Doctors Making A Difference

What if your patients could get answers at 2 a.m. from an AI version of you, trained only on what you know?

Lucas Tyson explains how a career in marketing led him into health care after watching a loved one struggle for months to get answers, and how that experience led him to start Kodara. He and Dr. Crane discuss the rate limiting step in every practice, which is the physician’s own time, and why a general chatbot trained on the open internet gives watered down answers that patients may weigh against their doctor’s advice.

Tyson describes the “walled garden” approach, where an AI is trained only on a physician’s own content, and walks through practical uses such as educating prospective patients and answering common GLP-1 questions. The conversation covers the Mayo Clinic avatar study, 

licensing, billing and liability questions, the disclaimers practices use, and what a build looks like, from training the AI brain to a first version in about a month. As a sponsored episode, listeners are encouraged to do their own due diligence before working with any company.
 

Top 3 Takeaways

An AI is only as trustworthy as its training data: Tyson argues that limiting an AI to a physician’s own content, a walled garden, reduces made up answers and keeps responses aligned with how that doctor practices.

Most use is education, not diagnosis: patients and prospective patients ask general questions off hours, such as GLP-1 side effects, while diagnosis and in person care stay with the physician.

Clear communication manages risk: Tyson says multiple disclaimers and plain framing that the tool is an AI, and not a replacement for the physician, are especially important for existing patients.

About the Guest

Lucas Tyson is the founder and CEO of Kodara, a company that builds an AI version of a health or wellness expert that can educate patients and clients online around the clock. He comes from a marketing background and works with a team of engineers and people with decades of health care experience.

Connect with Lucas Tyson

Kodara: kodarahealth.com/crane 

About the Host 

Dr. Peter Crane is a board certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference, in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.

This episode is sponsored by Kodara, software that helps doctors take their health and wellness expertise online, so they can reach and educate people their in-person practice can’t. Learn more at kodara.com/drmike

SPONSOR DISCLOSURE

Kodara’s founder, Lucas Tyson, discusses his background in his interview on BootstrapMD:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/can-your-medical-practice-run-without-you/id1448215844?i=1000801149879

Sponsorship is not an endorsement of any results. Do your own due diligence.

About the Show:

Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast; it's a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine. In every episode, physicians share stories of challenge, purpose, and connection so more doctors can stay in medicine and leave it better than they found it.

visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com

LMC Series Note:

Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day to day realities of life with advanced disease, through candid physician patient conversations.
 

The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if the setback that stops you today is the very thing that shapes the doctor you become?

Dr. Krishna Vedala traces his path from a childhood in Edmond, Oklahoma, to primary care in Oklahoma City, including the painful stretch of not getting into medical school until his third attempt. He explains how those years as a medical assistant, research assistant, medical biller, and hospice volunteer taught him about persistence, and how writing down simple goals, an idea he calls hope theory, kept him moving forward.

The conversation then turns to the work that drives him today. Dr. Vedala describes how his public health training and MBA led him to launch Connected by Health, why he sees housing, social support, education, and civic health as part of every patient visit, and how stories from the clinic carry more weight with legislators than policy talking points. He and Dr. Crane close with practical advice for physicians who feel powerless, including joining advocacy organizations, scaling impact through podcasts, and balancing it all with family.

Top 3 Takeaways

• Persistence is a skill that can be built: Dr. Vedala was turned away from medical school twice, used the time to learn about health care from every angle, and credits persistence and written goals for getting him to the finish line.
• Dr. Vedala argues that health is the foundation of a strong society, and that housing, social support, education, and civic health shape patient outcomes in ways that show up years later, as his patient stories illustrate.
• Physicians have a powerful voice: patient stories carry weight with legislators, and joining organizations such as the March of Dimes or a county medical society magnifies the impact of any one doctor.

About the Guest

Dr. Krishna Vedala is a board certified internal medicine and obesity medicine physician and a primary care doctor in Oklahoma City. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, completed his residency at White River Health System in Batesville, Arkansas, and holds an MPH and a recently earned MBA. He is the host of the Connected by Health podcast and is active in advocacy through the March of Dimes, the Oklahoma chapter of the American College of Physicians, and the Oklahoma County Medical Society.

