Dear listeners, Although breastfeeding initiation rates in Canada remain among the highest in the world, maintaining exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended six months continues to be a major challenge. In this episode, pediatrician and lactation consultant Dr. Rajinder Gulati joins us to unpack why so many mothers stop breastfeeding earlier than they intended and what healthcare systems can…
Dear listeners, Today’s guest is Dr. Alan Cohen, a pediatric neurosurgeon whose career has spanned more than four decades at some of the world’s most respected institutions, including Boston Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins. Throughout his career, Dr. Cohen has cared for children facing some of the most serious neurological conditions imaginable and has guided countless families through…
Plastics are everywhere—and so is the confusion surrounding them. In this episode, we sit down with Chris DeArmitt, independent scientist, materials expert, and founder of the Plastics Research Council. Known for his rigorous, evidence-first approach, Chris has spent years analyzing peer-reviewed research to better understand the real impact of plastics and microplastics on human health and the…
Dear listeners, Today’s episode is a deeply moving conversation about grief, resilience, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going after unimaginable loss. We’re joined by Marcia Earhart — certified life, grief, and trauma coach, educator, mental health first responder, and founder of The Sterling Rose Sanctuary. But beyond her professional work, Marcia brings something even more powerful to…
Dear listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, we take a closer look at the growing role of AI chatbots in healthcare—and the risks that come with them. Dr. Christie Bergerson, biomedical engineer and AI expert at ECRI, joins us to unpack how tools like ChatGPT are being used by both patients and clinicians. From drafting clinical notes to answering medical questions, these…
Dear listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast , we sit down with Tom Swales—physiotherapist, performance expert, and founder of the Advanced Movement Therapist Certification. Tom shares lessons from more than two decades working with elite athletes and everyday patients, and reflects on how a life-threatening infection in 2023 transformed his perspective on resilience, recovery,…
Dear listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, Dr. Dimitre speaks with Sharmeen Aqueel, founder and CEO of Lyvvora, a Lending-as-a-Service platform built specifically for healthcare clinics and pharmacies. With a background in enterprise tech, Sharmeen shares how she identified a hidden but urgent problem in primary care: outdated, opaque financing that holds back even thriving…
Dear listeners, What if a molecule could help you live longer and feel better doing it? In this episode, I’m joined by scientist and entrepreneur Chris Burres , founder of MyVitalC , to explore ESS60 —a powerful antioxidant that could reshape how we think about aging and vitality. We break down the science, bust a few myths, and share real steps you can take today to support a longer, healthier…
Dear listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, family physician Dr. Rory Sullivan joins us to explore the intersection of medicine and storytelling. We discuss how his clinical experience shaped his debut novel Waking on the Ground , the realities of publishing while practicing, and what’s next on his creative path. A must-listen for anyone curious about narrative medicine and…
Dear listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, Dr. Dimitre Ranev sits down with Dr. Yatin Chadha — known to many from the Beyond MD podcast. This time, he joins us to discuss his newest venture: two practical online radiology courses designed to help clinicians build confidence in CT head interpretation. We cover what inspired these courses, how he created them, and how primary…
Dear Listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, we tackle a critical but often overlooked topic in healthcare—physician practice financial health. Host Dr. Kevin is joined by Matt Seefeld, CEO of MedEvolve and a nationally recognized expert in healthcare revenue cycle optimization. With over 20 years of consulting experience, Matt shares how technology, AI, and automation are…
Dear Listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, we explore the rapidly growing and often misunderstood world of male enhancement procedures. Joined by Dr. Joel Pash — anaesthesiologist, Stanford faculty member, and co-founder of The Upsize Clinic — we dive into the latest techniques, the surge in patient demand, and the critical need for safe, evidence-based practices. Dr. Pash…
