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 Jan 28, 2022
Episode 47: Remembering Louie Anderson & Bob Saget / Scleroderma
Friday Jan 28, 2022
Friday Jan 28, 2022
The guys start out discussing the recent snowstorms in North America, the politeness (or lack thereof) of Torontonians, Ali’s toothache and leaving your phone number with bakeries. Then the guys discuss the recent deaths of Louie Anderson and Bob Saget. They start by discussing the legendary Louie Anderson (5:40) his acting on shows such as ‘Baskets’ and his legacy in comedy. The guys then discuss Bob Saget, his television work and the contrast to his outrageous stand up personality (17:48). They then discuss his legacy and the impact he made on his peers in the entertainment industry. Bob was also an advocate for scleroderma research, as his sister passed away from this disease several years ago. Ali then asks Asif about scleroderma (27:50) and Asif explains the manifestations of this disease and how it is one aspect of systemic sclerosis. Asif talks about the various symptoms, why it can be so hard to diagnose, and how it is treated.
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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Louie Anderson, Iconic Stand-Up Comic and ‘Baskets’ Star, Dies at 68: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/louie-anderson-dead-comedian-baskets-star-1235078681/
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Wesley Snipes, Henry Winkler, Adam Sandler, George Wallace Remember Louie Anderson: “Heaven Has a Hell of an Open Mic Night Goin’ Right About Now: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/louie-anderson-dead-hollywood-tributes-1235078703/
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Bob Saget, comedian and 'Full House' star, dead at 65: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/09/entertainment/bob-saget-death-full-house/index.html
- The Generators with Trent McClellan- Bob Saget: https://play.acast.com/s/the-generators-with-trent-mcclellan/bobsaget
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Weeks before he died, Bob Saget opened up about the tragic death of his sister: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bob-saget-sister-gay-scleroderma/
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Bob Saget Said He Would Keep Fighting Scleroderma 'Until I'm Gone' in Interview Weeks Before Death: https://people.com/tv/bob-saget-said-he-would-keep-fighting-scleroderma-until-im-gone-in-interview-weeks-before-death/
- Scleroderma Research Foundation: https://srfcure.org/
- Scleroderma Canada: https://www.scleroderma.ca/
Friday Jan 21, 2022
Episode 46: The Limits of Comedy and Free Speech (with Jess Salomon)
Friday Jan 21, 2022
Friday Jan 21, 2022
Today on a special episode, the guys discuss the case of Mike Ward, who was accused of breaching the limits of free speech when he mocked a disabled singer named Jeremy Gabriel (“Petit Jeremy")...a case that went all the way up to the Supreme Court of Canada. They are joined by their special guest comedian and lawyer Jess Salomon (The Tonight Show, Comedians vs The News). After briefly chatting about Jess’ experiences with the Omicron variant, Jess and Ali disclose that they do know Mike Ward personally from the comedy world. Then they go over the facts of the case and summarize Mike’s joke. Asif then takes a short detour to discuss Treacher Collins Syndrome, the disease which Jeremy was afflicted with. Jess then summarizes the facts of the case and the Supreme Court Decision which was a 5-4 decision in favour of Mike Ward. Jess and Ali discuss the limits of free speech and comedy and how things boil down to “what is the crux of the joke?”.
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:
- Mike Ward’s joke:
- Mike Ward on Joe Rogan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8reKTTTJZlE
- Comedian who mocked disabled child singer did not breach limits of free speech: Supreme Court: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mike-ward-scc-j%C3%A9r%C3%A9my-gabriel-1.6229032
- Comedian and Lawyer Explains Why the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal’s Finding Against Mike Ward Should Offend You: https://theinterrobang.com/comedian-lawyer-explains-canadian-human-rights-tribunals-finding-mike-ward-offend/
Friday Jan 14, 2022
Episode 45: Betty White / Electronic Medical Records (EMR’s)
Friday Jan 14, 2022
Friday Jan 14, 2022
To start the episode, Ali talks about his new CBC show out now “Run the Burbs” and Ali’s appearance on “Family Feud Canada”. Betty White would have been 100 years old on Jan 17, 2022, so to commemorate this, the guys go over her life and career (7:36). They discuss her roles in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, “The Golden Girls” and her devotion to civil rights and animal charities. Then Ali asks Asif about Electronic Medical Records (EMR’s) by using Atul Gawande’s 2018 New Yorker article on the topic as a jumping off point (24:46). Asif goes over the good and bad of EMR’s and possible ways forward to make them useful to patients and physicians.
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:
- Betty White on “The Golden Girls” - “The Great Herring War”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80q1x-EN9qM
- Live With it - Betty White defied racist demands with her 1954 variety show: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/12/31/betty-white-arthur-duncan-racism/
- Betty White Dies: The Golden Girls and Mary Tyler Moore Show Star Was 99: https://people.com/tv/betty-white-the-golden-girls-and-hot-in-cleveland-star-dead-at-99/
- Betty White, a Television Golden Girl From the Start, Is Dead at 99: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/31/arts/television/betty-white-dead.html
- How to support animal lover Betty White's favorite cause: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/02/us/betty-white-animal-charities-iyw/index.html
- Why Doctors Hate Their Computers: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/11/12/why-doctors-hate-their-computers
- Electronic Medical Records, Burnout, And “Man’s 4th Best Hospital”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2019/11/12/electronic-medical-records-burnout-and-mans-4th-best-hospital/?sh=53501f171099
- It’s Time for a New Kind of Electronic Health Record: https://hbr.org/2020/06/its-time-for-a-new-kind-of-electronic-health-record
- The effectiveness of EMR implementation regarding reducing documentation errors and waiting time for patients in outpatient clinics: a systematic review: https://f1000research.com/articles/10-514
Friday Jan 07, 2022
Episode 44: Kal Penn / Physician Burnout (Part 1)
Friday Jan 07, 2022
Friday Jan 07, 2022
Today, Ali and Asif discuss the career of the great Kal Penn (1:46). They discuss his early career all the way up to the release of his memoir, ‘You Can’t Be Serious”. They discuss his famous roles in ‘American Desi’, ‘Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle’, ‘Van Wilder’, ‘The Namesake’, ‘House’ and ‘Designated Survivor’. They discuss Kal coming out as gay as well as his recent engagement. Then Ali asks Asif about Physician Burnout (33:01). Asif starts out by defining physician burnout and discusses the increase in physician burnout over time, which has been worsened with the Covid-19 pandemic. Asif then discusses how electronic medical records contribute to physician burnout. He then talks about the effects burnout has on health care delivery, patients and the physician workforce.
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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You Can’t be Serious: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/You-Cant-Be-Serious/Kal-Penn/9781982171384
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‘Maybe I Do Have a Story to Tell’: Kal Penn on His Memoir: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/01/books/kal-penn-you-cant-be-serious-memoir-interview.html
- Kal Penn on his unlikely stardom: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kal-penn-on-his-unlikely-stardom/
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Kal Penn’s Memoir Is Exactly What We All Need Right Now: https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/books/a38127141/kal-penn-memoir/
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Kal Penn Reveals He's Engaged to Fiancé Josh and Details Their First Date in New Book: https://people.com/books/kal-penn-engagement-to-fiance-josh-first-date-new-book-you-cant-be-serious/
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Burnout isn’t due to resiliency deficit. It’s still a system issue: https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health/burnout-isn-t-due-resiliency-deficit-it-s-still-system-issue
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Physician burnout: contributors, consequences and solutions: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joim.12752
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Physician Burnout, Interrupted: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2003149