Cut & Tell

Hippocratic Collective
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Medicine

Cut & Tell is a real-time account of becoming a surgeon—at the exact moment the training wheels come off. Hosted by plastic surgery chief resident Elizabeth Malphrus, this show follows the transition from residency to “year one”: the first, most disorienting, and most defining stretch of a surgical career. It’s where the identity you’ve spent a decade building is suddenly tested—clinically, professionally, and personally. This is not a retrospective. It’s happening now. Through solo episodes, unfiltered conversations, and stories from inside the operating room and beyond, Cut & Tell explores what it actually takes to become a surgeon: the structure of training, the emotional cost, the invisible curriculum, and the tension between perfection and reality in a high-stakes field. It also asks harder questions—about trust in medicine, the role of physicians in a changing cultural landscape, and what it means to step into authority when you’re not sure you’re ready.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    How to Survive (and Thrive) During Intern Year | Advice From a Graduating Resident

    Starting residency can feel overwhelming. New city, new hospital, new responsibilities, and suddenly everyone expects you to know what you're doing. In this episode of Cut & Tell, graduating plastic surgery resident Dr. Liz Malphrus shares her most requested advice for incoming interns. Drawing on six years of residency experience, she breaks down the physical, cognitive, and psychological strategies that helped her survive, and ultimately thrive, during training. From building sustainable study habits and protecting your sleep to finding community, seeking therapy, and learning how to navigate the constant feeling of not knowing enough, this episode is a practical guide for anyone beginning residency. Topics discussed: Intern year survival tipsPhysical readiness: sleep, food, movement, and gearBuilding effective study habits during residencyLearning from your patientsHow to study when you have no free timeFinding community in a new cityManaging stress, anxiety, and burnoutWhy therapy can be an important part of residencyPersonal mantras that helped through trainingWhat every new intern should know Whether you're starting residency this summer or simply remember what it felt like to be an intern, this episode is a reminder that you don't have to figure everything out on day one. Host: Liz Malphrus, MD Connect with Liz: https://www.hippocratic-collective.com/members/liz-malphrus-md IG: @dr.malphrus Produced By: The Hippocratic Collective Subscribe to @hippocraticcollective on Youtube for all of the other shows and content the Hippocratic Collective has to offer.

    26 min

  2. Jun 18

    Why Residency Feels Financially Impossible Today | "Back in My Day", Part 2 | Cut & Tell

    Residents today earn roughly the same inflation-adjusted salary as residents did decades ago. So why does training feel so much more financially difficult? In this episode of Cut & Tell, plastic surgery resident Dr. Liz Malphrus explores the economic realities facing modern trainees—from exploding medical school debt and rising housing costs to childcare expenses, delayed financial independence, and the growing gap between resident compensation and the true cost of becoming a physician. This is the second installment in the "Back in My Day" series, examining how residency has changed over time. Rather than debating which generation had it harder, Dr. Malphrus argues that the conditions surrounding medical training have fundamentally changed—and that understanding those changes is essential if we want to improve graduate medical education. Topics discussed: Resident salaries then vs. nowMedical school debt and rising education costsGME funding and resident compensationHousing, childcare, and cost-of-living pressuresWhy many residents struggle financially despite being physiciansThe changing demographics of residency trainingSingle-parent households and residencyWhy "back in my day" misses the bigger pictureMoving beyond the suffering Olympics in medicine Cut & Tell explores the realities of surgical training, medicine, and the systems shaping physician life today. Subscribe for new episodes and visit the Hippocratic Collective for more conversations about the future of medicine.

    12 min

  3. Jun 11

    "Back In My Day" - Why Today’s Residents Feel Less Prepared Than Ever | Cut & Tell

    Attendings often tell stories about residency "back in the day" - more autonomy, more responsibility, more independence. But was training really better, or has the entire system changed? In this episode of Cut & Tell, plastic surgery resident Dr. Liz Malphrus explores why modern residents often report feeling less prepared for independent practice despite performing similar case volumes to previous generations. From duty-hour debates and supervision requirements to RVU-based compensation and the growing pressure for clinical productivity, she examines the structural forces reshaping surgical education. This isn't a conversation about whether residency is easier or harder. It's about understanding how the training environment has changed, and what that means for autonomy, burnout, and the future of medical education. Topics discussed: Why case numbers don't tell the whole storyResident autonomy and surgical confidenceThe impact of RVU-based compensation on teachingAcademic medicine's productivity pressuresWhy more residents pursue fellowship trainingThe relationship between autonomy and burnoutHow surgical education has evolved over the past two decadesWhat attendings and residents can learn from each other Cut & Tell is a podcast exploring the realities of surgical training, medicine, and life beyond the operating room. Subscribe for new episodes and visit the Hippocratic Collective for more conversations about the culture of medicine.

