Behind the Slides

Scott M. Matson
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Behind the Slides is a podcast about the thinking behind modern medicine—how evidence is generated, interpreted, and applied in the real world. Through conversations with leading clinicians, researchers, and thinkers, we go beyond the headlines and publications to explore the reasoning, tradeoffs, and career decisions that shape what we do and why we do it. If you’ve ever wondered what really drives clinical decisions—or how to build a meaningful career in medicine—this is the conversation behind it all.

Episodes

  1. Oct 16

    Chris Booth, MD; common sense oncology

    What if a new therapy could improve overall survival in colon cancer by 8%? How much would the system charge for that breakthrough? The NYTimes recently featured a follow-up to the NEJM study on exercise in colon cancer lead by Dr. Chris Booth - today on Behind the Slides we discuss Exercise-umab, we discuss common sense oncology and common sense medicine and we discuss building an academic medical career in the era of conflict of interest and industry influence.

    Chris Booth, MD; common sense oncology

  2. Sep 21

    Mike Putman, MD

    In the words of our previous guest Adam Mastroianni, “incentives are for losers” but what happens when we get to peak under the hood at how deeply incentives influence analysis of clinical trial data? Great discussion with Dr. Mike Putman, practicing rheumatologist, medical educator and thought leader on clinical trials, therapeutic development and medical education. We discuss recent news from rheumatology world where the FDA has found potential issues with data and clinical trial adjudication from a trial of therapy developed for ANCA vasculitis: avacopan. What is the natural outcome of a system that allows the exact company that stands to benefit enormously from positive clinical trial outcomes to not only design, but collect, interpret, analyze and report the data from phase III trials that are required for drug approval? You can guess! Take a listen to hear discussions on surrogate endpoints in clinical trials, modern medical education and the role of podcasts in disseminating medical insights and information.

    Mike Putman, MD

  3. Aug 19

    Louise Aronson, MD, MFA

    A great discussion with Dr. Louise Aronson on corporatism and medicine.

    Louise Aronson, MD, MFA

  4. Jul 12

    David Lederer, MD, MS

    David Lederer, a former academic clinician scientist and key opinion leader, academic journal editor who left the academy for industry joins us to discuss his career shift. We discuss the reasons behind the move, the successes of failures seen in both realms and the way to chart a meaningful path through it all.

    David Lederer, MD, MS

  5. Jun 8

    Joel Topf, MD @kidney_boy

    Dr. Joel Topf (@kidney_boy) joins us on Behind The Slides to discuss modern medical education, building community of medical trainees and professionals on social media, and how we know what we know in medicine.

    Joel Topf, MD @kidney_boy

  6. May 14

    Adam Mastroianni: Episode 004

    In this episode of Behind the Slides, Scott Matson sits down with Adam Mastroianni to explore the incentives, institutions, and hidden cultures that shape modern science. Using Adam’s widely discussed essays on scientific publishing, peer review, and the replication crisis as a starting point, the conversation expands into a broader discussion about how scientific systems reward productivity, novelty, and institutional survival—and whether those incentives are compatible with genuine discovery. Topics include: Why scientific publishing may function more like a prestige economy than a truth-seeking system The tension between transformational ideas and peer review Whether NIH-style funding structures inherently favor incrementalism Science as a “strong-link problem” and concerns about the future pipeline of creative scientists The apprenticeship nature of scientific training and Adam’s “crock pot” analogy for how scientific culture is absorbed Why labs may unintentionally reproduce both epistemic virtues and epistemic pathologies The replication crisis, publication bias, and the incentives surrounding positive findings Whether modern academia still attracts highly agentic, unconventional thinkers What kinds of scientific environments actually produce original and rigorous scientists Rather than treating science as a purely rational machine, the discussion examines it as a deeply human system shaped by psychology, incentives, identity, prestige, and culture. Experimental History by Adam Mastroianni:https://www.experimental-history.com

    Adam Mastroianni: Episode 004

  7. Apr 30

    Episode 3: Manni Mohyuddin, MBBS

    Episode 003 — Manni Mohyuddin, MD Why does so much clinical research never make it to publication—and what does that mean for the evidence we trust? In this episode of Behind the Slides, we sit down with Manni Mohyuddin to examine how incentives shape the research ecosystem. We discuss the gap between conference abstracts and eventual publication, what gets published (and what doesn’t), and how these dynamics influence the evidence base that clinicians rely on. A conversation about bias, incentives, and how research becomes “truth” in medicine.

    Episode 3: Manni Mohyuddin, MBBS

  8. Apr 23

    Episode 2: Lisa Rosenbaum, MD

    In this episode of Behind the Slides, we sit down with Lisa Rosenbaum for a wide-ranging conversation about the meaning and practice of medicine today. We explore how much agency physicians really have within the healthcare system, whether the challenges in primary care reflect deeper issues across the field, and how clinicians navigate purpose, responsibility, and constraint in their work. We also discuss the growing role of AI and what it may change—and not change—about how we think, decide, and care for patients. A conversation about the present and future of being a physician.

    Episode 2: Lisa Rosenbaum, MD

  9. Apr 16

    Episode 1: Adam Cifu

    What does it actually mean to practice evidence-based medicine? In this episode, we sit down with Adam Cifu to unpack the gap between clinical evidence and real-world decision making. We explore how data is interpreted at the bedside, why guidelines don’t always translate cleanly into practice, and what it takes to think clearly in the face of uncertainty. This is a conversation about judgment, tradeoffs, and the limits of evidence—core issues for anyone practicing or training in medicine today.

    Episode 1: Adam Cifu
  • 9 Episodes

About

Behind the Slides is a podcast about the thinking behind modern medicine—how evidence is generated, interpreted, and applied in the real world. Through conversations with leading clinicians, researchers, and thinkers, we go beyond the headlines and publications to explore the reasoning, tradeoffs, and career decisions that shape what we do and why we do it. If you’ve ever wondered what really drives clinical decisions—or how to build a meaningful career in medicine—this is the conversation behind it all.

Information

  • Creator
    Scott M. Matson
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Scott M. Matson
  • Show Website
    Behind the Slides