Medical words can sound like spells, and that confusion has a cost. When you don’t understand what a clinician just said, it’s harder to advocate for yourself, follow instructions, or spot a real emergency. So we built a game: we put everyday emergency medicine and toxicology terms in front of a stand-up comedian and let her take her best shot at pronunciation and meaning, then we translate everything into plain English without losing the nuance.

We dig into computed tomography (yes, the CT scan), what it actually does, and why contrast matters. We decode choledocholithiasis into a clear picture of gallstones in the bile duct and why that location changes the urgency. We also tackle the legendary sphygmomanometer, the blood pressure cuff you’ve met a hundred times, and use it to talk about how clinicians think with simple vital signs.

Then the stakes rise with toxicology and overdose care. We explain N-acetylcysteine as the antidote for acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose and why timing matters for liver protection. We cover naloxone (Narcan), how the nasal spray works, when a Good Samaritan might consider it, and what it can do to someone who’s dependent on opioids.

We even zoom out into public health with DDT, malaria control, environmental harm, and the very real mosquito problem, before closing on “NPO,” nothing by mouth, and why anesthesia teams care so much about an empty stomach and even your nail polish.

If you like smart medicine with real laughs, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who hates medical jargon, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find the show.

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS:

Dr Mike: emergency room physician, medical toxicologist, addiction medicine specialist YT/IG/TT: @toxdocx

Paula Kosienski: comedian, IG/TT/YT @paulacomedy FB: Paula Kosienski https://nateland.com/pages/paula-kosienski

Subscribe wherever you listen, share this with a friend and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about healthcare and a little comedy along the way.

This episode was produced by Angie Debelak with post-production editing by Ben Hill Sound.

Thanks for listening to Dr Ben and Friends. Laughter is the best medicine...unless you're treating bowel or bladder incontinence. See you next time!

Team Dr Ben

Share a message with Dr Ben and Friends!

Support the show

Follow and listen for free on Dr Ben and Friends website, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio!

Fan of the show? Record yourself! on Dr Ben's website and YOU could be featured on the next episode!

DISCLAIMER: Dr Ben and Friends Podcast

Quick heads-up folks: Dr Ben and Friends is your weekly dose of laughs and stories. We celebrate healthcare heroes and pro comics.

This is infotainment-- think popcorn, not prescriptions or medical advice.

If you're feeling funky, see your medical professional. Your health? That's on you. We'll stick to the punchlines.

A headline claims a man regrew the tip of his finger with powder made from pig bladder. Another claims coffee can reduce phantom phone vibration syndrome by 23%. Both sound just believable enough to fool you, which is why we love playing Headline Or Hoax.

With comedian Paula Kosienski and healthcare hero Dr. Mike on the mic, we put our instincts on the line and then dig into what the real story actually suggests.

After the reveal, we unpack the fingertip regrowth case in plain language, including why “miracle cure” headlines can outrun the evidence and how normal healing can get mistaken for a breakthrough. We also talk about phantom phone vibration syndrome, that weird modern moment when you feel a buzz that never happened, and why adding a neat statistic to a real condition is a classic misinformation move.

Then we pivot from weird medical news into practical safety: what to do if a finger gets cut off, when it makes sense to bring the severed part, and how clinicians decide what’s salvageable. To close, we lighten it up with Dr. Ben Buzz Battle that turns the operating room into an Operation-style challenge complete with a proper timeout, some sterile field jokes, and the all-important question of what music belongs in surgery.

If you laughed, learned, or changed your mind about a headline you would’ve shared, please subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show.

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS:

Dr Mike: emergency room physician, medical toxicologist, addiction medicine specialist YT/IG/TT: @toxdocx

Paula Kosienski: comedian, IG/TT/YT @paulacomedy FB: Paula Kosienski https://nateland.com/pages/paula-kosienski

Subscribe wherever you listen, share this with a friend and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about healthcare and a little comedy along the way.

This episode was produced by Angie Debelak with post-production editing by Ben Hill Sound.

Thanks for listening to Dr Ben and Friends. Laughter is the best medicine...unless you're treating bowel or bladder incontinence. See you next time!

Team Dr Ben

Share a message with Dr Ben and Friends!

Support the show

Follow and listen for free on Dr Ben and Friends website, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio!

Fan of the show? Record yourself! on Dr Ben's website and YOU could be featured on the next episode!

