basics — talking about Europe, ghosts in Rome, getting robbed in England, leaving the UK for Canada, and the question at the center of the episode: Was medicine really all bad? From funny patient encounters and late-night residency memories to heartbreaking moments with cancer patients and families, Tony and Frances Mei reflect on the humanity that still stayed with them long after leaving clinical medicine. This episode is about the moments that made the work meaningful — even inside a broken system. Topics include: * Traveling through Rome, Paris & Copenhagen * Why Frances Mei thinks the Colosseum should be haunted * Tony’s family home getting robbed in England * Leaving medicine without invalidating the good parts * Patient relationships that still matter years later * Love, grief, family, and dignity in healthcare * Why medicine can be meaningful and unsustainable at the same time Hosted by: Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective

Doctors, Medfluencers & Career Suicide on the Internet

A fourth-year medical student goes viral for offensive videos targeting women’s health, and the internet exploded. In this episode of Social Rounds, Tony Chin-Quee, Dr. Ryan Montoya, and Dr. Janet McMordie unpack the controversy, the rise of medfluencers, professionalism in medicine, and whether physicians should be held to a higher standard online. The trio dives into the blurred line between personal branding and professional identity, the dangers of parasocial fame, physician social media culture, and how online behavior can impact trust, hiring, and patient care. Plus: a chaotic round of “Hire or Fire?” featuring doctors posting OR content, real estate side hustles, political rallies, and more. Topics include: * The medfluencer era * Social media professionalism in medicine * Women’s health and misogyny in healthcare * Parasocial relationships online * Physician identity beyond medicine * Should doctors be “cancelable”? * Privacy, branding, and internet permanence * Why some doctors leave medicine entirely Social Rounds is a podcast from the Hippocratic Collective [https://hippocratic-collective.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com] exploring medicine, culture, internet chaos, and everything in between. Hosted by: Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat Ryan Montoya: @ryan_montoya_art Janet McMordie: @janetmcmordie Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective