PODCAST · health
Medical Media Mixer: The Perfect Cocktail
by medicalmediamixer
Medical Media Mixer is a fun and educational podcast where Nicole Peniston (psychologist) and Tara Prisco (physician assistant) dive into the world of pop culture—TV, movies, music, and books—with a medical twist. Each episode breaks down the science (and nonsense) behind popular media, served up with a themed cocktail for good measure. Whether you’re a healthcare worker, a pop culture junkie, or just love a good drink with your deep dives, Medical Media Mixer is your prescription for smart laughs and spirited conversation.
Episodes
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Ep 88 The Tiny Fighter: What ER Got Right (and Wrong) About the NICU
This week, we're leaving the ER and heading upstairs — to the NICU. We're joined by Tara’s sister Kristin, doctorally prepared neonatal nurse practitioner, to break down ER Season 10, Episode 12 and Grey's Anatomy's NICU storylines, then get into the real clinical science behind what those shows...
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Ep 87 Hypnagogic Highball: Sleep Paralysis, Night Terrors & the Science Behind Inception and The Nightmare
This week we're diving into the unsettling world of parasomnias — sleep paralysis, night terrors, sleepwalking, sexsomnia, sleep eating, and sleep talking — using Inception and the 2015 documentary The Nightmare as our jumping-off point. We break down what's actually happening in the brain during...
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Ep 86 The English Rose: Toxic Beauty, Then and Now
This week on Medical Media Mixer, we sit down with Paula Crichton De Alba, director of the 2024 short horror film The English Rose, to explore one of history’s most disturbing intersections: the toxic beauty rituals of Victorian women. From arsenic complexion wafers sold in the Sears & Roebuck...
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Ep 85 The Voyeur: Inside Netflix's Voyeur Documentary and the Psychology of Watching
Show Notes This week we're unpacking Voyeur, the 2017 Netflix documentary in which journalist Gay Talese unmasks a motel owner who spied on his guests for decades — a bombshell story that becomes a scandal of its own. We use the film as our jumping-off point for a deeper dive into voyeuristic...
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Ep 84 The Tilt Table-Rita: Inside Netflix's The Crash and the Science of POTS
In this episode, we're shaking up The Tilt Table-Rita — a salty, passion-fruit margarita that doubles as a nod to one of the first-line treatments for our medical topic tonight — and diving into Netflix's buzzy new true crime documentary The Crash (2026). The film revisits the 2022 Strongsville,...
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Ep 83 Sunshine Daydream: Dancer in the Dark, Björk, and the Dark Side of Daydreaming
This week we're chasing sunlight and shadow. We start with the Sunshine Daydream, a bright, citrus-forward vodka cocktail built for imagining yourself somewhere better even when you're stuck inside. From there we head somewhere much darker: Lars von Trier's Palme d'Or-winning musical tragedy…
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Ep 82 Cast It Out: The Real Horror of Demonic Possession, Parasites & the Diet Shake From Hell
This week on Medical Media Mixer, we're diving into Grady Hendrix's beloved horror novel My Best Friend's Exorcism (2016) and its Amazon Prime Video film adaptation (2022) — a love story about female friendship set against the backdrop of 1988 South Carolina, demonic possession, and a tapeworm…
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Ep 81 Hypnosis: The School Principal Whose Hypnosis Sessions Preceded Three Teen Deaths
This week, Tara and Nicole pour a Hypnosis (vodka, Hpnotiq, and Squirt) while diving into one of the strangest true-crime-meets-medicine stories out there: Florida high school principal Dr. George Kenney, who wasn't a licensed hypnotherapist but ran one-on-one hypnosis sessions with more than 70...
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Ep 80 Shark Attack: The Real Medicine Behind Jaws, Soul Surfer, and Surviving a Bite
What does Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster Jaws have in common with the real-life story of teenage surfing champion Bethany Hamilton? More than you'd think — and the medicine in between is worth every minute. In this episode, Tara and Nicole pair two very different shark stories to explore what...