DISCLAIMER: Dr Ben and Friends Podcast

Quick heads-up folks: Dr Ben and Friends is your weekly dose of laughs and stories. We celebrate healthcare heroes and pro comics.

This is infotainment-- think popcorn, not prescriptions or medical advice.

If you're feeling funky, see your medical professional. Your health? That's on you. We'll stick to the punchlines.

“Do not bring a live snake to the emergency room” is advice you never expect to hear. Our healthcare hero, Dr Mike, medical toxicologist and emergency room physician breaks down how poisoning, overdoses, and antidotes work in the real world. 🔴 Dr Ben and Friends

Comedian and true crime enthusiast Paula Kosienski keeps the laughs coming as we move from antifreeze and snake bites to myths, drug testing, and how to avoid accidental medication mistakes. Dr. Mike, also an addiction medicine specialist, helps us understand some bizarre situations we hopefully never experience!

We get into how toxicology requires detective work: what clinicians can test quickly, what they can’t, and how patterns like metabolic acidosis and osmolar gaps guide treatment before confirmatory levels come back. Dr. Mike explains antifreeze poisoning in plain language, why acetaminophen is still one of the most common overdoses, and what “supportive care” means when there is no magic antidote. We also talk decontamination tools you’ve heard of but probably never understood, including activated charcoal and whole bowel irrigation. Sounds like fun, right?

Then we zoom out to real-world hazards: snake bites (no, you should not suck venom out, and please don’t bring a live snake to the ER), black widow realities, and social media challenges like Tide Pods and nutmeg that can do serious harm. We also cover drug testing and false positives, including how medications like Wellbutrin can confuse standard urine screens and why a careful med history matters.

If you like smart medical storytelling with clean comedy and actionable safety tips, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who loves true crime myths, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. What poison or overdose myth do you want us to tackle next?

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS:

Dr Mike: emergency room physician, medical toxicologist, addiction medicine specialist

YT/IG/TT: @toxdocx

Paula Kosienski: comedian

IG/TT/YT @paulacomedy

FB: Paula Kosienski

https://nateland.com/pages/paula-kosienski

Subscribe wherever you listen, share this with a friend and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about healthcare and a little comedy along the way.

This episode was produced by Angie Debelak with post-production editing by Ben Hill Sound.

Thanks for listening to Dr Ben and Friends. Laughter is the best medicine...unless you're treating bowel or bladder incontinence. See you next time!

Team Dr Ben

Share a message with Dr Ben and Friends!

Support the show

Follow and listen for free on Dr Ben and Friends website, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio!

Fan of the show? Record yourself! on Dr Ben's website and YOU could be featured on the next episode!

DISCLAIMER: Dr Ben and Friends Podcast

Quick heads-up folks: Dr Ben and Friends is your weekly dose of laughs and stories. We celebrate healthcare heroes and pro comics.

This is infotainment-- think popcorn, not prescriptions or medical advice.

If you're feeling funky, see your medical professional. Your health? That's on you. We'll stick to the punchlines.

A “whirly bird” in an operating room sounds like a joke, until you hear what it actually does to pull bone back into alignment. We kick off a fast, playful game where orthopedic traumatologist Dr. Kate shares real surgical instrument names and comedian Seth Hayes tries to pronounce them and guess their meaning, then we unpack the real-world trauma surgery behind the punchlines.

Along the way, we translate orthopedic jargon into clear visuals: minimally invasive plate fixation of the tibia, why a flexible Gigli saw exists, and how a femoral distractor uses pins and a threaded rod to apply serious, controlled force when dealing with complex fractures like tibial plateau injuries and acetabulum fractures in the hip joint. We also get into the surprisingly deep world of “just scissors” and “just forceps,” including why Debakey forceps pair with electrocautery to clamp and cauterize bleeding vessels when you’re working in tight, deep surgical spaces.

Then we go big on one of the most important advances in fracture care: the intramedullary nail. Dr. Kate explains what it is, the memorable history behind early nail designs, and why modern intramedullary fixation can replace weeks of traction with stability that helps patients get up and walk sooner. We finish with a practical, step-by-step overview of how a nail goes inside a bone through small incisions using a starting wire, guide wire, reaming, mallet seating, and interlocking bolts.

If you like medicine that’s accurate, funny, and easy to picture, subscribe, share this with a friend who loves health and comedy, and leave a review. Which tool name fooled you most?