Dear Listeners, On this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, we speak with Dr. Sarah Nasir, a dual board-certified family physician and addiction medicine specialist, about her innovative, holistic approach to treating addiction. From leading a methadone clinic to founding Zenara Care and Transcendant You , Dr. Nasir shares how blending evidence-based care with whole-person healing can…
Dear Listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, Dr. Dimitre speaks with Dr. Jeff, a board-certified neurological surgeon and founder of ReCELLebrate, about an exciting frontier in healthcare—natural killer (NK) cell-derived exosome therapy. Dr. Jeff shares his journey from virology research to pioneering anti-aging treatments, and dives into how exosomes are being explored to…
Dear Listeners, This week on the Primary Medicine Podcast, we’re joined by Todd Minerson, Country Director for Movember Canada and a global leader in men’s health advocacy. Since 2003, Movember has raised over $1.6 billion worldwide to support initiatives in men’s mental health, prostate and testicular cancer, and overall wellbeing. Todd brings a wealth of experience in community leadership and…
Dear Listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. John Oliffe, a renowned expert in men’s health promotion and Professor at the University of British Columbia. As the founder of UBC’s Men’s Health Research program and a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, Dr. Oliffe has led groundbreaking studies on how masculinity impacts men’s health behaviours, illness management,…
Dear Listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, we welcome back Dr. Sam Gharbi—clinician, educator, and health tech innovator—to discuss the rapid growth of Arya Health, one of Canada’s fastest-growing EMRs. Dr. Gharbi shares how Arya is transforming physician workflows with AI tools like AI Scribe, eFaxTriage and Co-Pilot, and we explore its recent milestones and its potential as…
Dear Listeners, Welcome back to the Primary Medicine Podcast! Today’s guest is Ron Richard, a true healthcare innovator with over 35 years of experience in respiratory, pulmonary, and sleep medicine. From launching over 40 medical products and holding 15 patents to working with industry leaders like ResMed and Qualcomm, Ron has helped shape the future of patient care. He’s also a creative force—an…
Dear Listeners, Welcome to the Primary Medicine Podcast! Today, we’re exploring a groundbreaking approach to chronic pain—one that challenges the idea that all persistent pain stems from injury or disease. Our guest, Dr. David Clarke, President of the Association for Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms (ATNS), specializes in stress-related, brain-generated conditions and helps patients overcome…
Dear Listeners, Today, we’re diving into the critical topic of enhancing interoperability in Canadian health care with an exceptional guest, Dr. Rashaad Bhyat. Dr. Bhyat is a family physician, digital health expert, and Senior Clinician Leader at Canada Health Infoway, a federally funded, not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing digital health solutions across Canada. Canada Health…
Dear Listeners, Welcome back to the Primary Medicine Podcast! Today, we’re diving into the world of healthcare technology and innovation with a guest who has been a driving force in transforming digital health across Canada. Mike Checkley is the President of QHR Technologies, the company behind Accuro EMR—one of the leading electronic medical record systems used by healthcare providers nationwide.…
Dear Listeners, Welcome to the Primary Medicine Podcast. Today, we’re spotlighting Quilt In-Home Care , an innovative company founded by Blake Cheeseman and Peter Kotzeff, born from a personal experience with Peter’s grandmother and Blake’s mother during the pandemic. They faced the challenge many families do: finding high-quality, reliable in-home care. So they created Quilt to improve the…
Dear Listeners, Welcome to today’s podcast, where we have the pleasure of speaking with Rima Sehgal, a dedicated mental health professional with over three decades of experience. Rima’s journey in psychotherapy has been marked by her unwavering passion for empowering clients to regain control and confidence in their lives. As the founder of TherapySupports, Rima has expanded her practice by…
Dear Listeners, Join us on the Primary Medicine Podcast as we explore the dynamic world of healthcare technology with Dr. Jonathan Baktari, CEO of e7 Health, eNational Testing and US Drug Test Centers. Discover how his companies are revolutionising patient care through innovation and software, and why they are a recognized leader in the healthcare tech industry. Dive into a conversation with Dr.…