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The Shot: Cyclospora outbreak
Cyclosporiasis cases have surged past 3,000 across at least 31 states this summer, with Michigan alone reporting more than 1,500 cases since late June — roughly 25 times its typical annual total. In this episode of The Shot, Tara breaks down what's driving the surge, why cases are concentrated in...
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Ep 79 Bipolar Christy: When Genius and Mental Illness Collide — Bipolar Disorder, Creativity, and the Celebrities Who Changed the Conversation
What do Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Carrie Fisher, Demi Lovato, and Brian Wilson all have in common? They’ve all lived — and created — with bipolar disorder. In this episode of Medical Media Mixer, Tara and Nicole pour the Bipolar Christy (a tart, jewel-toned vodka and pomegranate cocktail as...
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Ep 78 Pride & Passion: Dallas Buyers Club, the HIV Crisis, and the Science That Changed Everything
In Episode 78, Tara and Nicole use the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club as a lens to explore one of the most consequential medical crises in modern history: the HIV/AIDS pandemic. From the 1981 CDC reports of a mysterious illness decimating a community to the 2024 IAS-USA guidelines recommending...
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Making Rounds: Inside Bellemara Distillery — Cults, Cons, and Crime Scenes Unpacked
If you would like to see the full video of this episode- join our Patreon, starts at just $3 a month! This week MMM hits the road for a Making Rounds episode, broadcasting live from Bellemara Distillery in Hillsborough, NJ — New Jersey's first single malt distillery, where every spirit is made...
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Ep 77 Ethereal Mind: AI-Induced Psychosis, Delusional Amplification, and the Mental Health Risks of Emotional AI
SHOW NOTES What happens when the algorithm becomes your therapist, your confidant, and your reality? In this episode, Tara and Nicole use Brilliant Minds Season 2, Episode 13 — "The Rabbit Hole" — as a launchpad into one of the most urgent and underexamined mental health crises of the AI era:...
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Ep 76 Mountain Sunrise: Multiple Sclerosis, Stem Cells, and Selma Blair's Unfiltered Fight
This week on Medical Media Mixer, we're pairing a sunrise in a glass with one of the most raw and courageous documentaries in recent memory. We're watching Introducing, Selma Blair (2021, Discovery+) — a film that follows actress Selma Blair through a years-long diagnostic odyssey, a harrowing…
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Ep 75 The Seelbach: When the Story Is the Symptom — Malingering, Factitious Disorder, and the Art of the Con
What does a mob boss in a bathrobe, a serial killer faking split personalities, and a bartender with a fabricated cocktail story all have in common? A great performance changes everything. In Episode 75, Tara and Nicole break down malingering and factitious disorder — two conditions where people...
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Ep 74 The Nurse Aperitif: The Pitt and the Importance of S.A.N.E. Nurses
** TRIGGER WARNING FOR SA** Episode Summary: In this episode, we examine The Pitt Season 2, Episode 7 and its portrayal of a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). We explore how the episode handled the forensic exam process with realism and care, then break down what SANE nurses do in real life —...
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Ep 73 Obey, Conform, Consume: The Psychology of Obedience, Compliance, and Why We Follow Orders
What makes an ordinary person follow an order they know is wrong? This week on Medical Media Mixer, Tara and Nicole explore one of psychology's most disturbing questions through two films that refuse to look away. Compliance (2012) recreates a real-life phone scam in which a caller posing as a…
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The Shot #5: Ebola
Listen for the latest on the Bundibugyo virus, one of the rarest Ebola species, and the current outbreak. Complete Show Notes Source List: WHO PHEIC Declaration, May 17, 2026 CDC Current Situation Summary CDC Title 42 Order, May 18, 2026 U.S. State Dept: 50 Ebola Response Clinics American Doctor...
