The Nocturnists

In this episode of Conversations, Dr. Jessi Gold, psychiatrist and Chief Wellness Officer at the University of Tennessee, discusses the mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers. Jessi shares insights from her new book, How Do You Feel? One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine, and explores how burnout, moral injury, and wellness are shaping the future of medicine. The conversation delves into topics ranging from telemedicine’s influence on mental health care to breaking down the stigma that prevents clinicians from seeking help.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

In this episode of Conversations, Ruth Madievsky, clinical pharmacist and author of the national bestseller "All-Night Pharmacy," shares the inspiration behind her darkly poetic novel about sisterhood, addiction, and intergenerational trauma. Ruth reflects on how her Moldovan roots, her healthcare career, and her love of poetry have shaped her writing. We also dive into the mysticism that permeates her work and explore how trauma and healing intersect in her life and fiction.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

In this episode of Conversations, Dr. Gita Pensa opens up about her harrowing experience as a defendant in a 12-year-long malpractice lawsuit and how it spurred her to create Doctors and Litigation: The L Word, a podcast aimed at helping physicians cope with the emotional toll of litigation. Gita also discusses her involvement in the documentary "A World of Hurt: How Medical Malpractice Fails Everyone," which exposes the flaws in the malpractice system. Through her personal story, Gita highlights practical and psychological tools for doctors navigating the legal system while dealing with fear, shame, and burnout.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

In this episode of Conversations, we sit down with Dr. Sara Walker, an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist who is reshaping the way we think about life. From her work on the origins of life to her innovative assembly theory, Sara takes us on a journey through the possibilities of discovering alien life and challenges some of the core tenets of biology and physics. This conversation will make you rethink not just how life began, but what life is and does.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.

Family medicine physician Zed Zha persuades her reluctant parents, visiting from China, to indulge in the treat of ice cream.

Zed performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York in November 2023, for an event on the theme of "Taking Care" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Bellevue Literary Review.

Find show notes, transcript and more at thenocturnists.org.

Mother of four, writer, and attorney Ann Schrooten reflects on a pivotal moment from her fifteen year journey caring for her son Jack, who lived with congenital muscular dystrophy.

Ann performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York in November 2023, for an event on the theme of "Taking Care" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Bellevue Literary Review.

Find show notes, transcript and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Shaida Dusenge Kamali, originally from Kigali, Rwanda, reflects on her journey from earning a prestigious scholarship to study in Oklahoma, to raising her younger brother after the sudden passing of their mother. Now a second-year medical student with a passion for geriatrics, Shaida shares the challenges and growth that came with balancing education, caregiving, and cultural transitions.

Shaida performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York in November 2023, for an event on the theme of "Taking Care" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Bellevue Literary Review.

Find show notes, transcript and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Nurse Roshni Shah reflects on how water and ritual bathing brought serenity to a difficult life period, where she was balancing caring for her aging mom with working nights in the ICU. 

Roshni performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York in November 2023, for an event on the theme of "Taking Care" which The Nocturnists co-produced with Bellevue Literary Review.

Find show notes, transcript and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

Emmy-winning writer and creative director Lu Chekowsky delves into her mother’s powerful lessons on resilience, navigating a high-stakes media career, and facing the biases of healthcare in a larger body.

Lu performed this story live at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space in New York in November 2023, for an event on the theme of "Taking Care" which The Nocturnists co-produced with the Bellevue Literary Review.

Find show notes, transcript and more at thenocturnists.org.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association.

In our 50th The Nocturnists: Conversations episode, Emily speaks with Maggie Jackson, award-winning author and journalist, about her book "Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure." Maggie describes the neuroscience of uncertainty, the benefits of curiosity and slowing down, and findings from her interviews with physicians and surgeons about uncertainty in medical practice.

Find show notes, transcript, and more at thenocturnists.com.

The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association and donations from listeners like you.