Unstable Vitals

Residency: the rite of passage every doctor must survive before practicing on their own. But is the system built to train (or to break) young physicians?

In this episode of Unstable Vitals, Dr. Laura Zibners and Dr. Adam Brown sit down with Dr. Jared Dashevsky, a resident physician at Mount Sinai and founder of Healthcare Huddle, to unpack the realities of residency and what it reveals about the larger instability in U.S. healthcare.

From 80-hour work weeks and six-figure medical school debt to the high-stakes “Match” process and the infamous July 1st turnover, we dive into the pressures that shape doctors before they even become attendings. Jared shares his perspective as a third-year resident, new father, and healthcare communicator, offering an unfiltered look at the sacrifices, frustrations, and occasional absurdities of residency life.

Along the way, we ask:

• Is the residency system outdated?
• How do pay disparities and debt burden destabilize medicine?
• What changes could make training more sustainable for doctors and the patients they serve?

Whether you’re in medicine, thinking about it, or just want to understand what’s behind the curtain, this conversation exposes the cracks in the system and why they matter for all of us.

In this episode of Unstable Vitals, we dive into a staggering truth: women make 80% of healthcare decisions, yet only 4% of R&D dollars focus on women’s health. 

Dr. Marina Gerner, award-winning journalist, author of The Vagina Business, and professional myth-buster, joins Dr. Lara Zibners and Dr. Adam Brown to unpack why the system is built on male-centric research, why funding for women’s health innovations still lags behind, and how centuries of normalized female pain have kept progress stalled.

From the under-research of PMS compared to erectile dysfunction to the under-researched effects of blockbuster drugs like Ozempic, we pull back the curtain on the biases, blind spots, and investment taboos that keep women’s health unstable. 

Can we really Make America Healthy Again?

In this dynamic and slightly unconventional episode, our hosts Dr. Adam Brown and Dr. Lara Zibners combine a spin class with a candid conversation on the fragility of the American public health system. As they pedal through pop hits and resistance levels, they dig into the recent political shifts shaking up healthcare leadership, namely the appointment of RFK Jr. and others with controversial public health views. They challenge the legitimacy of decisions like dismantling vaccine review boards and appointing science skeptics to positions of power, all while reinforcing the importance of evidence-based healthcare policy.

Beyond politics, the conversation expands into the broader social determinants of health, including how infrastructure, socioeconomic status, and nutrition access influence America's wellbeing. They contrast Europe’s walkable cities and food transparency with the U.S.’s car dependency and ultra-processed diets. 

Whether you're on a bike or a walk, this episode will get your heart rate up.

In this episode of Unstable Vitals, ER docs-turned-entrepreneurs Dr. Adam Brown and Dr. Lara Zibners sit down with Dr. Owais Durrani — emergency physician, media personality, STEM advocate, and Coldplay superfan — for an unfiltered conversation that flies from fighter jets to frontline care. A first-generation college student, Dr. Durrani shares how his lived experiences shaped his passion for equitable healthcare, science education, and public policy.

They unpack the harsh realities of an unstable U.S. healthcare system, the impact of funding cuts on STEM initiatives, and why inspiring the next generation of scientists matters more than ever. Oh, and yes, Coldplay and sh*t golfer names all make an appearance.

In this episode of Unstable Vitals, hosts Dr. Adam Brown and Dr. Lara Zibners sit down with Dr. Melissa Parsons, a former top pediatrician turned life coach, to unpack the emotional cost of surviving in the healthcare system. Melissa shares her deeply personal journey from burnout and perfectionism to finding healing through coaching, vulnerability, and letting go of the unrealistic expectations placed on physicians. Melissa walks us through the moment she realized she needed help—and how that decision transformed her life.

Together, the trio explores the culture of silence and shame in medicine, especially around mental health, and the dangerous separation of emotional and physical well-being. They confront the damaging myths doctors are taught: that resilience means suppression, that rest is weakness, and that showing emotion is unprofessional. The episode tackles physician burnout, systemic failures, and the urgent need to create a healthcare system that supports its healers.

In this special episode of Unstable Vitals, your hosts Dr. Adam Brown and Dr. Lara Zibners dive into their experience at the HLTH Europe conference in Amsterdam — a dynamic, innovation-driven gathering for health tech startups, investors, and industry leaders. They share what made the event stand out, from the high-energy networking and startup pitches to the unconventional amenities like on-site massages, ginger shots, and even a roaming unicorn mascot named Petunia. As founders and participants, they reflect on how the event compared to traditional medical conferences and discuss the importance of early strategy, branding, and planning for startup success.

Beyond the booths and business cards, the episode captures the human side of attending a global health innovation conference. This includes bonding dinners, the emotions of pitching on stage, and surprise bird poop attacks (yes, you read that right). Whether you're a founder, clinician, or just curious about what really happens behind the scenes at one of Europe's most impactful healthcare events, this episode delivers a mix of insight, inspiration, and chaos.

The full video version can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2XcPo_3Pnc

Episode 2 of Unstable Vitals features hosts Dr. Lara Zibners and Dr. Adam Brown, as they offer an unfiltered and often humorous look into the realities of emergency medicine. They delve into why people are so fascinated by ER stories, particularly the more bizarre and gruesome ones, a common question they face at social gatherings. The hosts share personal anecdotes, from gross medical incidents like "code browns" involving bodily fluids, to lighthearted pranks played among hospital staff.

The discussion also highlights the critical role of nurses in the ER, with both hosts sharing heartfelt stories of how nurses have been instrumental in patient care and their own professional development. They explore the unique team dynamic that often exists in the emergency department, emphasizing the need for mutual respect and collaboration when facing extreme situations. The episode also includes amusing tales and the odd challenges of working in such a high-pressure, unpredictable environment.

In our debut episode, meet your hosts—two ER doctors turned health policy nerds—who are fed up with pretending everything’s fine in healthcare when it’s clearly… not. From government chaos to moral injury in medicine, we kick off with a candid (and sometimes hilarious) look at why the system feels broken and what inspired us to start this podcast.

We dive into:

• Why DC’s silence is anything but quiet
• How we met (shout out, UNC!)
• Why instability isn’t the end—it’s the start of something real
• What we’ve seen across U.S. and U.K. healthcare systems
• The absurdity of public service layoffs, burnout, and corporate creep
• And yes, the origin of our name—including a very real code brown moment

If you’ve ever felt disoriented navigating the healthcare system—from inside or out—you’re not alone. We're here to pull back the curtain, talk about what’s actually happening, and invite the brilliant, bold, and brave to help us make sense of the madness.