Dr. Joel Bervell - Disruptive Hero

from Less Than One Percent Hosted by Imamu Tomlinson, MD

Known across social platforms as the “Medical Mythbuster,” Dr. Joel Bervell has made a name for himself by tackling bias in medicine and translating complex healthcare inequities into viral, human-centered stories. In this episode, Joel shares his journey from a curious kid to Peabody Award–winning voice for equity in medicine. From pulse oximeters to superheroes, from storytelling to burnout, Dr. Imamu Tomlinson and Dr. Joel Bervell dive into what it means to be labeled an “Oreo,” how Joel turned that into his Less Than One Percent power, and how he found community through curiosity. He reflects on how storytelling, particularly Anansi the Spider, shaped his identity, and how a TikTok recorded in his childhood bedroom sparked a movement during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is how Dr. Joel Bervell disrupted medicine, by demystifying it, challenging its blind spots, and becoming the face of the stories no one else was telling. Visit www.imamutomlinson.com to learn more!

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Dr. Joel Bervell - Disruptive Hero

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How long is this episode of Less Than One Percent?

This episode is 1 hour and 13 minutes long.

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This episode was published on July 18, 2025.

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