
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 ... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 38 | Founded | 9 months ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Society & CultureMedicineHealth & Fitness | |||

It’s the second Pride Month of this Trump administration, and things are rough. San Francisco Giants’ pitchers anti-Pride stunt; gender as a weapon; Rainbow washing and corporate backstabbing.
Note: Dana White is the president and CEO of UFC
Summar... more
The Birth Book with OB-GYN Dr Jennifer Lincoln. Pro-autonomy! Pro-Consent! Pro- vitamin K for babies! Anti-shame and coercion! She hopes folks name their babies "OG" Anunoby.
The Birth Book
• Get your copy of The Birth Book
• Resources for The Birt... more
Flesh eating flies (disgusting!); Project 2025 budget cuts (despicable!); sterile flies; non-standard healing crystals from a crystal scientist; Hunter Biden is a natural poster
Note:
• New data from ASCO regarding melanoma indicate those with Stag... more
Pope Leo takes on AI in first encyclical; Ashley St. Clair spills hot MAGA tea; UFC fight at the White House; Ronnie Chieng commencement speech
• RFK Jr and snakes
• Preparations for the UFC fight at the White House
• Ebola updates from the WHO
• US... more
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Really enjoyed this last episode with Dr. Kaveh! Always fun to hear him and Arghavan chat
Drs Salles and Burgart are informative and funny and appropriately disgruntled/enraged. If you’re interested in the intersection of science, healthcare, and politics, check this one out.
The Doctor is in! The hosts help digest difficult issues and bring to light some of the lesser known health and political issues in modern day America.
The hosts grace us with insightful commentary, delightful banter and incisive wit. The Present Illness shines a light on what’s ailing us with just the right mix of seriousness, compassion and levity. A real treat to listen to!
The Present Illness brings together two physicians with diverse perspectives to talk about healthcare in our society in a way that is equally intelligent while also feeling like you are gossipping with your healthcare best friend. It is both informative and refreshing. Highly recommend listening!
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #120 | |
Apple Podcasts | #162 |
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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| Interests | Professions | Age Range | |||
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Two physician hosts consistently dissect how society, health, and policy intersect, delivering sharp takes on topics from medical ethics and public health to politics and misinformation. Episodes blend rigorous analysis with humor, often drawing connections between current events and broader systemic issues in healthcare, equity, and governance. The show stands out for its direct, medically informed perspectives from a surgeon-scientist and an anesthesiologist-bioethicist, appealing to listeners who want thoughtful critique and practical implications for health policy and medical ethics.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Present Illness. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Present Illness and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Present Illness:
1. The House of Pod
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4. Main Justice
5. What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Present Illness launched 9 months ago and published 38 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on The Present Illness include:
1. Lara Jones
2. Kaveh Hoda
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