Podcast
Dirty White Coat
Hosted by Mel Herbert for FoolyBoo Inc · EN
Mel Herbert, MD, and the creators of EM:RAP, UCMAX, CorePendium, and the collaborators on "The Pitt" and many of the most influential medical education series present a new free podcast: “Dirty White Coat.” Join us twice a month as we dive into all things medicine—from AI to venture capital, long COVID to ketamine, RFK Jr. to Ozempic, and so much more. Created by doctors for clinicians of all levels and anyone interested in medicine, this show delivers expert insights, engaging discussions, and the humor we all desperately need more of!
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Hope, Burnout, The Pitt and Andrea Austin!
2w ago00:28:34Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWe talk with Navy-trained emergency physician and author Andrea Austin about what war zone medicine taught her and why so many clinicians feel broken after years of high-stakes care. We name what sits underneath “burnout” and lay out practical ways to protect the people who are the safety net on everyone’s worst day.The BookThe PITT• Andrea’s path from 9-11 to military emergency medicine• How the Health Professions Scholarship Program creates a long service commitment• What changes when you practice resuscitation in a deployed war zone• Why Andrea wrote Revitalized after a 2021 existential crash and sabbatical• Moral injury vs burnout and how compassion fatigue shows up at work• Complex PTSD in emergency medicine and why triggers can be unclear• Why trauma often surfaces when stress finally drops• The case for embedded therapists in the emergency department• Debriefs, peer support, and how trauma can spread through team dynamics• Boundaries, and how childhood patterns can reactivate in clinical work• The “backpack” problem of unprocessed grief and the Body Keeps The Score• Why The Pit matters for telling the story of emergency care and its costSupport the show
Transcribe →New CEO, The Pitt and the Future of EM Education
Jan 700:30:08Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWhat happens when a trusted EM education brand hands the day-to-day to a leader who grew up on County shifts, built startups, and still believes teaching should feel human? We open up about a big leadership change, why credibility beats polish, and how we’re rebuilding medical education to match the realities of modern emergency medicine.First, we trace Mizuho’s path from Santa Barbara to County, through early EM:RAP projects and entrepreneurial swings, to a CEO role focused on protecting the core—reliable, relatable, high-yield teaching—while pushing formats forward. That means cinematic fundamentals filmed in a new studio, graphic overlays that mirror real resuscitation thinking, and modules that work whether you’re printing PDFs or binging 90-second pearls between patients. If you haven’t tackled pediatric resuscitation or trauma in years, you’ll see why visual refreshers can be safer than skimming dense text after a long shift.Then we get serious about boards. With written pass rates shrinking and a revamped oral exam adding simulation and hands-on elements, the Invictus suite aims to turn board prep into lifelong learning. Expect emphasis-driven videos, short companion podcasts for daily reps, practice cases built for the new format, and study guides mapped to PGY levels. Program directors get roadmaps that cut through noise. Attendings gain a path to rebuild rusty domains without losing time.Threaded through it all is the weight of burnout and moral injury. We talk candidly about the gap between what clinicians know to do and what systems allow, and why storytelling matters in repairing that fracture. Our collaboration with The Pit helps families see the strain behind the badge, and it feeds back into education that respects your time, your attention, and your reality on the floor.If you care about EM education that earns your trust and meets you where you work, this conversation lays out the why and the how. Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a review with the one topic you want us to build next—we’re reading every word.Support the show
Transcribe →AI Updates and Regressions
Oct 200:43:17Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWe examine how clinician-built AI can safely support emergency care, where consumer tools fall short, and why planning, context, and evaluation matter more than model hype. We also share a patient-facing approach to unify records and recordings for safer, clearer answers.• differences between consumer and medical‑grade AI, HIPAA and BAAs• model regressions, sycophancy, and hallucinations• context engineering and planned prompting for safety• ambient clinical decision support at the bedside• evaluations, benchmarks, and model selection• medico‑legal uncertainty and state regulations• education risks of over‑reliance on AI• human oversight, prioritization, and tactile care• patient empowerment via unified records and encounter recordings• interoperability gaps and practical workaroundsSupport the show
Transcribe →Vaccines in the ER: A Public Health Frontier
Aug 1800:15:07Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailDr. Rob Rodriguez, MD Professor of MedicineAssociate Dean of Clinical & Population Health ResearchUniversity of California Riverside School of MedicineThe MMWR ArticleDiscusses his groundbreaking study examining vaccination screening in emergency departments across America. The research reveals a critical public health opportunity as 86% of ED patients aren't up-to-date on their vaccinations, yet nearly half would accept them if offered during their visit.• Vaccination has saved more lives than any other public health intervention• For 25-30% of Americans, emergency departments are their only healthcare access point• Study conducted across 10 EDs in 8 cities focused on non-critically ill adult patients• About half of patients were unaware of vaccines recommended for their age group• Implementation could increase vaccination rates from 14% to potentially 48%• Automating the screening process is the next step to avoid burdening ED staff• Government funding for vaccines significantly increases uptake rates• Recent political shifts have reduced emphasis and funding for vaccination researchIf you're interested in joining this public health mission or have thoughts to share, please contact Dr. Rodriguez through the link in our show notes.Support the show
Transcribe →August Updates and Book Suggestion!