Connect with Dr. Vedala

Connected by Health: connectedbyhealthpodcast.com 

 

About the Host 

Dr. Peter Crane is a board certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference, in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.

About the Show:

Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast; it's a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine. In every episode, physicians share stories of challenge, purpose, and connection so more doctors can stay in medicine and leave it better than they found it.

visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com

This episode is sponsored by Kodara, software that helps doctors take their health and wellness expertise online, so they can reach and educate people their in-person practice can’t. Learn more at kodara.com/crane.

SPONSOR DISCLOSURE

Kodara’s founder, Lucas Tyson, discusses his background in his interview on BootstrapMD: Click here to listen.

Sponsorship is not an endorsement of any results. Do your own due diligence.

LMC Series Note:

Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day to day realities of life with advanced disease, through candid physician patient conversations.

The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if the biggest advances in organ transplantation weren’t just better drugs, but the ability to keep organs alive and working outside the body

Dr. Antonio Di Carlo traces how mentorship, family experience, and the pure magic of reperfusion drew him into transplant surgery. He describes the still astonishing moment a lifeless kidney on ice suddenly produces urine and explains why the technical side of transplant has changed far less than the immunology and preservation science around it.

He walks through the transformative impact of normothermic machine perfusion (especially for livers), emerging gene profiling and cell free DNA tools that may soon predict rejection, and the rapid progress in genetically modified pig organs. The conversation then turns to how he frames transplant discussions with patients, a memorable pancreas kidney recipient whose life was restored, the surprising fitness of many octogenarian candidates, and why a thoughtfully written textbook still offers a “mind frame” that AI cannot replace.

Top 3 Takeaways

• Normothermic machine perfusion has moved organs from ice bucket urgency to assessed, functioning grafts that can wait while the surgical team rests, dramatically improving outcomes, especially for the liver.
• Xenotransplantation is no longer science fiction: genetically modified pig kidneys have approached one year of human survival, and primate data suggest multi year rejection free function is possible.
• Chronological age is a poor proxy for transplant candidacy; functional status and “protoplasm” matter far more, as illustrated by motorcycle riding and company running octogenarians who have successfully received organs.

About the Guest

Dr. Antonio Di Carlo is a professor of surgery with 25 years’ experience in adult and pediatric abdominal organ transplantation. Board certified in general and transplant surgery, he holds an MD from McGill University, a leadership certificate from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Temple University’s Fox School of Business. He has authored chapters in the book Care of the Older Adult.

Connect with Dr. Di Carlo

LinkedIn: Antonio DiCarlo MD 

About the Host 

Dr. Peter Crane is a board certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference, in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.

About the Show:

Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast; it's a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine. In every episode, physicians share stories of challenge, purpose, and connection so more doctors can stay in medicine and leave it better than they found it.

visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com

LMC Series Note:

Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day to day realities of life with advanced disease, through candid physician patient conversations.

The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Family physician turned entrepreneur Dr. Mike Woo-Ming recounts starting a medical education business during residency in the late 1990s, then walking away from a shareholder position in 2003 after his son’s autism diagnosis so he could be present as a dad.

He later sold a software company, traveled the world, and deliberately returned to medicine by launching cash based longevity practices in Southern California proving physicians can redesign both their careers and their impact.

Top 3 Takeaways

• Starting a simple residency FAQ guide sold by mail in the 1990s taught Woo-Ming that solving real problems creates real businesses and funded his family’s survival when traditional options failed.
• Leaving medicine for seven years after his son’s diagnosis gave him the freedom to be the dad he never had, while keeping his license and eventually returning stronger.
• “Pig headed perseverance” and always betting on yourself let him launch cash based practices against naysayers and now coach other physicians to do the same through Bootstrap MD.

About the Guest

Dr. Mike Woo-Ming is a Mayo Clinic trained family physician, longevity practice founder, CEO of Doctor Podcast Network, coach at Momentum MD, and author. After leaving traditional practice to prioritize family and entrepreneurship, he returned to medicine on cash based terms and now helps physicians build freedom and scale their impact.
 

Connect with Dr. Mike Woo-Ming
 

Website: bootstrapmd.com
Podcast: Bootstrap MD (Over 300 episodes)

About the Host

Dr. Peter Crane is a board certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference, in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.
 

