Is Laughter the best medicine? We attempt to answer this and other pressing questions in Doctor Vs Comedian. Dr Asif Doja is a pediatric neurologist and Ali Hassan is a stand up comedian and actor (CBC‘s Laugh Out Loud, Designated Survivor, Goon) who are each fascinated by what the other one does. In each episode, Asif picks a topic for Ali from comedy and entertainment and questions Ali about it. Then Ali picks a topic from medicine and health and grills Asif on that subject. We talk about serious subjects in an unserious way. If you want to hear about comedy, entertainment, health and wellness and don‘t want to have to choose between being entertaining AND informed, then this show is for you.
Episodes
Friday Sep 24, 2021
Episode 30: ‘Nevermind’ vs ‘Ten’ / Cognitive Bias and Vaccine Hesitancy
Friday Sep 24, 2021
Friday Sep 24, 2021
Today, the guys start off by discussing the recently departed Norm Macdonald (1:00). They talk about his unique comic voice and the tremendous respect Ali and other comics had for him. Then, since both albums were released 30 years ago this month, the guys debate which album is better: Nirvana’s Nevermind’ or Pearl Jam’s ‘Ten (8:09)’. During their wide-ranging conversation, they reference the origins of the name “Smell’s Like Teen Spirit”, the recent lawsuit filed regarding the photo on the cover of ‘Nevermind’, Columbia house records, Andrew Wood and Temple of the Dog and Ali’s go-to karaoke song. Then Ali asks Asif about cognitive bias in medicine and how they can lead to diagnostic errors (30:48). Asif then discusses how the concepts around cognitive bias can lead us to better understand vaccine hesitancy (42:48).
The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.
Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay
Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com
Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian
Instagram: doctorvcomedian
Show Notes
- Blink by Malcolm Gladwell:
- Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/89308/thinking-fast-and-slow-by-daniel-kahneman/9780385676533
- The Causes of Errors in Clinical Reasoning: Cognitive Biases, Knowledge Deficits, and Dual Process Thinking: https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2017/01000/The_Causes_of_Errors_in_Clinical_Reasoning_.13.aspx
- Undecided On Getting A Covid-19 Vaccine? Beware Of These Two Cognitive Biases: https://www.forbes.com/sites/coronavirusfrontlines/2021/01/09/undecided-on-getting-a-covid-19-vaccine-beware-of-these-two-cognitive-biases/?sh=19d9628b7154
- A behavioral economics perspective on the COVID-19 vaccine amid public mistrust: https://ucleuropeblog.com/2020/11/16/conspiracy-theories-cognitive-biases-and-covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy/
Friday Sep 17, 2021
Episode 29: Emmy Awards Preview / Academic Publishing
Friday Sep 17, 2021
Friday Sep 17, 2021
To start the show, the guys discuss the sometimes murky issue of copyright claims on YouTube (1:30). Then the guys preview the upcoming 73rd annual Emmy awards and their picks in various categories (7:03). Then, Ali asks Asif about the academic publishing and why Asif feels the whole system of academic publishing needs to be fixed (29:39). He discusses the monopoly of academic publishers as well as the problems with the peer review process and so called Open Access. He then discusses the controversial website “Sci Hub” and the need for academics to stand up to publishers.
The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.
Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay
Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com
Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian
Instagram: doctorvcomedian
Show Notes
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Academic publishing is broken. Here’s how to redesign it: https://www.fastcompany.com/90180552/academic-publishing-is-broken-heres-how-to-redesign-it
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It’s time to stand up to academic publishing: https://www.universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/time-stand-academic-publishing-industry/
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Science’s pirate queen: Alexandra Elbakyan is plundering the academic publishing establishment: https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/8/16985666/alexandra-elbakyan-sci-hub-open-access-science-papers-lawsuit
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The Oligopoly of Academic Publishers in the Digital Era: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0127502
Friday Sep 10, 2021
Episode 28: Life on the Road / Pharma influence on Doctors
Friday Sep 10, 2021
Friday Sep 10, 2021
The guys start with a serious debate about whether ‘drums’ or ‘flats’ are the better chicken wings (00:50). Ali then discusses life on the road as a comedian (5:11), including tips on how to get started in comedy touring. Then, Asif discusses the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on the prescribing habits of doctors (29:36). He discusses his own personal experiences with pharma, as well as what the evidence says about whether the pens, dinners and trips given to doctors actually influences behaviour (spoiler: it does).
The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.
Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay
Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com
Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian
Instagram: doctorvcomedian
Show notes
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Doctors Prescribe More of a Drug If They Receive Money from a Pharma Company Tied to It: https://www.propublica.org/article/doctors-prescribe-more-of-a-drug-if-they-receive-money-from-a-pharma-company-tied-to-it
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Big pharma paid $151M to doctors, hospitals in 2017-18, but we don’t know who got paid or why: https://globalnews.ca/news/5769443/big-pharma-paying-doctors-hospitals/
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‘Manipulating physicians’: How drug reps pitch your doc: https://globalnews.ca/news/5702980/how-drug-reps-pitch-doctors/
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Big pharma pours millions into medical schools — here’s how it can impact education: https://globalnews.ca/news/5738386/canadian-medical-school-funding/
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Association of Industry Payments to Physicians With the Prescribing of Brand-name Statins in Massachusetts: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2520680
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Association of Pharmaceutical Industry Marketing of Opioid Products to Physicians With Subsequent Opioid Prescribing: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2681059
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Association Between Academic Medical Center Pharmaceutical Detailing Policies and Physician Prescribing: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2623607
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Interactions between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry generally and sales representatives specifically and their association with physicians’ attitudes and prescribing habits: a systematic review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5623540/
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Institutional Academic−Industry Relationships: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/209192
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A National Survey of Physician–Industry Relationships: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa064508
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Of principles and pens: attitudes and practices of medicine housestaff toward pharmaceutical industry promotions: https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343%2801%2900660-X/abstract
Friday Sep 03, 2021
Friday Sep 03, 2021
In this episode, Ali and Asif discuss the surging rates of eating disorders during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Adolescent Medicine and Eating Disorders expert Dr. Megan Harrison (who also happens to be Asif’s wife). Dr. Harrison discusses what eating disorders are and how adolescents develop them. Dr. Harrison also discusses how eating disorders are occurring in younger and younger children and the effects of restricted eating on the brain. She discusses the risk of mortality in eating disorders and some of the messaging kids receive about “healthy” eating through schools and the media. Finally she discusses the spike in eating disorder cases during the Covid-19 pandemic and the possible reasons why this increase may have occurred.
The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.
Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay
Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com
Follow us on Social media:
Twitter: @doctorvcomedian
Instagram: doctorvcomedian