Primary Medicine Podcast

Dear Listeners, In this episode of the Primary Medicine Podcast, we welcome back Dr. Sam Gharbi—clinician, educator, and health tech innovator—to discuss the rapid growth of Arya Health, one of Canada's fastest-growing EMRs. Dr. Gharbi shares how Arya is transforming physician workflows with AI tools like AI Scribe, eFaxTriage and Co-Pilot, and we explore its […] The post Episode 106: Building the Future of EMRs with Dr. Sam Gharbi on Arya Health and AI Innovation appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Welcome back to the Primary Medicine Podcast! Today's guest is Ron Richard, a true healthcare innovator with over 35 years of experience in respiratory, pulmonary, and sleep medicine. From launching over 40 medical products and holding 15 patents to working with industry leaders like ResMed and Qualcomm, Ron has helped shape the future […] The post Episode 105: From Bedside to Breakthrough: Ron Richard on Innovation and Invention appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Welcome to the Primary Medicine Podcast! Today, we're exploring a groundbreaking approach to chronic pain—one that challenges the idea that all persistent pain stems from injury or disease. Our guest, Dr. David Clarke, President of the Association for Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms (ATNS), specializes in stress-related, brain-generated conditions and helps patients overcome pain […] The post Episode 104: Rewiring Chronic Pain, The Science of Neuroplastic Healing with Dr. David Clarke appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Today, we're diving into the critical topic of enhancing interoperability in Canadian health care with an exceptional guest, Dr. Rashaad Bhyat. Dr. Bhyat is a family physician, digital health expert, and Senior Clinician Leader at Canada Health Infoway, a federally funded, not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing digital health solutions across Canada. Canada Health […] The post Episode 103: Dr. Rashaad Bhyat from Canada Health Infoway on tackling Health Care Interoperability appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Welcome back to the Primary Medicine Podcast! Today, we're diving into the world of healthcare technology and innovation with a guest who has been a driving force in transforming digital health across Canada. Mike Checkley is the President of QHR Technologies, the company behind Accuro EMR—one of the leading electronic medical record systems […] The post Episode 102: Mike Checkley, President of Accuro, on EMRs, AI, and the Future of Digital Health appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Welcome to the Primary Medicine Podcast. Today, we're spotlighting Quilt In-Home Care, an innovative company founded by Blake Cheeseman and Peter Kotzeff, born from a personal experience with Peter's grandmother and Blake's mother during the pandemic. They faced the challenge many families do: finding high-quality, reliable in-home care. So they created Quilt to […] The post Episode 101: Revolutionizing Home Care with Quilt appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Welcome to today's podcast, where we have the pleasure of speaking with Rima Sehgal, a dedicated mental health professional with over three decades of experience. Rima's journey in psychotherapy has been marked by her unwavering passion for empowering clients to regain control and confidence in their lives.As the founder of TherapySupports, Rima has […] The post Episode 100: Rima Sehgal(PhD, RP), founder of TherapySupports, on the benefits of virtual psychotherapy appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Join us on the Primary Medicine Podcast as we explore the dynamic world of healthcare technology with Dr. Jonathan Baktari, CEO of e7 Health, eNational Testing and US Drug Test Centers. Discover how his companies are revolutionising patient care through innovation and software, and why they are a recognized leader in the healthcare […] The post Episode 99: Dr. Jonathan Baktari on medical innovation and digital health appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, In this episode we will be again exploring the intersection of medicine and technology. Today, we’re introducing Dr. Amjed Kadhim-Saleh, or Dr AJ, a dedicated family physician and innovator from Toronto. Dr AJ, a University of Ottawa alumnus and University of Toronto-trained family doctor, manages a diverse patient base and strives for efficiency […] The post Episode 98: Dr. Kadhim-Saleh on Pippen a cutting-edge AI physician assistant appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, On today’s episode we will be talking to Dr. Sasha High, an Internist and Obesity Medicine Physician, who has leveraged her extensive medical training and board certification in Obesity Medicine to lead the High Metabolic Clinic in Ontario. She’s also the creator of Best Weight, a prominent medical weight loss coaching program for […] The post Episode 97: Dr. Sasha High on the importance of psychological care in Obesity Management appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Tune in for an informative conversation with Dr. Benjamin Caplan, expert on #CannabisMedicine, founder of #CEDClinic and author of The Doctor-Approved Cannabis Handbook. He shares his vast knowledge and experience on #CannabisScience. Listen to the Podcast Episode here! SPOTIFY: https://spoti.fi/3JUy5hiAPPLE PODCASTS: https://apple.co/3UC913y Link to Dr. Caplan's activities: https://benjamincaplan.com/linksAnd to the book: https://amzn.to/3WYxWkF The post Episode 96: Dr. Benjamin Caplan on the Doctor Approved Cannabis Handbook appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Dr. Kevin Mailo is an emergency physician based out of Edmonton, Alberta. He is the founder of Physician Empowerment, an organisation dedicated to transforming the lives of Canadian physicians through education in finance, practice management, wellness, and leadership. During the podcast, we have a chance to talk about his vision about the long-term […] The post Podcast 95: Dr. Kevin Mailo on empowering physicians to be mentally, physically and financially healthy appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, In this episode we are talking with Dr. Megha Poddar about evidence based approach in treatment of Obesity. Dr. is an Endocrinologist and Obesity medicine specialist in Toronto, Ontario. