CFMS Podcasts

Most clinician scientists face a brutal balancing act, but for Dr. Armen Parsyan, navigating the complex worlds of surgery and research has become his normal. How does one build a groundbreaking career across continents, disciplines, and institutions, even when systemic barriers seem insurmountable? Dr. Parsyan shares his astonishing journey from Armenia to Toronto, Cambridge, Boston, Montreal, and finally London, Ontario, a path filled with serendipity, relentless determination, and unyielding passion for innovation and patient care.

In this episode, you'll discover how he managed to thrive despite limited institutional support, the critical role mentorship played in his success, and why resilience is the most vital traitfor emerging clinician scientists. Dr. Parsyan dives deep into the biggest challenges early career researchers face, funding constraints, bureaucratic roadblocks, and navigating dual clinical-research pathways, and offers pragmatic strategies for overcoming them. We break down thoughts on how toeffectively approach institutions pre- and post-hire, the importance of adaptability, and how to align your career goals with the funding landscape. His insights into how institutional rigidity hampers innovation and how to push past it are indispensable for anyone serious about making a mark in translational medicine.

Interested in Neurology?

In this episode, Jacqueline Hong and Kuljeet Chohan interview Dr. Jennifer McCombe, a neurologist specializing in autoimmune neurology and multiple sclerosis. Alongside her clinical practice, she is actively involved in medical education, research, and national guideline development.

Dr. Jennifer McCombe shares what drew her to neurology and why she chose to subspecialize in multiple sclerosis, reflects on memorable patient cases that shaped her practice, and discusses the qualities that define an excellent neurologist. She also explores how advances in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are transforming the field, offers practical advice for students preparing for their first neurology rotation, and shares what she looks for in future residents.

Produced by Ahad Daudi, Jacqueline Hong, Sarah Massad, and Kuljeet Chohan.

Music provided by ⁠https://freebeats.io⁠ (produced by White Hot)

In this episode, Kevin Won of the CFMS Research in Medicine podcast speaks with Dr. Erin Brown, a plastic surgeon and professor at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Brown discusses his philosophy on the importance of research in medicine, which includes his experience completing a PhD in neuroscience prior to medical school. He also speaks about the importance of mentorship throughout medical training and the various national and international research collaborators and colleagues he met along the way. 

Most medical breakthroughs aren’t just about technology, they’re about understanding what factors truly drive change. Dr. Marko Simunovic, a surgical oncologist and health systems researcher, shares how he leverages big datasets, collaborative practices, and a willingness to question tradition to improve patient outcomes and transform surgical care. Imagine a world where surgeons routinely consult in groups, where the way wedeliver care is standardized, transparent, and constantly improved through real collaboration. Dr. Simunovic reveals the groundbreaking potential of team-based surgery, collective decision-making, and a shift toward process-driven qualityimprovement. He discusses how surgical culture, combined with systemic barriers like funding and institutional inertia, shapes the pace of adopting new evidence, and how the future may lie in breaking down these barriers with shared knowledge and innovative tech like AI.

You’ll discover: how large administrative datasets can identify upstream factors contributing to adverse outcomes; why rapid adoption of proven practices depends on compelling evidence; and how surgeons working together more openly can prevent unnecessary harm and improve efficiency. Plus, insights into how mentorship, societal values, and organizational culture influence the pace of change in medicine. Getting urgentcare right isn’t just a matter of new devices or drugs, it's aboutunderstanding complex systems, collaboration, and challenging the status quo. Dr. Marko Simunovic, a leader in health services research at McMaster University, combines his background in surgery with a passion for systemic change. His pioneering work aims to unlock the full potential of collaborative, data-informed clinical practice.

Tune in to learn how embracing more team-based, process-oriented approaches can revolutionize the future of surgery, and why asking the right questions might be the most powerful tool in healthcare innovation.

