What happens when medical legacy intersects with personal passion? In this captivating conversation, host Jason Edwards sits down with general surgeon Dr. Christopher Cronin, who shares the remarkable story of his grandfather, AJ Cronin—a physician who transformed an illness-induced retreat into a groundbreaking writing career.

The discussion reveals how AJ Cronin's seminal work "The Citadel" critically examined the British health system in 1937, addressing corruption, unethical practices, and healthcare inequality decades ahead of its time. This literary perspective from a practicing physician ultimately helped shape the National Health Service established a decade later. Dr. Cronin's reflections on this family legacy provide a unique window into how literature can drive healthcare reform and professional ethics.

But this episode goes beyond family history to explore the formative experiences that shape surgical careers. Dr. Cronin shares his evolution from aspiring orthopedic surgeon to general surgeon specializing in thyroid procedures—a journey influenced not by his famous grandfather but by the transformative power of mentorship during his training. His compelling account of working in a challenging DC hospital under an inspirational chief resident illuminates how profound these relationships can be in medical training.

The conversation takes a fascinating comparative turn as Dr. Cronin details his year training in Australia, highlighting the stark differences in surgical education systems worldwide. His insights on surgical hierarchy, the art of teaching technical skills, and the critical importance of repetition in surgical training reveal the complex balance between supervision and independence that creates competent surgeons. As duty hour restrictions change how surgeons are trained, these reflections become even more valuable.

Listen as these two physicians discuss the delicate art of mentorship, the trust that develops between surgical partners, and how the best teaching surgeons know when to step in and when to let trainees work through challenges. Whether you're in healthcare or simply curious about how great surgeons are made, this episode offers memorable insights into the human side of surgical training. Ready to hear more? Contact Dr. Cronin's practice at 314-434-1211.

A lump discovered while shaving during a ski trip turned Dr. Julie Gould's world upside down. As an obstetrician who prided herself on healthy living—never microwaving plastics, exercising regularly, getting routine checkups—she never expected to face follicular lymphoma. "I'm the one who's going to live forever," she thought, making her cancer diagnosis all the more shocking.

Dr. Gould takes us through her journey from initial discovery through diagnosis, treatment decisions, and the profound ways cancer changed her outlook on life. With remarkable candor, she shares the surreal experience of creating a "funeral playlist" the night of her diagnosis, then learning to use humor—"Mom has cancer...your turn to do the dishes"—to normalize the illness with her teenage children.

The episode offers rare insight into how a physician navigates the healthcare system as a patient. Dr. Gould describes advocating for her own testing, seeking second opinions, researching treatment options, and finding the right oncologist who matched her communication style. Her experience defied expectations in surprising ways—the dreaded Rituxan treatments she feared would debilitate her "felt like water," while the seemingly counterintuitive "watch and wait" approach for a stage three cancer initially felt baffling.

Perhaps most valuable are Dr. Gould's reflections on how cancer transformed her practice. She now brings deeper empathy to patients awaiting test results, understanding their anxiety in ways textbooks could never teach. Though she initially planned to drastically reduce her workload, she discovered her identity remained deeply connected to her role as a physician—finding that meaningful work provided crucial psychological support during treatment.

Ready to gain perspective from someone who's experienced cancer from both sides of the stethoscope? Listen now and discover why having grace for others—and yourself—might be the most important lesson from facing mortality.

Dr. Darren Haskell sits down with host Jason Edwards to share his unique perspective as both a practicing internist and Chief Medical Officer at St. Luke's Hospital. Their conversation cuts to the heart of healthcare's most pressing challenges while offering a glimpse into promising solutions on the horizon.

Dr. Haskell represents a vanishing breed of physicians who still follow their patients from the office to the hospital bedside. "It's just the way I was trained," he explains, noting how patients appreciate seeing a familiar face during vulnerable moments. This continuity of care, once standard practice, has largely disappeared as medicine has become more specialized and fragmented.

The demands on primary care physicians have reached staggering levels. One eye-opening study revealed that delivering guideline-directed preventive care would require 29 hours per day for a physician with a standard patient panel – an impossibility on our 24-hour planet. This reality has transformed primary care into "a team sport," requiring nurses, medical assistants, and advanced practice providers working in concert.

Technology offers both challenges and solutions. While electronic health records initially pulled physicians' attention away from patients, Dr. Haskell is now piloting AI-powered voice recognition software that transcribes patient conversations, allowing doctors to maintain eye contact instead of typing notes. "It gets that visit back to being much more what I remember from my training – that human-human connection," he shares.

The conversation takes a sobering turn when discussing physician shortages. The St. Louis region currently faces a deficit of 324 primary care physicians, projected to grow significantly as baby boomers require more complex care. Dr. Haskell predicts "market disruptors" will redefine how primary care is delivered, likely through team-based approaches and technology integration.

Despite these challenges, medicine remains profoundly rewarding. "There are very few professions where you get that feeling, that feedback from people that you've helped," Dr. Haskell reflects. For those considering medical careers, he advises understanding the commitment but emphasizes the incomparable satisfaction that comes from making a difference in patients' lives.

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