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and an Assistant Professor (Adjunct) in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University. […] The post Podcast 94: Dr. Megha Poddar on Obesity appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, In this episode we are talking to Dr. Puneet Seth about his predictions about advancements on AI in primary care in 2024. These advancements will impact administrative staff, patients, clinicians, medical students and the entire novel medical ecosystem. Dr. Seth is a medical doctor and technologist, recognized for pioneering digital health tools and […] The post Podcast 93: Dr. Puneet Seth on AI in Primary Care in 2024 appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, On today’s podcast we talk to Marc-David Munk, a Canadian/American emergency physician and healthcare executive. Over the past decade, he has held leadership roles at various nontraditional healthcare delivery organizations in the US and abroad. He began his career as a professor of emergency medicine and as the medical director for the Qatari […] The post Podcast 92: Dr. Munk and Urgent Calls From Distant Places appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

On today’s podcast, we will be talking to Dr. Stephen Sharpe, a fellow family physician and the Medical Director of Aroga Health, one of the fastest growing Lifestyle Medicine Clinics in Canada. There is no longer any serious doubt that daily habits and actions profoundly affect health and quality of life. This concept is supported […] The post Podcast 91: Dr. Stephen Sharpe of Aroga Health appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, On today’s podcast we talk to Dr. Luke Napier, the founder of Virtual Hallway. Virtual Hallway (virtualhallway.ca) is a platform that bridges the gap between primary care providers and specialists, making peer-to-peer phone call consultations swift and efficient via their innovative platform modelled after the traditional “hallway consult”. This digital solution saves time […] The post Podcast 90: What is Virtual Hallway? appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, In this episode of the primary medicine podcast, we will talk about the benefits of intermittent fasting and the alternative fasting mimicking diet with the CEO of L-Nutra, Dr. Joseph Antoun. Fasting is a popular dietary strategy that involves alternating periods of eating and fasting. It has been shown to have various positive […] The post Podcast 89: Dr. Joseph Antoun on Benefits of Fasting appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Please join us for a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at organ transplants and what it's like to work as a lung transplant physician confronted with critical decisions on a daily basis.  Our guest is transplant consultant Dr. David Weill, who is the former Director of the Center for Advanced Lung Disease and the Lung […] The post Podcast 88: Dr. Weill on Organ Transplants appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, In today's bonus episode we talk to Michael Dutra, the CEO of Michael Dutra Estate Planning and Insurance, about Disability Insurance. This is perhaps the most important insurance policy for professionals during their working careers. During our discussion, we will go over the basics and we will cover the policy itself as well […] The post Podcast 87: Michael Dutra a few words on Disability Insurance appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, On today’s podcast, we will explore the latest developments and applications of generative artificial intelligence in the field of medicine. In this episode, we will talk to the Chief Medical Director of Innovation at TELUS Health, Dr. Puneet Seth. Dr Seth is a leader and a practitioner of generative AI in improving healthcare […] The post Podcast 86: Dr. Seth on Generative AI in Medicine appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Welcome back to the Primary Medicine Podcast. In this episode, we will talk about sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT, for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. SLIT is a form of allergy treatment that involves placing allergen extracts under the tongue to gradually desensitize the immune system. We will discuss how SLIT works, what are its benefits and […] The post Podcast 85: Dr. Mannan Shah on sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, We are lucky to have Dr. Kevin back on the podcast. Micro and macroscopic hematurea are common incidental findings in primary care. They are often of a bening nature, but it is important to have a thorough method  in investigating their differential so as not to miss rare but serious causes of bleeding […] The post Podcast 84: Dr. Kevin on Micro and Macroscopic Hematurea appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Approximately 25% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer will require a mastectomy. Breast reconstruction is a currently underutilised (less than 50%) option for these patients that provides psychological, social, emotional, and functional improvements, including improved psychological health, self-esteem, sexuality, and body image. To cover this topic, we are very lucky to have […] The post Podcast 83: Dr. Jordan Frey on Breast Reconstruction Surgery appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Every day, more than 600 people in Canada are