In this episode, Ahad Daudi interviews Dr. Alfonso Fasano, neurologist and movement disorders specialist at the University of Toronto and Toronto Western Hospital.

From a defining moment witnessing deep brain stimulation in action, Dr. Fasano reflects on what drew him to neurology and what that journey can teach medical students navigating their own career decisions.

They discuss the rapidly evolving field of neuromodulation, its role in treating Parkinson’s disease and other conditions, and how new technologies are changing the way we understand and treat the brain.

Dr. Fasano also shares practical advice on maintaining brain health, highlights the qualities that define strong clinicians, and discusses the shifting role of patient-physician collaboration in modern medicine.

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Produced by Ahad Daudi, Jacqueline Hong, Sarah Massad, and Kuljeet Chohan.

Music provided by ⁠https://freebeats.io⁠ (produced by White Hot).

Interested in Emergency Medicine?

In this episode, Jacqueline Hong and Kuljeet Chohan interview Dr. Bilal Akil, an Emergency Physician, Trauma Team Leader, Medical Director, and Assistant Professor at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. Dr. Akil is also a co-founder of a CFMS partner, MCCQBank.

Dr. Akil shares a day in his life, reflects on the current state of emergency medicine, and discusses his perspective on the future of AI in the emergency department.

He also offers practical advice for medical students on making the most of their ED rotations, what defines a great emergency physician, and how to effectively prepare for the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination, a required step for all Canadian physicians.

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Produced by Ahad Daudi, Jacqueline Hong, Sarah Massad, and Kuljeet Chohan.

Music provided by https://freebeats.io (produced by White Hot).

Devina Ramesh from the CFMS Research in Medicine podcast interviews Dr. Mamatha Bhat, a hepatologist and clinician-scientist at UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre, and as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. 

Dr. Bhat is the recipient of numerous awards, such as the 2022 Early Career Researcher prize, the 2020 Polanyi Prize and the 2021 American Society of Transplantation Basic Science Career Development Award. Dr. Bhat is the head of the multi-disciplinary Bhat Liver Lab, with the goal of improving outcomes and clinical practice for patients following LT using ML tools.

In this episode, Kevin Won of the CFMS Research in Medicine podcast speaks with Dr. Jonathan Sherbino, emergency physician and Professor of Medicine at McMaster University. Dr. Sherbino discusses his passion for medical education research and his involvement in the MERIT program at McMaster as well as developing the 2015 CanMEDs framework. He also speaks on different types of education research that medical students may not be familiar with and other ways we can get involved, especially if we may not enjoy the traditional “methods” of research.

Welcome back! For this episode of the Who (Health) Cares CFMS Podcast Series, host Erin chats with Dr. Hema Gangam – the sole pediatric neurologist practicing in Windsor, Ontario. As its name suggests, pediatric neurology is a unique field where physicians diagnose and treat infants, children, and adolescents with a range of neurological conditions, including meningitis, encephalitis, hypoxic-ischemic injury, trauma, stroke, epilepsy and diseases impacting peripheral nerves and muscles. Also involved in medical education, Dr. Gangam is one of the clerkship leads in the Schulich School of Medicine. Join us as Dr. Gangam shares the marvels of pediatric neurology, insights into American and Canadian healthcare, as well as the importance of staying curious.

In today's episode, Zier Zhou of the CFMS Research in Medicine podcast interviews Dr. Blair Bigham, an award-winning journalist, scientist and physician. Dr. Bigham trained in emergency and critical care medicine at McMaster and Stanford Universities, and is currently an assistant professor in Clinical Public Health at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Bigham reflects on his early experiences in lifeguarding and paramedicine, which eventually led him to choose emergency medicine without hesitation. He offers some honest, practical advice to medical students on juggling various extracurricular projects. He further shares critical insights into his writing process as a health journalist, as well as his professional and personal experiences with life and death.

Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BlairBigham and check out his national bestseller, Death Interrupted: How Modern Medicine Is Complicating the Way We Die.