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS:

Dr Kate: orthopaedic trauma surgeon, hockey player

Seth Kays: filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian, podcast host

IG @sethkaysofficial @manmademediaco @moviewarspodcast

TT @moviewarspodcast X @MovieWarsPod FB TheMovieWarsPodcast YT @moviewarspodcast www.moviewarspodcast.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/movie-wars/id1560698102

Subscribe wherever you listen, share this with a friend and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about healthcare and a little comedy along the way.

This episode was produced by Angie Debelak with post-production editing by Ben Hill Sound.

Thanks for listening to Dr Ben and Friends. Laughter is the best medicine...unless you're treating bowel or bladder incontinence. See you next time!

Team Dr Ben

Share a message with Dr Ben and Friends!

Support the show

Follow and listen for free on Dr Ben and Friends website, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio!

Fan of the show? Record yourself! on Dr Ben's website and YOU could be featured on the next episode!

DISCLAIMER: Dr Ben and Friends Podcast

Quick heads-up folks: Dr Ben and Friends is your weekly dose of laughs and stories. We celebrate healthcare heroes and pro comics.

This is infotainment-- think popcorn, not prescriptions or medical advice.

If you're feeling funky, see your medical professional. Your health? That's on you. We'll stick to the punchlines.

A medical headline about laughter curing an autoimmune spine disease sounds like the kind of internet nonsense we’re trained to ignore and that’s exactly why we put it on the whiteboard. We kick off with “Headline or Hoax,” make our guesses, and then unpack the real story behind Norman Cousins, ankylosing spondylitis, and the surprisingly practical question hiding underneath the punchline: what does laughter actually do to pain, stress, and sleep, and where does it belong alongside real medical care?

From there, we fact-check a too-good-to-be-true claim about eating chocolate before bed and “boosting IQ,” using it as a springboard into what research does suggest about dark chocolate, cocoa flavanols, and cardiovascular health. We also talk honestly about the difference between a compelling anecdote and evidence-based medicine, why older publishing norms look strange today, and how to hold hope and skepticism at the same time without sliding into cynical dismissal.

Comedian Seth Kays becomes a surgeon on the Dr Ben and Friends podcast! We head into the operating room for a surprisingly fun breakdown of surgical safety. We talk through the purpose of caps, gowns, masks, double gloves, and why orthopedic surgery adds its own hazards, including blood exposure and fluoroscopy radiation. You’ll also learn why lead aprons and thyroid shields matter, what radiation glasses are for, and how a pre-op timeout helps prevent wrong-site surgery by forcing the whole team to pause and confirm the plan.

If you like smart medicine with real laughs, subscribe, share this with a friend who loves weird health headlines, and leave us a review with your take: which “Headline or Hoax” would you have picked?

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS:

Dr Kate: orthopaedic trauma surgeon, hockey player

Seth Kays: filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian, podcast host

IG @sethkaysofficial @manmademediaco @moviewarspodcast

TT @moviewarspodcast X @MovieWarsPod FB TheMovieWarsPodcast YT @moviewarspodcast www.moviewarspodcast.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/movie-wars/id1560698102

Subscribe wherever you listen, share this with a friend and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about healthcare and a little comedy along the way.

This episode was produced by Angie Debelak with post-production editing by Ben Hill Sound.

Thanks for listening to Dr Ben and Friends. Laughter is the best medicine...unless you're treating bowel or bladder incontinence. See you next time!

Team Dr Ben

Share a message with Dr Ben and Friends!

Support the show

Follow and listen for free on Dr Ben and Friends website, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio!

Fan of the show? Record yourself! on Dr Ben's website and YOU could be featured on the next episode!

DISCLAIMER: Dr Ben and Friends Podcast

Quick heads-up folks: Dr Ben and Friends is your weekly dose of laughs and stories. We celebrate healthcare heroes and pro comics.

This is infotainment-- think popcorn, not prescriptions or medical advice.

If you're feeling funky, see your medical professional. Your health? That's on you. We'll stick to the punchlines.

A broken bone sounds simple until you learn what trauma surgeons actually manage around it: crushed soft tissue, infection risk, evolving wounds, and a hospital full of moving pieces that have to click into place fast. 🔴 Dr Ben and Friends

We sit down in Nashville with Dr. Kate, an orthopedic trauma surgeon, and get the clearest explanation you will hear of what “bone doctor” work looks like when the injuries are high-energy and the call shift runs 7 a.m. to 7 a.m.

