Before TikTok myth-busting and Instagram reels took over the health education space, Dr. Jen Gunter dominated Twitter (now “X”) as medicine’s fiercest advocate for women’s health.

Dr. Gunter built a massive following by calling out dangerous pseudoscience, exposing sexism in medicine and championing evidence‑based care. In this flashback episode of Fixing Healthcare, we revisit a standout conversation from Season 5 (air date: March 15, 2021). This one feels especially relevant during the show’s current Season 11, which highlights medical influencers who hear directly from millions of patients and can reflect those concerns and conversations back to us.

With more Americans relying on influencers for answers about their bodies, brains and overall health, this rerun brings back the voice of an original myth‑buster: a physician who helped build the very space that others now occupy.

Dr. Gunter, a board‑certified OB‑GYN and bestselling author of The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto, continues to use her platforms to challenge misleading products, expose medical gaslighting and normalize conversations surrounding women’s bodies. Her newest book, Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation, takes aim at decades of cultural myth and medical misinformation about periods with the aim of replacing shame with science.

In this episode, she speaks with Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr about:

This timely flashback pairs perfectly with recent Season 11 conversations featuring Dr. Danielle Jones and Dr. Joel Bervell, two leaders in the next generation of medical myth‑busting. Listen to this episode and ask yourself: What has changed in the 4.5 years since Gunter’s original interview? What hasn’t?

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #194: A flashback to Dr. Jen Gunter’s fearless fight for truth in women’s health appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

When this podcast launched in March 2020 as Coronavirus: The Truth, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr set out to give listeners clear science and accurate analysis during a moment of chaos. Now, 100 episodes later, as Medicine: The Truth, the duo sit down and revisit the most important medical stories of the past five years, explaining what the nation learned, what it didn’t and what urgent questions remain.

The episode opens where the show began: the early days of COVID-19, when exponential spread of the virus threatened to overwhelm U.S. hospitals. Pearl walks through the original goals of public-health measures like masking and social distancing. He reflects on what the country got right, what it got wrong, and why communication failures around testing and vaccines deepened distrust that still affects medicine today.

But as the crisis evolved, so did the podcast. What began as a weekly pandemic explainer shifted into a broader analysis of why the United States spends more on healthcare than any other wealthy nation, yet it delivers worse outcomes.

In this episode, the conversation moves from reflections on the pandemic to a look at some of the show’s longest-running themes: clinician burnout, workforce shortages and a healthcare system struggling to meet rising demand.

Alongside the difficult news that lingers in American healthcare, episode 100 also highlights genuine progress: breakthroughs against Alzheimer’s and colon cancer, advances in prevention and diagnosis, and a growing role for generative AI.

Pearl explains how GenAI could save hundreds of thousands of lives, reduce medical errors, increase healthcare affordability and alleviate clinician burnout. But, none of this will happen unless the financial incentives shift away from fee-for-service and toward value.

Pearl closes with a simple message: crises will return, and science can save lives. However, success will require Americans to follow the research rather than be distracted by politics. To prepare for the next pandemic, he argues that the nation must better control chronic disease, rely on scientifically validated clinical evidence, and reward superior clinical outcomes, rather than simply the volume of care provided.

The first 100 episodes of what is now Medicine: The Truth serve as clear and powerful reminders of the dedication and courage of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. But they also warn of how easy it can be for the American healthcare system to lose its way.

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #100: From COVID-19 to ChatGPT, a close look at the last 5 years    appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode of Fixing Healthcare, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr examine two pressing topics: the hidden causes of patient mistrust in doctors and the top reasons healthcare startups fall short.

The episode begins with a striking question: Why don’t Americans trust their doctors anymore?

For most of the past century, physicians were among the most trusted professionals in America. But recent Gallup data reveals that just 44% of Americans now rate their care as “good” or “excellent,” and trust in physicians’ honesty and ethics has fallen to its lowest level in over 20 years.

While COVID-19 and political division may seem like obvious culprits, Pearl traces the real cause to an inflection point back more than two decades ago. That’s when medicine’s greatest challenge shifted from treating short-term illnesses to managing chronic diseases, conditions that require time, coordination and repeated follow-up.

Instead of adapting, the system stagnated. Doctors remained siloed in fee-for-service models that reward volume over outcomes. Insurers rationed access. Appointments became harder to get. Visits were rushed. Misdiagnoses rose. And patients began to feel abandoned.

