Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1698: Dr. Beachgem (December 3, 2025)

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Dr. Beachgem (aka Dr. Beach Jem, pediatric emergency medicine physician & social media educator)

Overview

This vibrant episode introduces Dr. Beachgem, a board-certified pediatric emergency physician well-known for her evidence-based, approachable medical content on social media. Host Scott Benner and Dr. Beach Jem unpack her unique journey from medical training to internet stardom, delving into the realities of diabetes care in the emergency room, the value of patient “advocacy,” misconceptions in healthcare, online influence, and practical strategies to improve the healthcare experience for people with type 1 diabetes.

The discussion is candid and accessible, highlighting the friction between protocols and individualized medicine, and offering insight into both the medical and patient perspective.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Dr. Beachgem’s Journey to Internet Fame

• Name Origin & Background:
  • Dr. Beach Jem is a play on her maiden name, Meg Beach.
  • Trained in Buffalo, now living in Florida.
  • She’s a wife, mom of four, pediatric emergency physician, and accidental social media “doctor.”
  • [05:19] "I liked pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric ICU and pediatric endocrinology...I did this summer camp for kids that have diabetes. I fell in love with as much as you can fall in love with diabetes and the management." (Beach Jem)
• Becoming “accidentally” famous:
  • Started out during the pandemic by breaking down science on TikTok, focusing on myth-busting and authentic, accessible content.
  • [07:39] "This was an accident...This was never my intention at all. I started making content during the pandemic...I guess I did it in a way that was authentic and accessible. So people really were drawn to that."

2. Why Some Medical Content Creators Click (and Many Don’t)

• Authenticity as the Differentiator:
  • [08:34] “I do share...my flaws and messy house...They know that I've got the ADHD and that my house is messy. And I get anxious when I do public speaking...But I can trust her because I know that she's a real human."
• Imposter Syndrome & Sharing Truths Online:
  • Both host and guest discuss moments of vulnerability and authenticity.
  • [09:18] Scott: "It does give you a moment where you're like, am I not the right person to have this?...but it seems to be going okay."

3. The Purpose and Impact of Medical Education Online

• Content With Unexpected Impact:
  • [11:44] "Probably...some of the diabetes stuff. I diagnosed a friend's child with DKA...And then people send me messages like, hey, I knew what to look for. I was able to get my child diagnosed early..."
• The Role of Community:
  • Scott points out the unique strength and engagement of the Type 1 community, emphasizing support and shared understanding.

4. Real Talk: Advocacy, Protocols, and Why Medicine Isn’t Like Getting Tires Changed

• Need for “Advocacy” in Medicine:

  • [16:40] "Healthcare is not your car...Disease states are complicated and people make them individual...I may say to someone, this is not...going to kill you tonight...it can be complicated..." (Beach Jem)

• Communication Gaps:

  • [17:50] "I'm sitting at my emergency medicine table and they're sitting at their parent table and we need to be sitting at the same table...I don't understand their insurance and transportation...I think advocating is really trying to get us all on the same table so that we're understanding all of the same things." (Beach Jem)

• Protocols vs. Personalized Care:

  • Emergency protocols tend to be conservative and default to the average case, which sometimes frustrates knowledgeable patients.
  • [21:16] “We have all of these protocols...everybody that comes in with hyperglycemia is going to get a blood sugar every hour...the default setting is going to be going by these protocols.” (Beach Jem)

5. Challenges in Diabetes Diagnosis and Management in the ER

• Why Don’t All Ill Kids Get a Finger Stick?

  • [22:37] "I don't know if it's as much a money thing as a resource thing...That takes time. That takes your nurse that's busy..."
  • Dr. Beach Jem is “all about checking a blood sugar in literally anyone.”

• The Limits of Medical Knowledge in Practice:

  • [24:28] “Your job must feel like rooting around in the closet without a flashlight in the dark.” (Scott, on the challenges of ER decision-making)
  • [24:28] “The saying that we have is you're walking through a minefield in clown shoes...It is hard, and we have to be perfect 100% of the time or else somebody's life could be in danger. As a human being...it's just impossible.” (Beach Jem)

6. Navigating the Patient-Doctor Relationship: Trust, Advocacy, and Vulnerability

• Personal Experience on the Receiving End of Medicine:
  • Dr. Beach Jem shares a story of an uncomfortable diagnostic experience as a patient, balancing frustration and trust in her physician.
  • [27:18] “I was trusting my doctor who ordered the test, not necessarily...that facility actually does really good work...But, I did that day...I stepped back out and I said, look, here's my symptom. And they said, no, thank you. I go back to the doctor that I trust…”

7. Hospitalizations with Type 1: Protocol Pitfalls & Practical Advice

• Why Hospital Experiences Can Be Challenging for Type 1s:

  • [35:25] “Especially for pediatrics, go to a pediatric facility. The way that DKA and type 1 diabetes is managed in adult facilities...is quite different than a pediatric facility. We manage so much Type one. I feel very comfortable with type one management, and I...defer to the family's...expertise.” (Beach Jem)

• Advice for Navigating a Hospital Stay:

  • Ask to see the facility’s protocols for diabetes management.
  • [39:59] "I think it's reasonable to ask, could you show me your protocol for patients that are admitted with diabetes and a gastroenteritis? Show me what you're going to be doing...then if they're not following it, you can hold them accountable there." (Beach Jem)
  • Emphasizes patient/family partnership and involvement in care.

