Podcasts for Long Drives

It’s interview season from October through January – which means there’s a long winter of driving and flying ahead for many fourth year medical students. Farrah made a list of “5 Podcasts for the Road” a few years ago, and today I’m giving you some new suggestions. And, except for #5, all of these podcasts are FREE.

At the end of each description is an estimate of average episode length, so you can plan your playlist accordingly.

Top Five Pixie-Approved Podcasts

1. OLOGIES
2. This Podcast Will Kill You
3. The Nocturnists
4. The AFP Podcast
5. Primary Care RAP (Reviews And Perspectives)

OLOGIES

Prepare to get super excited about the weirdest things. Alie Ward travels sporadically to interview anyone who has a title that ends in -ologist, asking “stupid questions” and giving you a glimpse into a wacky world. Over and over I’ve read an episode title and thought “Well, this will be boring” only to be so enthralled by what I’m learning that I have repeatedly missed my exit or driven past the hospital. My absolute favorite podcast. As of writing this post her last five episodes were: spiderwebs, pumpkins, skeletons, seasons and POTTEROLOGY. You’re WELCOME.
(Long, 1-1.5 hours)

This Podcast Will Kill You

Do you ever ponder how scientists discovered the deadly secrets of diseases like measles, cholera, yellow fever? Why did there used to be leper colonies? How often SHOULD I wash my hands?! Let two PhDs with the same name tell you stories of science and INFECTION, paired with a “quarantini” recipe such as the HARMADILLO.
(Long, 1-2 hours)

The Nocturnists

Narrative medicine at its absolute finest. Listen to a doctor telling a story to an audience – talking about a patient encounter or experience that changed them. Then enjoy the thoughtful dialogue/interview that follows, and reflect on the humanity in medicine we don’t have much time to think about on a typical day.
(Short, 30 minutes)

The AFP Podcast

The AFP (American Family Physician) podcast is a group of mostly residents discussing and/or summarizing articles from the peer-reviewed AFP journal which is published twice a month. But while you’re on the road you can listen to the key highlights. There are a lot of puns and borderline dad jokes, but the info is good and free, and you don’t have to remember your AFP login to listen.
(Short, 20-30 minutes)

PC: RAP

Students can listen to the monthly free topic, but once you’re a resident I’d strongly recommend paying the $95 a year to subscribe. Every month a new three hour episode is released, covering an assortment of topics in primary care. Topics can range from 3-10 minutes, with some deeper dives being 15-20 minutes long. Each episode includes 2-4 research paper analyses/reviews (called Paper Chase), updates on outpatient and inpatient care, and guest physicians to talk about special topics.
(Brief or Short, each topic 3-20 minutes)

Thanks for reading!