    16 min

  4. Jun 4

    The 3 Books Every Resident Should Read Before Graduation | Cut & Tell

    What if the most important lessons of residency aren't found in a textbook? With graduation just days away, Liz shares the three pieces of writing that most shaped her understanding of medicine, residency, and life beyond training. From the realities of surgical culture and physician burnout to the hidden history of American healthcare and the power of personal agency, these recommendations offer a framework for understanding not just residency, but your place within the system. In this episode, Liz discusses: - Why Surgeon on the Edge by Frances Mei Hardin is the residency memoir she recommends over The House of God - What The Social Transformation of American Medicine reveals about the forces shaping modern healthcare - Why the essay How to Be More Agentic by Kate Hall may be the most important 10-minute read for physicians - How understanding systems can make you a more effective doctor - The mindset shifts Liz wishes she had before starting residency Whether you're a medical student, resident, attending physician, or simply interested in the realities of modern medicine, this episode offers a practical reading list for anyone trying to make sense of the profession, and build a career with intention. 🎧 New episodes of Cut & Tell every Thursday.

    16 min

  5. May 28

    What Actually Makes a Great Resident | Cut & Tell

    What makes a good resident? And beyond that — what actually makes someone great? In this episode of Cut & Tell, Dr. Liz Malphrus breaks down the unwritten skills of residency that no one formally teaches: anticipation, adaptability, reading the room, emotional resilience, communication, and learning how to survive medicine without becoming robotic in the process. From OR etiquette and closed-loop communication to social anxiety, burnout, and the strange art of staying positive during training, this is an honest conversation about the human side of becoming a doctor. Whether you’re a medical student, intern, resident, or just trying to survive a high-pressure environment, this episode is a candid look at the traits that actually matter — and why all of them can be learned. Cut & Tell is where medicine gets honest. https://sashachapin.substack.com/p/my-six-stages-of-learning-to-be-a

    19 min

  6. May 21

    My Museum of Failures | The Stories Behind Becoming a Surgeon

    Cut & Tell is where medicine gets honest. In this episode, Dr. Liz Malphrus opens up about the failures, regrets, rejections, and detours that never make it onto a CV. From getting a C in biology at Columbia, to losing out on a White House job she thought would define her future, to walking away from a career in music — Liz reflects on the moments she once believed had ruined everything. This is a conversation about perfectionism, identity, career pivots, rejection, and the pressure in medicine to package every setback into a clean success story. Instead of a polished resume, this episode is an anti-resume: a candid look at the messy reality behind becoming a doctor. If you’ve ever felt behind, rejected, uncertain, or like your path hasn’t gone according to plan — this one’s for you. 🎧 New episodes of Cut & Tell every Thursday.

    21 min

  7. May 7

    Residents Are Being Exploited (And Everyone Knows It) | Cut & Tell with Dr. Liz Malphrus

    Cut & Tell is where medicine gets honest. In this episode, Dr. Liz Malphrus gets real about the hidden economics of residency training, and why so many residents feel trapped, undervalued, and burned out before they ever become attendings. With just weeks left before finishing plastic surgery residency, Liz reflects on what she wishes someone had told her on day one: know your worth. She shares: Why residency is a job—not “just training”How the system keeps residents financially powerlessThe reality of working 80-hour weeks for low payWhy residents can’t simply “leave” like other professionalsThe emotional and financial cost of medical trainingHow healthcare depends on resident laborWhy anger about the system may actually be justifiedWhat needs to change for the next generation of physicians From pandemic ICU shifts to the culture of silence in medicine, this is an unfiltered conversation about labor, identity, sacrifice, and the true cost of becoming a doctor. If you’ve ever wondered why residents are burning out, or lived through it yourself, this episode will hit hard. 🎧 New episodes of Cut & Tell every Thursday.

    19 min

  8. Apr 23

    Cut & Tell with Dr. Liz Malphrus | The Truth About Residency (That No One Says Out Loud)

    Cut & Tell is where medicine gets honest. In this first episode, Dr. Liz Malphrus, a plastic surgery chief resident, opens up about what residency is actually like, beyond the polished narratives. From the hidden curriculum of training to the emotional weight of becoming a surgeon, this is a candid look at the parts of medicine that are usually left unsaid. She shares: Why residency culture is built on silenceThe paradox of learning on real patientsHow competition and comparison evolve over timeWhy the first year in practice may be the hardestThe problem with traditional “advice”And what it means to document this transition in real time This episode sets the tone for the show: unfiltered conversations about training, identity, and the reality of becoming a physician. If you’ve ever wondered what residency is really like—or lived it yourself—this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for. 🎧 New episodes of Cut & Tell every Thursday.

    14 min
  • 8 Episodes

5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Cut & Tell is a real-time account of becoming a surgeon—at the exact moment the training wheels come off. Hosted by plastic surgery chief resident Elizabeth Malphrus, this show follows the transition from residency to “year one”: the first, most disorienting, and most defining stretch of a surgical career. It’s where the identity you’ve spent a decade building is suddenly tested—clinically, professionally, and personally. This is not a retrospective. It’s happening now. Through solo episodes, unfiltered conversations, and stories from inside the operating room and beyond, Cut & Tell explores what it actually takes to become a surgeon: the structure of training, the emotional cost, the invisible curriculum, and the tension between perfection and reality in a high-stakes field. It also asks harder questions—about trust in medicine, the role of physicians in a changing cultural landscape, and what it means to step into authority when you’re not sure you’re ready.

Information

  • Creator
    Hippocratic Collective
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Hippocratic Collective
  • Show Website
    Cut & Tell

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