The Present Illness

Alyssa Burgart & Arghavan Salles
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  • MEDICINE

Society’s running a fever, and two sharp-witted physicians are on the case. Surgeon-scientist Arghavan Salles dives into social media’s wildest trends, while anesthesiologist-bioethicist Alyssa Burgart follows news and legal cases for their ethical twists. Together, they examine the cultural, political, and public health symptoms of our time with scalpel-sharp analysis, unflinching questions, and enough humor to keep us all going.

  1. New War with Iran and Bad Energy with Casey Means

    1 DAY AGO

    New War with Iran and Bad Energy with Casey Means

    Overnight war with Iran; Casey Means’ confirmation hearings; Newsom sucks Hillary & Bill ClintonNewsom diminishes trans peopleKansas revokes trans people’s driver’s licensesWar in Iran Iranians celebrateSchool bombing; gravesGolestan Palace damagedIRGC threatsLatest tally of deathsUS sinks unarmed Iranian shipWH's video gameBreaking Veteran's armCasey Means Senate confirmation hearingCarte BlancheStrong’s The Bad Science of Casey Means’ Good EnergyMeans’ exit from residencyMAHA, Means, and Money💊Take Two & Call Me in the Morning Tiny Chef wins multiple Emmys; acceptance speech; dances/exercises; cancelledDoctor falling asleep under anesthesiaWaiting for the beat to drop inLoved it? Send us a text! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness with Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart! Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart Editing by Alyssa Burgart Theme Music by Joseph Uphoff Social Media by Arghavan Salles

    1h 56m
  2. Men's Hockey Goes From Hero to Zero

    27 FEB

    Men's Hockey Goes From Hero to Zero

    State of the Union bingo card; US Mens Hockey squanders the good vibes; RFK Jr’s HHS gets sued yet again for illegally messing with vaccination; Punch updates; Angry Quilters; Gen Z slang Men’s Hockey Squanders Good Will Some of the US men’s hockey team reactions to the response to their “locker room talk”Ellen Hughes’s commentsHilary Knight’s reaction to the US men’s hockey teamArghavan’s post about the US men’s hockey team cavorting with the presidentHockey mom Sara WilesAndy Murray knows how to stand up for womenAnother Lawsuit Against Antivax HHS: AGs Kris Mayes (AZ)and Rob Bonta (CA) announce lawsuit against HHSFDA’s refusal to evaluate Moderna flu vaccine (and later reversal of this decision)Moderna no longer investing in new late-stage vaccine trials💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning Arghavan’s post summarizing the story of Punch, the little monkey abandoned by his motherQuiltCon: The Quilters are angryGen Z writes the Pasco Library script77 year old art curator Alison Luchs uses Gen Z slang to teachLoved it? Send us a text! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness with Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart! Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart Editing by Alyssa Burgart Theme Music by Joseph Uphoff Social Media by Arghavan Salles

    1h 7m
  3. ICE's Dystopian Daycare (+ Gisèle Pelicot)

    20 FEB

    ICE's Dystopian Daycare (+ Gisèle Pelicot)

    Go Team USA! Weird Workout with RFK Jr; ICE harming kids in detention; Gisele Pelicot speaks out about her husband's abuse Hilary Knight is the greatest US women’s hockey scorer everRFK Jr and Kid Rock working outDystopian Daycare in Dilley Hundreds of kids detained > 20 day Flores rule limit.Two measles cases confirmed at the Dilley family detention center2-month-old Juan Nicolás developed respiratory illness requiring hospitalization. Family deported immediately after hospital release.18 month old Amalia, also sick with respiratory illnesses, discharged back to ICE custody and allegedly denied needed meds after hospitalization.Read letters written by children in ICE detention facilityPelicot’s Book Release A review of Gisèle Pelicot’s book: A Hymn to LifeMme Pelicot’s interview with the New York TimesDaughter Caroline Darian’s book: I’ll Never Call Him Dad AgainPhilip Young pleads guiltyThe Telegram group with 70,000 men giving tips on how to SA womenSwedish man accused of selling sex with his wifeGerman man convicted of drugging and raping his wife💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning Arghavan’s carousel of “First in my bloodline” (the tweet)Eileen Gu laughs at journalist after winning 2 silver medalsLoved it? Send us a text! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness with Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart! Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart Editing by Alyssa Burgart Theme Music by Joseph Uphoff Social Media by Arghavan Salles

    1h 9m
  4. Epstein's Dirty Medical Money (plus Space Babies!)

