The 10-Year-Old Organ Donor a Transplant Surgeon Will Never Forget

The 10-Year-Old Organ Donor a Transplant Surgeon Will Never Forget

What happens after a family says “yes” to organ donation? In this powerful episode of HuMed, transplant surgeon Dr. Charles Strom shares the story of a young organ donor whose life—and legacy—left a lasting impact on him during his first week of transplant fellowship. Dr. Strom takes us inside a world most people never see: the moment of honor before organ recovery, the emotional family statements read in the operating room, the realities of brain death and cardiac death donation, and the profound responsibility of helping one donor save multiple lives. We discuss: * The donor story Dr. Strom will never forget * How one organ donor can save up to eight lives * Common misconceptions about organ donation * The ethics and realities of transplantation * Why some healthcare professionals still misunderstand the donation process * The emotional impact of caring for donor families * Balancing medicine, family, and personal sacrifice * New innovations that are dramatically increasing organ utilization One of the most moving moments comes when Dr. Strom realizes the donor being honored was the same age as his own son. This conversation is about grief, hope, generosity, and the extraordinary gift of life.  Join The HuMed Weekly Newsletter: https://humed.kit.com/newsletter [https://humed.kit.com/newsletter]  Subscribe for more conversations exploring the human side of medicine. #HuMed #OrganDonation #TransplantSurgery #Medicine #HealthcareStories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Am I Missing Anything?

Dr. Jay Pershad — PEM physician, professor at George Washington, and faculty at Children's National — joins Dr. David Spiro for an unflinching conversation about the moments that define a career in pediatric emergency medicine. Jay shares a story that still haunts him: a teenage girl brought in after a suspected overdose, a resuscitation that ends in death, and a family that spoke only Spanish — connected to him through a video interpreter that kept disconnecting. What followed was one of the most human, painful moments in his 30+ year career. They also talk about: Teaching learners how to deliver bad news at the bedside Family presence during resuscitation — and why the data changed everything What keeps seasoned physicians showing up at 6am after three decades Aging in emergency medicine, night shifts, and knowing when to step back. Why "family first" isn't just a slogan — it's the thing that outlasts the career HUMED is the podcast where healthcare professionals share the stories they never forget — the emotional, moral, and human realities of medicine. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Healthy Mama Doc Almost Lost Her Own Son

What happens when a high-risk OB can't diagnose her own son? Dr. Sarah Pachtman-Shetty is a double board-certified maternal-fetal medicine specialist — a doctor trained to manage the most critical pregnancies imaginable. But when her two-year-old son Orion spiked a fever on a Caribbean vacation and his O2 sat dropped into the 70s, all that training couldn't stop her from feeling like a helpless mom. In this raw and unforgettable episode of HuMed, Sarah shares the terrifying night she called 911 on a St. Martin island, fought for a chest X-ray in a foreign ER at 2am, and watched a jack-of-all-trades surgeon prepare to place a chest tube in her toddler — with no pediatric ventilator in sight. This is the human side of medicine no one talks about.  Dr. Sarah Pachtman-Shetty | Maternal-Fetal Medicine | @HealthyMamaDoc   Virtual consultations: Uma Health In this episode: * The vacation that became a medical nightmare * Why even expert physicians miss signs in their own children * Practicing medicine in maternity care deserts * How a near-tragedy reordered her entire life  Subscribe for more stories from the human side of medicine   Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts #HuMed #MaternalFetalMedicine #HighRiskPregnancy #PhysicianLife #DoctorStories #MomLife #MedicalPodcast #WomensHealth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Time Is Finite: Dr. Jenna Taglienti on the Physician's Illusion of Control and Shift in Priorities

In this episode of HuMed, Dr. David Spiro is joined by Dr. Jenna Taglienti, a psychiatrist, residency program director, and assistant professor at the Zucker School of Medicine. Dr. Taglienti's recent JAMA essay, Time Is Finite, sparked widespread reflection across the medical field. Dr. Taglienti shares her deeply personal story of receiving an unexpected lung cancer diagnosis as a lifelong nonsmoker, which forced her to take a medical leave and step back from her roles. The experience provided time to reflect on the immense mental load she was carrying, and the true cost of continually postponing life. She discusses the profound realization that "institutions are designed to endure beyond individuals. On the other hand, families are not". This is a crucial conversation for any physician wrestling with the balance between a demanding career and their irreplaceable role at home. We discuss: The "invisible load" of mental energy physicians spend trying to control things that are out of their hands.3 The high divorce rate among doctors and how constant accessibility to work can distract from relationships.3 How the priority of medicine is ingrained from the first day of medical school, and the struggle to shift that focus when relationships and children arrive.3 The importance of being "present" with family and recognizing that small moments with children add up.3 Modeling self-care and good boundaries for residents, demonstrating that it's okay to prioritize health and return stronger.3 The therapeutic value of vulnerable writing, such as essays submitted to JAMA's A Piece of My Mind. Subscribe to HuMed with David Spiro, MD for more conversations about the human side of medicine. #PhysicianBurnout #WorkLifeBalance #TimeIsFinite #PhysicianWellness #Psychiatry #ResidencyLife #JAMA #HuMed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

His Labs Were Normal. But He Was Crashing.

What happens when your labs are “normal” — but you know something is wrong? In this episode of HuMed, Dr. David Spiro sits down with Dr. Stephen Sanders, a board-certified family physician and men’s health expert, to talk about the moment his own health collapsed in his late 30s. On paper, everything looked good: career, family, success. But inside, he was struggling with brain fog, fatigue, low energy, weight gain, erectile dysfunction, poor sleep, and the frightening feeling that his best days might already be behind him. Dr. Sanders shares how one photo during a bike ride in Colorado became the turning point — and how he rebuilt his health through sleep, nutrition, training, hormone optimization, community, and a completely different approach to men’s health. We discuss: • Why “normal labs” don’t always mean optimal health• Testosterone, free testosterone, and hormone optimization• Sleep, wearables, HRV, and recovery• Intermittent fasting and whole-food nutrition• Ultra-processed foods and metabolic health• GLP-1 medications, muscle loss, and protein• Creatine, sauna, cold plunge, and longevity tools• Male loneliness, stress, vulnerability, and community• Why medicine treats disease well — but often fails at creating health This is a conversation about men’s health, longevity, burnout, behavior change, and what it takes to feel alive again. Subscribe to HuMed with David Spiro, MD for more conversations about the human side of medicine. #MensHealth #Testosterone #Longevity #HuMed #HealthOptimization Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]