About the Show

Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast; it's a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine. In every episode, physicians share stories of challenge, purpose, and connection so more doctors can stay in medicine and leave it better than they found it.
 

visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com
 

LMC Series Note:

Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day to day realities of life with advanced disease, through candid physician patient conversations.

The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if the biggest barrier to progress in rare cancers wasn’t a lack of ideas but the inability to connect the right people and turn those ideas into real clinical trials?

In this episode of Living with Metastatic Cancer, Dr. Peter Crane sits with Dr. Scott Okuno, and Steven Young, as they describe how their organization (SARC) fills a critical gap left by broader cooperative groups. By acting as a regulatory sponsor and operational hub, SARC enables rapid multi institutional and international trials focused solely on sarcoma.

They detail the Sarcoma Centers Directory, patient advocacy partnerships, embedded patient advocates in every trial, pre ASCO and CTOS meetings, and practical ways researchers and patients can engage especially those with ultra rare subtypes such as solitary fibrous tumor.

Top 3 Takeaways

• SARC uniquely serves as a regulatory sponsor and logistics engine, converting investigator ideas into multi center trials far faster than traditional cooperative group models.
• The free Sarcoma Centers Directory (sarctrials.org) objectively lists high volume multidisciplinary centers so patients and frontline clinicians can quickly access true expertise.
• Patients are embedded in trial design and meetings; subtype specific advocacy groups plus SARC’s own podcasts and resources ensure no one has to navigate rare sarcoma alone.

About the Guests:

Dr. Scott Okuno is a sarcoma medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic Rochester with more than 30 years’ experience and serves as Chief Medical Officer of SARC. 

Steven Young is CEO of SARC, he joined five and a half years ago to lead operations, fundraising, and multi center collaboration after building research consortia in solid tumors and blood cancers.

Connect with SARC

Website: sarctrials.org

Podcasts: SARC Talk, and The Journal Club Podcast 

About the Host
 Dr. Peter Crane is a board certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference, in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.
 

About the Show:
Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast; it's a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine. In every episode, physicians share stories of challenge, purpose, and connection so more doctors can stay in medicine and leave it better than they found it.

visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com
 

LMC Series Note:
Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day to day realities of life with advanced disease, through candid physician patient conversations.

 

The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if you could turn a brilliant healthcare idea into a tangible, tested business in just six weeks?
Dr. Shubhendu Gulsharesh, an emergency physician in England, shares his journey from medical school in India to practicing in the NHS. He discusses how the UK system’s lack of financial barriers shapes pure doctor-patient relationships and why he chose emergency medicine after finding “his people.”

Facing post-COVID burnout, he reduced clinical time to 50% through a quality improvement fellowship at Oxford and executive coaching certification. Now he helps clinicians turn ideas into books, courses, and businesses via the Clinician Founder Podcast and coaching, staying in medicine while reclaiming purpose and impact.

Top 3 Takeaways

• Test the idea early,  identify who it serves, validate the problem, and launch a minimal version within weeks rather than letting it sit in a notes app for years.
• Find the common point among competing desires (income, balance, impact, preferred patients) that intersection is often the true zone of impact and ends the scattered feeling.
• Quality improvement skills and coaching let clinicians stay clinical at 50 % while multiplying impact by helping colleagues solve system problems and launch meaningful side projects.

About the Guest

Dr. Shubhendu Kulshreshtha is an emergency physician in England, quality improvement coach, ICF accredited executive coach, and host of the Clinician Founder Podcast. He helps clinicians turn ideas into tested products and services while remaining in clinical practice.

Connect with Dr. Shubhendu Kulshreshtha

Website:  clinicianfounder.com
Podcast: The clinician founder podcast
LinkedIn:  @shubsaysimpact
Instagram: @shubsaysimpact

About the Host
Dr. Peter Crane is a board certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference, in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.

About the Show:

Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast; it's a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine. In every episode, physicians share stories of challenge, purpose, and connection so more doctors can stay in medicine and leave it better than they found it.

visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com

LMC Series Note:

Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day to day realities of life with advanced disease, through candid physician patient conversations.

The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

 Dr. Rob Beck, an internist and public health specialist, returns to join Dr. Peter Crane on this episode of Doctors Making a Difference to discuss his journey from practicing medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, to relocating with his family to Victoria, British Columbia. He shares what he learned about burnout, autonomy, career transitions, and the courage to rethink what a fulfilling medical career can look like.