Aug 400:04:52Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailMel give some updates and his book selection for this summer!Everything is Tuberculosis by John GreenInvictus.Reviews landing Page is live.Support the show
Transcribe →Healthcare's Frontline Heroes Need Help Too
Jul 2100:29:44Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThis is a reproduction of the Caring Greatly Podcast. The 100th episode and the interviewer Liz Boehm.Dr. Mel Herbert, emergency physician, educator and medical consultant for the hit TV drama "The Pit," shares how the show portrays the realities of emergency medicine and healthcare's biggest challenges. The conversation reveals how healthcare professionals are pushing for system-wide change, especially in addressing clinician mental health needs.• Emergency departments serve as society's 24/7 safety net but are facing unprecedented staffing and capacity challenges• Wait times at prestigious hospitals now routinely reach 12-24 hours due to system-wide issues and patient boarding• "The Pit" accurately portrays healthcare challenges including workplace violence, administrative pressures, and resource constraints• Clinicians carry an "emotional backpack" of trauma from witnessing death and suffering without adequate mental health support• Dr. Herbert advocates for mandatory mental health support for all healthcare workers to eliminate stigma• Emergency medicine consistently ranks highest in burnout and suicide rates among medical specialties• The profit-driven healthcare system contributes to systemic problems that harm both patients and providers• The show helps patients and families understand what really happens in emergency departments• Media portrayal of healthcare challenges can drive public understanding and potentially influence policy changeWatch "The Pit" to support continued storytelling about healthcare's frontline workers and the challenges they face.Support the show
Transcribe →Unfunded Mandates: How ER Docs Bear the Cost of America's Healthcare Crisis
Jun 2300:19:11Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailDr Gillian Schmitz former ACEP president and current vice chair of education at Naval Medical Center San Diego, examines emergency medicine's financial crisis and its consequences. She identifies the fundamental contradiction in how America treats emergency care as a universal right while funding it as a privilege, creating an unsustainable system where nearly 70% of ED patients don't cover their care costs.• Former ACEP president with extensive experience in civilian and military emergency medicine• Healthcare in America faces a fundamental conflict between right vs privilege approaches• Nearly 70% of emergency department patients don't pay the full cost of care• Insurance companies making billions while avoiding fair payment for emergency services• Boarding and overcrowding have reached dangerous levels affecting patient safety• Physician groups facing consolidation as independent practice becomes financially nonviable• Potential solutions include better insurance accountability and reconsidering funding models• Some physicians consider unionization and collective action as necessary steps• Media portrayal through shows like "The Pit" helps public understand emergency medicine challengesWe need the public to understand how emergency care is funded – or not funded – and the impact of this unfunded mandate on the entire healthcare system. Without addressing the root cause, boarding, violence, and consolidation will continue to worsen.Support the show
Transcribe →The Real Crisis in the ER: Systemic Dysfunction vs Financial Concerns
Jun 2, 202500:38:46Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThe ACEP and RAND StudyInterview with David Schriger, Peter Viccellio, and Al Sacchetti, MD'sFour decades of emergency medicine experience reveals how the specialty continues to normalize dysfunction while failing to articulate what emergency care should look like. Veterans explore solutions to the systemic problems that have kept emergency departments "at the breaking point" for over 30 years.• Emergency physician compensation ranks around 16th among medical specialties—not the financial crisis some portray• Working conditions, not compensation, represent the true crisis in emergency medicine today• Emergency departments generate 33-50% of hospital revenue, but this value is rarely recognized by administration • Physicians have accepted and normalized dysfunctional practices like hallway medicine instead of demanding change• Simple solutions like elective scheduling smoothing and enhanced discharge programs work but aren't widely adopted• Emergency medicine needs to define and demand what optimal practice should look like• The healthcare system tries to solve 7-day-a-week problems with 5-day-a-week solutions• Hospitals contain chaos in emergency departments to maintain predictability on inpatient floors• Emergency physicians increasingly moving into hospital leadership roles where they can implement systemic improvementsListen to our next episode where we'll explore how new emergency physicians can advocate for better workplace conditions despite institutional resistance.Support the show