We dig into the real workflow behind orthopedic trauma care: early morning scan review, building a detailed OR plan, and working alongside physician assistants, the general surgery trauma team, and specialists like plastics when an open fracture needs more than hardware. Dr. Kate breaks down the difference between routine fractures and open injuries, why irrigation and antibiotics matter, and how timing decisions have changed as the evidence has evolved. We also talk tech and the future, from implants and CT 3D reconstruction to what AI might eventually do and why robotics is not a go-to tool for most fracture patterns yet.

Then we switch gears into the person behind the scrubs. Dr. Kate shares her path through competitive hockey and what it feels like to watch patients go from stretcher to wheelchair to walking back into clinic. With comedian and filmmaker Seth Kays, we connect the pressure of the operating room to the pressure of the stage, including what to do when a set bombs and why open mics are the only real stand-up rehearsal.

Subscribe for more conversations where healthcare and comedy meet, share this with a friend who loves medicine or live performance, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS:

Dr Kate: orthopaedic trauma surgeon, hockey player

Seth Kays: filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian, podcast host

IG @sethkaysofficial @manmademediaco @moviewarspodcast

TT @moviewarspodcast X @MovieWarsPod FB TheMovieWarsPodcast YT @moviewarspodcast www.moviewarspodcast.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/movie-wars/id1560698102

Subscribe wherever you listen, share this with a friend and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about healthcare and a little comedy along the way.

This episode was produced by Angie Debelak with post-production editing by Ben Hill Sound.

Thanks for listening to Dr Ben and Friends. Laughter is the best medicine...unless you're treating bowel or bladder incontinence. See you next time!

Team Dr Ben

Share a message with Dr Ben and Friends!

Support the show

Follow and listen for free on Dr Ben and Friends website, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio!

Fan of the show? Record yourself! on Dr Ben's website and YOU could be featured on the next episode!

DISCLAIMER: Dr Ben and Friends Podcast

Quick heads-up folks: Dr Ben and Friends is your weekly dose of laughs and stories. We celebrate healthcare heroes and pro comics.

This is infotainment-- think popcorn, not prescriptions or medical advice.

If you're feeling funky, see your medical professional. Your health? That's on you. We'll stick to the punchlines.

Some medical words sound like pasta, spells, or something your doctor made up on the spot and that’s exactly why we play “What The Heck Is That?” Dr. Ben is joined by Dr. Jennifer, a hospitalist who lives in the world of hospital medicine, plus comedian Marcus Saputo, who tries to pronounce wild-looking terms and guess what they mean before we translate them into plain English.

We unpack pancytopenia (when multiple blood counts are low), then jump to pneumoperitoneum, a term that matters because it can point to free air in the abdomen and a true surgical emergency. From there we hit onychomycosis (toenail fungus that sounds way more serious than it usually is) and hypernatremia (elevated sodium), using each word to show how prefixes and roots can help you decode medical terminology in your chart, a lab result, or a discharge summary.

The longest tongue-twister is idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, better known as ITP, and it sparks a real talk about why clinicians use abbreviations and what “idiopathic” can honestly mean. We wrap with splenomegaly, how an enlarged spleen comes up in real patient care, and why clear explanations are part of patient safety.

If you like funny learning with practical takeaways, subscribe, share this with a friend who hates medical jargon, and leave a review. What’s the most confusing medical term you’ve ever heard?

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS:

Dr Jennifer: Internal Medicine, Hospitalist

Marcus Saputo: IG/TT/YT/FB @marcussaputo https://marcussaputo.com/

Subscribe wherever you listen, share this with a friend and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about healthcare and a little comedy along the way.

This episode was produced by Angie Debelak with post-production editing by Ben Hill Sound.

Thanks for listening to Dr Ben and Friends. Laughter is the best medicine...unless you're treating bowel or bladder incontinence. See you next time!

Team Dr Ben

Share a message with Dr Ben and Friends!

Support the show

Follow and listen for free on Dr Ben and Friends website, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio!

Fan of the show? Record yourself! on Dr Ben's website and YOU could be featured on the next episode!

DISCLAIMER: Dr Ben and Friends Podcast

Quick heads-up folks: Dr Ben and Friends is your weekly dose of laughs and stories. We celebrate healthcare heroes and pro comics.

This is infotainment-- think popcorn, not prescriptions or medical advice.

If you're feeling funky, see your medical professional. Your health? That's on you. We'll stick to the punchlines.