Pomegranate Health

the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
  • 4.8 (63)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED TWICE MONTHLY

Pomegranate Health is a podcast about the culture of medicine. You'll hear clinicians, researchers and advocates discuss all aspects of professionalism and quality improvement in healthcare. This includes clinical ethics, diagnostic bias, better communication and more equitable systems. For a sampler of these diverse themes of professional practice take a listen to Episode 132 and Episode 125. If RACP is your CPD home, you can log time spent listening to each episode with the "Add activity to MyCPD" button. And if you're a Basic Physician Trainee, the [Case Report] series might help you prepare for your long case clinical exams. This is also the home of [IMJ On-Air], featuring authors from the Internal Medicine Journal sharing their latest research. Meanwhile, the [Journal Club] episodes give RACP members a place to talk through their research published in other academic journals. Feel free to send feedback and suggestions by email at podcast@racp.edu.au.  

  1. [Contagious Conversations] Responding to vaccine hesitancy

    6 DAYS AGO

    [Contagious Conversations] Responding to vaccine hesitancy

    Contagious Conversations is a new series brought to you by ASID, the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases. Once a month, these podcasts will explore evolving evidence and real-world challenges for the practice of ID medicine. The hope is that you’ll come away with practical knowledge to support your clinical confidence and continuous learning.    Expert guests in this series will come from right across the interface of research, clinical care, and public health. Today we start with a paediatrician from Melbourne and a clinical nurse from the Sunshine Coast, who both make an important contribution to Australia’s National Immunisation Program. As we’ll hear today, public adherence to the NIP has been declining in recent years. In today’s conversation we hear about some of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy in parents and ways to reinspire confidence.  Guests Professor Margie Danchin FRACP, PhD (University of Melbourne; the Royal Children’s Hospital; Murdoch Children’s Research Institute) Wendy Tout (Public Health Unit, Sunshine Coast Health Service) Host Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake FRACP (Canberra Hospital; Australian National University; University of New South Wales) Production Production supported by Mic Cavazzini DPhil, the ASID Vaccine Special Interest Group chaired by Dr Archana Koirala and staff support from Inge Meggitt. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Exploring the Lake’ by View Points and ‘Emerlyn’ by Valante. Image copyright with ASID (2026). Add educational activity to MyCPD as educational activity or visit web page for a transcript and references.

    50 min
  2. > Genomics for the generalist

    21 APR

    > Genomics for the generalist

    In Pomegranate > we go back to some classic episodes from the last ten years that have stood the test of time. The first throwback takes us back to 2017 with episodes 20 and 21 titled “Genomics for the Generalist.” While there’s been a flood of genomic discoveries since this story was first published, it’s still a good primer on fundamental concepts and everyday challenges for the physician advising a patient. The expert guests include a genetic pathologist, a clinical geneticist, a genetic counsellor and a medical oncologist. The podcast covers the different roles for single gene tests and whole genome sequencing, which has become much more accessible. We tackle question of disease risk and how to present uncertain predictive diagnoses to consumers. This is particularly relevant to using genome-wide association studies, which re finding more and more markers with very small associated risks of disease. This increases the likelihood of picking up diagnoses incidental to the ones a clinician might be looking for. The ethics of consenting patients to genome screening and informing them of incidental findings are also discussed. Chapters 3:04 Mendelian vs multi-gene diseases 6:42 Whole genome sequencing 10:09 Prenatal testing 12:38 What do physicians need to know? 17:07 Pharmacogenomics 19:52 Genetic counselling 22:40 Funding of genetic tests 33:46 Incidental findings 39:13 Consent and privacy issues Guests (2026 affiliations) Professor Leslie Burnett FRCPA, FHGSA, FCAP (University of New South Wales; Virtus Health) Professor Michael Gabbett FRACP (Queensland University of Technolgy; Mendel Genetics) Associate Professor Kristine Barlowe-Stewart FHGSA (University of Sydney; Children’s Cancer Institute) Prof David Thomas FRACP PhD (University of New South Wales; Omico) Production Produced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music courtesy of FreeMusicArchive includes, 'Cloud Line' by Blue Dot Sessions, 'Is That You or Are You You?' by Chris Zabriskie, First Holes’ by Cory Gray, ‘Brand New World’ by Kai Engel. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Abyss’ by Luwaks. Image customised for RACP.  Editorial feedback for 2017 podcast provided by members of the podcast editorial group Dr Pavan Chandrala, Dr Tessa Davis, Dr Rebecca Grainger, Dr Michael Herd, Dr Paul Jauncey, Dr Joseph Lee, Dr Marion Leighton, Dr Anutosh Shee and Dr Ellen Taylor, and Advanced Trainee Dr Katrina Gibson. Add educational activity to MyCPD as educational activity or visit web page for a transcript and references.

