Inspired to Act

Are there lessons to be learned about the U.S. healthcare system — both in terms of patient care and medical education — from physicians practicing abroad? Joining host Dr. Martin Samuels to discuss this and other topics is noted neurologist and educator Dr. Jaime Toro.

In April, 1969, the first artificial heart was implanted as a bridge until a human heart could be implanted. It was hailed as a milestone medical treatment, but the ethical implications were widely debated as well. The heart surgeon who performed this ground-breaking surgery, in addition to devising pioneering surgical treatments for infants and children and founding the Texas Heart Institute, Dr. Denton Cooley, is Dr. Martin Samuels' guest.

Are great medical leaders made or born? Can great leadership be developed? What is it about certain personalities that brings people to collaborate while other personalities foster dissension? Joining host Dr. Martin Samuels to discuss these topics is the former dean of both the Harvard Medical school and the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Joseph B. Martin.

What skills does it take to run a large institution concerned with health and welfare? How does a leader nudge a big organization to greater efficiencies and accomplishments? Joining host Dr. Martin A. Samuels to discuss these and other related topics is Dr. Donna Shalala, president of the University of Miami and former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Marcia Angell moved into the field of medical journalism from a career in pathology. She was the first woman to serve as editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, and since leaving that post, has written frequently in professional journals and public press on a wide range of topics. Outspoken and frequently controversial, Dr. Angell joins host Dr. Martin Samuels to discuss her career.

How can clinical trials be made above reproach? How can a healthcare professional best interpret the results of clinical trials? Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic and past-president of the American College of Cardiology, joins Host Dr. Martin A. Samuels to discuss these and other topics

Communicating with our patients is one of the most crucial aspects of our work, and an area which is always evolving and we constantly work to improve. Joining host Dr. Martin Samuels in this conversation is Dr. Timothy Johnson, who, as medical editor and medical commentator on ABC News, arguably speaks to more patients per year than almost any other doctor in America.

Does discussion of end-of-life issue have to devolve into questions about physician-assisted suicide or so-called death panels? Joining host Dr. Martin Samuels is Dr. Ira Byock, director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcok Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. They discuss why this area of medicine is so important, how to better instruct medical students in the field, and the role of compassion in end-of-life care.

Does overcoming defeat and reversal in sports lead to success in career? Joining host Dr. Martin Samuels is Sir Roger Bannister, who as a medical student in May, 1954, shattered a barrier in athletics that many believe stands as one of the greatest athletic accomplishments of the 20th century. But success did not come easily to Sir Roger. He and Dr. Samuels discuss breaking the record, and then choosing to retire as a running and begin his "real" career as a world class neurologist.