Dear Listeners, In this episode we will be again exploring the intersection of medicine and technology. Today, we’re introducing Dr. Amjed Kadhim-Saleh, or Dr AJ, a dedicated family physician and innovator from Toronto. Dr AJ, a University of Ottawa alumnus and University of Toronto-trained family doctor, manages a diverse patient base and strives for efficiency in practice. He’s also the brain…
Dear Listeners, On today’s episode we will be talking to Dr. Sasha High, an Internist and Obesity Medicine Physician, who has leveraged her extensive medical training and board certification in Obesity Medicine to lead the High Metabolic Clinic in Ontario. She’s also the creator of Best Weight, a prominent medical weight loss coaching program for women, focusing on sustainable weight loss through…
Dear Listeners, Tune in for an informative conversation with Dr. Benjamin Caplan, expert on #CannabisMedicine, founder of #CEDClinic and author of The Doctor-Approved Cannabis Handbook. He shares his vast knowledge and experience on #CannabisScience. Listen to the Podcast Episode here! SPOTIFY: https://spoti.fi/3JUy5hi APPLE PODCASTS: https://apple.co/3UC913y Link to Dr. Caplan’s activities:…
Dear Listeners, Dr. Kevin Mailo is an emergency physician based out of Edmonton, Alberta. He is the founder of Physician Empowerment, an organisation dedicated to transforming the lives of Canadian physicians through education in finance, practice management, wellness, and leadership. During the podcast, we have a chance to talk about his vision about the long-term wellness of the medical…
Dear Listeners, In this episode we are talking with Dr. Megha Poddar about evidence based approach in treatment of Obesity. Dr. is an Endocrinologist and Obesity medicine specialist in Toronto, Ontario. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and an Assistant Professor (Adjunct) in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University. Dr. Poddar serves as the Medical Director of…
Dear Listeners, In this episode we are talking to Dr. Puneet Seth about his predictions about advancements on AI in primary care in 2024. These advancements will impact administrative staff, patients, clinicians, medical students and the entire novel medical ecosystem. Dr. Seth is a medical doctor and technologist, recognized for pioneering digital health tools and advancing AI in healthcare. He…
Dear Listeners, On today’s podcast we talk to Marc-David Munk, a Canadian/American emergency physician and healthcare executive. Over the past decade, he has held leadership roles at various nontraditional healthcare delivery organizations in the US and abroad. He began his career as a professor of emergency medicine and as the medical director for the Qatari national ambulance service. He later…
On today’s podcast, we will be talking to Dr. Stephen Sharpe, a fellow family physician and the Medical Director of Aroga Health, one of the fastest growing Lifestyle Medicine Clinics in Canada. There is no longer any serious doubt that daily habits and actions profoundly affect health and quality of life. This concept is supported by literally thousands of research articles and incorporated in…
Dear Listeners, On today’s podcast we talk to Dr. Luke Napier, the founder of Virtual Hallway. Virtual Hallway ( virtualhallway.ca ) is a platform that bridges the gap between primary care providers and specialists, making peer-to-peer phone call consultations swift and efficient via their innovative platform modelled after the traditional “hallway consult”. This digital solution saves time for…
Dear Listeners, In this episode of the primary medicine podcast, we will talk about the benefits of intermittent fasting and the alternative fasting mimicking diet with the CEO of L-Nutra, Dr. Joseph Antoun. Fasting is a popular dietary strategy that involves alternating periods of eating and fasting. It has been shown to have various positive effects on the body, such as improving blood sugar…
Dear Listeners, Please join us for a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at organ transplants and what it’s like to work as a lung transplant physician confronted with critical decisions on a daily basis. Our guest is transplant consultant Dr. David Weill, who is the former Director of the Center for Advanced Lung Disease and the Lung Transplant Program at Stanford. He’s also the author of a…
In today’s bonus episode we talk to Michael Dutra, the CEO of Michael Dutra Real Estate Planning and Insurance, about Disability Insurance. This is perhaps the most important insurance policy for professionals during their working careers.
Dr Seth is a leader and a practitioner of generative AI in improving healthcare for both patients and healthcare practitioners. We will discuss what generative is AI, what its currently capable of, and how it can be used practically used by doctors to enhance their practice, their mental health, and their patients experience.