The conversation goes beyond simply comparing the U.S. and Canadian healthcare systems. Dr. Beck explains how administrative burden, paperwork, lack of control, and workplace expectations can contribute to physician dissatisfaction, while autonomy, supportive colleagues, protected personal time, and meaningful patient relationships can make medicine more sustainable. Most importantly, he encourages physicians to recognize that they have transferable skills and do not have to remain in a specific job, practice, city, or even healthcare system to continue making a difference.

Three Actionable Takeaways: 

• You Don't Have to Leave Medicine to Change Your Career: If your current practice is making you unhappy, the solution may not be abandoning medicine. Changing your specialty, workplace, location, schedule, or practice model may allow you to rediscover what you enjoy about being a physician.
• Physicians Have More Options Than They Realize: Medical training creates a highly transferable skill set. Physicians can work in different settings, communities, healthcare systems, and roles. Exploring alternatives is not failure, it can be a smart way to build a more sustainable career.
• Protecting Your Career Requires Boundaries and Autonomy: Doctors cannot rely entirely on organizations to protect their well-being. Supportive colleagues, trusted partners, protected personal time, and clear boundaries can help physicians maintain control over their careers and avoid being overwhelmed by demands.

About Dr. Rob Beck:

Dr. Rob Beck is a board-certified internal medicine physician and public health specialist who practiced medicine in the United States before relocating with his family to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, in 2020. He is also the host of the Interesting MD podcast, where he explores the fascinating careers, experiences, hobbies, and life stories of physicians.

Podcast: Interesting MD Podcast

About the Host:

Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.

About the Show:

Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.

In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.

Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com

LMC Series Note:

Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease—through candid physician–patient conversations.

The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if the greatest impact of your medical career isn’t only the patients you treat, but the communities you help transform?

Dr. Adeolu Adeboye, Nigerian, born trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist in Florida, recounts his path from community college and Cornell to Quinnipiac medical school, Guthrie residency, and University of Pennsylvania fellowship. He founded Shekinah Global Healthcare Foundation to provide free surgical and medical care in underserved Nigerian communities, driven by faith, early exposure to trauma, and a duty to give back.

Through deep partnerships especially with the 35 year old ProHealth International, missions reach thousands of patients. The team ships supplies months ahead, trains local staff on ultrasound and electrocautery, and leaves systems stronger. Stories of life-changing hernia repairs and dialysis access illustrate pure medicine and the power of starting small while scaling impact together.

Top 3 Takeaways:

• Start exactly where you are. A high school student already joins missions; every skill and hour counts. Waiting for the perfect title, debt payoff, or free time delays impact that can begin today and grow naturally with experience.
• Partnership multiplies what one busy physician can achieve. Align values first, then leverage local organizations with decades of infrastructure so missions scale, local teams stay continuous, and lasting systems outlive any single visit.
• Leave capacity, not just cases. Train surgeons and nurses, donate working equipment, and explore remote mentoring so communities handle tomorrow’s needs independently while reciprocal learning enriches every visitor.

About the Show:

Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast; it's a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine. In every episode, physicians share stories of challenge, purpose, and connection so more doctors can stay in medicine and leave it better than they found it.

Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com

About the Guest:

Dr. Adeolu Adeboye is a trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist practicing in Florida. Born and educated through college in Nigeria, he completed U.S. training and founded Shekinah Global Healthcare Foundation to deliver free surgical care and build sustainable capacity in underserved Nigerian communities through strategic partnerships
Connect  with Dr Adeboye

website: shekinahglobalfoundation.org

About the  Host:

Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference, in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.

LMC Series Note:

Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease—through candid physician–patient conversations.

 

The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He was an ER doctor who found a 26cm tumor in his own abdomen at 7pm, and still had to work 12 more hours. How did that night lead to 100 episodes of Doctors Making a Difference?

In this 100th episode of Doctors Making A Difference Podcast, guest host Dr. John Winkler interviews host Dr. Peter Crane as he shares the hospital recovery moment after his 26-centimeter solitary fibrous tumor surgery that inspired Doctors Making a Difference. He reflects on the uncertainty of diagnosis, the physicians who walked with him, and why medicine must remain a healing profession rather than purely technical.

