Answering the Call: How Dr. TJ Trad Is Saving Lives—From Tulsa to Uganda (and 30,000 Feet Above Ground)

This episode begins 30,000 feet in the air.A man clutches his chest mid-flight. The crew calls for a doctor. And luckily, one’s onboard—with an AED, a portable ultrasound, and the exact meds needed to save a life.That doctor? Dr. TJ Trad.But the story doesn’t end there.As Dr. Trad tells it, this wasn’t luck. It was a ripple effect—set in motion by a childhood memory: a 9-year-old boy walking miles through the Lebanese countryside to a United Nations clinic for a tooth infection, where a gentle, kind doctor gave care without a word or a bill.That moment shaped his life.Today, Dr. Trad is an interventional cardiologist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But his impact stretches far beyond clinic walls. He’s the founder of Cura for the World, a nonprofit that builds sustainable medical clinics in underserved communities—and the founder of a MedTech company developing a revolutionary tool to monitor heart failure remotely.In this conversation with Dr. Peter Crane, Dr. Trad opens up about grief, grit, and the moments that change everything.This isn’t just an episode about medicine. It’s about how one doctor turned his own pain into purpose—and how we all can, too.About the GuestDr. Jawad “TJ” Trad is an invasive cardiologist, humanitarian, and founder of CURA for the World, a nonprofit building permanent, community-run clinics in underserved regions.Born in Beirut, Lebanon during the civil war, Dr. Trad grew up surrounded by both the trauma of conflict and the compassion of those who showed up anyway. After losing his father at age nine, he made a quiet vow: to one day be the kind of doctor who doesn’t look away.After moving to the U.S. as a teenager, Dr. Trad earned degrees in biochemistry, biomedical sciences, and cardiology. But his mission didn’t fully come into focus until medical service trips to Haiti and the Lebanese-Syrian border opened his eyes to the power of sustainable care. CURA for the World was born soon after.Dr. Trad’s work has impacted thousands of lives across clinics in Uganda, Tanzania, Peru, Congo, and the U.S.—and his story made national news when he helped save a man suffering a heart attack mid-flight after returning from a medical mission. Read the CNN article here.Today, Dr. Trad continues to serve as a frontline physician while building medical innovations through his startup, R Medical Technologies. His mission is simple: to heal, to educate, and to love in a world that desperately needs more of all three.Key TakeawaysYou don’t need permission to make an impact.The most powerful stories don’t start with money—they start with meaning.Medicine isn’t just about saving lives—it’s about honoring them.The ripple effect of kindness can stretch across generations.Sometimes your best invention is the life you build on purpose.About the HostDr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.About the ShowDoctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.