diagnosed with cancer and more than 200 die from it. It is very likely that everyone of you has in one way or another had experience with it. It is thus important that both healthcare professionals and the general population are informed about this […] The post Podcast 82: Dr. David Stewart on Why Cancer Still Sucks appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Having healthcare led by people with a deep understanding of the nature and challenges of clinical work is a key component of a resilient healthcare system. Yet leadership is a challenging skill that is rarely, if ever, nurtured and encouraged in physicians. We are thus fortunate today to have Dr. Malcolm Ogborn (https://www.optimisticdoc.com/) […] The post Podcast 81: Dr. Malcom Ogborn on Physician Leadership appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, We’re very excited to share that our national conference on wealth creation for physicians resumes this year! Physician Empowerment is returning to Toronto June 3 to 5 with Canada’s top MD voices in the field: https://www.physempowerment.ca/live Beyond attending in person, we’ve got a great livestream option and all registrants enjoy unlimited access to […] The post Podcast 80: Dr. Mailo on Falls in the Elderly appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, We are lucky to have Dr. Vu Kiet Tran back on the podcast. Dr. Tran is an Emergency, Family Medicine, and Long-term Care physician with over 20 years of clinical experience in Canada. He has vast clinical knowledge in elderly care and is currently running a facility with over 200 residents.   A 2020 […] The post Dr. Tran on Cannabis in the Elderly appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, For our latest podcast, I was fortunate enough to talk to Dr. Sam Gharbi. Dr. Gharbi is an Internal Medicine Doctor currently practising in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is an accomplished clinician, author, educator, and most importantly, an innovator and problem solver. He is also Co-Founder of the Arya EHR, a system that […] The post Podcast 78: Dr. Gharbi on the Future of Medicine appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Metacognition is the process of being aware of one’s own thinking, learning, and diagnostic processes and how they can shape our decisions when it comes to patient care. This self-awareness is very important in avoiding medical error yet it is rarely developed during medical training. This podcast is meant to remedy this. Dr. […] The post Dr. Tran on Metacognition and Minimizing Medical Error appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, We are very fortunate to have Dr. Vu Kiet Tran back this month to talk about Ageism. Ageism is discriminating or stereotyping someone based on their age. It is very much prevalent in Western medical culture. It presents in insidious ways, such as the observed tendency for doctors to dismiss patients and pathologies […] The post Dr. Tran on Ageism in Western Medicine appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, We are very fortunate to have Dr. Vu Kiet Tran as a guest on our podcast this month. Dr. Tran is an emergency medicine doctor, a Life and Financial Coach to healthcare professionals, and the host of the excellent “How is my Financial Health, doc?” podcast. Dr. Tran talks about the importance of […] The post Dr. Tran on caring for your Lifeforce and preventing burnout appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, We are lucky to have Dr. Yatin Chada, host of the excellent  beyond the MD podcast, join us for our latest episode. Dr. Chada is a radiologist who has practised in both Canada and the US. He is a devoted father and a lifelong learner. As host of beyond the MD podcast, Dr. […] The post Dr. Chadha from the beyond MD podcast appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear listeners, Colchicine has been used as an anti-inflammatory medication for centuries. The plant source of colchicine, the autumn crocus, was indeed used in Ancient Egypt as a treatment for rheumatism and swelling.  Currently, colchicine is indicated for treatment of inflammatory conditions such as gout, pericarditis, and Mediteranian fever. Based on a few recent studies, […] The post Podcast 73: Colchicine in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, This month, we are very excited to bring you a preview of our upcoming conference for Physician Empowerment. This year, our focus is on personal resilience and practice management. On today’s episode, Kevin shares a remarkably refreshing view on wellness within our profession. The event is being live-streamed from beautiful Banff, Alberta from […] The post Physician Empowerment: You Are More than an Empty Vessel appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, We are very honoured to have Dr. John Crosby join us and share the wisdom he has gained during his lifetime as a Family Doctor in Canada. Dr. Crosby is an author, blogger, consultant, and mentor. He is a regular contributor to the Medical Post and a peer reviewer for the College of […] The post Podcast 72: Dr. John Crosby on preventing physician burnout appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, It is estimated that about 40% of patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes will have diabetic kidney disease. The suggested progression of this disorder is glomerular hyperfiltration due to a high-pressure state caused by elevated blood sugar, proteinuria due to glomerular damage, and chronic renal failure to renal hypoperfusion. Recent studies […] The post Podcast 71: Diabetic Kidney Disease appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, An estimated 10% of school-aged children will have proteinuria. About 0.1% of them will have persistent hematuria requiring further investigation. Transient proteinuria can be caused by stress, exercise, cold exposure, dehydration, and orthostasis. Persistent proteinuria can be caused by Glomerular or Tubular Disease. Glomerular disease is most common with differential including infections (Strep […] The post Podcast 70: Proteinuria in Children appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, The C-Reactive Protein and the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate are both lab tests used to measure inflammation in the body. They are usually elevated during infectious, inflammatory, and malignant diseases.  