The conversation explores the podcast’s evolving mission, powerful guest stories, the importance of connection against isolation and burnout, practical reset strategies, living with metastatic cancer advocacy, and a vision for the next 100 episodes that keeps experienced physicians engaged and whole.

Top 3 Takeaways: 

• Connection is the antidote to isolation and burnout. Talking with other physicians reveals shared challenges and restores meaning, turning lonely frustration into collective purpose and resilience.
• Physicians must reclaim the identity of healer over technician. Evidence and algorithms matter, yet the real power lies in walking with patients through uncertainty and imperfect systems with presence and care.
• Protect your physiology and purpose first. Eating, sleeping, nature, family, and financial independence free doctors to say no to misaligned demands and stay focused on patients for the long haul.

About the Guest

Dr. John Winkler is a board-certified emergency physician with over 15 years of experience at a Level I trauma center. After losing his first wife to a sudden illness during internship and raising three young children while completing residency, he rebuilt his life through peer support, relationship work, and teaching resilience. Now married to Rachel and raising a blended family of six, he is passionate about wellness, human connection, ATLS education, and helping physicians show up whole.

Connect with Dr. John Winkler:

LinkedIn: Dr. John Winkler

About the Host:

Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what's possible.

About the Show:

Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.

In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.

Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com

LMC Series Note:

Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day to day realities of life with advanced disease,  through candid physician  patient conversations.

The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Doctors Making a Difference, Dr. Peter Crane sits down with Dr. Derek Southwick, a third-year family medicine resident at IU Health Ball Memorial in Muncie, Indiana, and the current resident director on the AAFP Board of Directors.

Southwick traces his path from Idaho Falls to the University of Washington (Idaho WWAMI), early involvement sparked by his father’s leadership and a simple question to a dean, and the deliberate choices that allowed him to serve at the national level while still in residency. They explore time management and support systems, a concrete policy win on multilingual prescription labels, what leadership actually looks like, and why the voices of students and residents carry unique weight with both physician colleagues and legislators. Southwick closes with clear, encouraging guidance for anyone, at any career stage, who wants to get involved.

Top 3 Takeaways

• You do not need decades of experience to contribute meaningfully. The current, lived perspective of students and residents is highly valued by both physician organizations and legislators.
• Sustainable involvement requires intentional support systems and timing. Talk with your program, partners, and family early so opportunities fit rather than crush you.
• Leadership is service. The most effective leaders focus on helping others, teaching what they learn, and creating space for the next generation rather than collecting titles.

About Dr. Derek Southwick

Dr. Derek Southwick is a third-year family medicine resident at the IU Health Ball Memorial Residency Program in Muncie, Indiana. Originally from Idaho Falls, Idaho, he completed undergraduate studies at BYU-Idaho and earned his medical degree through the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Idaho WWAMI program in 2024. He has served in progressive leadership roles within the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians, culminating in a one-year term as the resident director on the AAFP Board of Directors. He is fluent in Spanish after serving an LDS mission in the Dominican Republic and plans to return to practice in Idaho Falls after residency.

Connect with Dr. Derek Southwick
LinkedIn: Dr. Derek Southwick

About the Host

Dr. Peter Crane is a board-certified physician, educator, and storyteller with a heart for service and a calling to spotlight doctors who make a difference—in their communities, in medicine, and in the lives they touch.

Through Doctors Making a Difference, he brings you into intimate conversations with physicians who have overcome challenges, redefined success, and found purpose in and beyond the clinic. His goal is simple: to help more doctors stay in medicine by showing them what’s possible.

About the Show
Doctors Making a Difference is more than a podcast—it’s a movement to highlight the good, the gritty, and the deeply human side of medicine.
In every episode, Dr. Peter Crane interviews physicians whose stories defy the script. From burnout recovery to bold career pivots, health challenges to quiet leadership, this show honors the truth that healing begins with connection—and doctors, too, deserve to be whole.

Visit: doctorsmakingadifference.com

LMC Series Note:

Living with Metastatic Cancer (LMC) explores the science, decisions, and day-to-day realities of life with advanced disease, through candid physician–patient conversations.

The Doctors Making a Difference Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical, legal, or professional advice. Always consult appropriate experts regarding your unique circumstances.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.