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Doctoring the Truth

Doctoring the Truth

Written by: Jenne Tunnell and Amanda House
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About this listen

Welcome to Doctoring the Truth, a podcast where two dedicated audiologists dissect the world of healthcare gone rogue. Explore jaw-dropping stories of medical malfeasance, nefariousness, and shocking breaches of trust. The episodes provide deep dives that latch onto your curiosity and conscience. It's a podcast for truth-seekers craving true crime, clinical insights, and a dash of humor.

© 2026 Doctoring the Truth Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease True Crime
Episodes
  • A Spot of Blood and a Lot of Nerve: Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes

    A Spot of Blood and a Lot of Nerve: Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes
    Nov 13 2026
    Send us Fan Mail A single lab result can flip your world upside down, and most of us never see what happens between the needle and the numbers. We follow the rise and fall of Theranos to ask a blunt question: what happens when a healthcare startup sells certainty it hasn’t actually earned? We walk through Elizabeth Holmes’s early ambition, the seductive pitch of finger-prick blood testing, and the very real science problems hiding inside “simpler and faster.” We dig into validation, quality control, proficiency testing, and why tiny samples make accuracy harder, not easier. Then we track how reputation and big names on a board can create a fog of credibility that even smart people struggle to pierce, especially once a major retail partnership like Walgreens puts a friendly brand in front of a risky diagnostic service. If you care about medical fraud, healthcare startups, lab testing accuracy, CLIA oversight, FDA clearance language, or how investor hype can spill into patient care, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves a good investigative story, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.RESOURCES1. Walgreens and Theranos partnership announcement (September 9, 2013)2. ABC News original interviews on Holmes's background and early company (2019)3. Ken Auletta, Blood, Simpler, The New Yorker (December 8, 2014)4. World Health Organization, Guidelines on Drawing Blood, Capillary Sampling (2010)5. Bond and Richards-Kortum, Drop-to-drop variation in the cellular components of fingerprick blood (2015)6. FDA decision summary documenting analytical and clinical evaluation of Theranos HSV-1 assay (2015)7. ABC News original reporting and Rochelle Gibbons interview, The Dropout episode 2 (March 12, 2019)8. Santa Clara University, Teaching Note on Interview of Theranos Whistleblower Tyler Shultz9. In re Arizona Theranos Litigation, order discussing Walgreens due diligence and Kevin Hunter's testimony (May 4, 2023)10. Nick Bilton, original investigation of Theranos and Ian Gibbons, Vanity Fair (2016)11. SEC civil complaint against Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos (March 14, 2018)12. United States v Holmes and Balwani, Ninth Circuit amended opinion (December 22, 2025)13. Theranos trial exhibit 4292, internal email discussing sample and dilution issues14. Cal Alumni Association, original Erika Cheung interview (March 16, 2019)15. NPR original Tyler Shultz interview, hosted by CapRadio (2022)16. Fogarty Innovation, Fireside Chat with Tyler Shultz (April 27, 2023)17. Theranos trial exhibit 1660, Tyler Shultz email correspondence (April 2014)18. ABC News reporting on SEC deposition tapes and Tyler Shultz correspondence (2019)19. Roger Parloff, This CEO is out for blood, Fortune (June 12, 2014)20. ABC News original investigation, The Dropout episode 3 (2019)21. FDA De Novo authorization letter for the Teal Wand (May 9, 2025)22. Fitzpatrick and colleagues, Clinical Validation of a Vaginal Cervical Cancer Screening Self-Collection Method for At-Home Use, JAMA Network Open (May 19, 2025)23. National Cancer Institute, HPV and Pap Test Results and Follow-up24. The Hatch Institute, original interview with John Carreyrou (May 21, 2018)25. Association of Health Care Journalists, John Carreyrou on reporting Theranos (May 15, 2018)26. Theranos trial exhibit 2567, legal letter sent to Erika Cheung (June 26, 2015)27. Erika Cheung trial testimony, day 7, transcript archive (2021)28. CAFE, Stay Tuned with Preet interview with John Carreyrou (September 5, 2018)29. Congressional Research Service, Regulation of Clinical Tests, report R43438 (April 11, 2017)30. FDA 510(k) record for Theranos HSV-1 IgG assay K143236 (July 2, 2015)31. FDA Form 483 inspectional observations, Theranos Newark facility (September 16, 2015)32. John Carreyrou and colleagues, Testing Theranos, original Wall Street Journal series hosted by Long Island University (2015)33. Elizabeth Lopatto, original court reporting on Brittany Gould's testimony, The Verge (September 21, 2021)34. Support the showDon't miss a (heart) beat! Check out our Instagram @doctoringthetruthpodcast and email us your Medical Mishaps at doctoringthetruth@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at Doctoring the Truth, and TikTok @doctoring the truth. Don't forget to download, rate, and review so we can keep bringing you more exciting content each week!Stay safe, and stay suspicious...trust, after all, is a delicate thing!Don't forget to check out these fantastic discounts using promo code STAYSUSPICIOUS from our sponsors at:*thecuminclub.com for 30% off*https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/STAYSUSPICIOUS for 20% off*www.handful.com for 30% off *www.standshoes.com for 15% off*www.getcheeky.com for 30% off*https://mollybz.com for 10% off *klearprotein.com for 20% off*www.torrain.org for 15% off*www.cozyearth.com for 21% off* www.yarokhair.com for 15% off *www.loveindus.com for 21% off https://www.tumbleweedandoak.com for 15% ...
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Ep 87-In Spite of Confessions: Nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer's Killing Spree