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The Shot #4: PCOS Gets a New Name — And It's About Time
After decades of patient frustration, clinical confusion, and a name that never quite fit, polycystic ovary syndrome has officially been renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) — and the science behind that decision is long overdue. In this episode of The Shot, Tara breaks down…
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Ep 72 The Phosphor Fizz: Enola Holmes, Phossy Jaw and Workplace Safety
In this episode, we explore the historical inspiration behind Enola Holmes 2, diving into the real-life dangers of white phosphorus in Victorian match factories and the devastating occupational disease known as phossy jaw. We compare it to the Radium Girls tragedy, examine the chemistry behind…
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The Refill #5: Hantavirus, Norovirus and Cruise Ship Medicine
SHOW NOTES The Refill — Ep 27: The Sea Breeze We're refilling your glass. Episode 27 was our deep dive into cruise ship medicine alongside ABC's Dr. Odyssey — what really happens when someone gets sick at sea. We're re-releasing it because two real outbreaks just happened in the same month, on…
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The Shot #3: Reform school updates
The latest on the troubled teen industry and the reform schools we've been watching — an update you need to hear. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2026/05/11/asheville-academy-shut-down-teens-mental-health-help/89881288007/ Episodes every Monday ⭐️ Subscribe, Rate and Review!…
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Ep 71 The Reforma: Inside the Troubled Teen Industry — Reform Schools, Real Harm, and the Fight for Reform
In Episode 71, we're shaking up a Reforma cocktail and diving into one of the most disturbing — and underreported — corners of American institutional life: the troubled teen industry. Inspired by Netflix's psychological thriller Wayward (starring Toni Collette), the 2020 Paris Hilton documentary...
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The Shot #2: Hantavirus on the High Seas: What You Need to Know About the MV Hondius Outbreak
A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius — a Dutch-flagged polar expedition cruise ship — has captured global attention. In this episode of The Shot, Tara breaks down everything you need to know: what Andes virus is, why it's the only hantavirus known to spread person to person, what…
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Ep 70 The Maple Old Fashioned: Postmortem, Kay Scarpetta, and the Medical Clue You Can Smell
In this episode of Medical Media Mixer, we break down Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell, the novel that introduced forensic icon Dr. Kay Scarpetta. We explore how a rare metabolic disorder — Maple Syrup Urine Disease — becomes the key medical clue that exposes a serial killer, and how Scarpetta...
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Ep 69 The Kool-Aid Shooter: Sexy Cults and Not so Sexy Cults -The Psychology of Cults Explained
From Jonestown to NXIVM, from Heaven's Gate to the FLDS — cults have captivated our screens and our imaginations for decades. But what actually makes someone vulnerable to cult recruitment, and what keeps them from leaving? In Episode 69, Tara and Nicole crack open the psychology behind cult...
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The Shot #1: Ibogaine — From Schedule I to the Oval Office
A presidential signature, a Joe Rogan text, and a plant-based psychedelic that's been quietly transforming addiction treatment outside U.S. borders for decades. In this episode of The Shot, Tara breaks down what ibogaine actually is, what the early research on PTSD and opioid use disorder really...
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Ep 68 The Liquid Marijuana: From Reefer Madness to Medical Marijuana: Cannabis in Film, Research & Global Polic
Cannabis has gone from 1930s propaganda hysteria to modern-day legalization — but what does the science actually say? In this special 4/20 episode, we break down how marijuana has been portrayed in film — from Reefer Madness (1936) to Pineapple Express (2008) — and how those cultural shifts…
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Ep 67: The Upside Down Cocktail: MKUltra, Mind Control, and the Science Behind Stranger Things
From Hawkins, Indiana to the halls of the CIA — this week on Medical Media Mixer, Tara and Nicole dive deep into the real-world government psychological experiments that inspired one of the most beloved sci-fi series of our time. Stranger Things may be fiction, but MKUltra absolutely was not. We...
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The Refill #4: Artemis II, AVATAR, and Project Hail Mary update
What does Avatar have to do with astronaut health? More than you'd think. In this episode of The Refill, Tara breaks down NASA's groundbreaking AVATAR investigation aboard the Artemis II mission — and how it connects to the science behind Project Hail Mary. From cardiovascular monitoring in...
