E2: Love, Actually with Katie Lee Bunting

Does love have a place in health professions education?In this episode of The Backstory Podcast, Justin, Hannah, and Ben explore “A Thick Description of Love’s Contours for Health Professions Education,” a thought-provoking paper by Katie Lee Bunting and colleagues. Drawing from philosophy, critical pedagogy, and feminist scholarship, the paper challenges us to consider love not as sentimentality, but as a transformative practice that can shape relationships, learning, and power in healthcare. Tune in for a lively discussion about the people who taught us about non-romantic love, what it might look like to bring love into our work as educators and clinicians, and a few unexpected pop culture detours along the way.Citation:Lee Bunting K, Krumeich A, Nimmon L. A thick description of love's contours for health professions education. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. Published online February 26, 2026. doi:10.1007/s10459-026-10504-4Time Stamps:00:00 - Introductions04:02 - An introduction to the paper04:50 - Personal experiences with non-romantic love07:50 - Methods and results16:42 - Hot takes20:38 - Katie Lee Bunting joins The Backstory PodcastVisit our website for show notes, transcripts, and to become a subscriber!Keywords: Love, Medical Education, Humanism, Relationships, Critical Theory