    Ep 87-In Spite of Confessions: Nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer's Killing Spree
    Nov 6 2026
    Send us Fan MailShe sat at a kitchen table, looked a pastor and his wife in the eye, and admitted she had killed people in her care. They prayed over her, told her it was a matter of grace, and let her walk back into the world. Five months later, another patient was dead, and the most terrifying part is how normal that non-response became around her.The story doesn’t end with sentencing. We break down what the Ontario public inquiry uncovers about systemic vulnerabilities, why experts say these crimes are less rare than people assume, and what practical reforms can actually reduce risk, from better tracking of high-risk meds to stronger reporting culture and clearer triggers for investigation. We also share a listener medical story that proves contamination and human error can create chaos even in modern labs.If you care about true crime, nursing ethics, healthcare regulation, and patient safety in long-term care, press play and stay with us through the uncomfortable details. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show and talk about the safeguards that should never be optional.Sources and Further Reading• Long-Term Care Homes Public Inquiry (Justice Eileen Gillese), Final Report,Volume 2 — offences, confessions, employment history —https://www.ontario.ca/files/2022-02/mag-ltci-final-report-volume-2-en-2022-02-24.pdf• The Canadian Encyclopedia: "Elizabeth Wettlaufer Case" —https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/elizabeth-wettlaufer-case• The Globe and Mail: "Ex-Woodstock nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer blames murders on'red surge'" (guilty plea, June 1, 2017) —https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ex-woodstock-nurse-pleads-guilty-to-eight-first-degree-murder-charges/article35173985/• Global News: "Elizabeth Wettlaufer timeline" —https://globalnews.ca/news/3495384/elizabeth-wettlaufer-timeline/amp• Global News: "Elizabeth Wettlaufer apologizes, sentenced to life in prison with noparole for 25 years" — https://globalnews.ca/news/3555209/sentencing-hearing-elizabeth-wettlaufer/• CBC News: "Ex-nurse who killed 8 seniors in her care sentenced to 8 concurrent lifeterms" — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/killer-nurse-wettlaufer-sentencing-1.4175164• Global News: "Pastor told Elizabeth Wettlaufer she would be turned in if she killedagain" — https://globalnews.ca/news/3499391/• Chatelaine: "The Long Shadow of Elizabeth Wettlaufer" —https://chatelaine.com/living/elizabeth-wettlaufer/• Global News: "Caressant Care gave Elizabeth Wettlaufer multiple warnings beforetermination, inquiry hears" — https://globalnews.ca/news/4257599/caressant-care-elizabeth-wettlaufer-warnings-termination/• CBC News: "Nursing home didn't 'paint full picture' of Wettlaufer, inquiry hears" —https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/long-term-care-inquiry-elizabeth-wettlaufer-college-of-nurses-of-ontario-1.4760740• CBC News: "Union under fire at Wettlaufer inquiry for defending problem nurse" —https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/long-term-care-inquiry-elizabeth-wettlaufer-1.4717729• CBC News: "Killer nurse abruptly quit job after narcotics went missing at long-termcare home" — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/ontario-public-inquiry-elizabeth-wettlaufer-1.4712027• CBC News: "Autopsies rare in nursing home deaths, chief pathologist tells Wettlauferinquiry" — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/long-term-care-inquiry-elizabeth-wettlaufer-ontario-chief-pathologist-1.4757570• CBC News: "No autopsy done in suspicious death of 1 of Wettlaufer's patients,colleague testifies" — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/day-seven-wettlaufer-inquiry-1.4702243Doctoring the Truth — Page 17• Global News: "Ontario's chief pathologist testifies at public inquiry into long-termcare homes" — https://globalnews.ca/news/4347929/ontario-chief-pathologist-testifies-wettlaufer-long-term-care-homes/• The Globe and Mail: "Wettlaufer murder confessions gave insight intopremeditation, expert tells public inquiry" —https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-wettlaufer-murders-were-difficult-to-detect-expert-tells-public/• CBC News: "Wettlaufer inquiry: serial nurse killers" —https://amp.cbc.ca/news/wettlaufer-inquiry-serial-nurse-killers-1.4819277• CBC News: "Wettlaufer murders still a 'horrific puzzle' that inquiry could help solve"— https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/wettlaufer-killer-nurse-inquiry-questions-1.4180772• CBC News interactive: "How Elizabeth Wettlaufer became one of Canada's worstserial killers" — https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/sh/TBk79oWhpi/elizabeth-wettlaufer-nurse-senior-deaths/• CBC News: "Inquiry hears from Wettlaufer's last employer before she confessed" —https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/long-term-care-inquiry-elizabeth-wettlaufer-st-elizabeth-home-health-care-1.4724138• WeirFoulds LLP: "Long-Term Care Homes Public Inquiry Recommends SystemicChanges in Response to Wettlaufer ...
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Ep 86-The Brooklyn Bone Snatcher: Michael Mastromarino

