HuMed with David Spiro, MD

David Spiro
  • 4.3 (13)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

HuMed goes beyond diagnoses and procedures to explore the profound human experiences of medical professionals. Join Dr. Spiro as he engages in deep, candid conversations with fellow doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. They share the often-unseen realities of their work in the demanding hospital environment – the challenging cases, the emotional toll, and the ethical dilemmas they navigate daily.

  1. 17H AGO

    Time Is Finite: Dr. Jenna Taglienti on the Physician's Illusion of Control and Shift in Priorities

    In this episode of HuMed, Dr. David Spiro is joined by Dr. Jenna Taglienti, a psychiatrist, residency program director, and assistant professor at the Zucker School of Medicine. Dr. Taglienti's recent JAMA essay, Time Is Finite, sparked widespread reflection across the medical field. Dr. Taglienti shares her deeply personal story of receiving an unexpected lung cancer diagnosis as a lifelong nonsmoker, which forced her to take a medical leave and step back from her roles. The experience provided time to reflect on the immense mental load she was carrying, and the true cost of continually postponing life. She discusses the profound realization that "institutions are designed to endure beyond individuals. On the other hand, families are not". This is a crucial conversation for any physician wrestling with the balance between a demanding career and their irreplaceable role at home. We discuss: The "invisible load" of mental energy physicians spend trying to control things that are out of their hands.3 The high divorce rate among doctors and how constant accessibility to work can distract from relationships.3 How the priority of medicine is ingrained from the first day of medical school, and the struggle to shift that focus when relationships and children arrive.3 The importance of being "present" with family and recognizing that small moments with children add up.3 Modeling self-care and good boundaries for residents, demonstrating that it's okay to prioritize health and return stronger.3 The therapeutic value of vulnerable writing, such as essays submitted to JAMA's A Piece of My Mind. Subscribe to HuMed with David Spiro, MD for more conversations about the human side of medicine. #PhysicianBurnout #WorkLifeBalance #TimeIsFinite #PhysicianWellness #Psychiatry #ResidencyLife #JAMA #HuMed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    45 min

  2. MAY 12

    His Labs Were Normal. But He Was Crashing.

    What happens when your labs are “normal” — but you know something is wrong? In this episode of HuMed, Dr. David Spiro sits down with Dr. Stephen Sanders, a board-certified family physician and men’s health expert, to talk about the moment his own health collapsed in his late 30s. On paper, everything looked good: career, family, success. But inside, he was struggling with brain fog, fatigue, low energy, weight gain, erectile dysfunction, poor sleep, and the frightening feeling that his best days might already be behind him. Dr. Sanders shares how one photo during a bike ride in Colorado became the turning point — and how he rebuilt his health through sleep, nutrition, training, hormone optimization, community, and a completely different approach to men’s health. We discuss: • Why “normal labs” don’t always mean optimal health• Testosterone, free testosterone, and hormone optimization• Sleep, wearables, HRV, and recovery• Intermittent fasting and whole-food nutrition• Ultra-processed foods and metabolic health• GLP-1 medications, muscle loss, and protein• Creatine, sauna, cold plunge, and longevity tools• Male loneliness, stress, vulnerability, and community• Why medicine treats disease well — but often fails at creating health This is a conversation about men’s health, longevity, burnout, behavior change, and what it takes to feel alive again. Subscribe to HuMed with David Spiro, MD for more conversations about the human side of medicine. #MensHealth #Testosterone #Longevity #HuMed #HealthOptimization Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min

  3. MAY 5

    The Prevention Mindset That Could Save Millions

    Dr. David Spiro speaks with physician-scientist and clinical trialist Dr. Barry Davis, author of The Preventioneers, about one of the most important questions in medicine and public health: Why do we so often know how to prevent harm—but fail to act until crisis arrives? Dr. Davis shares the powerful story of Ignaz Semmelweis, the physician who discovered that handwashing could dramatically reduce childbirth deaths long before germ theory was accepted. He also discusses the resistance faced by prevention pioneers across history—from fire prevention and auto safety to hypertension, smoking, ultra-processed foods, and climate change. This conversation explores the gap between knowledge and action, the resistance to changing systems, and why prevention requires more than individual willpower. It requires leadership, culture change, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. Topics include:Semmelweis and the history of handwashingWhy prevention is often resistedHypertension and cardiovascular preventionSeat belts, auto safety, and public healthUltra-processed foods and the modern prevention crisisWhy healthcare often treats disease instead of preventing itHow physicians can become change agents Please subscribe for more conversations about the emotional, moral, and human realities of medicine. #Prevention #PublicHealth #Medicine #CardiovascularHealth #HuMed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    52 min

