The Present Illness

Alyssa Burgart & Arghavan Salles
  • 5.0 (26)
  • 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. 1h ago

    Veterans are struggling to get healthcare. Here's why.

    Community Care Isn’t a Simple Fix for Veteran Care - One Veteran’s Emergency Reveals the Cost of VA Cuts. Scott Colom wins Senate seat in Mississippi - first Black senator in state since ReconstructionLynching in America databaseMississippi Couldn’t Stop Scott Colom’s Victory—but It Wasn’t for Lack of TryingEvent: Alyssa will be at Books, Inc. in Palo Alto on Tuesday, November 17, in conversation with Matt O’Hara talking about his book The Flying Death: Poison, Plunder, and The Quest for A Miracle Medicine in the Amazon. VA Hospital How Trump’s Dismantling of the VA Left a Veterans Hospital in CrisisDeported veterans celebrate Veterans’ Day in MexicoActive duty spouses deportedCensorship in response to VA pulmonologists warning about cutsMore Topics Dr. Ann Lawani, USF nurse abducted by ICEEmergency physician shootingNvidia Chinese Spy scandalPete Hegseth impeachment procedural vote💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 Latest Iran Lego videoSerena Williams/IShowSpeed battle on the tennis courtHoliday Knitting - Doodles by Pacific Knit - examples of cute socksWoobles Advent CalendarText us! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else.

    Veterans are struggling to get healthcare. Here's why.

  2. Nov 6

    Midterms Healthcare Wins!

    So many firsts in the Midterms! Big Healthcare wins! The HELP Committee has a lot of changes ahead! Note: Russell Brand verdict Big Firsts in the Midterms Women governors make historyBlack governors make history10 governors make historyTrans and non-binary people elected to officeAge of current members of CongressJD Vance’s post about the election Health Committee HELP Committee and the Health Subcommittee - PoliticoMeet the Doctors and Scientists Who Won in the Midterms - TIME 💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 Mockumentary about humans taking robots’ jobsArghavan gathered many funny posts about the midterms across three posts on her InstagramJesse Welles’ Midterms song Text us! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else.

    Midterms Healthcare Wins!

  3. Nov 1

    The One with Matthew Perry

    Matthew Perry spent $7 million on rehab. The doctors who sold him ketamine charged $55,000. Plus, Tennessee execution physician thinks he’s like Jesus. Note: This episode is a couple of days later than usual due to unforeseen circumstances. Sir Patrick Stewart’s deathA round up of reactions to Sir Patrick Stewart’s deathMatthew Perry Matthew Perry’s autobiographyFive people charged in Matthew Perry’s deathMatthew Perry’s earlier hospitalizationMark Fowler New Yorker interview with Mark Fowler “I’m not incompetent.”Unmasked: the doctor who helps put prisoners to deathEpisode 54: we talked about Christa Pike’s attempted executionEpisode 53: we discuss the unique effects of ketamineOther News: JD Vance complains about hospital interpretersRFK Jr’s racist comments💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 Tom Hoyle and MAGA cult, interview on The HandbasketSaerijane’s video of fat jumping onto her faceText us! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else.

    The One with Matthew Perry

  4. Oct 23

    You Can See... Everything?!?!

    What do we really see in You Can See Everything? Never forget that Elizabeth Holmes is a lying liar. You Can See Everything Wired’s interview with Nathan FielderQ&A with Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim at the New York Film FestivalWhistleblower Tyler Schultz’s essay for STAT NewsJohn Carreyrou’s essay about You Can See EverythingReporter Matthew Herper’s essay💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 2 Frog 601: muppet Les Mis parodyPerla Soleil’s Dog on Neighborhood watchRichard Scarry’s Busytown with Marxist quotesText us! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else.

    You Can See... Everything?!?!

  5. Oct 16

    Poisoned his coworker, but walks free? Plus, get ready to watch You Can See Everything.

    Woman collects mountain of evidence that her co-worker poisoned her - now his criminal record has been expunged! Plus, we help you get ready to watch You Can See Everything about Elizabeth Holmes Note: Summary of the new White House press secretary’s debut Cadmium Poisoning Rong Yuan poisoned by David XuRong Yuan’s reportXu’s conviction expungedVideo of David Xu poisoning Yuan’s waterTexas attorney poisoned wifeYou Can See Everything You can see everythingFall of TheranosWhistleblower Tyler ShultzThe Dropout - fictionalThe Dropout Podcast - investigative journalismThe Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley - 2019 documentaryOther news Representative Ilhan Omar’s home raided by DHSHundreds of trees cut down on DC golf courseSixth measles deathRFK Jr announces vaccine clinic at NIH to investigate vaccine injuries💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 Thee Make That Magic series on Disney villains that had a point: Ursula, The Sanderson SistersCoyote vs ACMEText us! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else.

    Poisoned his coworker, but walks free? Plus, get ready to watch You Can See Everything.