Dear Listeners, Welcome back to the Primary Medicine Podcast. In this episode, we will talk about sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT, for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. SLIT is a form of allergy treatment that involves placing allergen extracts under the tongue to gradually desensitize the immune system. We will discuss how SLIT works, what are its benefits and risks, and who can benefit from it.…
Dear Listeners, We are lucky to have Dr. Kevin back on the podcast. Micro and macroscopic hematurea are common incidental findings in primary care. They are often of a bening nature, but it is important to have a thorough method in investigating their differential so as not to miss rare but serious causes of bleeding in the urinary tract. Dr. Kevin and Dr. Dimitre go over an updated approach to…
Dear Listeners, Approximately 25% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer will require a mastectomy. Breast reconstruction is a currently underutilised (less than 50%) option for these patients that provides psychological, social, emotional, and functional improvements, including improved psychological health, self-esteem, sexuality, and body image. To cover this topic, we are very lucky to have…
We are honoured to have Dr. David J. Stewart the author of “A Short Primer On Why Cancer Still Sucks”, an excellent book that tackles the big questions for patients and for doctors.
Dear Listeners, Having healthcare led by people with a deep understanding of the nature and challenges of clinical work is a key component of a resilient healthcare system. Yet leadership is a challenging skill that is rarely, if ever, nurtured and encouraged in physicians. We are thus fortunate today to have Dr. Malcolm Ogborn ( https://www.optimisticdoc.com/ ) talk to us about Physician…
Dear Listeners, We’re very excited to share that our national conference on wealth creation for physicians resumes this year! Physician Empowerment is returning to Toronto June 3 to 5 with Canada’s top MD voices in the field: https://www.physempowerment.ca/live Beyond attending in person, we’ve got a great livestream option and all registrants enjoy unlimited access to the recordings. Use promo…
Dear Listeners, We are lucky to have Dr. Vu Kiet Tran back on the podcast. Dr. Tran is an Emergency, Family Medicine, and Long-term Care physician with over 20 years of clinical experience in Canada. He has vast clinical knowledge in elderly care and is currently running a facility with over 200 residents. A 2020 survey from Better Aging Canada estimated that about 30% of patients over 50 years of…
Dear Listeners, For our latest podcast, I was fortunate enough to talk to Dr. Sam Gharbi. Dr. Gharbi is an Internal Medicine Doctor currently practising in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is an accomplished clinician, author, educator, and most importantly, an innovator and problem solver. He is also Co-Founder of the Arya EHR , a system that aims to help doctors manage their patient’s records in…
Metacognition is the awareness and understanding of one’s own thought process Dear Listeners, Metacognition is the process of being aware of one’s own thinking, learning, and diagnostic processes and how they can shape our decisions when it comes to patient care. This self-awareness is very important in avoiding medical error yet it is rarely developed during medical training. This podcast is…
Dear Listeners, We are very fortunate to have Dr. Vu Kiet Tran back this month to talk about Ageism. Ageism is discriminating or stereotyping someone based on their age. It is very much prevalent in Western medical culture. It presents in insidious ways, such as the observed tendency for doctors to dismiss patients and pathologies in seniors due to old age; the severe lack of geriatric specialists…
Dear Listeners, We are very fortunate to have Dr. Vu Kiet Tran as a guest on our podcast this month. Dr. Tran is an emergency medicine doctor, a Life and Financial Coach to healthcare professionals, and the host of the excellent “How is my Financial Health, doc?” podcast. Dr. Tran talks about the importance of understanding that we as healthcare professionals trade our lifeforce to generate income…
As host of beyond the MD podcast, Dr. Chada interviews experts on topics covering insurance, finance, tax management and law. During this episode, he is kind enough to share his wisdom about topics ranging from disability insurance, to incorporation, to investments.
The bulb-like corms of C. autumnale contain colchicine, a useful drug for inflammatory conditions. Dear listeners, Colchicine has been used as an anti-inflammatory medication for centuries. The plant source of colchicine, the autumn crocus, was indeed used in Ancient Egypt as a treatment for rheumatism and swelling. Currently, colchicine is indicated for treatment of inflammatory conditions such…