    Ep 86-The Brooklyn Bone Snatcher: Michael Mastromarino
    Oct 30 2026
    Send us Fan MailA digital camera at a fall orchard somehow turns into the perfect warm-up for a colder truth: modern “body snatching” can come with contracts, invoices, and a medical résumé. We walk through the case of Michael Mastro Marino, a New York area dentist with a background in implants and bone grafting who later built Biomedical Tissue Services (BTS) and allegedly treated human remains like a supply chain. The most haunting part is not just the crime, it’s how normal the paperwork tried to make it look. If you care about medical ethics, patient safety, FDA oversight, and the real meaning of consent, hit play. Then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Sources and Further ReadingNew York Magazine: “The Organ Grinder” — Randall Patterson’s investigation into Mastromarino and the tissue-theft operation (2006). New York MagazineThe Oprah Winfrey Show: “Husbands’ Secret Lives Revealed” — Barbra’s account of her marriage and the discoveries that changed her life. oprah.comBarbra Reifel’s memoir: The Body Snatcher’s Wife: My Life with a Monster — publisher’s book page. posthillpress.comNPR: “The Seamy Side of the Human Tissue Business” — Joseph Shapiro and Sandra Bartlett’s reporting, including Mastromarino’s prison interview (2012). KNAU Arizona Public RadioInternational Consortium of Investigative Journalists: “Body Brokers Leave Trail of Questions, Corruption” — investigation into tissue suppliers, processors, and warning signs (2012). ICIJNPR: “Mastermind of ‘Body Stealing’ Scheme Dies” — Joseph Shapiro’s report on Mastromarino’s death and his response to the scandal (2013). KUNCCenters for Disease Control and Prevention: “Investigation into Recalled Human Tissue for Transplantation—United States, 2005–2006” — the official public-health investigation. CDCPennsylvania Superior Court: Commonwealth v. Mastromarino — the 2010 appellate opinion describing the crimes, guilty plea, and sentencing. Justia LawFederal law: 42 U.S.C. § 274e — prohibition of organ purchases, including covered tissues, and permitted payments for recovery and processing services. Legal Information InstituteU.S. Food and Drug Administration: “Tissue and Tissue Product Questions and Answers” — background on tissue donation, regulation, and safety. U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationChart Note — Can We Grow Our Teeth Back?Science Advances: “Anti–USAG-1 Therapy for Tooth Regeneration Through Enhanced BMP Signaling” — the original animal-research study (2021). ScienceKitano Hospital: Background on the tooth-regeneration research and the first human clinical trial (2024). 医学研究所北野病院｜大阪｜Kitano Hospital,OSAKAJapan Registry of Clinical Trials: TRG035 Phase I study — official registration, study design, eligibility criteria, and recruitment status. Ministry of Health JapanToregem BioPharma: Company update confirming completion of the Japanese Phase I trial — February 25, 2026. Toregem BioPharmaToregem BioPharma: Company announcement concerning regulatory review of the Phase IIa clinical-trial notification — August 17, 2026. Toregem BioPharma Support the showDon't miss a (heart) beat! Check out our Instagram @doctoringthetruthpodcast and email us your Medical Mishaps at doctoringthetruth@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at Doctoring the Truth, and TikTok @doctoring the truth. Don't forget to download, rate, and review so we can keep bringing you more exciting content each week!Stay safe, and stay suspicious...trust, after all, is a delicate thing!Don't forget to check out these fantastic discounts using promo code STAYSUSPICIOUS from our sponsors at:*thecuminclub.com for 30% off*https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/STAYSUSPICIOUS for 20% off*www.handful.com for 30% off *www.standshoes.com for 15% off*www.getcheeky.com for 30% off*https://mollybz.com for 10% off *klearprotein.com for 20% off*www.torrain.org for 15% off*www.cozyearth.com for 21% off* www.yarokhair.com for 15% off *www.loveindus.com for 21% off https://www.tumbleweedandoak.com for 15% offwww.aspiredrinks.com 20% OFF ...
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    1 hr and 8 mins
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