The CRP is produced by the liver shortly after the offending process so it is a direct measure of inflammation. The ESR is based […] The post Podcast 69: C-Reactive Protein and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, As a follow up to podcast 67, Eric Harvey, a 3rd year Mcgill medical student, is joining the Primary Medicine Podcast to go over the treatment approach for male hypogonadism.  It is important to consider both benefits and risks of testosterone therapy, before initiating treatment. The clearest benefit is to men with abnormally […] The post Podcast 68: Treatment of Male Hypogonadism appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

The post Episode 67: Late-onset hypogonadism appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, Constipation, or decrease in stool frequency and hardening in stool consistency, is a common issue in the elderly and can affect their quality of life significantly. Dr. Kevin has a 4 step approach to constipation in the elderly. Step one is making the diagnosis, remembering that constipation is a symptom with an underlying […] The post Episode 66: Constipation in the Elderly with Dr. Kevin appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, A headache is considered secondary when it is related to an underlying medical condition. About 10% of patients presenting with headache are suffering from a secondary cause. Dr. Kevin’s approach to secondary headaches is anatomical in nature. Moving from the outside in, he suggests considering environmental causes (Carbon Monoxide Poisoning), hypertensive disorders, infections […] The post Episode 65: Secondary Headaches with Dr. Kevin appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Aphthous Ulcers, also known as canker sores, affect about 25% of the population. They are considered benign as long as they are small (less than 1 cm), self-limiting (resolve within 3-4 weeks), and not associated with any additional symptoms (such as fever). Consider the differential for mouth ulcers as being infectious or non-infectious. The most […] The post Episode 64: Aphthous Ulcers appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Endocrine Emergencies are rare but deadly conditions that can be hard to diagnose and manage. This can lead to long treatment delays and potentially life-threatening complications. In podcast 63, Dr Wahid and Dr. Dimitre will cover some of the most common emergencies relating to the thyroid (myxedema coma, thyroid storm, thyroiditis), adrenal glands (adrenal crisis, […] The post Episode 63: Endocrine Emergencies with Dr. Pabani appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Approximately 60% of women will experience a urinary tract infection if their lifetime. Up to twenty percent of them will experience multiple current episodes on a yearly basis. For the first time, the American Urological Association (AUA) has issued a guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), which emphasizes […] The post Episode 62: New Urinary Tract Infection Guidelines appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

For podcast 61, Dr. Wahid makes a comeback to talk about Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) while Dr. Dimitre bemoans the weather in Ottawa yet again. Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a condition that affects about 1 in 500 Canadians and is an important cause of early cardiovascular death yet it is relatively unknown by primary care physicians. […] The post Episode 61: Familial hypercholesterolemia with Dr. Pabani appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, After a bit of an unplanned hiatus, we are back with podcast number 60 and with Dr Pabani, rural doc extraordinaire. Aspirin is having a really tough time lately with three studies taking the shine off its role in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. During the podcast, Dr. Dimitre and Dr. Wahid go […] The post Podcast 60: Aspirin in Primary Prevention for Cardiovascular Disease appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dear Listeners, For our last podcast of the year, Dr. Dimitre talks about Marfan syndrome. It is an autosomal dominant disorder of the connective tissue that affects three major systems: cardiovascular, muskuloskeletal, and ocular. Most individuals who have Marfan’s are asymptomatic until complications arise. Most commonly they will have aortic dilation, mitral valve prolapse, scoliosis […] The post Podcast 59: Marfan Syndrome appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dr. Kevin is back for our 58th podcast to talk about his approach to diagnosing inconsolable infants. Unexplained irritability in the clinic setting needs to be assessed as an urgent medical presentation. Up to 5% of fussy children will have an organic cause to their distress. As Dr. Kevin explains, there are a lot of badnesses […] The post Podcast 58: Irritable Child with Dr. Kevin appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.

Dr. Dimitre is back with the 57th episode of the primary medicine podcast! Acquired long QTc syndrome is a disorder of the rhythm of the heart. It can lead to ventricular arrhythmias, such as Torsades de Pointe, and possibly ventricular fibrillation and death. It is caused by QTc prolonging medications which include antidepressants, antibiotics, antibiotics, […] The post Podcast 57: Acquired Long QTc Syndrome appeared first on Primary Medicine Podcast.