HuMed with David Spiro, MD

What happens when a patient changes your life forever? In this unforgettable episode of HuMed, pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ron Turker shares the remarkable story of a one-month-old infant who arrived in the emergency department with multiple fractures and severe injuries—and ultimately became his daughter.   Dr. Turker reflects on child abuse, foster care, adoption, trauma, attachment, fatherhood, and the profound lessons he learned raising a child whose life began with extraordinary adversity. He also discusses physician empathy, judgment, chronic pain, healthcare reform, physician burnout, mental health, social media, community, and why human connection remains at the heart of healing.   This is a conversation about medicine, family, resilience, second chances, and the patient who changed everything. Topics Discussed • Child abuse and child advocacy • Foster care and adoption • Parenting and attachment • Pediatric orthopedic surgery • Chronic pain in children • Physician burnout and moral injury • Mental health and social media • Healthcare reform • Human connection and healing • The human side of medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens after a family says “yes” to organ donation? In this powerful episode of HuMed, transplant surgeon Dr. Charles Strom shares the story of a young organ donor whose life—and legacy—left a lasting impact on him during his first week of transplant fellowship. Dr. Strom takes us inside a world most people never see: the moment of honor before organ recovery, the emotional family statements read in the operating room, the realities of brain death and cardiac death donation, and the profound responsibility of helping one donor save multiple lives. We discuss: The donor story Dr. Strom will never forget How one organ donor can save up to eight lives Common misconceptions about organ donation The ethics and realities of transplantation Why some healthcare professionals still misunderstand the donation process The emotional impact of caring for donor families Balancing medicine, family, and personal sacrifice New innovations that are dramatically increasing organ utilization One of the most moving moments comes when Dr. Strom realizes the donor being honored was the same age as his own son. This conversation is about grief, hope, generosity, and the extraordinary gift of life.  Join The HuMed Weekly Newsletter:https://humed.kit.com/newsletter  Subscribe for more conversations exploring the human side of medicine. #HuMed #OrganDonation #TransplantSurgery #Medicine #HealthcareStories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jay Pershad — PEM physician, professor at George Washington, and faculty at Children's National — joins Dr. David Spiro for an unflinching conversation about the moments that define a career in pediatric emergency medicine. Jay shares a story that still haunts him: a teenage girl brought in after a suspected overdose, a resuscitation that ends in death, and a family that spoke only Spanish — connected to him through a video interpreter that kept disconnecting. What followed was one of the most human, painful moments in his 30+ year career. They also talk about: Teaching learners how to deliver bad news at the bedside Family presence during resuscitation — and why the data changed everything What keeps seasoned physicians showing up at 6am after three decades Aging in emergency medicine, night shifts, and knowing when to step back. Why "family first" isn't just a slogan — it's the thing that outlasts the career HUMED is the podcast where healthcare professionals share the stories they never forget — the emotional, moral, and human realities of medicine. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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