In the second half of the episode, the hosts turn to the topic of healthcare innovation and why so many startups fail to live up to their promise. Despite record funding, the graveyard of failed startups keeps growing.

Pearl outlines the five most common pitfalls but also offers hope. Startups that understand patient needs, partner with clinicians and understand the system’s reimbursement models can still succeed.

HELPFUL LINKS

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #193: What’s fueling medical mistrust & why startups fail appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

With Dr. Jonathan Fisher’s upcoming Ending Clinician Burnout Global Summit (Nov. 6–7) just around the corner, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr revisit one of the trio’s most powerful Unfiltered conversations ever.

When this episode first aired a year ago, burnout among doctors was at crisis levels, fueled by long hours, bureaucratic burdens and a culture that rewarded perfectionism over self‑care.

Dr. Fisher, a cardiologist, mindfulness expert and organizational well‑being leader, brought both science and empathy to the discussion. The group explored how systemic challenges — such as burnout, the loss of physician autonomy and the growing influence of private equity — are reshaping the trajectory of medical careers.

Listeners concerned about clinician wellness will gain fresh perspective ahead of this year’s summit, where Dr. Pearl’s bestselling book ChatGPT, MD will be featured as a guide to how AI‑empowered physicians can reclaim time, reduce burnout and refocus their energy on what matters most: caring for patients.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #192: Flashback to ‘burnout and the physician career arc’ appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare continues its exploration of medicine’s rising influencers with a conversation that reveals how patients can advocate for themselves, how doctors can confront bias they don’t even realize they have, and how storytelling on TikTok is changing medical education.

Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr welcome Joel Bervell, a Ghanaian-American physician, resident in training, Peabody award winner and social media star. Known to millions on TikTok and Instagram as the “Medical Mythbuster,” Bervell shares how he uses short-form video content to expose racial and cultural bias in medicine, challenge misinformation and make complex science more engaging for the next generation of healthcare professionals and patients alike.

Bervell kicks off the conversation by identifying three of the most common and compelling questions he hears from his followers:

Throughout the episode, Bervell and the hosts explore the tension between clinical intent and patient perception, the power of storytelling in medical education, and the critical role of representation both in medical school and in the media.

Dr. Pearl closes the conversation by telling Bervell, “We’ve had clinical experts, leaders of national societies and presidential candidates on our Fixing Health Care podcast, and I can tell you I’ve learned more from you today than from any guest that I can think of in the past … I’m sure our listeners have enjoyed the show, and they too are much smarter when it comes to healthcare now than they were before you began.”

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #191: Dr. Joel Bervell on medical bias & the power of storytelling appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

This Halloween-themed episode of Medicine: The Truth finds hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr confronting the real horrors haunting American medicine today.

When Corr asks what scares him most, Dr. Pearl doesn’t hesitate: it’s the chaos, confusion and politicization that have replaced science and reason. From vaccine policy to drug and insurance pricing to Medicaid cuts, Pearl explains how bad decisions by government and industry leaders are endangering lives.

The conversation begins with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s newly appointed vaccine advisory committee, whose erratic decisions could jeopardize national immunization efforts and patient trust. It moves quickly to Donald Trump’s claim that Tylenol use during pregnancy causes autism. Pearl explains why the claim is biologically implausible, breaks down the real risks of acetaminophen overdose, and warns of the harm caused when political figures replace data with personal belief.

The hosts then turn to Mississippi’s infant mortality crisis, where a lack of OB-GYNs and the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid have pushed death rates to record highs. It’s a chilling illustration, Pearl says, of what happens when ideology trumps compassion.

From there, the episode moves through a series of pressing stories:

As the episode continues, Dr. Pearl highlights grim data on America’s declining health outcomes compared to other wealthy nations, the spread of Chagas disease across U.S. states, and the crushing cost of employer-based insurance. Together, these stories reveal a nation spending more, living shorter and losing faith in its medical institutions. A scary story, indeed.

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #99: The frightening state of U.S. medicine as politics replace science appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare continues its exploration of medicine’s new voices and rising influencers with an eye-opening conversation about sexuality, vaccinees and misinformation. Today’s guest, originally from rural Texas, joins the show from the other side of the world.

Cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr welcome Dr. Danielle Jones, better known to millions as Mama Doctor Jones. An OB-GYN by training, Jones has built a worldwide following on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, and now brings her perspective from New Zealand, where she lives and practices today.

This season isn’t just about guests with massive online audiences. It’s about what happens when those influencers listen. By engaging directly with millions of patients, they hear first-hand what people are curious about, confused by or struggling with—and then translate those voices back into the larger medical conversation.

This season highlights guests with massive online audiences. But their value isn’t just in reach, it’s in their ability to listen closely to what millions of patients are saying, then translate those insights back into the wider medical conversation.

From the start, Jones makes clear why she’s become a trusted voice for so many.

Her mission isn’t just to provide facts, but to help people distinguish what is real from what is not, a skill that’s more urgent than ever in an era of viral misinformation. Drawing on her roots in rural Texas, Jones describes how she had to unlearn many of the taboos she grew up with before becoming comfortable talking openly about abortion, contraception and sexual health.

Key topics in this conversation:

Tune in for the full interview and join the conversation on social media.

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #190: TikTok’s favorite OB-GYN reveals what millions of women really ask their doctors appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this revealing episode of Unfiltered, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down with cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Fisher to explore a hidden source of suffering in modern medicine: imposter syndrome.

Together, Pearl and Fisher take a vulnerable and nuanced look at the internal doubts that haunt even the most accomplished clinicians. Drawing on Fisher’s research and personal experience, the pair examine how imposter syndrome takes root during medical training and grows amid hierarchical workplaces, unrealistic expectations and a culture of stoicism. Left unaddressed, it can lead to shame, fear and isolation —emotions that rarely surface in traditional conversations about burnout.

Throughout the episode, Fisher and Pearl describe the difference between healthy humility and harmful self-doubt. They consider how training environments, competitive mindsets and systemic pressures may perpetuate imposter feelings. They also reflect on how leaders and organizations can help create psychological safety by sharing personal struggles, reframing failure and building community.

More than a psychological phenomenon, imposter syndrome offers a lens through which to understand the broader crisis of physician wellbeing. As Dr. Fisher notes, combating it starts with telling the truth and making space for others to do the same.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #189: Diving deep into imposter syndrome in medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode of Fixing Healthcare, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr explore two urgent shifts reshaping the patient-doctor relationship in American medicine.

First, they tackle a generational divide that’s growing wider by the year. Gen Z and Millennial patients (now 40% of healthcare consumers), are increasingly turning away from traditional medical providers. Distrust in institutions, a preference for shared decision-making and frustration with outdated communication methods are driving these younger patients to seek answers elsewhere.

Pearl outlines what physicians must do to bridge the gap. Listen more, collaborate often and meet younger patients where they are: digitally, flexibly and with empathy. If doctors don’t evolve, patients will look elsewhere.

And increasingly, “elsewhere” means artificial intelligence. That leads to the second half of the episode, where Pearl maps out a new reality: for the first time in history, patients can climb the ladder of medical expertise with help from GenAI. Large language models like ChatGPT and Claude are enabling patients to move beyond awareness and application into true analysis, synthesis and even innovation.

Pearl explores what this means for clinical care. Will patients one day use GenAI to monitor chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma on their own? Could AI triage symptoms, suggest follow-ups or even nudge lifestyle changes more effectively than a rushed primary care visit?

These questions are no longer theoretical. As Pearl warns, clinicians must either guide the change or risk being sidelined by it.

HELPFUL LINKS

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #188: Why younger patients turn away from doctors & toward GenAI appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode of Medicine: The Truth, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr dig into growing public distrust in the two government agencies charged with protecting Americans’ health: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Recent shakeups, including the resignation of top leaders and staff reductions, highlight just how politicized these organizations have become. Pearl doesn’t mince words. He calls the situation “chaotic and unscientific,” warning that the politicization of vaccine policy under the Kennedy administration could undermine decades of scientific progress and further erode public trust in medical guidance.

He walks listeners through what changed, why it matters and what might happen next—including how states and medical societies are beginning to defy federal policy by issuing their own vaccine recommendations.

Other key topics discussed:

Tune in to hear Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr cut through the noise with their signature mix of clarity, candor and evidence-based analysis. Once again, the duo exposes misinformation, challenges political spin and helps listeners make sense of what’s really going on.

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #98: Can patients and doctors still trust the CDC, FDA? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.