    48 min
  3. Ep146: Dealing with the next pandemic 2- lockdowns and human rights

    5 APR

    Ep146: Dealing with the next pandemic 2- lockdowns and human rights

    While waiting for COVID-19 vaccines to be rolled out, Australian jurisdictions adopted strong social restrictions to minimise community transmission of the virus. It’s estimated that together, these public health measures spared around 50,000 lives up to December 2022 and that vaccines saved three times as many again. While this public health response the pandemic is described as one of the most effective in the world it did cause unintended social harms and lingering resentment. Our leaders and community need some sober reflection on how to we might respond to the next such pandemic respiratory virus.   Over two podcasts we look carefully at the how the cost-benefit calculation stacks up for each of the major interventions.  In Part 1 we discuss the international borders closures and overcooked parochialism between state jurisdictions, and also how messaging around vaccine risks and mandates could be improved. In Part 2 we look at the controversial stay-at-home orders and interruptions to in-person schooling and even the evidence for faces-masks. Ultimately, there are some questions that can’t be answered scientifically, and it is for politicians and the public to decide what the cost of freedom and dignity against human lives left exposed.  Chapters Part 2 3:38 Social restrictions 16:39 Facemasks 21:19 Missing behavioural and epidemiological data 30:35 Psychological morbidity from social restrictions 39:39 Human rights and moral preparedness Guests Professor Paul Kelly FRACP (Australia’s Chief Medical Officer during the pandemic) Professor Catherine Bennett PhD GAICD (Deakin University; co-author of the “COVID-19 Response Inquiry” ) Professor James McCaw PhD (The University of Melbourne; modeler for the Federal government’s “National Plan”) Lorraine Finlay PhD (Australian Human Rights Commissioner; co-author of the "Collateral Damage" report) Production Produced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Organic Textures 2’ by Johannes Bornlöf, ‘RGBA’ by Chill Cole, ‘Axon Terminal’ by Out to the World, ‘Soundbed’ by Blue Saga, and ‘Echo (Kerstin Ljungstrom Remix)’ by Bonsaye. Music courtesy of FreeMusicArchive includes ‘Namaste’ by Jason Shaw. Image by Westend61 licenced from GettyImages.  Add Part 2 to MyCPD as educational activity or visit web page for a transcript and references.

    56 min
  4. Ep145: Dealing with the next pandemic 1- border closures and vaccine mandates

    30 MAR

    Ep145: Dealing with the next pandemic 1- border closures and vaccine mandates

    While waiting for COVID-19 vaccines to be rolled out, Australian jurisdictions adopted strong social restrictions to minimise community transmission of the virus. It’s estimated that together, these public health measures spared around 50,000 lives up to December 2022 and that vaccines saved three times as many again. While this public health response the pandemic is described as one of the most effective in the world it did cause unintended social harms and lingering resentment. Our leaders and community need some sober reflection on how to we might respond to the next such pandemic respiratory virus.  Over two podcasts we look carefully at the how the cost-benefit calculation stacks up for each of the major interventions. In Part 1 we discuss the international borders closures and overcooked parochialism between state jurisdictions, and also how messaging around vaccine risks and mandates could be improved. In Part 2 we look at the controversial stay-at-home orders and interruptions to in-person schooling and even the evidence for faces-masks. Ultimately, there are some questions that can’t be answered scientifically, and it is for politicians and the public to decide what the cost of freedom and dignity against human lives left exposed. Part 1 Chapters 6:46 Border Closures 35:04 Vaccine Hesitancy Guests Professor Paul Kelly FRACP (Australia’s Chief Medical Officer during the pandemic) Professor Catherine Bennett PhD GAICD (Deakin University; co-author of the “COVID-19 Response Inquiry” ) Professor James McCaw PhD (The University of Melbourne; modeler for the Federal government’s “National Plan”) Lorraine Finlay PhD (Australian Human Rights Commissioner; lead author of the "Collateral Damage" report) Production  Produced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘End of the Ocean’ and ‘Raised by Wolves' by Tellsonic, ‘RGBA’ by Chill Cole, ‘Organic Textures 1’ by Johannes Bornlöf and ‘Echo (Kerstin Ljungstrom Remix)’ by Bonsaye. Image by mrs licenced from GettyImages. Add Part 1 to MyCPD as educational activity or visit web page for a transcript and references.