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Ep 66: The Gaslight Martini: Understanding Synesthesia Through the Lens of All Her Fault
Can you taste words? See music as colors? That’s synesthesia — and it’s more fascinating (and more common) than you might think. This week on Medical Media Mixer, we’re cracking open the mystery thriller miniseries All Her Fault on Peacock, starring Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning, to explore the...
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Ep 65 The Flaming Dr. Pepper: Spontaneous Combustion in Music, History, and Medicine
What does Incubus’s “Pardon Me” have to do with spontaneous human combustion? This episode uses the song’s fiery imagery as a jumping-off point to explore one of history’s most disturbing medical myths. From 19th-century literature to modern pop culture, we examine why spontaneous human…
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Ep 64 Snake on the Water: The Snake Pit, Mental Illness & the Film That Changed Psychiatric Hospitals
In this episode, we explore The Snake Pit (1948), the landmark psychiatric drama starring Olivia de Havilland. We follow Virginia Cunningham’s descent into confusion, institutionalization, and eventual recovery inside a crowded state mental hospital. Along the way, we examine the treatments...
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Ep 63 The Nuclear Meltdown: Chernobyl, Catastrophe, and the Cost of Radiation
🎙️ Episode Summary In this episode, we break down HBO’s Chernobyl—a haunting dramatization of the 1986 nuclear disaster—and separate television storytelling from historical reality. We walk through how a late-night safety test spiraled into the worst nuclear accident in history, examine the…
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Ep 62 Tourette’s Tippler: Baylen Out Loud — Understanding Tourette’s Syndrome in Media & Medicine
This week we’re diving into Baylen Out Loud and unpacking how Tourette’s syndrome is portrayed on screen versus what the medical community understands about the condition. We cover the basics of Tourette’s, including motor and vocal tics, diagnostic criteria, evidence-based treatments like...
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Ep 61 Black Hole Fashioned: Stephen Hawking, The Theory of Everything & Understanding ALS
In this episode, we revisit The Theory of Everything in light of the recent passing of Eric Dane from ALS — a loss that underscores how urgent and devastating this disease remains. We explore the film’s portrayal of Stephen Hawking — his love story with Jane Wilde, his groundbreaking…
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Ep 60: Death Row — Aileen Wuornos, Mental Illness & The Death Penalty
In Episode 60, we explore death row through the documentary Aileen: Queen of Serial Killers. Using Aileen Wuornos’ case as a lens, we examine the intersection of mental illness and the death penalty — along with the broader history of capital punishment in the United States. We discuss women on...
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Ep 59 The Blue Baby: Honoring Vivien Thomas and Life-Saving Heart Surgery for February- Heart & Black History Month
❤️ Episode Summary In this episode of Medical Media Mixer, we explore Something the Lord Made and the true story of Vivien Thomas, a pioneering cardiac innovator whose work helped revolutionize pediatric heart surgery. The episode traces Thomas’s partnership with Dr. Alfred Blalock and their...
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The Refill #3: Oral GLP-1 now on the market
Wegovy® is now available as a once-daily pill — and that changes the conversation around obesity treatment, cardiovascular risk reduction, access, and adherence. In this week’s Refill, we revisit our original GLP-1 deep dive and add the latest updates: ✔️ FDA approval details ✔️ Oral vs injection...
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Ep 58 The Asylum: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum
In this episode, we explore Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton, a powerful investigation into the history of Crownsville Hospital Center — a segregated psychiatric institution in Maryland that became a symbol of how race shaped mental health care in America. We…
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The Refill #2: Measles update 2026
New Podcast Episode: The Refill — Measles Update In our latest episode, we revisit our deep dive on measles with urgent new data from South Carolina’s outbreak. With nearly 900 cases reported and ongoing transmission in undervaccinated communities, we unpack how this outbreak started, why it’s...
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Ep 57 The Bloody Elixir: Sickle Cell Disease from Call the Midwife to The Pitt
In this episode, we explore sickle cell disease through pop culture, science, and real-world inequities in care. We start with the storylines from Call the Midwife Season 8 Episode 2 and Joyce St. Claire from The Pitt, showing how patients experience pain crises and bias in healthcare. Then, we...