    13 FEB

    Epstein's Dirty Medical Money (plus Space Babies!)

    Epstein dirty money in Medical Education; Should we make babies in outer space?; Olympian’s relationship fumble; Knitting the resistance; Possum cake (yeah you read that right) Epstein’s Ties to Medical Education Fact check! The representative Arghavan referred to who brought up the email from survivors is Thomas Massie, not Anthony Massie. Arghavan’s video summarizing Les Wexner’s relationship with Epstein and Ohio State (with references)Virginia Giuffre’s 2016 deposition in which she names Wexner (scroll down)Mark Landon’s relationship with Epstein (chair of Ob-Gyn at Ohio State)Mark Tramo’s relationship with Epstein (neurologist at UCLA)Martin Nowak’s emails with EpsteinDavid Gelernter is removed from teaching at YaleDocumentary: Surviving Ohio StateSpace Sex (Not SpaceX) 404 Media: As Space Tourism Looms, Scientists Ask: Should We Have Sex in Orbit?Reproductive biomedicine in space by G.A. Palmer, et alTake Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 Norwegian Olympian admits to cheating on his ex-girlfriend; check out comments hereLost Black American Recipes, by Wick’d ConfectionsStory of the Norweigan resistance hat, an elder describes themYou can knit one! Melt the Ice Knitting PatternWatch a sensory hair cut by @theweightedcapeA wild possum birthday cake by Greg MasonLoved it? Send us a text! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness with Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart! Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart Editing by Alyssa Burgart Theme Music by Joseph Uphoff Social Media by Arghavan Salles

    1 hr
  5. Protect Trans Kids, Not Peter Attia

    6 FEB

    Protect Trans Kids, Not Peter Attia

    “Longevity” Doctor Peter Attia in Epstein Files 2,000 times; How to Leave Open Comments on Fed Regs Banning Gender Affirming Care; Bad Bunny’s Big Week; Trump wants women to smile more. Dr. Peter Attia and the Epstein Files What the president said to Kaitlan CollinsArghavan’s summary with screenshots of Attia’s emailsAttia hangs out with Epstein while his baby is critically illPeter Attia’s statementPeter Attia keeps CBS News role despite being in the Epstein files almost 2,000 timesAlyssa’s interview on How The Ultra Rich Are Trying To Live ForeverGender Affirming Care for Minors STAT News: Peds Ethicists Oppose BanMatthew Cortland’s Top Notch Commenting GuideDeadline for Public Comments: February 17, 2026, 5:00 PM ETSubmit to BOTH dockets: 🥊 Hospital Ban (CMS-3481-P) File code: CMS-3481-PSubmit at: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/CMS-2025-1822-0001🥊 Medicaid/CHIP Funding Ban (CMS-2451-P) File code: CMS-2451-PSubmit at: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/CMS-2025-1823-0001💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning Bad Bunny’s album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, is the first Spanish-language album to be awarded Album of the YearJosh Johnson talking about the Super Bowl halftime showAlyssa recommends Cadbury Mini Eggs and Cream Eggs.Loved it? Send us a text! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness with Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart! Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart Editing by Alyssa Burgart Theme Music by Joseph Uphoff Social Media by Arghavan Salles

    55 min

  6. 30 JAN

    Diabolical Dictators and Online Trolls

    The doctors thrive on spite; Nurse Alex Pretti; Iran Update; How cheap bots/trolls drive disinformation Note: we had an audio issue for the first few minutes of the episode (4:55).  Iran Update: Per Iran International, internal documents from Iran suggest the regime killed at least 36,500 protesters between January 8th and January 9th, 2026Arghavan’s carousel about Iran that got a lot of trolls/bots/not nice people in the commentsSome sources for learning what’s happening in Iran (these are their websites; all are also on Instagram) Iran International (English)TavaanaManotoHuman Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA)HengawDr. Alireza Golchini has been arrested and faces the death penaltyMore information on what’s happening in hospitals and the names of other physicians who have been arrestedCNN’s 2022 report on sexual violence in prisons in IranBoycott Huda Beauty Arghavan’s reaction to Huda’s commentsVideo 1Video 2 (in Farsi)Video 3Alex Pretti, ICU Nurse: Anderson Cooper’s interview with Stella Carson (the woman in the pink jacket)Side-by-side video of Kristi Noem and Greg BovinoPeople who have died in relation to ICE this yearAgent Jenn Budd's Borderland Talk💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning JB Star’s latest DougieThe fed gov drops its appeal regarding withholding $$$ from schools with DEI programsThe EU updates terror list with IRGCOtters destroying iceDevil and Jesus videosTaryn Delanie Loved it? Send us a text! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness with Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart! Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart Editing by Alyssa Burgart Theme Music by Joseph Uphoff Social Media by Arghavan Salles