    1hr 6min
  5. [Case Report] 62yo undergoing procedure for a lung nodule

    15 MAR

    [Case Report] 62yo undergoing procedure for a lung nodule

    A 62‐year-old man is undergoing a CT‐guided core biopsy of a lung nodule when he develops an iatrogenic pneumothorax. After admission to the Royal Adelaide hospital he has ongoing dyspnoea, oxygen desaturation, and chest pain not helped by a preexisting Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The treatment for the patient’s symptoms doesn’t immediately go to plan but his care team apply a combination of recent technologies to bring the condition under control. Pomegranate [Case Reports] have been developed to help Trainees rehearse diagnostic problem solving and case presentation. Guests Associate Professor Arash Badiei FRACP (Royal Adelaide Hospital; Adelaide University) Hosts Associate Professor Stephen Bacchi FRACP (Northern Adelaide Local Health Network; Adelaide University) Dr Brandon Stretton (Central Adelaide Local Health Network;) Production Produced by Dr Stephen Bacchi and Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Desert Whispers’ by Tellsonic and ‘Brighton Breakdown’ by BDBs. Image created and copyrighted by RACP. Editorial feedback kindly provided by RACP physicians Aidan Tan and med students Srishti Sharma, Prakriti Sharma and Cindy Shi.  Key Reference (Spoiler Alert) *  *  *  *  * Persistent air leak successfully treated with endobronchial valves and digital drainage system [Altree, Respirol Case Rep. 2018] Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references. Login to MyCPD to record listening and reading as a prefilled learning activity. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox or any podcasting app.

    24 min
  6. Ep143: On the ground with MSF

    1 MAR

    Ep143: On the ground with MSF

    Médecins Sans Frontières has projects in more than 70 countries that might be affected by natural disasters, armed conflict or disease outbreaks. Its clinics see over two million emergency room admissions a year and another 16 million outpatient consults. Emergency Paediatrics consultant Josephine Goodyer and ID consultant Tasnim Hasan are two of more than a hundred Australians and New Zealanders who contributed to MSF’s missions last year. Between them they have covered practice settings as varied as Kiribati, South Sudan and Gaza. In this interview they describe the experience shipping out with MSF on their first assignment and then the kinds of responsibilities one is given with more experience. We’ll also hear how gaps of six months or more affect career progression and financial stability back home. Chapters 3:05 Starting out with MSF 15:04 Practicing in a conflict zone 50:53 Career impacts Guests Dr Josephine Goodyer FRACP (Canberra Hospital; Australian National University) Dr Tasnim Hasan FRACP (Western Sydney LHD; University of Sydney) Dr Aidan Tan (Sydney Children’s Hospital Network)   Production Produced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Intimacy’ by Alex Kehm, ‘At the end of nothing’ by Silver Maple, ‘Below the Horizon’ by Dawn, Dawn, Dawn and ‘Nagba Algooah’ by Ebo Krdum. Image by Pablo Tosco ©2018 used with permission by MSF. Editorial feedback kindly provided by members of the podcast editorial group Dr Aidan Tan, Dr Stephen Bacchi, Dr Rahul Barmanray, Dr Maansi Arora and Dr Leon Li.  Add educational activity to MyCPD or visit web page for a transcript and references.

