The Clinical Etymologist

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The momentous discovery of Cobalamin 77 years ago made a macrocytic impact on medicine, saving millions of lives from their pernicious fate. In celebration, we take a subacute and combined degenerative dive into the world of Vitamin B12 deficiency.

From raw liver cures to Nobel Prizes, from cobalt atoms to collapsed gait, this episode traces the fascinating history and clinical nuance of a vitamin that does far more than make red cells. Join Dr. Kim and a curious medical student as they unpack the story behind megaloblastic anemia, nerve damage without anemia, and why B12 is not just a number to tick off — but a diagnostic lens into aging, memory loss, and evolution itself.

By the end of this episode, you’ll never look at falls, forgetfulness, or a “normal CBC” the same way again.

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The previous episode Letting Go, Gently was a heartfelt reminder of the human side of medicine, a glimpse into one of those moments that shape us as not just health care providers but also healers. 

Sometimes, we need to pause to reflect as physicians.  

Today, we pivot back to the bedside, to the Emergency Room of a teaching hospital where a timid second-year student, a brand name, and a routine clinical checkbox unexpectedly converge into a tale that weaves pharmacology, etymology, and a dash of history — a story worth telling… and sharing.

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So far, our beloved clinical etymologist, Dr. Kim, has explored the roots of medical language through history, etymology, and clinical reasoning.   

But today is different. 

Instead of tracing the origin of a word, he turns to the origin of something far more profound—the human moments that shape medicine itself. 

This special episode steps away from terminology and textbooks, and lingers instead on the quiet space between a mother and daughter, a physician and his patient, and the Act of Letting Go, Gently. 

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Today, we venture beyond the usual clinical vignettes and into the art of examination itself.   In honor of Dr. Heinrich Quincke—who, in August 1891, performed the world’s first lumbar puncture in Kiel, Germany— we celebrate the neurological exam by revisiting a phrase uttered all too casually:

“Cranial nerves were all normal.”

But what do we really mean when we say that?

To help us find out, I’m joined by my Padawan Donald—tall, confident, and emphatically surgical—  whose certainty about cranial nerves rivals his enthusiasm for making things “great again.”

Together, we’ll dissect the subtle clues, clinical pearls, and centuries-old history that make the cranial nerve exam so much more than a throwaway line on morning rounds.

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 In this episode of The Clinical Etymologist, the saga of the adrenal glands continues.  
Join Dr. Kim and his Padawan William as they navigate Cold War cortisol curves, Addison’s mysteries, and the art of stress-dose steroids.

 This is The Cortisol Strikes Back — where endocrinology meets storytelling, and medicine meets the Force. 

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This is Part 1 of a two-part podcast all about the adrenal glands. In this episode, we go back to the beginning — to anatomy, etymology, and the history behind cortisol. We'll follow a curious medical student and discover how adrenal glands were first identified, how cortisol was isolated, and what cow adrenal glands had to do with World War II. All of that, before we even talk about stress steroids.

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Asterixis: If it's not a liver tremor, what is it then?
In this episode, Dr. Kim unpacks the etymology, pathophysiology, and clinical relevance of this peculiar sign.  From hepatic encephalopathy to hidden thalamic lesions, we explore the many meanings behind a fluttering hand.  And yes, it all starts with a Pedawan medical student and ends with a nerdy neurological farewell.

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In this episode, Dr. Kim travels back to the summer of 1976 — when veterans gathered in Philadelphia and unknowingly faced a microscopic enemy hiding in the air.  Join us for an etymological dive into a bacterium that once wreaked havoc in Philadelphia.   From Greek etymology to cooling towers, and from Rocky to respiratory failure, this is the legend of Legionella — the pneumonia with a punchline. 

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In this episode, Dr. Simon Kim takes you on a head-spinning journey through the physiology, history, and humor behind orthostatic hypotension. What do a fainting patient, a Greek root word, and a Jedi medical student all have in common? You’re about to find out.

From the true meaning of orthostatic, to the origins of the 30/20/10 rule, to why your patient might be tipping over during rounds, this episode breaks down complex clinical reasoning with storytelling, etymology, and just the right dose of levity.

🚨 Warning: May cause lightheadedness from excessive learning.

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In the inaugural episode of The Clinical Etymologist, Dr. Simon Kim an internist and self-appointed Clinical Etymologist unpacks the case of “scleral icterus” — a phrase we all use, but one that’s anatomically inaccurate. Through storytelling, humor, and clinical clarity, this episode explores the physiology of bilirubin, the causes of jaundice, and why the yellowing of the eyes doesn’t involve the sclera at all.  We’ll trace the path of bile from hemoglobin to urobilin, decode the pre-, intra-, and post-hepatic patterns of jaundice, and revisit first-year ocular anatomy. Along the way: Star Wars references, a nod to BTS, and a butterfly flapping its wings in Tokyo. Because in medicine, every word has a pulse — and every misnomer has a lesson.