8. On Education Gaps Among Healthcare Providers

• Limitations of Nursing and Medical Education:
  • [40:14] Scott shares stories of even highly trained nurses and doctors being unprepared for real-world diabetes management.
  • [41:38] Beach Jem on medical staff overestimating their own understanding and the need for continuous learning, particularly in Type 1 vs. Type 2 diabetes management.

9. Professional Burnout, Online Negativity, and Social Media Boundaries

• Managing Online Criticism:

  • [46:27] "People tend not to, in real practice, say, like, hey, I'd like another doctor. Is there somebody skinnier that could come in and see me? ...Online they are...I have really good social media boundaries and I do a lot of just delete and block..." (Beach Jem)
  • Discusses the realities of being a physician influencer and her personal boundaries.

• Social Media as a Burnout Buffer:

  • [56:35] “My main goal is like, I want to educate people...I want to use this as a coping mechanism to avoid burnout at work."

10. GLP-1s, New Therapies, and Emerging Research

• GLP-1 Medication in Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes:
  • [48:30] “I think we are going to see more and more of the kids that have the type 1 and type 2 diabetes on these medications...to avoid the longer term complications. The research that's coming out about the GLP1s is really cool.”

11. Nicotine and Long COVID

• Experiential Anecdotes & Research Needs:
  • [51:25] Scott shares how his wife’s long COVID improved after a trial with nicotine patches, leading to a discussion on the need for more research about unconventional therapies.

12. Vaccines and Medical Misinformation

• Staying Evidence-Based Amidst Vaccine Skepticism:
  • [52:26] “We're about to lose our measles elimination status...I think that we should have a level of concern that some of these, like, really bad things are going to come back.” (Beach Jem)
  • [53:11] “In my practice, about 2 to 3 in 10 kids under 2 years old are not vaccinated...I try not to ask why...I really just want to present it in a nonjudgmental way because the most important thing is creating that partnership.”

13. The Business Side of Being a Medical Influencer

• Managing Opportunities and Avoiding Burnout:
  • [57:17] “I am really bad at answering emails...I hired a management team...she kind of knows when I'm awake and when I'm sleeping and can just make things happen when it needs to happen.” (Beach Jem)
  • Undervaluing one’s worth as an educator and influencer is a common pitfall.

14. Memorable Rapid-Fire & Light-Hearted Moments

• Protocols for removing diabetes pump during DKA explained (35:25)
• Honest talk about embarrassing ER moments and teenager “butt stuff” stories [62:12]
• Dr. Beach Jem’s approach to “cringy hooks” in videos [61:17]
• How social media has become a natural part of her family’s routine [60:19]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On online fame:

  • [07:39] “This was an accident, kind of a happy accident, but this was never my intention at all.” (Beach Jem)

• On managing diabetes in the ER:

  • [35:25] “Go to a pediatric facility...The way that DKA and type 1 diabetes is managed in adult facilities or community hospitals is quite different than a pediatric facility.”

• On protocols and personalization:

  • [21:16] “We have to function in this more conservative space, and we use these protocols to do that...but a lot of times the default setting is going to be going by these protocols.” (Beach Jem)

• On advocacy in healthcare:

  • [17:50] “I think advocating is really trying to get us all on the same table...I don't understand their insurance...so I think advocating is really trying to get us all on the same table so that we're understanding all of the same things.” (Beach Jem)

• On patient-doctor partnership:

  • [40:05] “Medicine should really be a partnership between the patient and family and the providers, the nurses, the doctors, the RTs, whoever's taking care of them, no matter what.” (Beach Jem)

• On social media boundaries:

  • [46:39] “I have really good social media boundaries and I do a lot of, like, just delete and block. Like, I don't need someone like that in my comment section for my own mental health.”

• On unpredictability of social media success:

  • [59:15] “Everyone asked my five year plan and there is no plan. I'm just, you know, one day at a time and whatever happens, happens. And if I can work for another 15 years and keep doing it, we'll keep doing it.” (Beach Jem)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:43 – 07:39: Dr. Beach Jem’s personal background, name, and training
• 07:39 – 10:43: Becoming a social media educator and her process
• 11:44 – 13:50: Impactful diabetes content and community engagement
• 16:40 – 18:21: Why advocacy is complex in medicine
• 21:16 – 24:28: Protocols, checkboxes, and flexibility in emergency care
• 27:18 – 29:02: Being a doctor-patient and the challenge of trust
• 35:25 – 40:14: What to expect during Type 1 ER/hospital stays; importance of patient involvement
• 48:30 – 49:50: GLP-1 medication use and exciting research directions
• 52:00 – 54:07: Vaccine attitudes, misinformation, and shifting public health
• 57:17 – 58:54: The reality of influencer management and self-valuation
• 62:12 – 62:57: ER stories: confronting the “butt stuff” stereotype

Concluding Takeaways

• Be proactive in healthcare settings: Ask to see protocols, expect a partnership, and don't hesitate to advocate for your needs or your child’s.
• Emergency and inpatient care for type 1 is best at pediatric or experienced centers, where protocols are practiced routinely and you're more likely to encounter informed staff.
• Social media can be a powerful, positive force for diabetes education and combating misinformation, when done authentically.
• Healthcare is inherently complex and human: Physicians and patients alike face uncertainty, limits to understanding, and resource constraints—clear communication and mutual respect go a long way.
• Always consult your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your management plan.
• Find Dr. Beach Jem across all major platforms (@BeachGem10, @Dr.BeachGem10).

For further diabetes resources, follow the Juicebox Podcast and consult juiceboxpodcast.com/lists for targeted educational series.