    1hr 4min
  7. [Case Report] 75 yo with a porcelain aorta

    16 FEB

    [Case Report] 75 yo with a porcelain aorta

    A 75 year-old man with severe aortic stenosis is deemed unsuitable for surgery on the basis of a porcelain aorta detected with cross-sectional imaging. The patient had, a decade earlier, been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy after presenting with cardiac arrhythmia. A dual chamber ICD was implanted at the time for secondary prevention and other comorbidities were managed.  The patient is now being considered for staged alcohol septal ablation (for the HCM) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (for the aortic stenosis), however, additional complications force an experimental two-in-one procedure. Guest Professor Ross Roberts-Thomson FRACP (Central Adelaide Local Health Network; University of Adelaide) Hosts Associate Professor Stephen Bacchi FRACP (Northern Adelaide Local Health Network; University of Adelaide) Dr Alistair Leslie (Central Adelaide Local Health Network;) Key Reference (Spoiler Alert) *  *  *  *  * Two-in-one: Combined transcatheter therapy for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and aortic stenosis [IHJ Cardiovascular Case Reports (CVCR). 2020]     Production Produced by Stephen Bacchi and Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Desert Whispers’ by Tellsonic and ‘Brighton Breakdown’ by BDBs. Image created and copyrighted by RACP. Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references.Login to MyCPDto record listening and reading as a prefilled learning activity. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify,Castbox or any podcasting app.

    30 min
  8. Ep141: Space Medicine Part 2- really remote practice

    2 FEB

    Ep141: Space Medicine Part 2- really remote practice

    The record for the longest space-flight is held by physician-cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov. Back in 1994-95, he spent 437 days on the Mir space station and grew 4 centimetres in height through elongation of his spine in micro-gravity. Polyakov had an uncomfortable ride back to Earth in the very precisely customised descent module.  Microgravity also causes demineralization of weight-bearing bones that is faster than age-related decline. But the cosmonaut had worked out religiously for the entire mission and after his capsule parachuted to the ground he made a point of walking from it relatively unassisted. One of the main objectives of the marathon flight had been to prove that walking proudly onto the Martian surface after a 9-month journey might be possible, given it only has 37 percent the gravitational force that Earth does.   Microgravity additionally results in adaptive plasticity of the vestibular and sensorimotor networks and deconditioning of the cardiovascular system. Indeed, several years ago there was a medical emergency aboard the international space station when an ultrasound investigation revealed thrombosis of the internal jugular vein in one astronaut. In this podcast we discuss how management of cases like this has many parallels with remote medicine on earth. Part 1 of this series examined the risks of cosmic radiation and spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome among other things.   Guests Professor Gordon Cable (Australian National University; Co-founder, Human Aerospace) Dr Alicia Tucker FACEM, FAWM (Royal Hobart Hospital; University of Tasmania) Dr John Cherry PhD FACRRM (Deputy CMO, Australian Antarctic Division) Chapters 1:08 Bone mineral density  15:35 Circulation and a case study in remote medicine 35:04 Historic medevacs from space Production Produced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Spring Water’ By Chill Cole, ‘At the End of Nothing’ by Silver Maple and ‘Mega Woman IV’ by ELFL. Music courtesy of Free Music Archive includes ‘Snowfall’ by Kai Engel. Graphic is AI-generated and shared online with a Creative Commons licence.  Editorial feedback kindly provided by members of the podcast editorial group Paul Cooper PhD, Dr Aidan Tan, Dr Rahul Barmanray, Dr Simeon Wong, Dr Fionnuala Fagan, Dr Maansi Arora, Dr Jia-Wen Chong, Dr Aafreen Khalid and Associate Professor Dr Stephen Bacchi.   Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references.Login to MyCPD to record listening and reading as a prefilled learning activity. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify,Castbox or any podcasting app.

    41 min
See All (148)

4.8
out of 5
63 Ratings

About

Pomegranate Health is a podcast about the culture of medicine. You'll hear clinicians, researchers and advocates discuss all aspects of professionalism and quality improvement in healthcare. This includes clinical ethics, diagnostic bias, better communication and more equitable systems. For a sampler of these diverse themes of professional practice take a listen to Episode 132 and Episode 125. If RACP is your CPD home, you can log time spent listening to each episode with the "Add activity to MyCPD" button. And if you're a Basic Physician Trainee, the [Case Report] series might help you prepare for your long case clinical exams. This is also the home of [IMJ On-Air], featuring authors from the Internal Medicine Journal sharing their latest research. Meanwhile, the [Journal Club] episodes give RACP members a place to talk through their research published in other academic journals. Feel free to send feedback and suggestions by email at podcast@racp.edu.au.  

Information

  • Creator
    the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    148
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Pomegranate Health
  • Show Website
    Pomegranate Health

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