  4. APR 28

    He Was the Doctor—Then He Found a Brain Tumor

    What happens when the doctor becomes the patient? In this powerful episode of HuMed, Dr. David Spiro sits down with pediatric cardiologist Dr. Josh Daily to talk about the moment his life changed: unexplained fatigue, low testosterone, headaches, and eventually the discovery of a brain tumor deep in the center of his brain. Dr. Daily shares the full story of being diagnosed, challenging the initial read, seeking second opinions, undergoing high-risk brain surgery, facing a devastating recurrence, and nearly losing his vision. He also opens up about what it felt like to navigate the healthcare system from the other side of the bedrail—even as a physician. This conversation goes far beyond medicine. It’s about fear, vulnerability, faith, grief, resilience, and what serious illness teaches us about being human. In this episode: What it feels like when a doctor becomes the patient How his brain tumor was initially misread Why his vision began rapidly deteriorating The targeted therapy that changed everything The emotional reality of serious illness How faith reshaped his experience as both patient and physician Why empathy and presence matter so much in medicine This is one of the most honest and moving conversations yet on HuMed. Subscribe for more conversations on the human side of medicine. #BrainTumor #DoctorBecomesPatient #HuMed #MedicineAndFaith #PatientStory #Neurosurgery #TargetedTherapy #PhysicianStory #MedicalPodcast #DavidSpiroMD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    48 min

  5. APR 22

    A Surgeon Used Slurs in My Residency Interview

    What happens when a residency interview turns openly discriminatory? In this episode of HuMed, Dr. David Shapiro shares the moment he walked out of a surgical residency interview after hearing hateful slurs—and how that experience shaped his advocacy for LGBTQ surgeons and allies. We also talk about: discrimination in surgical training burnout and belonging in medicine why inclusivity matters for trainees and patients the work of the Association of Out Surgeons and Allies This is a powerful conversation about courage, identity, medicine, and creating a profession where people feel safe to belong. Subscribe to HuMed for more human stories behind healthcare. #HuMed #LGBTQ #Medicine #Surgery #MedicalPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    42 min

  6. APR 14

    Hospital-Acquired Deconditioning: Pooja Patel Explains the Crisis

    In this insightful interview, Dr. Pooja Patel shares her journey into aging and healthcare, emphasizing the importance of advance care planning, the role of occupational therapy in end-of-life scenarios, and strategies to improve aging in place. Discover how education, proactive planning, and social engagement can enhance quality of life for older adults. #stories #medical #hospital #doctors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min

  7. APR 7

    The Night Shift Anxiety with Dr. Chi Oraedu

    This episode of HuMED dives deep into the "dark side" of medicine—the life of the nocturnist. Dr. David Spiro sits down with Dr. Chi Oraedu, an academic hospitalist and founder of Yale Aura, to discuss why working against the biological grain is one of the greatest challenges in healthcare today. From the "Season and Reason" of choosing night shifts as a young mother of twins to the sobering reality of a 40% increase in all-cause mortality for shift workers, Dr. Chi shares how she’s helping healthcare heroes reclaim their metabolic health. In This Episode, We Discuss: The "Season and Reason": Why Dr. Chi chose the night shift to balance residency and raising newborn twins. The "Dr. House" Effect: How being the solo attending at 3:00 AM builds a unique brand of clinical resilience and confidence. The Circadian Conflict: The biological "upstream swim" against melatonin and cortisol. The Metabolic Cost: Understanding why night shifts lead to truncal obesity, insulin resistance, and "The Twinkie Trap." The Nocturnist Blueprint: Practical survival tips, including "Chrono-nutrition," blue-light blocking strategies, and the "68°F Rule" for restorative sleep. #nightshift #hospital #stories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 4m

  8. MAR 31

    The Power of Listening: How Curiosity Transformed a Student's Life

    summaryIn this episode, Hillary Mayberry, a physician assistant and educator at UAMS, shares her transformative experience with a student facing performance anxiety, emphasizing the importance of humility, curiosity, and listening in healthcare and education. The discussion explores mental health stigma, accommodations in healthcare education, and effective communication strategies for supporting students and patients. #stories #doctors #medicalstories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min
See All (42)

Trailer

4.3
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

HuMed goes beyond diagnoses and procedures to explore the profound human experiences of medical professionals. Join Dr. Spiro as he engages in deep, candid conversations with fellow doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers. They share the often-unseen realities of their work in the demanding hospital environment – the challenging cases, the emotional toll, and the ethical dilemmas they navigate daily.

Information

You Might Also Like