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Ep 56 The Lobotomy: Howard Dully’s Story & History of Lobotomy
In Episode 56 of the podcast, we dive into the true story behind My Lobotomy, the memoir of Howard Dully, who was lobotomized at age 12 in 1960. Through firsthand accounts and historical context, we trace Howard’s experience before, during, and after the procedure — a surgery once hailed as a...
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Ep 55 Cussy’s Elixir: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and the True Story of the Blue Fugates
Cussy’s Elixir: The Blue Fugates, Troublesome Creek, and the Science of Methemoglobinemia In this episode, we explore the real Blue Fugates of Kentucky, the fictional but historically grounded world of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, and the science behind the rare condition…
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Ep 54 The Quad: Girls & Their Monsters: The Quadruplets, Madness, and the Making of Mental Illness
In this episode of Medical Media Mixer, we explore Girls & Their Monsters by Audrey Clare Farley — the haunting true story of the Dionne quintuplets and how science, society, and media collided to shape our understanding of mental illness. We unpack the ethics of human experimentation, the...
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Ep 53 The False Accusation: Patricia Stallings, MMA & Miscarriage of Justice
Summary: This episode explores the tragic story of Patricia Stallings, wrongfully convicted for poisoning her son due to a misdiagnosis of methylmalonic acidemia (MMA). We discuss the medical background of MMA, the legal implications, and media portrayals—including podcasts, documentaries, and...
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The Refill #1: The Americano — Flu Season Update 2025–2026
🍸 Episode Summary In this first-ever Refill episode of Medical Media Mixer, we revisit our original episode, “The Americano,” with fresh context from the current 2025–2026 flu season. We break down what’s driving this year’s influenza trends — including the rise of the Influenza A(H3N2) subclade…
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Ep 52 Making Rounds: Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction: On Location at Reckless Town Distillery — From “Take Care of Maya” to “The Unknown Number”
Full video available on Patreon This week on the Medical Media Mixer Podcast, we’re recording on location at Reckless Town Farm Distillery 🍸 for a relaxed, unfiltered chat about stories that prove truth really is stranger than fiction. Tara and Nicole dive into four standout documentaries and…
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Ep 51 The Sleighbell Spritz and The Blue Christmas: A Medical Deep Dive Into Santa, Stress, Seasonal Health, and Holiday Wellness
In this festive episode, we raise a glass to two holiday cocktails — The Sleigh Bell Spritz and The Blue Christmas — while taking a smart, humorous look at Santa’s health through the lens of medicine, media, and modern wellness. We compare classic and modern portrayals of Santa (Miracle on 34th...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Medical Media Mixer is a fun and educational podcast where Nicole Peniston (psychologist) and Tara Prisco (physician assistant) dive into the world of pop culture—TV, movies, music, and books—with a medical twist. Each episode breaks down the science (and nonsense) behind popular media, served up with a themed cocktail for good measure. Whether you’re a healthcare worker, a pop culture junkie, or just love a good drink with your deep dives, Medical Media Mixer is your prescription for smart laughs and spirited conversation.
HOSTED BY
medicalmediamixer
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Medical Media Mixer: The Perfect Cocktail have?
Medical Media Mixer: The Perfect Cocktail currently has 104 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Medical Media Mixer: The Perfect Cocktail about?
Medical Media Mixer is a fun and educational podcast where Nicole Peniston (psychologist) and Tara Prisco (physician assistant) dive into the world of pop culture—TV, movies, music, and books—with a medical twist. Each episode breaks down the science (and nonsense) behind popular media, served up...
How often does Medical Media Mixer: The Perfect Cocktail release new episodes?
Medical Media Mixer: The Perfect Cocktail publishes regularly with 104 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Medical Media Mixer: The Perfect Cocktail?
You can listen to Medical Media Mixer: The Perfect Cocktail on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Medical Media Mixer: The Perfect Cocktail?
Medical Media Mixer: The Perfect Cocktail is created and hosted by medicalmediamixer.
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