    1h 12m
  7. Robots, Research & Rubik's Cubes

    23 JAN

    Robots, Research & Rubik's Cubes

    Unethical research in Guinea-Bissau; Robots won’t fix maternity care deserts; Louisiana tries to extradite California doctor. Americas public health system teeters on the edge of an ICU admission thanks to the abysmal leadership of RFK Jr and his Clown Car of Public Health officials. This week, the doctors discuss the origins of proposed unethical and exploitative research in Guinea-Bissau. Next, Louisiana attempting to extradite a California doctor for prescribing abortion medications. And Dr. Oz thinks robotic ultrasound machines will close Alabama's maternity care desert. Marley is not interested in the US buying his country. Trump’s “Great Healthcare Plan” Unethical research in Guinea-Bissau Inside Medicine Guardian article about the response from the African CDC and officials in Guinea-BissauRolling Stone gets the receiptsCriticism of researchers in VaccineHarriet Washington’s Medical ApartheidAbortion News Louisiana hopes to extradite a California physicianDr. Oz’s on robot ultrasounds in AlabamaA robot-assisted ultrasound machine and a robotic-assisted surgery deviceRFK Jr slammed for criticizing Germany’s “interference” in the patient-physician relationship.ProPublica: Women With High-Risk Pregnancies Have Limited Options Under Abortion Bans💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning Arghavan’s carousel of owl impressionsBeginner method to solving Rubik’s cubesEmily Elbert's country blues skillsMerlin BirdIDLoved it? Send us a text! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness with Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart! Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart Editing by Alyssa Burgart Theme Music by Joseph Uphoff Social Media by Arghavan Salles

    1h 6m
  8. Too Much Propofol

    16 JAN

    Too Much Propofol

    This week: famed author's son dies after anesthesia, the "war on protein", and Arghavan's views on protests in Iran. Join Arghavan and Alyssa as they into the 'war on protein' narrative propagated by RFK Jr, the tragic story of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's toddler son’s death following an anesthetic in Nigeria, and the ongoing protests in Iran. They discuss: New Dietary Guidelines, AKA the end of non-existent " War on Protein" Kevin Klatt, PhD, RD (Univ. of Toronto) analyzes the new dietary guidelines in plain languageThe death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 21 month old son on Wednesday, January 6. His family attributes his death to anesthesia care at EURACARE Multispecialist Hospital in Victoria Island, Lagos. Read about the reported conditions around his death in the Nigerian paper The Guardian. The hospital has denied improper care.Adichie is best known for her breakout novel, Americanah, and her 2011 TED Talk “Why We Should All Be Feminists”You can review the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists’ Workforce MapCurrent events in Iran Massive protests have been ongoing in Iran for the past few weeks12,000 protesters killed in IranVideos of the Kahrizak forensic center show bodies in body bagsIranian regime charges families for the bodies of their loved ones💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 JB Star learns how to do the Dougie (here’s a tutorial for anyone inspired to learn!)Noah Wyle’s PSA lambasting RFK Jr on Jimmy Kimmel Live.SNL’s Marcello Hernández in American BoyLoved it? Send us a text! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness with Drs. Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart! Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles and Alyssa Burgart Editing by Alyssa Burgart Theme Music by Joseph Uphoff Social Media by Arghavan Salles

    1h 12m
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About

Society’s running a fever, and two sharp-witted physicians are on the case. Surgeon-scientist Arghavan Salles dives into social media’s wildest trends, while anesthesiologist-bioethicist Alyssa Burgart follows news and legal cases for their ethical twists. Together, they examine the cultural, political, and public health symptoms of our time with scalpel-sharp analysis, unflinching questions, and enough humor to keep us all going.

Information

  • Creator
    Alyssa Burgart & Arghavan Salles
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Present Illness
  • Show Website
    The Present Illness

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