  6. Oct 9

    Is the plague back?

    Are we all going to get the plague? Why did Tennessee’s execution of Christa Pike “fail”? Unethical hep B research from RFK Jr continues. Measles update. Note: Reactions to the president’s calls for attacking LA and SD (and his speech on Monday) are here Plague Initial reports about person who died in RussiaWhat Russia says about the person who diedWhat was known as of 10/6/2026Dr. Angela Rasmussen’s overview of the situationWhy Annie Jacobsen may not be the best source on this2015 article Inside America’s secretive biolabs2025 editorial On the Controversies Surrounding the Lab-Leak Theory of COVID-19“Failed” Execution of Christa Pike Christa Pike, Child Rape Victim, Faces Execution for Crime She Committed as a TeenagerAmerican Board of Anesthesiologists prohibits anesthesiologists from participating in state-sanctioned killingTennessee’s Medical Ethics Defense ActWill physicians invoke the Medical Ethics Defense Act to prevent state-sanctioned killing?Trump approved the military's 1st firing squad execution since WWIIExonerated Play (2000), TV film (2005)Other updates: 5th measles deathUpdate on unethical Guinea-Bissau studyHegseth’s humiliation kinkFBI denies investigation into Nolan Wells’s deathNolan Wells autopsyPathological findings in drowning“When Anesthesia Goes Wrong” Atlantic article on mitochondrial condition 💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 Raha Akhavan becomes first Iranian woman to achieve open swimming Triple CrownPoems: “Failed ChatGPT” - Kate BaerPresent for Arghavan: Persepolis pinText us! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else.

  7. Oct 2

    Why is Jane Doe suing Cornell and Seven Students?

    Why do universities protect rapists? What happened at Cornell? Why was there so much ketamine? What is Title IX?  All that and more as we discuss Cornell and seven students being sued by survivor Jane Doe. Stumbling in from: MAHA Summit agendaFact check: We call for the DA in the Cornell case to be replaced. NY Governor did so between recording and publication.The latest story to spark protest in India relates to the girl attacked in the park, but it is the latest in a series of attacks on girls that has ignited outrage.Cornell University and DA Protects Rapists Independent Case Archive: Cornell SevenThe civil lawsuit filed by Jane DoeCoverage of the lawsuit by the Cornell SunArghavan has multiple posts covering this story, including the names of the 7 men named in the lawsuit, in detail. You can find them here.The district attorney’s explanation for why he did not pursue the case in 2024Study on coercive SA behaviorsSA as real threat to womenKetamine Ketamine is a medication used for anesthesiaKetamine explainer; and another oneDept of Justice pamphlet on Drug Facilitated SATitle IX Images from: Society of Women EngineersPolitico article on Trump administration’s repeal of BidenFlip the Script approach can reduce SA by 46%Jennifer Freyd’s Center for Institutional CourageNWLC warns of harms to student survivorsBonus News: Update on Riley Gaines case against NCAA15 year-old girl abused in TunisiaSlew of rape cases in India11 women found dead near Johannesburg, South AfricaFat Bear Week winner announcedLindsay Clancy trial update💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 Dimpey Studios birth control clipJamiroquai Virtual Insanity song banned from the OR ; watch the OG music videoText us! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else.

    Why is Jane Doe suing Cornell and Seven Students?

  8. Sep 26

    Ms. Rachel Defends Kids

    Good news only for our First Anniversary of The Present Illness! Ms. Rachel’s Invitation to Moral Courage. Door Dash settlement for workers. Gondwana Supercontinent. Arghavan’s post with videos of the president without audioMs Rachel Advocates for Kids’ Safety Profile of Ms. Rachel in The GuardianProfile of Ms. Rachel in Rolling StoneMs. Rachel’s support of Black-owned businessesMs. Rachel’s Subway TakesOur episode on ICE detention with Dr. Lara JonesMore Good News Stories Pelican asks for helpTrumpeter saves songMiley Cyrus on Dolly Parton mentorshipDolly Parton AirportGondwana Supercontinent - studies one and twoThe hole in the ozone is closingDoorDash agrees to give $131 million in lost wages and fees to NYC and its workers💊Take Two and Call Me in the Morning💊 Josh Ramsay from Marianas Trench covers Defying GravitySquirrels look like bobbleheadsSquirrel Maxine gets her teeth filed—and more!Text us! Thanks for listening to The Present Illness!  Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @ThePresentIllness Credits Production by Arghavan Salles & Alyssa BurgartEditing by Alyssa BurgartMusic by Joseph UphoffSocial Media by Arghavan SallesDon’t take medical advice from random people on a podcast. This show is for informational purposes, is meant to be fun, and is certainly not medical advice. Please, take your medical questions to a qualified professional. Nothing we say represents our employers or anyone else.

    Ms. Rachel Defends Kids
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5
out of 5
26 Ratings

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
    59
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Present Illness
  • Show Website
    The Present Illness

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