Transcribe →Physician, Heal Thyself (Without Losing Your License)
May 5, 202500:22:56Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThe Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation works to eliminate barriers to mental health access and improve work environments for healthcare workers, following the tragic suicide of Dr. Lorna Breen during the first COVID wave.A interview with CEO Stephanie SimmonsLinks:ALL IN for Mental Health: https://drlornabreen.org/allinformentalhealth/Specifically the ALL IN for Mental Health resource page: https://drlornabreen.org/allinformentalhealth/six-actions/accessible-affordable-mental-health-care/ACEP wellbeing resource page: https://www.acep.org/life-as-a-physician/wellnessDr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation Licensing/Credentialing toolkit: https://drlornabreen.org/removebarriers/Write your Representative to support Reauthorization of the Dr. Lorna Breen Healthcare Provider Protection act: https://drlornabreen.org/reauthorizelba/Become an Ambassador: https://drlornabreen.org/become-an-ambassador/Donate (and thank you!): https://drlornabreen.org/donate/Summary:• Founded by Lorna's sister and brother-in-law after thousands of healthcare workers reached out following her death• Three main areas of work: advocacy at federal and state levels, advanced collaboration, and accelerating solutions• Successfully helped pass the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act in 2022, establishing grants for healthcare provider mental health programs• Working to remove stigmatizing questions about mental health from licensing and credentialing applications• 35 state medical boards and over 600 hospitals have removed invasive mental health questions• Many healthcare workers avoid seeking mental health care fearing professional consequences• Anonymous resources available include the Emotional PPE Project and Physician Support Line• Healthcare workers compartmentalize trauma like "putting it in a backpack" that eventually becomes too heavy• The foundation is committed to being "completionist" in changing all state licensing boards• Physicians and healthcare workers have unique power to advocate for these changesVisit the All In for Mental Health website for resources and use the legislative call to action tool to support reauthorization of the Dr. Lorna Breen Healthcare Provider Protection Act.Support the show
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The Nocturnists Present: Inside 'The Pit': Medicine's Most Authentic TV Drama
Apr 21, 202500:53:42Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThe Nocturnists Podcast with Emily Silverman, MDThe HBO Max series "The Pit" has struck a chord with healthcare professionals unlike any medical drama before it. What makes this show so different? Why are doctors and nurses messaging each other saying, "You have to watch this—they finally got it right"?In this special bonus episode, I sit down with the brilliant creative team behind the show that's capturing the true essence of emergency medicine: R. Scott Gemmel (creator and showrunner), Joe Sachs (emergency physician and writer), and Mel Herbert (renowned ER educator and consultant).Our conversation reveals how "The Pit" breaks new ground through its revolutionary real-time storytelling format—each episode covers just one hour of a 15-hour shift, immersing viewers in the relentless pace experienced by healthcare workers. We explore how the team meticulously crafts authentic medical scenarios, using actual cases as jumping-off points for character development while ensuring perfect technical accuracy.The show's commitment to authenticity extends beyond medicine to address systemic healthcare challenges—the boarding crisis, corporate pressure over satisfaction scores, staff shortages, and the alarming rise in violence against healthcare workers. As Joe reveals, "56% of nurses reported experiencing physical assault in the last month." By tackling these realities head-on, "The Pit" serves as both entertainment and powerful advocacy.We also get fascinating behind-the-scenes insights into the production process, from the incredibly detailed set design (complete with sometimes-too-convincing fake toilets) to the custom-built anatomical models created for intubation scenes. The team's dedication to getting every detail right explains why healthcare workers are feeling so seen by this groundbreaking show.The conversation concludes on a hopeful note as the creators share their ultimate mission—to celebrate the extraordinary dedication of emergency medicine professionals while inspiring a new generation to enter healthcare despite today's challenges. As Scott beautifully puts it, the show is fundamentally "a love letter to a profession that is sometimes just taken for granted."Listen now to discover how storytelling can bridge the gap between healthcare realities and public understanding in ways that might just change how we all see the emergency department and those who work there.Support the show
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